DigitalOcean is a solid cloud provider, especially for developers and small businesses looking for simplicity and great value. It offers easy-to-use tools, affordable pricing, and solid performance with options like droplets for virtual machines and Kubernetes for container management. Overall, it’s user-friendly and a go-to for straightforward cloud hosting needs.
Choosing the right web host is essential for your website’s success, but it’s not always an easy decision to make.
With so many hosting providers competing for your attention, the quality of service can vary greatly. That’s why it’s crucial to evaluate your options thoroughly.
DigitalOcean has earned a reputation for its exceptional reliability and performance, making it one of the leading web hosting providers in the industry.
In this DigitalOcean review, we take a closer look at one of the top web hosting providers, analyzing its key benefits and potential downsides. Could it be the right solution for your hosting needs? Let’s explore.
Bottom Line Upfront: Having delved into DigitalOcean extensively, I can unequivocally affirm that it stands as an exceptional hosting service provider that lives up to its commitments. With its robust infrastructure and user-friendly control panel, I found it to be an invaluable resource for hosting and managing websites with utmost reliability. Experience DigitalOcean’s excellence today.
Digital Ocean is based in New York City, but its data centers are spread across Frankfurt, Singapore, London, Toronto, San Francisco, and Amsterdam.
It was founded by Ben Uretsky and Moisey Uretsky in 2011. In 2012, after being selected into a startup accelerator program, it received the first round of funding from IA Ventures.
They opened data centers in Singapore and Amsterdam in 2013; they surpassed Rackspace and became 4th fourth-largest web hosting service provider and 2nd second-largest in 2015.
They also opened a data center in Toronto in 2015. DigitalOcean has been featured in Business Insider, TechCrunch, The New York Times, Bloomberg, Forbes, and many more.
DigitalOcean provides cloud infrastructure that enables developers to build, deploy, and scale applications easily. It offers scalable virtual private servers, known as Droplets, to run applications and websites efficiently.
2. Droplets (Virtual Private Servers)
Droplets are scalable virtual private servers that come in multiple configurations. You can choose from various plans tailored to your RAM, CPU, and storage requirements. They offer SSD storage for faster performance.
3. Managed Databases
DigitalOcean offers managed databases for databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Redis. These databases are fully managed, meaning automatic backups, updates, and scalability are handled without any effort on your part.
4. Kubernetes Support
DigitalOcean offers Kubernetes as a managed service to help you deploy and manage containerized applications. This service simplifies the process of running Kubernetes clusters in the cloud.
5. Block Storage
DigitalOcean offers block storage solutions that allow you to attach additional storage volumes to your Droplets. You can easily scale your storage needs with flexible block storage options.
6. Object Storage (Spaces)
DigitalOcean’s Spaces is an object storage service that allows you to store and serve large amounts of unstructured data, such as images, videos, and backups.
It offers a scalable and cost-effective solution for storing data in the cloud.
7. Load Balancers
DigitalOcean provides load balancers to distribute incoming traffic across multiple Droplets, ensuring high availability and reliability for your applications and websites.
8. Networking Features
DigitalOcean offers a wide range of networking tools, including floating IPs, private networking, VPC (Virtual Private Cloud), and firewalls, enabling secure and efficient management of your cloud infrastructure.
9. Marketplace
The DigitalOcean Marketplace offers pre-configured one-click apps, enabling users to quickly deploy applications such as WordPress, databases, and development tools without manual setup.
10. Developer-Friendly API
DigitalOcean offers a powerful API that allows developers to automate and manage their cloud infrastructure programmatically.
This API makes it easier to integrate DigitalOcean’s services into your workflows.
11. Team Collaboration
DigitalOcean facilitates team collaboration by allowing multiple users to access and manage resources with varying levels of permissions. This makes it easier to work on projects with teams.
12. Monitoring and Alerts
DigitalOcean provides built-in monitoring tools to track the performance of Droplets, databases, and other resources. You can set up alerts based on CPU usage, memory, and other metrics.
13. Security Features
DigitalOcean offers SSL certificates, DDoS protection, firewalls, and private networking to ensure the security and privacy of your applications and data.
14. 24/7 Customer Support
DigitalOcean offers 24/7 customer support via live chat and ticket-based systems to assist users with any issues related to their cloud infrastructure.
How To Create a Cloud Server on DigitalOcean?
Step 1: Sign Up or Log In
Go to the DigitalOcean website.
Sign up or log in to your account.
Add your billing details (new users get $100 credit).
Step 2: Create a Droplet (Server)
Click “Create” and select “Droplets”.
Pick an Operating System (e.g., Ubuntu, CentOS) or use a pre-installed app like WordPress.
Choose a plan. The Basic Droplet starts at $5/month.
Select the server location closest to your audience for faster speed.
Optional: Add SSH keys (for secure login) or enable backups.
Step 3: Set Up Your Droplet
Name your Droplet and click “Create”. Your server will be ready in a few minutes.
Step 4: Access Your Droplet
SSH Login: Open your terminal and use: nginxCopyssh root@your_droplet_ip Enter your password to log in.
Web Access: For apps like WordPress, go to your server’s IP address in a browser to finish setup.
Step 5: Start Using Your Server
Install any apps or software you need for your website or project.
Step 6: Secure Your Droplet
Set up firewalls for extra security.
Enable automatic updates to keep everything safe.
Use SSH keys instead of passwords for better security.
Customer support is one of the most important elements; you need a proper channel through which you can contact your web host provider so that any issues can be resolved quickly.
Digital Ocean offers support to its customers via live chat and a ticket system.
To raise a ticket, please enter your name, email address, subject, and the issue you are experiencing. They reply to your ticket within an hour. There is also an option for live chat on their website; it will take a couple of minutes to connect with an agent.
They are also very active on Facebook and Twitter so you can contact them there.
DigitalOcean has a great knowledge base; they offer step-by-step tutorials for everything you can learn. You don’t have to be a tech expert to understand them.
Pros and Cons Of Digital Ocean
Pros
Affordable Pricing: Offers competitive pricing, making it an excellent option for small businesses, startups, and developers on a budget.
User-Friendly Interface: The dashboard is intuitive and easy to navigate, allowing quick setup and management of cloud resources.
Scalability: It’s simple to scale up or down as needed, whether adding more storage, resources, or spinning up additional droplets.
Performance: Reliable performance with fast provisioning and low-latency servers, which ensures your websites or apps run smoothly.
Managed Services: Offers managed databases, Kubernetes, and other services, making it easier for users to manage infrastructure without handling everything manually.
Developer-Friendly: Extensive documentation, API access, and a strong developer community make it a favorite for those who prefer hands-on control over their infrastructure.
Global Data Centers: While not as many as AWS or Azure, DigitalOcean has data centers in strategic locations worldwide, providing good coverage.
Cons
Limited Enterprise Features: Lacks the advanced tools, services, and customizations that enterprise-level clients might need (e.g., advanced AI/ML services or extensive analytics).
Fewer Data Centers: Compared to larger providers, DigitalOcean has fewer data center locations, which might limit global performance optimization for certain projects.
Not Ideal for Extremely Large Projects: While great for small to medium projects, it may not offer the depth of services or resources required for large-scale, complex enterprise applications.
Support Limitations: While there’s a rich knowledge base, paid support options are limited unless you’re on higher-tier plans, which could be a concern for users needing immediate assistance.
No Free Tier: There is no ongoing free tier for developers; however, they offer a $100 credit for new users, which may not be enough for extended use.
Limited Marketplace: Although it has a marketplace, it’s not as extensive as AWS or Azure, which offer a wide range of pre-configured applications and services.
FAQs
What is DigitalOcean used for?
DigitalOcean is a cloud infrastructure provider that’s primarily used to host websites, applications, and databases. It’s ideal for developers, startups, and small businesses needing scalable cloud solutions.
How does DigitalOcean pricing work?
DigitalOcean offers transparent, pay-as-you-go pricing. Their pricing starts as low as $5 per month for basic virtual servers (droplets) and scales up based on resources like CPU, RAM, and storage.
Does DigitalOcean provide a free tier?
DigitalOcean does not have a traditional free tier, but they offer a $100 credit for new users, which can be used over the first 60 days to try out their services.
How does DigitalOcean compare to AWS and Azure?
DigitalOcean is more beginner-friendly and cost-effective for smaller projects. While AWS and Azure offer more advanced features and global data centers, DigitalOcean focuses on simplicity and great value for developers.
What support options does DigitalOcean provide?
DigitalOcean provides community-based support with extensive documentation, tutorials, and forums. They also offer ticket-based support for paid plans.
To sum it up, this was our detailed DigitalOcean review. If you’re seeking a reliable web host to grow your online business, DigitalOcean is a fantastic choice.
As the second-largest cloud hosting provider, they’ve earned praise from major publications for their cutting-edge technology, affordable pricing, and state-of-the-art data centers equipped with high-end hardware and robust backup systems.
DigitalOcean’s top-notch customer service ensures you’ll rarely face issues, and flexible billing options—monthly or hourly—make it ideal for small businesses and beginners.
Don’t wait—choose one of the most trusted names in cloud hosting today!
Hi, I’m Anikesh Singh, and I’ve spent more than 8 years mastering WordPress, page builders, and plugins. Now, I’m sharing my know-how through Education and WordPress tutorials on SchemaNinja.com. With experience at Yourstory, Bloggerideas, and Tweak Your Biz, I love offering practical tips to build awesome websites since 2018. When I’m not writing, I’m traveling or buried in a book. Catch my latest insights on LinkedIn or Twitter!