Vultr vs DigitalOcean
We resell both, so this comparison has no side to take. Same catalog, same account, same prepaid balance: the numbers below are the retail prices you pay through Initech, side by side, with the differences that actually matter.
Three verdicts up front
Vultr, tier for tier
In our catalog Vultr comes in lower at every comparable size and sells in 32 locations to DigitalOcean's 9, including the Middle East, Africa and South America.
DigitalOcean, if you live in it
DigitalOcean's tutorials and tooling ecosystem is a real asset, and its Basic droplets are a known quantity. If your team already thinks in droplets, that familiarity has value.
Windows or GPU decides it
Through Initech, Windows Server and NVIDIA GPU plans exist on the Vultr side only. If either is on your roadmap, the choice makes itself.
Plan for plan, our retail prices
| Tier | Vultr | DigitalOcean | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 vCPU / 1GB RAM | $10/mo | $12/mo | 25GB storage and 1TB transfer on both; Vultr's is NVMe |
| 1 vCPU / 2GB RAM | $20/mo | $24/mo | Vultr 55GB NVMe vs DO 50GB; 2TB transfer on both |
| 2 vCPU / 2GB RAM | $30/mo | $36/mo | Vultr 65GB NVMe vs DO 60GB; 3TB transfer on both |
| 2 vCPU / 4GB RAM | $40/mo | $48/mo | 80GB storage on both; DO includes 4TB transfer vs Vultr 3TB |
| Premium CPU, 1 vCPU / 1GB | $12/mo | $14/mo | Vultr High Frequency or Dedicated CPU vs DO Premium Intel/AMD |
Retail USD per month through Initech, from the live catalog. Both providers price direct accounts differently; through us both draw from one prepaid balance you can top up with PayPal or 18 cryptocurrencies.
Where each one can put your server
Vultr
North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, plus coverage the majors skip: Johannesburg, Tel Aviv, Santiago, Mexico City, Mumbai, Seoul, Osaka, Honolulu and more.
DigitalOcean
The classic droplet map: New York, San Francisco, Toronto, London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Bangalore, Singapore and Sydney.
Vultr vs DigitalOcean questions
Which is cheaper, Vultr or DigitalOcean?
In our catalog Vultr is cheaper at every comparable tier: $10 vs $12 at 1 vCPU/1GB, $20 vs $24 at 1 vCPU/2GB, $30 vs $36 at 2 vCPU/2GB, and $40 vs $48 at 2 vCPU/4GB, in retail USD per month through Initech.
Which has more datacenter locations?
Through Initech, Vultr deploys in 32 locations against DigitalOcean's 9. If you need South America, Africa, the Middle East or broad Asia coverage, Vultr is the one with a datacenter there.
Can I run Windows on either?
In our catalog Windows Server plans exist on Vultr (Server 2016 through 2025), and NVIDIA GPU plans are Vultr-side as well. Our DigitalOcean line is Linux.
Can I try one and switch to the other?
Yes, and this is the point of buying through one reseller: both draw from the same prepaid balance in the same account. Deploy on one, benchmark, redeploy on the other; no separate signups or billing relationships.
Can I pay for either with crypto?
Yes. Balance top-ups work with PayPal or 18 cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Lightning and Monero, and fund servers on either provider.
Benchmark them yourself
One account, one balance, both clouds. Loser gets destroyed in one click.
