VPS · Head to head
DigitalOcean Droplets vs Amazon Lightsail: which is better?
Short answer
DigitalOcean Droplets costs less in the first year ($48 vs $60). Pick DigitalOcean Droplets for developer-friendly cloud VPS; pick Amazon Lightsail for simple fixed-price AWS VPS.
| Fact | DigitalOcean Droplets | Amazon Lightsail | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Developer-friendly cloud VPS | Simple fixed-price AWS VPS | — |
| Free plan | No | No | Tie |
| Entry plan | Basic 512 MiB: $4 / mo | Linux 0.5 GB: $5 / mo | DigitalOcean Droplets |
| Mid plan | Basic 1 GiB: $6 / mo | Linux 1 GB: $7 / mo | DigitalOcean Droplets |
| Top plan | Basic 2 vCPU: $18 / mo | Linux 4 GB: $24 / mo | DigitalOcean Droplets |
| 1st year | $48 | $60 | DigitalOcean Droplets |
| Platforms | Web, API, Linux | Web, API, Linux, Windows | Amazon Lightsail |
Edge = the better published number or limit; we do not test the tools hands-on.
Which is cheaper, DigitalOcean Droplets or Amazon Lightsail?
DigitalOcean Droplets costs less in the first year ($48 vs $60).
| 1st year | DigitalOcean Droplets | Amazon Lightsail |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | $48 | $60 |
| Mid | $72 | $84 |
| Top | $216 | $288 |
Which has the better free plan, DigitalOcean Droplets or Amazon Lightsail?
Neither stands out: DigitalOcean Droplets: No; Amazon Lightsail: No.
Should you pick DigitalOcean Droplets or Amazon Lightsail?
Pick DigitalOcean Droplets if
- you want developer-friendly cloud VPS
- you can pay $4 / mo from day one
Pick Amazon Lightsail if
- you want simple fixed-price AWS VPS
- you can pay $5 / mo from day one
Sources
| Vendor page | URL | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| DigitalOcean Droplets pricing | digitalocean.com/pricing/droplets | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Amazon Lightsail pricing | aws.amazon.com/lightsail/pricing/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
Prices in USD as published by each vendor, billed yearly where offered. How we compare