Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head
Linode vs Scaleway
Linode
Cloud & Infrastructure
Affordable cloud hosting and infrastructure
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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; Scaleway scaleway's entry-level cloud instances start at 4.99 EUR per month, and its consumption-based services (serverless jobs, IoT hub, container functions) bill by vCPU-second and GB-second beyond a fixed free-tier allowance per account per month, so costs scale with usage rather than a flat seat price.
- They diverge on capability: Linode covers Compute instances, Scaleway covers Virtual Instances.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Linode and Scaleway actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api, Cli), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud & Infrastructure).
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
- Firewalls
- Private networks
- Cloud Manager API
Only in Scaleway
- Virtual Instances
- Bare Metal
- Kubernetes Kapsule
- Object Storage
- Serverless Functions
- Managed Databases
- Container Registry
- Load Balancer
Both cover
- Kubernetes
- Terraform
- Ansible
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
- Api 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 Scaleway
- Managed Kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud accountnot Scaleway
- Hosting workloads in a specific one of the listed global regionsnot Scaleway
Scaleway
- Web hostingnot Linode
- Container orchestrationnot Linode
- Development environmentsnot Linode
- Data storagenot 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
Scaleway
- Scaleway's entry-level cloud instances start at 4.99 EUR per month, and its consumption-based services (serverless jobs, IoT hub, container functions) bill by vCPU-second and GB-second beyond a fixed free-tier allowance per account per month, so costs scale with usage rather than a flat seat price.
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
Scaleway
Free- DEV1-S$7.99/month
- 2 vCPU
- 2GB RAM
- 20GB SSD
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 Scaleway if
- You need virtual instances.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli.
- You also want bare metal.
Questions people ask
- Is Linode or Scaleway better?
- Neither clearly leads. Linode starts at Free and Scaleway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Linode or Scaleway?
- Linode starts at Free and Scaleway at Free.
- Does Linode or Scaleway run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Api, Cli, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- 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 Scaleway is typically brought in for.
- What can Linode do that Scaleway cannot?
- Linode covers Compute instances, Object storage, Block storage, Managed database. Scaleway covers Virtual Instances, Bare Metal, Kubernetes Kapsule, Object Storage. Both handle Kubernetes, Terraform, Ansible, Docker.