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Cloud · head to head

DigitalOcean vs Tigris

DigitalOcean logo

DigitalOcean

Cloud

The developer cloud

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tigris logo

Tigris

File Storage

Globally distributed S3-compatible object storage with zero egress fees

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: DigitalOcean data transfer overage charged at $0.01 per GiB beyond included allowances; Tigris lowest tier still more expensive than some cold storage alternatives
  • They diverge on capability: DigitalOcean covers Droplets (VPS), Tigris covers Global Distribution.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DigitalOcean and Tigris actually diverge.

Attributes where DigitalOcean and Tigris differ
AttributeDigitalOceanTigris
Pricing modelusage-basedUsage-based tiered storage with per-request fees
PlatformsLinux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure backend)Web, API, CLI
CategoryCloudFile Storage
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in DigitalOcean

  • Droplets (VPS)
  • Managed Kubernetes
  • App Platform
  • Managed Databases
  • Spaces (Object Storage)
  • Floating IPs
  • Load Balancers
  • Firewalls

Only in Tigris

  • Global Distribution
  • Zero Egress Fees
  • S3 Compatibility
  • Multiple Storage Classes
  • Object Notifications
  • API Access

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

DigitalOcean

  • Developers seeking affordable VPS starting at $4/month for small applicationsnot Tigris
  • Teams deploying containerised workloads with Kubernetes starting at $12/month cluster costnot Tigris
  • Data scientists and ML engineers requiring NVIDIA GPU access at $1.91/GPU/hour (committed)not Tigris

Tigris

  • Storing and versioning AI training datasets without egress penaltiesnot DigitalOcean
  • Distributing model checkpoints and artifacts globallynot DigitalOcean
  • Serving static assets with low latency across regionsnot DigitalOcean
  • Multi-cloud data portability with standardized APInot DigitalOcean

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

DigitalOcean

  • Data transfer overage charged at $0.01 per GiB beyond included allowances
  • Free tier includes only 3 static sites; additional static sites require paid upgrade
  • Container registry free tier capped at 500 MiB storage; exceeding requires paid tier
  • Functions free tier allows 90,000 GiB-seconds monthly; overages billed on usage basis
  • GPU Droplets require minimum monthly commitment for lower hourly rates; on-demand significantly more expensive

Tigris

  • Lowest tier still more expensive than some cold storage alternatives
  • Retrieval charges on infrequent access tier add cost variability
  • Limited to object storage, no file system semantics
  • Archive retrieval requires planning ahead

Pricing, plan by plan

DigitalOcean

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the DigitalOcean review.

Tigris

Free
  • Standard Storage$0.02/GB/month
    • Frequently accessed data
    • No retrieval charges
    • Free data egress
  • Infrequent Access$0.01/GB/month
    • Lower storage cost
    • Retrieval: $0.01 per GB
    • 30-day minimum retention
  • Archive$0.004/GB/month
    • Lowest storage cost
    • Free retrieval
    • 90-day minimum retention
  • Archive Instant Retrieval$0.004/GB/month
    • Archive storage cost
    • Instant retrieval: $0.03 per GB
    • 90-day minimum retention

Which should you pick?

Choose DigitalOcean if

  • You need droplets (vps).
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure backend).
  • You also want managed kubernetes.
DigitalOcean review

Choose Tigris if

  • You need global distribution.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API, CLI.
  • You also want zero egress fees.
Tigris review

Questions people ask

Is DigitalOcean or Tigris better?
Neither clearly leads. DigitalOcean starts at Free and Tigris at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DigitalOcean or Tigris?
DigitalOcean starts at Free and Tigris at Free.
Does DigitalOcean or Tigris run on more platforms?
DigitalOcean runs on Linux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure backend). Tigris runs on Web, API, CLI.
Can I use DigitalOcean for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is DigitalOcean best used for?
DigitalOcean is most often used for developers seeking affordable vps starting at $4/month for small applications, teams deploying containerised workloads with kubernetes starting at $12/month cluster cost, data scientists and ml engineers requiring nvidia gpu access at $1.91/gpu/hour (committed). Of those, developers seeking affordable vps starting at $4/month for small applications and teams deploying containerised workloads with kubernetes starting at $12/month cluster cost are not what Tigris is typically brought in for.
What can DigitalOcean do that Tigris cannot?
DigitalOcean covers Droplets (VPS), Managed Kubernetes, App Platform, Managed Databases. Tigris covers Global Distribution, Zero Egress Fees, S3 Compatibility, Multiple Storage Classes.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DigitalOcean: How much does a DigitalOcean Droplet cost?

The cheapest Basic Droplet is $4.00 per month, or $0.00595 per hour, and includes 1 vCPU, 512 MiB of memory, 10 GiB of SSD and 500 GiB of transfer. The next step up is $6.00 per month with 1 GiB of memory, 25 GiB of SSD and 1,000 GiB of transfer.

Source
Tigris: Is there a free tier?

Yes, new users receive 5 GB of Standard storage monthly plus 10,000 Class A and 100,000 Class B requests at no cost.

Source
DigitalOcean: How is DigitalOcean billed?

Droplets are billed hourly as well as monthly, and DigitalOcean states that Bundled Plan and v5 Droplets are billed on a per second basis with a 60 second minimum charge.

Source
Tigris: What are the request costs?

Class A requests cost $0.005 per 1,000 requests, Class B requests cost $0.0005 per 1,000 requests. DELETE and CANCEL operations are free.

Source
DigitalOcean: What does the cheapest DigitalOcean plan include?

At $4.00 per month you get a single vCPU, 512 MiB of memory, 10 GiB of SSD storage and 500 GiB of outbound transfer. That is the smallest Basic Droplet DigitalOcean sells.

Source
Tigris: Do I get charged for data egress?

No, Tigris provides free data egress across all storage tiers.

Source
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