DigitalOcean vs Vultr: Which Should You Choose?
DigitalOcean and Vultr are the two most popular developer-focused cloud providers. Both offer great VPS hosting, but they differ in pricing, global reach, and specialised features.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Feature | DO | VU |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | ✓$20/account | $30/account |
| Max Credit | $299 (Open Port accounts) | $300 credit |
| Delivery Time | 30min–12 hours | 30min–12 hours |
| Port 25 Available | ✓Yes (open port accounts) | No |
| GPU Instances | GPU Droplets | Cloud GPU |
| Global Locations | 15 data centers | ✓32 data centers |
| Kubernetes | ✓DOKS (managed K8s) | Kubernetes (manual) |
| Bare Metal | No | ✓Yes |
| Developer UX | ✓Excellent (best in class) | Good |
Our Verdict
DigitalOcean is best for: developer experience, managed Kubernetes, open port 25 email servers, and teams prioritising UX and simplicity.
View DO Accounts →Vultr is best for: more global locations (32 vs 15), bare metal servers, game servers, and high-frequency compute at competitive prices.
View VU Accounts →Top DO Accounts
DigitalOcean Free Trial
- Unlimited Droplets
- Verified & Instant
- 30min–12hr Delivery
DigitalOcean Close Port 3
- Verified Account
- Worldwide Working
- 24/7 Support
DigitalOcean Close Port 10
- Verified Account
- 7 Days Replacement
- 30min–12hr Delivery
Top VU Accounts
Vultr $200 Credit
- All Regions Access
- 7 Days Replacement
- 30min–12hr Delivery
Vultr $250 Credit
- Cloud/Bare Metal
- Worldwide Working
- 24/7 Support
Vultr $300 Credit
- All Services Access
- 7 Days Replacement
- 30min–12hr Delivery
FAQs
Is DigitalOcean or Vultr faster?
Both are comparable for most workloads. Vultr's NVMe SSD instances can be faster for I/O-heavy applications. DigitalOcean's Premium plans use similar NVMe storage.
Which is better for email servers?
DigitalOcean wins with our open port 25 accounts — Vultr does not offer port 25 accounts on Cloudrix. DO is the clear choice for SMTP email servers.
Which has more global locations?
Vultr has 32 data centers vs DigitalOcean's 15. For maximum geographic coverage and low latency deployments, Vultr has more options.
Can I get bare metal on DigitalOcean?
No, DigitalOcean does not offer bare metal servers. If you need dedicated hardware, Vultr or Hetzner are better options.