DigitalOcean Droplets vs Linode (Akamai)
Pricing data as of 2026-10-12 · refreshed weekly
DigitalOcean Droplets (vps) and Linode (Akamai) (vps) overlap on 15 stacks. The table below shows the cheapest fitting plan on each for a typical startup workload (~50,000 visits/month) — list prices, no promos.
DigitalOcean Dropletsvps
| Basic 512MB | $4/mo |
| Basic 1GB | $6/mo |
| Basic 2GB | $12/mo |
| Basic 4GB | $24/mo |
Linode (Akamai)vps
| Nanode 1GB | $5/mo |
| Linode 2GB | $12/mo |
| Linode 4GB | $24/mo |
Cheapest fitting plan per stack (startup traffic)
| Stack | DigitalOcean Droplets | Linode (Akamai) | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Next.js | $4 (Basic 512MB) | $5 (Nanode 1GB) | DigitalOcean Droplets |
| Nuxt | $4 (Basic 512MB) | $5 (Nanode 1GB) | DigitalOcean Droplets |
| Astro | $4 (Basic 512MB) | $5 (Nanode 1GB) | DigitalOcean Droplets |
| SvelteKit | $4 (Basic 512MB) | $5 (Nanode 1GB) | DigitalOcean Droplets |
| Remix / React Router | $4 (Basic 512MB) | $5 (Nanode 1GB) | DigitalOcean Droplets |
| Node.js API | $4 (Basic 512MB) | $5 (Nanode 1GB) | DigitalOcean Droplets |
| Django | $6 (Basic 1GB) | $5 (Nanode 1GB) | Linode (Akamai) |
| FastAPI | $4 (Basic 512MB) | $5 (Nanode 1GB) | DigitalOcean Droplets |
| Laravel | $6 (Basic 1GB) | $5 (Nanode 1GB) | Linode (Akamai) |
| Ruby on Rails | $12 (Basic 2GB) | $12 (Linode 2GB) | tie |
| Spring Boot | $12 (Basic 2GB) | $12 (Linode 2GB) | tie |
| WordPress | $6 (Basic 1GB) | $5 (Nanode 1GB) | Linode (Akamai) |
| Ghost | $6 (Basic 1GB) | $5 (Nanode 1GB) | Linode (Akamai) |
| Strapi | $6 (Basic 1GB) | $5 (Nanode 1GB) | Linode (Akamai) |
| Static site | $4 (Basic 512MB) | $5 (Nanode 1GB) | DigitalOcean Droplets |
Next.js by traffic level
| Traffic | DigitalOcean Droplets | Linode (Akamai) |
|---|---|---|
| Hobby / side project (~5,000/mo) | $4 (Basic 512MB) | $5 (Nanode 1GB) |
| Startup / small business (~50,000/mo) | $4 (Basic 512MB) | $5 (Nanode 1GB) |
| E-commerce (~200,000/mo) | $6 (Basic 1GB) | $5 (Nanode 1GB) |
| High traffic (~1,000,000/mo) | $12 (Basic 2GB) | $12 (Linode 2GB) |
"+" = even the largest plan may not cover that traffic. Full breakdowns: Next.js on DigitalOcean Droplets · Next.js on Linode (Akamai)
FAQ
Is DigitalOcean Droplets or Linode (Akamai) cheaper?
DigitalOcean Droplets is cheaper more often: at startup traffic (~50,000 visits/month) DigitalOcean Droplets wins on 8 of 15 shared stacks, Linode (Akamai) on 5, 2 tie. Both are VPS offerings, so compare what each bundles (below) as well as price.
What does a Next.js app cost on DigitalOcean Droplets vs Linode (Akamai)?
Cheapest fitting plan by traffic level — hobby / side project: DigitalOcean Droplets $4/month (Basic 512MB) vs Linode (Akamai) $5/month (Nanode 1GB); startup / small business: DigitalOcean Droplets $4/month (Basic 512MB) vs Linode (Akamai) $5/month (Nanode 1GB); e-commerce: DigitalOcean Droplets $6/month (Basic 1GB) vs Linode (Akamai) $5/month (Nanode 1GB); high traffic: DigitalOcean Droplets $12/month (Basic 2GB) vs Linode (Akamai) $12/month (Linode 2GB).
What is included with DigitalOcean Droplets and Linode (Akamai)?
DigitalOcean Droplets is a VPS with nothing bundled — CDN, TLS automation, previews and deploys are yours to set up. Linode (Akamai) is a VPS with nothing bundled — CDN, TLS automation, previews and deploys are yours to set up.
How current are these prices?
They are official list prices as of 2026-10-12, re-checked against each provider's pricing page on a weekly cycle. Intro promos and coupons are not used in totals; taxes are not included unless a plan note says so.