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DigitalOcean vs Linode vs Vultr vs Hetzner (2026)
They all have $5-$6 starter plans — but they’re not the same. Here’s an honest side-by-side comparison to help you pick.
All four are credible unmanaged clouds at similar prices. The right pick comes down to region, whether you value documentation or included support, and whether you can use a EU-based host.
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Head to head, entry plans
Figures verified in the August 2026 pricing sweep against provider pricing pages and public pricing APIs. Prices change — the VPS calculator and hosting comparison hold the current numbers.
| Provider | Entry | 1 GB plan | Support | Best at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DigitalOcean | $4 (0.5 GB) | $6 | Paid add-on | Documentation and ecosystem |
| Linode (Akamai) | $5 (1 GB) | $5 | Included 24/7 | Support included, simple pricing |
| Vultr | $3.50 (0.5 GB) | $5 | Ticket | Region choice, lowest entry |
| Hetzner | €4.59 (4 GB) | — | Ticket | Raw specs-per-euro (EU only) |
Hetzner's price could not be re-confirmed on the sweep (it renders pricing only after a region/currency selection) and is flagged needs-review; the figure is the last confirmed one.
Which one, for whom
Pick DigitalOcean if
you value docs and a big ecosystem
Judged on: learning resources, marketplace, community tutorials.
The documentation is the best in the category and there's a tutorial for almost everything. Support is a paid add-on, which is the main downside.
Pick Linode if
you want support included
Judged on: cost of getting help when something breaks.
24/7 support is included at no extra cost, and pricing is flat and simple. A safe default for someone who doesn't want to pay extra to talk to a human.
Pick Vultr if
you need a specific region or the lowest entry
Judged on: number of locations and entry price.
The widest region choice of the three and the lowest entry price. Ticket-only support on entry plans.
Pick Hetzner if
your users are in Europe and you want raw value
Judged on: specs-per-euro for EU-located workloads.
Far more RAM and CPU per euro, but EU/US data centres only and support is ticket-based. Confirm the current price at checkout — we couldn't verify it automatically.
Comparison questions
Which is fastest?
At the same spec they perform within noise of each other. Perceived speed comes far more from picking a region near your users and configuring caching than from the provider brand.
Is Hetzner really that much cheaper?
For the raw specs, yes — but only if a EU (or its US) data centre works for your audience, and you're comfortable with ticket-only support. It's also the one whose live price we couldn't auto-verify.
Can you set one of these up for me?
Yes — provisioning, web server, database, firewall, backups and monitoring on any of them is a normal job. Get in touch.
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