SurrealDB vs DigitalOcean
A detailed comparison to help you choose between SurrealDB and DigitalOcean.
Quick Verdict
3.6/5
SurrealDB
0 reviews
3.7/5
DigitalOcean
0 reviews
DigitalOcean is rated higher (3.7 vs 3.6). SurrealDB is a multi-model database that handles relational, document, graph, and full-text queries in a single database. Schema-optional, built-in auth, and real-time subscriptions. Cloud VPS and managed services platform offering droplets, databases, and app hosting. Built for developers who want straightforward pricing and documentation without enterprise complexity.
SurrealDB Multi-model database with built-in real-time sync and WebSocket support | DigitalOcean Simple, predictable cloud infrastructure for developers | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 3.6 (0 reviews) | 3.7 (0 reviews)✓ |
| Pricing model | freemium | paid |
| Starting price | Free tier available✓ | From $4/mo |
| Best for | Teams building real-time, multi-model applications that would otherwise combine a document database, a search engine and a graph store | Developer teams and small SaaS companies that value documentation, API quality, and managed add-ons over raw compute value, especially for NA/EU/APAC audiences. |
| Specifications (entry plan) | ||
| CPU cores | 0 vCPU | 1 vCPU✓ |
| RAM | 1 GB | 1 GB |
| Storage | 1 GB | 25 GB✓ |
| Bandwidth | — | 1 TB/mo |
| SLA uptime | — | 99.99% |
| Data-center count | 3 | 16✓ |
| €/vCPU/mo | — | €4.00 |
| €/GB RAM/mo | €0.00✓ | €4.00 |
| 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 | AWS Ireland (aws-euw1), AWS US East N. Virginia (aws-use1), AWS US West Oregon (aws-usw2) | United StatesNetherlandsSingaporeUnited KingdomGermanyCanada+2 |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tieropen sourceself hostableapi access | free tierhourly billingnvme storageipv6ddos protectionbackups includedsnapshotsmanaged options3 compatibleeu datacenterus datacenterapac datacenterterraform providerkubernetes supportprivate networkingapi access |
| Visit SurrealDB → | Visit DigitalOcean → | |
SurrealDB
Pros
- + One engine for relational, document, graph, time-series and geospatial data, plus full-text and vector search
- + Transparent published rate table with a real free instance (0.25 vCPU, 1 GB memory, 1 GB storage)
- + Hourly billing keeps development and prototype instances cheap
- + Granular permissions at table, document and field level defined in the schema
- + Self-hostable under BSL 1.1 with open-source (Apache 2.0 / MIT) SDKs as an exit path
Cons
- - Young database: 1.0 in 2023 and the storage engine is still being replaced
- - Only three AWS regions (Ireland, N. Virginia, Oregon) — nothing in APAC
- - Smaller ecosystem, tooling and hiring pool than PostgreSQL or MongoDB
- - Scale plan requires a three-node minimum; several advertised features are still marked coming soon
- - Custom SLAs only at Enterprise tier; backup retention policy for free instances is ambiguous in the docs
DigitalOcean
Pros
- + Transparent bundled pricing from $4/month with per-second billing and monthly caps
- + Documentation and community tutorials are the strongest we have seen in mid-market cloud
- + Real 99.99% SLA with publicly posted service-credit tiers
- + Managed add-ons (databases, Kubernetes with free control plane, S3-compatible Spaces) on one bill and one API
- + GPU Droplets (H100/H200/MI300X) with per-second billing and no commitment
- + Free monitoring, Cloud Firewalls, and generous bundled outbound transfer
Cons
- - Weak compute-per-euro versus Hetzner/UpCloud/Vultr — our benchmarks show ~3.4x price for less CPU at the 4GB tier
- - Backups cost 20% of Droplet price; snapshots billed separately; no permanent free tier
- - No coverage in South America, Africa, the Middle East, or Japan
- - SMTP ports blocked by default on new Droplets; low initial Droplet caps for new accounts
- - Support responsiveness on standard plans is ticket-based and often slow for small accounts
- - SLA uptime is measured by DigitalOcean itself, in its own discretion
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