Softwr

Cloud · head to head

Linode vs Restate

Linode logo

Linode

Cloud

Affordable cloud hosting and infrastructure

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Restate logo

Restate

Developer Tools

Durable execution engine in Rust with a free tier and low-latency workflows

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

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; Restate the runtime is under a Business Source Licence rather than an open source licence, so building a competing managed offering on it is prohibited and some procurement functions will reject it on licence grounds alone.
  • They diverge on capability: Linode covers Compute instances, Restate covers Durable execution.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Linode and Restate actually diverge.

Attributes where Linode and Restate differ
AttributeLinodeRestate
Pricing modelusage-basedPer month by durable action count
PlatformsWeb, Api, CliLinux, macOS, Web
CategoryCloudDeveloper Tools
Founded2003Unknown

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 Linode

  • Compute instances
  • Object storage
  • Block storage
  • Kubernetes
  • Managed database
  • Load balancers
  • Firewalls
  • Private networks

Only in Restate

  • Durable execution
  • Virtual objects
  • Single binary runtime
  • Multi-language SDKs
  • Workflows and sagas
  • Restate Cloud

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 Restate
  • Managed Kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud accountnot Restate
  • Hosting workloads in a specific one of the listed global regionsnot Restate

Restate

  • Payment or order flows where a crash between two external API calls must not double-charge or lose the ordernot Linode
  • AI agent loops that call tools over minutes or hours and must survive a deployment mid-runnot Linode
  • Replacing hand-rolled retry, idempotency key and outbox code across a set of microservicesnot Linode
  • A small team that wants durable workflows without operating a Temporal cluster and its databasenot 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

Restate

  • The runtime is under a Business Source Licence rather than an open source licence, so building a competing managed offering on it is prohibited and some procurement functions will reject it on licence grounds alone.
  • Restate Cloud jumps from a free fifty thousand actions straight to 300 US dollars a month for twenty million, so a workload sitting at a few hundred thousand actions pays enterprise-shaped money for hobby-shaped volume.
  • It is a young project against Temporal’s established base, so hiring engineers who already know it is unrealistic and the answer to most questions is in the docs rather than on Stack Overflow.
  • The programming model requires structuring code around durable handlers and virtual objects, which is a genuine rewrite for existing services rather than a library you add.
  • The single-binary simplicity that makes small deployments cheap also means fewer operational knobs at very large scale than a system designed as separable components.

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

Restate

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Fifty thousand durable actions per month
    • No credit card required
    • Community support
  • Starter$300/month
    • Twenty million actions per month
    • Two hundred actions per second, bursting to one thousand
    • Twenty GB storage
  • Pro$1000/month
    • Fifty million actions per month
    • Five hundred actions per second, bursting to two thousand
    • Fifty GB storage
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Negotiated volume
    • Twenty-four seven P0 support
    • 99.99 per cent SLA

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.
Linode review

Choose Restate if

  • You need durable execution.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Web.
  • You also want virtual objects.
Restate review

Questions people ask

Is Linode or Restate better?
Neither clearly leads. Linode starts at Free and Restate at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Linode or Restate?
Linode starts at Free and Restate at Free.
Does Linode or Restate run on more platforms?
Linode runs on Web, Api, Cli. Restate runs on Linux, macOS, Web.
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 Restate is typically brought in for.
What can Linode do that Restate cannot?
Linode covers Compute instances, Object storage, Block storage, Kubernetes. Restate covers Durable execution, Virtual objects, Single binary runtime, Multi-language SDKs.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Linode: Does Linode charge for data egress?

Linode emphasizes transparent pricing with no egress surprises and a free egress allowance included in the service. The pricing is described as straightforward with no hidden fees and no vendor lock-in.

Source
Restate: Is Restate open source?

The SDKs are MIT. The runtime is under a Business Source Licence, which permits self-hosting but not offering it as a competing service.

Linode: What is the free trial credit amount?

New and existing enterprise customers can receive up to $5,000 in cloud credits through promotional offers.

Source
Restate: How does it compare with Temporal?

Same problem, different shape: one Rust binary with embedded storage instead of a server plus database plus workers, and lower per-step latency.

Linode: Is there vendor lock-in with Linode's pricing model?

No. Linode explicitly states there is no vendor lock-in as part of their transparent pricing approach.

Source
Restate: Is there a free tier?

Yes, fifty thousand durable actions a month on Restate Cloud with no card required.

Restate: Which languages are supported?

TypeScript, Java, Kotlin, Go, Python and Rust.

Share

Related pages

More on Linode

More on Restate

Keep looking

Other head to heads