Pick Vultr if
You want the lowest price for a small shared server
Vultr's Cloud Compute plans cost less than DigitalOcean's Basic Droplets at the same memory size, as the table above shows.
Provider comparison
DigitalOcean vs Vultr
For 4 GB of RAM, DigitalOcean's cheapest listed server is Basic Regular Droplet · 2 vCPU / 4 GiB at $24.00 a month with 4 TB of traffic. Vultr's Cloud Compute · 2 vCPU / 4 GB costs $20.00 with 3 TB. Vultr is cheaper at most shared-CPU sizes and runs in far more locations. DigitalOcean has a simpler product range, App Platform and a large tutorial library.
- Cheapest 4 GB
- $24.00 vs $20.00
- Traffic at 4 GB
- 4 TB vs 3 TB
- Regions
- 9 vs 32
- Order today
- Yes vs Yes
Matched plans
Price for the same server size
Each group pairs DigitalOcean and Vultr plans with the same memory. Prices stay in the currency each provider bills in, so they match your invoice.
| Plan | vCPU | RAM | Disk | Traffic incl. | Price / mo | Per GB RAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | ||||||
| Basic Droplet · 1 vCPU / 1 GB (Intel)Shared vCPU (Intel Xeon) | 1 | 1 GB | 25 GB | 1 TB | $6.00 | $6.00 |
| Vultr Cloud Compute · 1 vCPU / 1 GBShared vCPU | 1 | 1 GB | 25 GB | 1 TB | $5.00 | $5.00 |
| Vultr High Frequency · 1 vCPU / 1 GBShared vCPU (3 GHz+ Intel Xeon) | 1 | 1 GB | 32 GB NVMe | 1 TB | $6.00 | $6.00 |
| Vultr High Performance (AMD) · 1 vCPU / 1 GBShared vCPU (AMD EPYC) | 1 | 1 GB | 25 GB NVMe | 2 TB | $6.00 | $6.00 |
| 2 GB | ||||||
| Basic Droplet · 1 vCPU / 2 GB (Intel)Shared vCPU (Intel Xeon) | 1 | 2 GB | 50 GB | 2 TB | $12.00 | $6.00 |
| Vultr Cloud Compute · 1 vCPU / 2 GBShared vCPU (previous-generation Intel) | 1 | 2 GB | 55 GB | 2 TB | $10.00 | $5.00 |
| Vultr High Frequency · 1 vCPU / 2 GB (NVMe)High Frequency (3.0GHz+) | 1 | 2 GB | 64 GB NVMe | 2 TB | $12.00 | $6.00 |
| Vultr High Performance (AMD) · 1 vCPU / 2 GBShared vCPU (AMD EPYC) | 1 | 2 GB | 50 GB NVMe | 3 TB | $12.00 | $6.00 |
| 4 GB | ||||||
| Basic Regular Droplet · 2 vCPU / 4 GiBShared CPU | 2 | 4 GB | 80 GB | 4 TB | $24.00 | $6.00 |
| Vultr Cloud Compute · 2 vCPU / 4 GBShared vCPU (previous-generation Intel) | 2 | 4 GB | 80 GB | 3 TB | $20.00 | $5.00 |
| Vultr High Frequency · 2 vCPU / 4 GBShared vCPU (3 GHz+ Intel Xeon) | 2 | 4 GB | 128 GB NVMe | 3 TB | $24.00 | $6.00 |
| Vultr High Performance (AMD) · 2 vCPU / 4 GBShared vCPU (AMD EPYC) | 2 | 4 GB | 100 GB NVMe | 5 TB | $24.00 | $6.00 |
| 8 GB | ||||||
| Basic Regular Droplet · 4 vCPU / 8 GiBShared CPU | 4 | 8 GB | 160 GB | 5 TB | $48.00 | $6.00 |
| Vultr Cloud Compute · 4 vCPU / 8 GBShared vCPU (previous-generation Intel) | 4 | 8 GB | 160 GB | 4 TB | $40.00 | $5.00 |
| Vultr High Frequency · 3 vCPU / 8 GBShared vCPU (3 GHz+ Intel Xeon) | 3 | 8 GB | 256 GB NVMe | 4 TB | $48.00 | $6.00 |
| Vultr High Performance (AMD) · 4 vCPU / 8 GBShared vCPU (AMD EPYC) | 4 | 8 GB | 180 GB NVMe | 6 TB | $48.00 | $6.00 |
| Dedicated vCPU | ||||||
| CPU-Optimized Regular Droplet · 2 vCPU / 4 GiBDedicated CPU | 2 | 4 GB | 25 GB | 4 TB | $42.00 | $10.50 |
| General Purpose Droplet · 2 Dedicated vCPU / 8 GBDedicated vCPU (100% allocation) | 2 | 8 GB | 25 GB | 4 TB | $63.00 | $7.88 |
| Vultr Optimized Cloud Compute (CPU Optimized) · 1 vCPU / 2 GBDedicated vCPU (AMD EPYC) | 1 | 2 GB | 25 GB | 4 TB | $28.00 | $14.00 |
| Vultr Optimized Cloud Compute (General Purpose) · 1 vCPU / 4 GBDedicated vCPU (AMD EPYC) | 1 | 4 GB | 30 GB | 4 TB | $30.00 | $7.50 |
Standard list prices before tax. Hourly-billed plans are shown at the provider's monthly cap where it has one.
Buying advice
Which one to pick
Pick Vultr if
Your users are spread worldwide
Vultr runs in more than 32 locations, including South America and Africa. DigitalOcean has nine regions.
Pick Vultr if
You may need bare metal later
Vultr sells bare-metal servers alongside its virtual machines, so you can move a heavy workload without changing provider.
Pick DigitalOcean if
You want a platform that deploys from Git
DigitalOcean's App Platform builds and runs apps from a repository, next to its managed databases and Kubernetes.
Pick DigitalOcean if
You are learning to run servers
DigitalOcean's tutorial library covers most self-hosting setups step by step, which makes a first server easier to set up.
Either works
For n8n or a small web app
Both sell 2 vCPU / 4 GB servers that meet n8n's starting size, and both cap hourly billing at 672 hours a month.
Real monthly cost
A 4 GB server with backups
The list price is not the whole bill. This is the cheapest 4 GB server from each provider, with automatic backups where the provider prices them as a share of the server cost, before VAT.
- Basic Regular Droplet · 2 vCPU / 4 GiB
- Server
- $24.00
- Backups (+20%)
- $4.80
- Traffic (4 TB included)
- $0.00
- Total
- $28.80
- Vultr Cloud Compute · 2 vCPU / 4 GB
- Server
- $20.00
- Backups (+20%)
- $4.00
- Traffic (3 TB included)
- $0.00
- Total
- $24.00
Run your own numbers, including storage and extra traffic, in the hosting cost calculator.
Side by side
How the two providers differ
| Feature | DigitalOcean | Vultr |
|---|---|---|
| Data centers | New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Amsterdam, London, Frankfurt, Bangalore, Singapore, Sydney | 32+ locations across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa |
| CPU options | Shared (Basic, Premium Intel/AMD), dedicated (General Purpose, CPU-, Memory-, Storage-Optimized), GPU | Shared (Cloud Compute, High Frequency, High Performance), dedicated (Optimized Cloud Compute), Bare Metal, GPU |
| Billing | Hourly, capped at 672 hours a month, in USD | Hourly, capped at 672 hours a month, in USD |
| Managed services | Managed databases, Kubernetes, App Platform, load balancers, volumes | Vultr Kubernetes Engine, managed databases, block storage |
| Support | Free tickets; paid plans add response-time targets | 24/7 tickets on every account |
Questions
DigitalOcean vs Vultr FAQ
Is Vultr cheaper than DigitalOcean?
At most shared sizes, yes. The cheapest 4 GB server is Vultr Cloud Compute · 2 vCPU / 4 GB at $20.00 a month, against Basic Regular Droplet · 2 vCPU / 4 GiB at $24.00. Compare the CPU type too: Vultr's High Frequency and High Performance plans cost more than its basic Cloud Compute range.
Which has more data center locations?
Vultr, with more than 32 locations across six continents. DigitalOcean has nine regions in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
Do DigitalOcean and Vultr bill by the hour?
Both bill by the hour and stop charging after 672 hours in a month, so a server that runs all month costs its monthly price.
How much traffic is included?
Each plan includes outbound transfer that grows with its size: 4 TB on DigitalOcean's cheapest 4 GB plan and 3 TB on Vultr's. DigitalOcean pools transfer across your account and charges $0.01 per GB beyond it.
How much do backups cost?
Both charge 20% of the server price for automatic backups.
Method
How we compared
We matched plans by memory and CPU type and used each provider's standard list price, with no promotions or prepaid terms. We don't benchmark for this page, so treat vCPU counts as an allocation, not a performance score. Read the full method.
Prices and availability change. Confirm current terms with the provider before you buy. See our affiliate disclosure.