Software · head to head
Linode vs DigitalOcean
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Linode linode.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to akamai.com/cloud/pricing; the service is now sold as Akamai Cloud; DigitalOcean data transfer overage charged at $0.01 per GiB beyond included allowances
- They diverge on capability: Linode covers Compute instances, DigitalOcean covers Droplets (VPS).
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Linode and DigitalOcean actually diverge.
| Attribute | Linode | DigitalOcean |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Api, Cli | Linux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure backend) |
| Founded | 2003 | 2011 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Linode
- Compute instances
- Object storage
- Block storage
- Managed database
- Load balancers
- Private networks
- Ansible
- Cloud Manager API
Only in DigitalOcean
- Droplets (VPS)
- Managed Kubernetes
- App Platform
- Managed Databases
- Spaces (Object Storage)
- Floating IPs
- Load Balancers
- Git
Both cover
- Kubernetes
- Firewalls
- Terraform
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Linode
- Running Linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated CPU plansnot DigitalOcean
- Managed Kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud accountnot DigitalOcean
- Hosting workloads in a specific one of the listed global regionsnot DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean
- Developers seeking affordable VPS starting at $4/month for small applicationsnot Linode
- Teams deploying containerised workloads with Kubernetes starting at $12/month cluster costnot Linode
- Data scientists and ML engineers requiring NVIDIA GPU access at $1.91/GPU/hour (committed)not Linode
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Linode
- linode.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to akamai.com/cloud/pricing; the service is now sold as Akamai Cloud
- Charges accrue for any service on the account even when it is powered off, because RAM and network capacity stay reserved; only deleting the service stops billing
- Network transfer beyond the monthly allotment is billed from $0.005 per GB and the rate varies by region
- The Akamai Cloud pricing landing page shows no rates and directs visitors to regional pricing pages or sales
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Linode
Free- Nanode 1GB$5/month
- 1GB RAM
- 1 vCPU
- 25GB SSD
- Linode 4GB$20/month
- 4GB RAM
- 2 vCPU
- 80GB SSD
DigitalOcean
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the DigitalOcean review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Linode if
- You need compute instances.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli.
- You also want object storage.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Linode or DigitalOcean better?
- Neither clearly leads. Linode starts at Free and DigitalOcean at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Linode or DigitalOcean?
- Linode starts at Free and DigitalOcean at Free.
- Does Linode or DigitalOcean run on more platforms?
- Linode runs on Web, Api, Cli. DigitalOcean runs on Linux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure backend).
- Can I use Linode for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Linode best used for?
- Linode is most often used for running linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated cpu plans, managed kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud account, hosting workloads in a specific one of the listed global regions. Of those, running linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated cpu plans and managed kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud account are not what DigitalOcean is typically brought in for.
- What can Linode do that DigitalOcean cannot?
- Linode covers Compute instances, Object storage, Block storage, Managed database. DigitalOcean covers Droplets (VPS), Managed Kubernetes, App Platform, Managed Databases. Both handle Kubernetes, Firewalls, Terraform, Docker.