DO Droplets Pricing (2026)
Virtual machines are the backbone of cloud computing, providing scalable compute capacity on demand. Choose from a wide range of instance types optimized for different workloads, from general-purpose web servers to GPU-accelerated machine learning. Droplets offer simple, predictable pricing starting at $4/mo. Premium CPU and GPU Droplets available for demanding workloads. Starting from $0.0060/hr ($4.34/mo) for Basic 1 vCPU 512 MB.
Key Features
- ✓Multiple instance families optimized for compute, memory, storage, and GPU workloads
- ✓On-demand, reserved, and spot/preemptible pricing models
- ✓Auto-scaling to match demand and reduce costs
- ✓Support for Linux and Windows operating systems
- ✓Customizable vCPU, memory, and storage configurations
Common Use Cases
Web Hosting
Run web servers, application backends, and microservices with predictable performance and auto-scaling.
Data Processing
Process large datasets with compute-optimized instances, leveraging high vCPU counts for parallel workloads.
Machine Learning
Train ML models on GPU instances, then deploy inference endpoints on cost-effective general-purpose instances.
Dev/Test Environments
Spin up on-demand instances for development and testing, using spot instances to minimize costs.
On-Demand Pricing
Pay-as-you-go pricing with no upfront commitment. You are billed per hour of usage and can start or stop at any time. Hourly rates start at $0.0060/hr ($4.34/mo) for Basic 1 vCPU 512 MB.
| Instance | vCPU | Memory | Price/hr | Price/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic 1 vCPU 512 MB | 1 | 0.5 GB | $0.0060 | $4.34 |
| Basic 1 vCPU 1 GB | 1 | 1 GB | $0.0089 | $6.52 |
| Basic 1 vCPU 2 GB | 1 | 2 GB | $0.0179 | $13.04 |
| Basic 2 vCPU 2 GB | 2 | 2 GB | $0.0268 | $19.56 |
| Basic 2 vCPU 4 GB | 2 | 4 GB | $0.0357 | $26.07 |
| Basic 4 vCPU 8 GB | 4 | 8 GB | $0.0714 | $52.14 |
| Basic 8 vCPU 16 GB | 8 | 16 GB | $0.1429 | $104.29 |
| General 2 vCPU 8 GB | 2 | 8 GB | $0.0938 | $68.44 |
| General 4 vCPU 16 GB | 4 | 16 GB | $0.1875 | $136.88 |
| General 8 vCPU 32 GB | 8 | 32 GB | $0.3750 | $273.75 |
| CPU-Opt 2 vCPU 4 GB | 2 | 4 GB | $0.0625 | $45.63 |
| CPU-Opt 4 vCPU 8 GB | 4 | 8 GB | $0.1250 | $91.25 |
| CPU-Opt 8 vCPU 16 GB | 8 | 16 GB | $0.2500 | $182.50 |
| Memory-Opt 2 vCPU 16 GB | 2 | 16 GB | $0.1250 | $91.25 |
| Memory-Opt 4 vCPU 32 GB | 4 | 32 GB | $0.2500 | $182.50 |
Pricing by Instance Family
Basic (Shared CPU)
7 instance types available
| Instance | vCPU | Memory | Price/hr | Price/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic 1 vCPU 512 MB | 1 | 0.5 GB | $0.0060 | $4.34 |
| Basic 1 vCPU 1 GB | 1 | 1 GB | $0.0089 | $6.52 |
| Basic 1 vCPU 2 GB | 1 | 2 GB | $0.0179 | $13.04 |
| Basic 2 vCPU 2 GB | 2 | 2 GB | $0.0268 | $19.56 |
| Basic 2 vCPU 4 GB | 2 | 4 GB | $0.0357 | $26.07 |
| Basic 4 vCPU 8 GB | 4 | 8 GB | $0.0714 | $52.14 |
| Basic 8 vCPU 16 GB | 8 | 16 GB | $0.1429 | $104.29 |
General Purpose
3 instance types available
| Instance | vCPU | Memory | Price/hr | Price/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General 2 vCPU 8 GB | 2 | 8 GB | $0.0938 | $68.44 |
| General 4 vCPU 16 GB | 4 | 16 GB | $0.1875 | $136.88 |
| General 8 vCPU 32 GB | 8 | 32 GB | $0.3750 | $273.75 |
CPU-Optimized
3 instance types available
| Instance | vCPU | Memory | Price/hr | Price/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU-Opt 2 vCPU 4 GB | 2 | 4 GB | $0.0625 | $45.63 |
| CPU-Opt 4 vCPU 8 GB | 4 | 8 GB | $0.1250 | $91.25 |
| CPU-Opt 8 vCPU 16 GB | 8 | 16 GB | $0.2500 | $182.50 |
Memory-Optimized
2 instance types available
| Instance | vCPU | Memory | Price/hr | Price/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memory-Opt 2 vCPU 16 GB | 2 | 16 GB | $0.1250 | $91.25 |
| Memory-Opt 4 vCPU 32 GB | 4 | 32 GB | $0.2500 | $182.50 |
Reserved Instance & Savings Plans Pricing
Commit to 1 or 3 years for lower hourly rates.
| Instance | vCPU | Memory | Price/hr | Price/mo | 1yr RI/hr | 3yr RI/hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic 1 vCPU 512 MB | 1 | 0.5 GB | $0.0060 | $4.34 | - | - |
| Basic 1 vCPU 1 GB | 1 | 1 GB | $0.0089 | $6.52 | - | - |
| Basic 1 vCPU 2 GB | 1 | 2 GB | $0.0179 | $13.04 | - | - |
| Basic 2 vCPU 2 GB | 2 | 2 GB | $0.0268 | $19.56 | - | - |
| Basic 2 vCPU 4 GB | 2 | 4 GB | $0.0357 | $26.07 | - | - |
| Basic 4 vCPU 8 GB | 4 | 8 GB | $0.0714 | $52.14 | - | - |
| Basic 8 vCPU 16 GB | 8 | 16 GB | $0.1429 | $104.29 | - | - |
| General 2 vCPU 8 GB | 2 | 8 GB | $0.0938 | $68.44 | - | - |
| General 4 vCPU 16 GB | 4 | 16 GB | $0.1875 | $136.88 | - | - |
| General 8 vCPU 32 GB | 8 | 32 GB | $0.3750 | $273.75 | - | - |
| CPU-Opt 2 vCPU 4 GB | 2 | 4 GB | $0.0625 | $45.63 | - | - |
| CPU-Opt 4 vCPU 8 GB | 4 | 8 GB | $0.1250 | $91.25 | - | - |
| CPU-Opt 8 vCPU 16 GB | 8 | 16 GB | $0.2500 | $182.50 | - | - |
| Memory-Opt 2 vCPU 16 GB | 2 | 16 GB | $0.1250 | $91.25 | - | - |
| Memory-Opt 4 vCPU 32 GB | 4 | 32 GB | $0.2500 | $182.50 | - | - |
How Droplets Pricing Works
On-Demand
Pay per hour with no long-term commitment. Ideal for variable workloads and development environments.
Reserved / Committed Use
Commit to 1 or 3 years for significant discounts.
Spot / Preemptible
Use spare capacity at steep discounts. Best for fault-tolerant, batch, and stateless workloads.
Monthly Cost Examples
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DO Droplets?
DO Droplets is a cloud service offered by DO. It provides various configurations (15 pricing tiers available) with pay-as-you-go and committed-use pricing options.
How much does DO Droplets cost per month?
Prices range from $4.34/month for Basic 1 vCPU 512 MB to $273.75/month for General 8 vCPU 32 GB on On-Demand pricing in nyc1.
Does DO Droplets have a free tier?
DO offers various free tier options. Check the official DO pricing page for the most current free tier details for Droplets.
How many DO Droplets pricing tiers are available?
There are 15 pricing tiers available for DO Droplets. These range from entry-level configurations to high-performance options for enterprise workloads.
What pricing models does DO Droplets offer?
DO Droplets offers On-Demand (pay-per-hour, no commitment), Reserved/Committed Use (1-3 year commitments for significant discounts), and in some cases Spot/Preemptible pricing for interruptible workloads at the lowest cost.
How do I choose the right instance family?
General-purpose instances (e.g. M-series, D-series, N2) suit most workloads. Choose compute-optimized for CPU-heavy tasks like batch processing, memory-optimized for in-memory databases, and GPU instances for ML training. Start small and scale up based on actual utilization metrics.
How much can I save with Reserved Instances vs On-Demand?
Reserved Instances or Committed Use Discounts typically save 30-40% with a 1-year commitment and 55-70% with a 3-year commitment compared to on-demand pricing. Savings vary by provider and instance type, but long-term commitments consistently offer the largest discounts.