Digital Ocean vs AWS: Which is Best in 2025?

Businesses consider cloud computing when seeking scalable, cost-effective solutions to enhance flexibility, efficiency, and innovation in their operations. The cloud computing platform you choose will shape your business’s entire digital transformation journey. It’s a decision that requires a lot of research and prep. For Singapore businesses looking to scale, improve, or diversify their operations, two names consistently pop up in discussions: DigitalOcean and Amazon Web Services (AWS). But which one is actually right for your business?

For Singapore's SMEs and growing startups, the decision is particularly crucial. The government's push for digital transformation means cloud adoption is a central part of staying competitive, rather than just a technical advantage.

Whether you're a startup testing your first application or an established SME looking to modernise your infrastructure, understanding the pros and cons of these platforms will direct your decision. Here, we'll break down everything from pricing and features to performance and support, helping you make an informed choice that fits your business needs.

And we won’t stop there: whichever platform you choose, we’ll introduce you to a cost-effective way of paying your subscription. Many cloud services bill in USD, which can rack up unnecessary foreign transaction fees if you pay with your corporate credit card. As we’ll explore, the Wise Business Card lets you pay for international SaaS subscriptions at the mid-market rate and with no hidden charges.

Table of contents
DigitalOcean vs AWS: Quick comparison How does DigitalOcean work? How does AWS work? Manage your cloud computing payments with Wise Business AWS and DigitalOcean FAQs DigitalOcean vs AWS: Which is best for you?

DigitalOcean vs AWS: Quick comparison

AWS dominates the global cloud market, offering over 200 services across everything from basic hosting to artificial intelligence. It's the platform powering giants like Netflix and Airbnb.

DigitalOcean, meanwhile, has carved out its niche as “the developer cloud,” focusing on simplicity and transparent pricing that's won over more than a million developers worldwide.

Both platforms serve different needs in the cloud computing space. DigitalOcean focuses on simplicity and developer experience, whilst AWS offers comprehensive enterprise-grade solutions across virtually every cloud computing scenario.

Feature	DigitalOcean	AWS
Target audience	Developers, startups, SMEs	Enterprises, all business sizes
Pricing model	Simple, transparent	Complex, pay-as-you-go, with savings plans for longer commitments
Data centres	12 globally¹	3 availability zones within Singapore alone²
Services offered	~26 core services³	200+ services⁴
Ease of use	Developer-friendly, simple setup	Comprehensive but complex
Support tiers	4 tiers (Free to Premier)⁵	4 tiers (Developer to Enterprise)⁶
Best for	Simple deployments, learning	Enterprise applications, complex architectures

*Details accurate as of 2nd June 2025.

➡️ Read about AWS pricing and services in more detail here.

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How does DigitalOcean work?

DigitalOcean positions itself as “the developer cloud” for good reason. Founded in 2012, it specifically targets developers, startups, and small-to-medium-sized businesses, providing cloud infrastructure that's actually easy to use.

The platform centres around virtual private servers called “Droplets” - essentially Linux-based virtual machines that boot in just 55 seconds. These Droplets can be easily resized with simple configuration changes, supporting various operating systems including Ubuntu, CentOS, and Debian.

Beyond basic compute, DigitalOcean offers load balancers, block and object storage, managed databases (including MongoDB), and Kubernetes-based container services. Their App Platform provides a fully managed solution for building, deploying, and scaling applications directly from Git repositories.

DigitalOcean pricing and fees

DigitalOcean's pricing philosophy is refreshingly straightforward: consistent pricing across all regions. No surprise bills, no complex calculators - just transparent costs that scale with your usage. They are the self-proclaimed “budget-friendly” option, and so it makes sense that they are cheaper than AWS.

DigitalOcean's Droplets are more affordable than AWS EC2 instances, particularly for small-scale applications. The entry-level DigitalOcean Droplet costs USD 4.00 per month (USD 0.00595 per hour) and includes 512 MiB RAM, 1 vCPU, 500 GiB data transfer, and 10 GiB SSD storage⁷. This also includes bandwidth allowances that would incur additional charges on AWS.

In contrast, AWS EC2's t3.medium instance, which offers 2 vCPUs and 4 GiB RAM, costs USD 38.5440 per month (USD 0.0528 per hour)⁴. While this instance provides significantly more computing power, the cost difference is still substantial. For applications requiring similar specifications, DigitalOcean's 2 GiB RAM, 2 vCPU Droplet at USD 18.00 per month offers better value than the comparable AWS configuration⁷.

The pricing gap becomes more pronounced when we look at data transfer costs. DigitalOcean includes generous bandwidth allowances with each Droplet, starting at 500 GiB per month for the basic tier and scaling up to 6,000+ GiB for higher-tier instances. AWS charges separately for data transfer, with rates that can significantly impact the total cost of ownership for bandwidth-intensive applications.

DigitalOcean pros and cons

Pros

• Simple, transparent pricing with no regional variations
• Fast deployment (55-second boot times for Droplets)
• Developer-friendly interface and extensive documentation
• Strong community support with 1,000+ tutorials
• Predictable costs with hourly billing options
• Excellent price-performance ratio for basic workloads

Cons

• Limited advanced enterprise features compared to AWS
• Fewer data centre locations (12 vs AWS's 30+)
• Smaller service portfolio (~26 vs AWS's 200+ services)
• Requires some Linux system administration knowledge
• Not ideal for complex, multi-region deployments

DigitalOcean works best for startups, developers, and small businesses that need reliable, cost-effective cloud hosting without the complexity of enterprise-grade platforms.

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How does AWS work?

Amazon Web Services is the undisputed heavyweight of cloud computing, holding 31% of the global market share as of February 2025⁸. Launched in 2005, AWS offers over 200 fully featured services spanning everything from basic compute and storage to advanced machine learning and IoT tools.

Unlike DigitalOcean's focused approach, AWS employs an “everything for everyone” strategy. The platform serves enterprises, governments, and individual customers across all industries, providing comprehensive cloud solutions that can handle virtually any computing requirement.

AWS's foundational service is Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), which provides virtual clusters of computers with extremely high availability. These virtual machines emulate most attributes of real computers, including hardware CPUs, GPUs, memory, storage, operating systems, and networking capabilities.

AWS pricing and fees

AWS operates on a pay-as-you-go model with three fundamental cost drivers: compute, storage, and data transfer. The platform offers various pricing options, including On-Demand instances, Reserved Instances, and Spot Instances for additional cost optimisation⁴. As such, drawing direct comparisons between DigitalOcean and AWS pricing is challenging.

On-Demand Instances provide pay-as-you-go access without long-term commitments, ideal for unpredictable or short-term workloads. Prices are fixed, but inherently flexible. This model incurs the highest costs for sustained usage.

Reserved Instances (RIs) offer discounts up to 72% compared to On-Demand pricing in exchange for 1- or 3-year commitments. Available in Standard (non-modifiable) and Convertible (flexible attributes) variants, RIs suit steady-state workloads. Payment options include All Upfront (maximum discount), Partial Upfront, or No Upfront. Capacity reservations in specific Availability Zones ensure resource availability.

Spot Instances resell unused capacity at discounts of up to 90% off On-Demand rates⁴. Prices fluctuate based on supply-demand dynamics, making them cost-effective for interruptible workloads like batch processing. AWS provides a two-minute interruption warning, but this feature requires fault-tolerant architectures. Things like Spot Fleets and integration with services like ECS help you manage interruptions while enhancing scalability.

With three different pricing options and costs that vary by region and service configuration, AWS pricing is considered quite complex. One of the key benefits of this, however, is its complete flexibility - your payments are driven by exactly how and when you use their services, with plenty of opportunities for savings, and the AWS comprehensive pricing calculators can help you plan ahead.

AWS pros and cons

Pros

• Comprehensive service portfolio (200+ services)
• Global infrastructure with excellent redundancy
• Enterprise-grade security and compliance (143+ certifications)
• Mature ecosystem with extensive third-party integrations
• Managed services for databases, analytics, and ML
• Reserved and Spot Instance pricing can offer significant savings

Cons

• Complex pricing structure that varies by region
• Steep learning curve, especially for smaller teams
• Can become expensive quickly without careful monitoring
• Overkill for simple applications or small businesses
• Requires dedicated DevOps expertise for optimal management

AWS excels for large corporations requiring dedicated DevOps teams, extensive compliance requirements, multi-region deployments, and complex application architectures.

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Manage your cloud computing payments with Wise Business

Whether you opt for DigitalOcean or AWS, it's worth taking a closer look at the currency you'll be billed in. Many cloud services charge in USD or other major foreign currencies, which can impact your bottom line more than you might expect.

Most Singapore businesses use their corporate bank card for all expenses, often unaware of the hidden costs accumulating monthly, in particular for foreign currency transactions.

Foreign transaction fees and exchange-rate markups can easily add 3-4% to your cloud computing bills - money that could be better spent growing your business.

These unnecessary costs might seem small individually, but they add up quickly. A USD 500 monthly AWS bill could cost you an extra USD 15-20 in fees, totalling USD 180-240 annually just in hidden charges.

The Wise Business multi-currency card eliminates these pain points. You'll pay for your cloud subscriptions at the real mid-market exchange rate - the same one you see on Google - with just a small, transparent fee. No exchange rate markups, no surprises, just transparent pricing that helps your business budget more effectively.

➡️Get Wise Business for Smart Savings

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AWS and DigitalOcean FAQs

Which platform is more cost-effective for small businesses?

For straightforward hosting needs, DigitalOcean typically offers better value with its transparent pricing and lower entry costs. However, if you need extensive managed services or plan to scale significantly, AWS's reserved instance pricing might be more cost-effective long-term.

Can I migrate between DigitalOcean and AWS easily?

Migration is possible but requires planning. DigitalOcean offers migration tools and documentation, whilst AWS provides various migration services. The complexity depends on your application architecture and dependencies.

Which platform offers better support for Singapore businesses?

Both platforms serve Singapore well. AWS has a local presence with data centres in Singapore, whilst DigitalOcean operates a Singapore data centre (SGP1) as part of their global network. AWS offers more localised enterprise support options.

Do I need technical expertise to use these platforms?

DigitalOcean requires some Linux system administration knowledge, but offers extensive tutorials. AWS has a steeper learning curve and typically requires dedicated technical staff or external expertise for optimal implementation.

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DigitalOcean vs AWS: Which is best for you?

The choice between DigitalOcean and AWS ultimately depends on your business needs, technical expertise, and growth plans.

Choose the wrong platform, and you might find yourself wrestling with unexpected costs, struggling with overly complex systems, or hitting scaling limitations just when your business starts to take off. Get it right, and you'll have the foundation to compete globally whilst keeping costs predictable and manageable.

Choose DigitalOcean if:

You're a startup or SME that values simplicity, predictable pricing, and developer-friendly tools. It's particularly suitable for web applications, testing environments, and businesses that want to focus on building rather than managing infrastructure.

Choose AWS if:

You're an enterprise requiring comprehensive cloud solutions, advanced security features, or complex multi-region deployments. It's ideal for businesses with dedicated DevOps teams and those planning significant scaling.

For Singapore businesses undergoing digital transformation with either platform, it’s also worth it to evaluate if your current corporate bank account serves your global ambitions.

💡Need to pay or get paid in foreign currencies? Wise Business could be a better alternative business account as you can hold, send, receive and exchange 40+ currencies all in one place. You’ll always get the mid-market rate with low, transparent fees. Even better, you can connect Wise Business cards to your account to control team spending in real time and reduce admin.

• Hold and manage 40+ currencies for all your international transactions.
• Pay foreign currency bills and ad-hoc business travel expenses using the Wise Business card without hefty foreign transaction fees.
• Get your first Wise Business card for free when you open a Wise Business account.
• Always get the mid-market rate with transparent conversion fees starting from 0.26%.
• Seamless integrations with popular accounting software.

➡️Get started with Wise Business today

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Sources:

1. DigitalOcean Regional Availability
2. AWS Global Availability Zones
3. DigitalOcean Products
4. AWS Products and Pricing
5. DigitalOcean Support Tiers
6. AWS Support Tiers
7. DigitalOcean Pricing
8. Data Centre Magazine

Sources checked on 2nd June 2025