Vultr vs DigitalOcean

by Gralio Feb 24, 2025

Vultr and DigitalOcean offer cloud computing services targeting developers and businesses. Vultr offers greater flexibility and a wider array of services. DigitalOcean emphasizes user-friendliness and community support, making it better for beginners or those seeking a simpler platform.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 1017 reviews and 60 websites, saving 6 hours, 9 minutes of reading.

Vultr

Website LinkedIn Twitter

DigitalOcean

Website LinkedIn Twitter

About

Vultr is a global cloud computing provider offering businesses and developers easy-to-use and affordable solutions. Their services include virtual servers, cloud GPUs, bare metal servers, and managed databases. With a focus on performance and flexibility, Vultr aims to simplify cloud infrastructure for a wide range of workloads, from websites and applications to data analysis and artificial intelligence. They operate on a large scale, serving millions of customers across numerous countries without relying on external funding.

DigitalOcean is a cloud computing platform designed to be user-friendly for businesses of all sizes. It offers a range of services including virtual servers, managed databases, and tools for building and deploying applications. DigitalOcean focuses on providing simple, cost-effective solutions for businesses to build and grow their online presence, making it particularly popular with startups and smaller companies. Its straightforward approach and helpful support resources are designed to make cloud computing accessible to those without deep technical expertise.

Summary

Main difference

Vultr stands out for its wider range of services, including bare metal servers and a broader selection of cloud GPUs, catering to users needing specialized hardware. DigitalOcean excels in user-friendliness and community support, making it ideal for developers and startups seeking a simpler, more accessible cloud platform.

Relative strengths of Vultr (compared to DigitalOcean)

Broader range of services, including bare metal and a wider variety of cloud GPUs.
Competitive pricing, especially for high-performance computing.
Large global network with numerous server locations.

Relative weaknesses of Vultr (compared to DigitalOcean)

Customer support responsiveness and clarity can be inconsistent.
Account management policies can be rigid and lead to unexpected suspensions.
Pricing structure can be complex, potentially leading to unanticipated charges.

Who should use Vultr VS. DigitalOcean

Vultr is a cost-effective cloud platform ideal for developers and businesses seeking reliable and high-performance infrastructure. Users praise Vultr's affordable pricing, fast servers, and easy-to-use interface. However, some have reported issues with account suspensions and customer support. If you prioritize performance and value, Vultr is worth considering.

DigitalOcean is a user-friendly cloud platform perfect for startups and SMBs. It offers simple, cost-effective solutions like virtual servers and managed databases. Users praise its ease of use, affordable pricing, and helpful support, while some note occasional issues with price increases and limited advanced networking features. DigitalOcean simplifies building and growing your online presence.

Best for small to medium-sized businesses seeking scalable cloud solutions.
Ideal for businesses in software, IT, media, e-commerce, and related sectors.

Ideal for small to medium-sized businesses seeking scalable cloud solutions.
A strong fit for software, IT, telecommunications, and e-commerce businesses.

Vultr and DigitalOcean features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Cloud-based deployment

Supported

Vultr supports cloud-based database deployments through its Managed Databases service.

Supported

DigitalOcean supports cloud deployments via its Managed Databases service.
Serverless computing support

Supported

Vultr supports serverless deployments through its Serverless Inference platform and OpenFaaS.

Supported

DigitalOcean supports serverless deployments with its Functions service and Kubernetes integration.
Cold storage

Supported

Vultr offers Object Storage suitable for infrequently accessed data.

Supported

DigitalOcean Spaces offers low-cost storage for infrequently accessed data.
Linux virtual machines

Supported

Vultr supports creating and managing Linux virtual machines.

Supported

DigitalOcean allows creating and managing virtual machines running Linux.
Docker support

Supported

Vultr supports Docker deployments via one-click apps and manual installations.

Supported

DigitalOcean supports Docker deployments, including a one-click Docker installation and Kubernetes integration.
Visual Studio Code IDE

Partially supported

Vultr supports building, debugging, deploying, and managing with VS Code via tools like code-server.

Supported

DigitalOcean supports building, debugging, and managing projects in VS Code via remote development and extensions.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

No data

No data
Customer Service

No data

No data
Ease of Use

No data

No data
Reliability and Performance

No data

No data
Ease of Implementation

No data

No data
Scalability

No data

No data

Vultr and DigitalOcean Pricing

Vultr is a cloud computing provider that offers various services including Cloud Compute, Optimized Cloud Compute, Cloud GPU, Bare Metal, Direct Connect, Kubernetes Engine, Databases, Block Storage, Object Storage, File System (NVMe), Load Balancers, Serverless Inference and Add-on Services. Kubernetes Engine provides the control plane free of charge. Pricing may vary based on regional costs.

Plans

See full Pricing page

No data

See full Pricing page

Vultr and DigitalOcean review insights

Users love

Affordable pricing and cost-effective plans, especially for smaller projects and testing, are widely praised.
Fast and reliable server performance, particularly for High Frequency instances, is frequently highlighted.
Easy-to-use interface and simple server deployment process are appreciated by many users.
Wide range of server locations and customization options are considered a significant advantage.
Good uptime and server reliability are often mentioned positively.

Ease of use and simple interface make server deployment quick and painless.
Affordable pricing and predictable billing are frequently praised.
Wide range of operating systems and one-click apps simplifies setup.
Fast and reliable performance, with minimal reported downtime.
Helpful documentation and responsive customer support are highly regarded.

Users dislike

Account suspensions and terminations without clear reasons or warnings are frequently reported.
Excessive verification requirements, including requests for ID card photos and personal information, are a common complaint.
Unclear pricing structure and unexpected charges, especially regarding suspended servers, are a recurring issue.
Slow and unhelpful customer support, particularly regarding billing and account issues, is a major concern.
Blocking of essential ports, like port 25 for emails, without clear explanation or resolution, is frequently criticized.

Price increases on existing plans have frustrated some long-term users.
Limited configurability of advanced networking features like VPC and VPN.
Managed database options can be pricey compared to self-hosting.
Occasional issues with snapshotting and image management have been reported.

Vultr and DigitalOcean Ratings

G2

4.3/5

(272)
TrustPilot

1.6/5

(58)

G2

4.6/5

(561)
Capterra

4.7/5

(129)
Glassdoor

3.9/5

(384)

Company health

Employee growth

36% increase in the last year

16% increase in the last year

Web traffic

3% increase in the last quarter

6% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

September 2024 - $333M

June 2021 - $491M

How do Vultr's bare metal offerings compare to DigitalOcean's Droplets?

Vultr's bare metal offerings provide users with dedicated, single-tenant physical servers, offering greater control and performance predictability compared to DigitalOcean's Droplets, which are virtualized instances sharing physical hardware. While Droplets offer ease of use and scalability ideal for many applications, Vultr's bare metal is better suited for workloads requiring high performance, dedicated resources, and specific hardware configurations. Vultr provides various bare metal configurations, including Intel and AMD processors and GPU options, while DigitalOcean focuses primarily on virtualized compute instances.

Which product offers better support for serverless computing deployments?

DigitalOcean offers better support for serverless computing deployments through its Functions service and Kubernetes integration. While Vultr offers a range of compute options, it does not explicitly mention serverless capabilities in its feature set.

What are the advantages of Vultr?

Vultr offers a wider variety of services, including bare metal servers and cloud GPUs, catering to more intensive workloads like data analysis and AI. Vultr's pricing, while not fully transparent based on user reviews, appears to be competitive, especially for smaller projects or testing environments. They also boast a larger global presence and operate without external funding, potentially offering more stability.

What are the disadvantages of Vultr?

Vultr's main disadvantages include a higher incidence of account suspensions and terminations without clear explanations, stricter verification requirements that some users find excessive, and a less transparent pricing structure that can lead to unexpected charges. Customer support is also a common complaint, often described as slow and unhelpful, especially with billing and account issues. Finally, some users report issues with essential ports being blocked without clear reasons or solutions.

Alternatives to Vultr and DigitalOcean

UpCloud

UpCloud is a global cloud infrastructure provider specializing in fast and reliable virtual private servers. They cater to small and medium businesses, offering public and private cloud solutions, managed Kubernetes, and databases. With transparent pricing and a 100% uptime guarantee, UpCloud promises high performance without hidden fees. Their services are designed for ease of use, scalability, and robust security with GDPR compliance.

Platform.sh

Platform.sh is a cloud-based platform designed to make building, launching, and managing websites and applications easier for developers. It handles the technical complexities of cloud infrastructure, security, and updates, letting developers focus on creating and improving their software. It offers support for popular programming languages and frameworks, making it versatile for various projects. Platform.sh is committed to providing a secure, reliable, and scalable solution for businesses of all sizes.

Akamai Connected Cloud (formerly Linode)

Akamai Connected Cloud (formerly Linode) is a cloud computing platform offering businesses of all sizes a range of services including website and application hosting. It aims to be a more affordable and accessible alternative to larger cloud providers while still offering global reach and high performance. Its simple pricing and user-friendly interface are designed to be particularly attractive to developers and businesses new to cloud computing. Akamai Connected Cloud emphasizes its commitment to customer support and transparent pricing.

Kamatera

Kamatera is a cloud service provider offering scalable solutions for businesses of all sizes. Their main focus is on providing powerful and customizable Virtual Private Servers (VPS) with flexible pricing. Kamatera promises reliable performance, 24/7 support, and a wide range of additional services such as cloud firewalls, load balancers, and managed cloud options. They are a good option for businesses looking for flexible and scalable cloud solutions.

OVHcloud

OVHcloud is a global cloud provider offering a range of hosting solutions, including dedicated servers. They are focused on providing businesses with high-performance, scalable, and secure hosting options. What sets them apart is their transparent pricing, commitment to data sovereignty, and extensive network infrastructure. OVHcloud promises reliable performance, flexible configurations, and a commitment to environmental responsibility.

DuploCloud

DuploCloud is a software platform designed to simplify and automate the management of cloud applications. It allows your in-house developers to focus on building your software instead of configuring cloud infrastructure. DuploCloud automates the technical work of deploying, securing, and scaling your applications in the cloud, while ensuring compliance with industry standards like SOC 2 and HIPAA. This means faster development, lower costs, and less worry about security for your company.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

How are we doing?

Is this information helpful to you? Is there anything we are missing?

Did this help you select your product?

Other issues? Vote & Let us know