DigitalOcean

DigitalOcean is a cloud provider aimed at developers and small teams rather than enterprises: virtual servers it calls Droplets, managed databases, object storage, Kubernetes and an App Platform for deploying code without managing servers. Pricing is flat and predictable, and the control panel is far simpler than the hyperscalers. The one thing to know is that it is the default budget home for self-hosting open-source business tools.

What do SMEs run on DigitalOcean?

• Self-hosted n8n, ERPNext and Odoo instances; our guide How to Install ERPNext (Self-Hosted) in 2026 assumes a VPS like this.
• WordPress and small web apps where a managed host would cost several times more.
• Pricing: Droplets from $4–6/mo; a new-account credit is typically offered ($200 at the time of research) (DigitalOcean pricing, August 2026). There is no permanent free tier.
• Managed databases and backups are paid add-ons, so a production system costs more than the headline Droplet price.

See Hosting & Cloud for the managed alternatives such as Kinsta and Cloudways.

Who should skip it

Anyone who does not want to patch a Linux server should use a managed host instead; a Droplet is a bare machine. Businesses needing specific regional data centres should check the location list before assuming one exists near them.

Research-based listing — not hands-on tested by Digital4All; details as of September 2026.