Compare / DigitalOcean Droplet vs Linode Shared CPU
DigitalOcean Droplet vs Linode Shared CPU
Pre-calculated from hand-checked data — DigitalOcean checked 2026-08-01, Akamai Linode checked 2026-08-01.
The short version
Linode Shared CPU wins more of our comparison points, but DigitalOcean Droplet still fits if developers comfortable with a Linux server who want predictable pricing and full control describes you.
Price Linode Shared CPU
Linode Shared CPU is cheaper at most of the stages we model.
Ease Tie
Both take similar effort to get a first deploy live.
Features Tie
Feature coverage is even: each wins 0 of the 15 rows we track.
What developers say about this matchup
First-person discussions from the past three years that compare these products directly. Summaries are paraphrased; follow the source for the full context.
A planned multi-region fleet prompts direct user comparisons of the three providers for long-term use.
Vultr, DigitalOcean or Linode?Users directly compare reliability, ease of use, support, and value across DigitalOcean, Linode, and Vultr.
DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr or another VPS for a static site?At a glance
| DigitalOcean Droplet | Linode Shared CPU | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Developers comfortable with a Linux server who want predictable pricing and full control. | Developers who want a proven, boring VPS with cheap bandwidth. |
| How deploys work | You get root on an Ubuntu server: install your runtime, or start from a 1-click image. | You get root on a Linux server; the Marketplace offers one-click apps for common stacks. |
| The tradeoff | You are the ops team — security updates, backups, and monitoring are on you. | Fully self-managed, with a smaller ecosystem than DigitalOcean's tutorials and tooling. |
| Free tier | None | None |
What you'd realistically pay
| Project stage | DigitalOcean Droplet | Linode Shared CPU | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just starting | ≈$6/mo s-1vcpu-1gb | ≈$5/mo Nanode 1GB | Linode Shared CPU |
| Steady traffic | ≈$6/mo s-1vcpu-1gb | ≈$12/mo Linode 2GB | DigitalOcean Droplet |
| Growing | ≈$24/mo s-2vcpu-4gb | ≈$24/mo Two Linode 2GB | ≈ Tie |
Our ratings
Ease of use
Pricing clarity
Free tier
Scaling
Control
Feature by feature
DigitalOcean Droplet wins 0, Linode Shared CPU wins 0, with 15 even.
Deploy workflow
| DigitalOcean Droplet | Linode Shared CPU | |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy from Git push | No No built-in deploy pipeline — you script your own or use CI. | No No deploy pipeline — bring your own CI or scripts. |
| Preview deploys | No Nothing built in. | No Nothing built in. |
| Official CLI | Yes doctl creates, resizes, and snapshots Droplets. | Yes linode-cli covers instances, volumes, and DNS. |
| Instant rollbacks | Partial Snapshots and backups can restore a machine; not per-deploy rollbacks. | Partial Backups and images restore machines; no deploy-level rollback. |
Platform
| DigitalOcean Droplet | Linode Shared CPU | |
|---|---|---|
| Custom domains + HTTPS | Yes Point DNS at the Droplet; you run certbot or a proxy for TLS. | Yes Free DNS manager; TLS on the box is yours via certbot. |
| Built-in CDN / edge network | No No CDN — add Cloudflare in front if you need one. | No Akamai CDN exists as a separate enterprise product; nothing bundled. |
| Serverless functions | No Not on a Droplet. | No Not a VPS feature. |
| Docker containers | Yes Install Docker or start from the Docker 1-click image. | Yes Docker Marketplace app or install it yourself. |
| SSH / shell access | Yes Full root SSH — it is your server. | Yes Full root SSH, plus a web-based LISH console. |
| EU hosting region | Yes Amsterdam and Frankfurt at identical US prices. | Yes Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, and more at US prices. |
Runtime & operations
| DigitalOcean Droplet | Linode Shared CPU | |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic scaling | No Manual resizing or manual horizontal scaling. | No Manual resizing only. |
| Scale to zero | No The server bills whether busy, idle, or powered off. | No Servers bill while they exist on the account. |
| Scheduled jobs | Yes Classic cron on the box. | Yes Classic cron on the box. |
| Managed database | Yes DO Managed Databases run separately and connect over the private network. | Yes Akamai Managed Databases (Postgres, MySQL) sold separately. |
| Logs & metrics built in | Partial Basic CPU/bandwidth graphs and optional metrics agent; app logs are yours to manage. | Partial Longview basic metrics free for a few servers; app logs are yours. |
Watch out for
DigitalOcean
- App Platform containers are small for the money — $12/month buys 1 GiB of RAM, while a $24 Droplet has 4 GiB.
- Managed databases bill separately from both products.
- Bandwidth allowances pool at the team level; overage is $0.02/GiB on App Platform and $0.01/GiB on Droplets.
Akamai Linode
- Charges accrue while a server exists on the account, powered on or off.
- Transfer allowances are prorated for partial months.
- Some regions (Jakarta, São Paulo) carry documented higher prices.
Read the full reviews: DigitalOcean and Akamai Linode. Or answer four questions to see what fits your project.