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DigitalOcean

DigitalOcean is a cloud infrastructure provider built by DigitalOcean Inc., ranking #29 in developer tool usage at roughly 10.7%. It offers a much simpler, flatter-priced alternative to AWS/Azure/GCP — a small, understandable catalog of services (Droplets, managed databases, App Platform) instead of hundreds of overlapping products. That simplicity is why it's a common first choice for hosting a side project, startup MVP, or small team's infrastructure.

Quick facts
Type: Cloud infrastructure platform (IaaS/PaaS)
Made by: DigitalOcean, Inc.
License: Proprietary, pay-as-you-go managed cloud
Platforms/Hosting: Fully managed, global data centers
Primary use case: Simple, affordable virtual servers and managed services for indie developers, startups, and small teams
Jump to: ExampleGetting startedBest for

Example

DigitalOcean's official CLI, doctl, lets you spin up a virtual server ("Droplet") in one command.

# create a new $6/mo Ubuntu droplet in the NYC1 region
doctl compute droplet create my-app-server \
  --region nyc1 \
  --image ubuntu-22-04-x64 \
  --size s-1vcpu-1gb \
  --ssh-keys 1234567

# list your running droplets
doctl compute droplet list

Getting started

Create a free DigitalOcean account, then install the doctl CLI and authenticate with an API token.

# install doctl (macOS via Homebrew)
brew install doctl

# authenticate with your API token
doctl auth init
Best for: Solo developers and small teams who want predictable flat pricing and a simple control panel to host a side project, small SaaS, or startup MVP without wading through a hyperscaler's sprawling service catalog.