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DigitalOcean Kubernetes
What DigitalOcean Kubernetes is
DigitalOcean Kubernetes is a managed Kubernetes service accessed through the web. It includes multi-cluster management, autoscaling, rolling updates, and policy controls. The Basic plan costs $12 a month and supports variable workloads, with free inbound data transfer and free outbound data transfer starting at 2,000 GiB/month. Other monthly plans target different compute and storage configurations: CPU-optimized costs $42 a month, General purpose $63 a month, Memory-optimized $84 a month, and Storage-optimized $163 a month. The v5 option is $0.03 a month, billed per second at an hourly rate, with vCPU, memory, and storage configurable independently. NVIDIA H100 GPU is listed at $4.41 a month with on-demand hourly pricing and includes 80 GB GPU RAM, 240 GiB Droplet RAM, 20 Droplet vCPUs, and a 5 TiB NVMe scratch disk. DigitalOcean was founded in 2012. The service has no free plan.
Who it suits
It suits teams looking for managed Kubernetes with cluster management, autoscaling, rolling updates, and policy controls. The range of listed plans may fit workloads with different CPU, memory, storage, or GPU needs.
What it does well
- Managed service with multi-cluster management.
- Includes autoscaling and rolling updates.
- Basic plan includes free inbound data transfer.
- Multiple plans cover compute, storage, and GPU configurations.
What to know first
- No free plan is listed.
- Basic plan costs $12 a month.
- Several plans have distinct compute and storage configurations to assess.
Limits
There is no free plan. The listed plans differ in resources, transfer terms, storage, and billing method, with Basic starting at $12.00 per month.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | billed monthly · Variable workloads · Free inbound data transfer · Free outbound data transfer starting at 2,000 GiB/month | $12 a month |
| CPU-optimized | billed monthly · Dedicated CPU · 2 GiB RAM per CPU · Lower cost per dedicated vCPU | $42 a month |
| General purpose | billed monthly · Dedicated CPU · 4 GiB RAM per CPU · Designed for a wide range of workloads | $63 a month |
| Memory-optimized | billed monthly · Dedicated CPU · 8 GiB RAM per CPU · For resource-intensive applications | $84 a month |
| Storage-optimized | billed monthly · Dedicated CPU · Guaranteed NVMe · Up to 6.87 TiB of local storage | $163 a month |
| v5 | Billed per second at an hourly rate · Shared or dedicated CPU configurations · Configure vCPU, memory, and storage independently · Billed at an hourly rate | $0.03 a month |
| NVIDIA H100 GPU | On-demand hourly pricing · 80 GB GPU RAM · 240 GiB Droplet RAM · 20 Droplet vCPUs · 5 TiB NVMe scratch disk | $4.41 a month |
As digitalocean.com lists them, read 22 Sept 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Open the DigitalOcean Kubernetes website
- Choose a paid plan or resource configuration
- Select the CPU, memory, storage, or GPU option that fits your workload
- Configure and manage clusters through the web platform
Verdict
DigitalOcean Kubernetes offers managed cluster features alongside plans for varied resource configurations. It is a paid service, so compare the listed monthly and hourly-rate options with your workload needs.
Questions
Is there a free plan?
No. DigitalOcean Kubernetes is paid, with pricing from $12.00 per month.
Which platforms does it support?
The listed platform is web.
Can it manage multiple clusters?
Yes. Multi-cluster management is listed.
Does it autoscale and support rolling updates?
Yes. Autoscaling and rolling updates are listed features.
What is the Basic plan price?
Basic costs $12.00 per month, billed monthly.
Is there a GPU option?
Yes. NVIDIA H100 GPU is listed at $4.41 per month with on-demand hourly pricing.
Facts from DigitalOcean Kubernetes's own pages
- Founded
- 2012 · digitalocean.com, 4 Oct 2026
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