Pick Akamai Linode if
You want phone support
Every Linode account includes 24/7 phone and ticket support at no extra cost. DigitalOcean's free support is ticket-only.
Provider comparison
Linode vs DigitalOcean
For 4 GB of RAM, Akamai Linode's cheapest listed server is Linode Standard 4 GB at $24.00 a month with 4 TB of traffic. DigitalOcean's Basic Regular Droplet · 2 vCPU / 4 GiB costs $24.00 with 4 TB. Shared-CPU prices are almost identical at most sizes. Linode includes 24/7 phone support and has more regions; DigitalOcean offers App Platform and dedicated-CPU Droplets with a monthly cap.
- Cheapest 4 GB
- $24.00 vs $24.00
- Traffic at 4 GB
- 4 TB vs 4 TB
- Regions
- 25 vs 9
- Order today
- Yes vs Yes
Matched plans
Price for the same server size
Each group pairs Akamai Linode and DigitalOcean 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 | ||||||
| Linode Nanode 1 GBShared CPU | 1 | 1 GB | 25 GB | 1 TB | $5.00 | $5.00 |
| Basic Droplet · 1 vCPU / 1 GB (Intel)Shared vCPU (Intel Xeon) | 1 | 1 GB | 25 GB | 1 TB | $6.00 | $6.00 |
| 2 GB | ||||||
| Linode Standard 2 GBShared CPU | 1 | 2 GB | 50 GB | 2 TB | $12.00 | $6.00 |
| Basic Droplet · 1 vCPU / 2 GB (Intel)Shared vCPU (Intel Xeon) | 1 | 2 GB | 50 GB | 2 TB | $12.00 | $6.00 |
| 4 GB | ||||||
| Linode Standard 4 GBShared CPU | 2 | 4 GB | 80 GB | 4 TB | $24.00 | $6.00 |
| Basic Regular Droplet · 2 vCPU / 4 GiBShared CPU | 2 | 4 GB | 80 GB | 4 TB | $24.00 | $6.00 |
| 8 GB | ||||||
| Linode 8 GB (Shared CPU)Shared CPU | 4 | 8 GB | 160 GB | 5 TB | $48.00 | $6.00 |
| Basic Regular Droplet · 4 vCPU / 8 GiBShared CPU | 4 | 8 GB | 160 GB | 5 TB | $48.00 | $6.00 |
| Dedicated vCPU | ||||||
| Akamai G8 Dedicated 4x2Dedicated CPU | 2 | 4 GB | 40 GB | Not stated | $51.10 | $12.78 |
| Linode High Memory 24 GBDedicated CPU | 2 | 24 GB | 20 GB | 5 TB | $60.00 | $2.50 |
| 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 |
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 Akamai Linode if
You need lots of memory per dollar
Linode's High Memory plans pair large amounts of RAM with fewer CPU cores, which suits caches and in-memory databases.
Pick Akamai Linode if
You need more regions
Linode runs in more than 25 core regions, including Latin America. DigitalOcean has nine.
Pick DigitalOcean if
You want a platform that deploys from Git
DigitalOcean's App Platform builds and runs apps from a repository, next to managed databases and Kubernetes.
Pick DigitalOcean if
You want a small dedicated-CPU server
DigitalOcean's dedicated Droplets start at 2 vCPU with 4 GB. Linode's newer G8 dedicated plans are billed hourly with no monthly cap.
Either works
For a typical small server
At 1, 2, 4 and 8 GB the shared plans cost about the same. Pick on support, region and the extra services you need.
Real monthly cost
A 4 GB server
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.
- Linode Standard 4 GB
- Server
- $24.00
- Traffic (4 TB included)
- $0.00
- Total
- $24.00
- Basic Regular Droplet · 2 vCPU / 4 GiB
- Server
- $24.00
- Backups (+20%)
- $4.80
- Traffic (4 TB included)
- $0.00
- Total
- $28.80
Run your own numbers, including storage and extra traffic, in the hosting cost calculator.
Side by side
How the two providers differ
| Feature | Akamai Linode | DigitalOcean |
|---|---|---|
| Data centers | 25+ core regions across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America | New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Amsterdam, London, Frankfurt, Bangalore, Singapore, Sydney |
| CPU options | Shared (Nanode, Standard), dedicated, High Memory, GPU (NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada) | Shared (Basic, Premium Intel/AMD), dedicated (General Purpose, CPU-, Memory-, Storage-Optimized), GPU |
| Billing | Hourly, capped at the monthly price for shared plans; G8 dedicated plans have no monthly cap | Hourly, capped at 672 hours a month, in USD |
| Managed services | Linode Kubernetes Engine (LKE), Cloud Firewalls, block storage | Managed databases, Kubernetes, App Platform, load balancers, volumes |
| Support | 24/7 phone and ticket support on every account | Free tickets; paid plans add response-time targets |
Questions
Linode vs DigitalOcean FAQ
Is Linode cheaper than DigitalOcean?
They are almost the same for shared servers. The cheapest 4 GB plans are Linode Standard 4 GB at $24.00 a month and Basic Regular Droplet · 2 vCPU / 4 GiB at $24.00. Differences show up in dedicated-CPU and high-memory plans.
Is Linode the same as Akamai Cloud?
Yes. Akamai bought Linode in 2022, and Linode's servers are now sold as Akamai Cloud Computing. The plans and the linode.com control panel continue.
Which has better support?
Linode includes 24/7 phone and ticket support on every account. DigitalOcean's free support is by ticket, with paid plans that add response-time targets.
Do both bill by the hour?
Yes. Both meter usage hourly and stop at the monthly price for standard plans. Linode's G8 dedicated plans are the exception: they are billed for every hour with no monthly cap.
How much do backups cost?
DigitalOcean charges 20% of the Droplet price for weekly backups. Linode's Backup Service is a separate add-on priced by plan, starting at about $2 to $5 a month for small instances.
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.