Exoscale vs DigitalOcean
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Exoscale and DigitalOcean.
Quick Verdict
4.2/5
Exoscale
304 reviews
4.1/5
DigitalOcean
413 reviews
Exoscale is rated higher (4.2 vs 4.1). Swiss cloud provider offering VPS, managed databases, Kubernetes, and object storage. Strict Swiss data residency, SOC 2 Type II certified. Used by European enterprises needing Swiss jurisdiction. Cloud VPS and managed services platform offering droplets, databases, and app hosting. Built for developers who want straightforward pricing and documentation without enterprise complexity.
Exoscale Swiss cloud built for compliance-heavy workloads | DigitalOcean Simple, predictable cloud infrastructure for developers | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 4.2 (304 reviews)✓ | 4.1 (413 reviews) |
| Pricing model | paid | paid |
| Starting price | From €8/mo | From €6/mo✓ |
| Best for | European enterprises needing Swiss-jurisdiction cloud for compliance with strict data residency requirements | Startups and solo developers building web applications, APIs, and small-scale infrastructure who prioritize simplicity and documentation over enterprise features. |
| Specifications (entry plan) | ||
| CPU cores | — | 1 vCPU |
| RAM | — | 1 GB |
| Storage | — | 25 GB |
| Bandwidth | — | 1 TB/mo |
| SLA uptime | — | 99.99% |
| Data-center count | — | 15 |
| €/vCPU/mo | — | €6.00 |
| €/GB RAM/mo | — | €6.00 |
| Performance | ||
| CPU score (sysbench) | — | 2,200 |
| Disk read (fio) | — | 560 MB/s |
| Disk IOPS (4K random) | — | 8,400 |
| Network out | — | 0.5 Gbps |
| Latency (TTFB) | — | 32 ms |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ✓ | |
| DDoS protection | ✓ | |
| Automated backups | ✓ | |
| Snapshots | ✓ | |
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ✓ | |
| Free tier | ✓ | |
| Data-center locations | ||
| Regions | — | United StatesNetherlandsSingaporeUnited KingdomGermanyCanada+2 |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | hourly billingnvme storageipv6ddos protectionbackups includedmanaged options3 compatibleeu datacentergdpr compliantapi accesskubernetes support | free tierhourly billingnvme storageipv6ddos protectionbackups includedsnapshotsmanaged options3 compatibleeu datacenterus datacenterapac datacenterterraform providerkubernetes supportprivate networkingapi access |
| Visit Exoscale → | Visit DigitalOcean → | |
Exoscale
Pros
- + Swiss data residency — strong legal privacy
- + SOC 2 Type II certified
- + Managed Kubernetes and databases in Swiss jurisdiction
Cons
- - More expensive than competitors for equivalent specs
- - Primarily Swiss and EU market focus
DigitalOcean
Pros
- + Deploy Droplets in under one minute with streamlined console
- + Access extensive community documentation and tutorials
- + Get transparent, predictable pricing with no surprise fees
- + Manage infrastructure via API, CLI, or web dashboard
Cons
- - Limited geographic presence compared to AWS or Google Cloud
- - Smaller ecosystem of third-party integrations and tools
- - Scaling to enterprise requirements may require migration elsewhere
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