Hosting Next.js on DigitalOcean Droplets
Pricing data as of 2026-10-12 · refreshed weekly
DigitalOcean Droplets is a vps platform. Next.js needs roughly 512MB RAM for a production server process, so the cheapest plan that actually fits depends on your traffic. Below is the cheapest DigitalOcean Droplets plan that fits each traffic level, computed from current list prices.
Note: the 512MB figure is for serving the built app. Production builds (next build and friends) are heavier and belong in CI or on your laptop — run them on the same small instance and you'll hit out-of-memory errors that say nothing about its serving capacity.
Cheapest fitting plan by traffic
| Traffic | Plan | $/month | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hobby / side project (~5,000/mo) | Basic 512MB | $4 | 10GB SSD |
| Startup / small business (~50,000/mo) | Basic 512MB | $4 | 10GB SSD |
| E-commerce (~200,000/mo) | Basic 1GB | $6 | 25GB SSD |
| High traffic (~1,000,000/mo) | Basic 2GB | $12 | 50GB SSD |
FAQ
How much does it cost to host Next.js on DigitalOcean Droplets?
Hobby / side project: $4/month (Basic 512MB); Startup / small business: $4/month (Basic 512MB); E-commerce: $6/month (Basic 1GB); High traffic: $12/month (Basic 2GB).
Is DigitalOcean Droplets a cheap place to host Next.js?
At startup traffic DigitalOcean Droplets ranks 2 of 18 providers that fit; the cheapest is Orkestr (free, Starter). Cheaper usually means more setup and maintenance on your side.
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.