Short answer
As of October 23, 2026, Akamai Cloud (Linode) wins more of the head-to-head checks (3 vs 2), while DigitalOcean ranks higher overall. DigitalOcean is cheaper to start ($4.00 vs $5.00 a month) and Akamai Cloud (Linode) has more locations (26 vs 13).
Verdict
DigitalOcean is cheaper to start: Basic 512 MB (s-1vcpu-512mb-10gb) costs $4.00 per month against $5.00 at Akamai Cloud (Linode), but Akamai Cloud (Linode) gives more RAM for the money ($6.00 vs $7.00 per GB, median).
Akamai Cloud (Linode) has the wider footprint with 26 locations in 15 countries, against 13 in 8 at DigitalOcean; both offer Amsterdam, Atlanta, Frankfurt, London, New York, Singapore and 2 more.
On features, only Akamai Cloud (Linode) offers a managed option.
Customers rate DigitalOcean higher on Trustpilot: 4.5 from 2,581 reviews versus 2.5 from 207.
Overall Akamai Cloud (Linode) ranks #48 and DigitalOcean #15 of 160 providers we track. Choose Akamai Cloud (Linode) if you need a wider choice of locations or you want a managed server; choose DigitalOcean if price matters most or you pay in crypto.
Linode and DigitalOcean side by side
| Akamai Cloud (Linode) | DigitalOcean | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest plan | Nanode 1 GB: $5.00/mo | Basic 512 MB (s-1vcpu-512mb-10gb): $4.00/mo |
| Entry plan specs | 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 25 GB SSD, 1 TB traffic | 1 vCPU, 512 MB RAM, 10 GB SSD, 500 GB traffic |
| Cheapest Windows plan | No Windows | No Windows |
| Median price per GB RAM | $6.00 | $7.00 |
| Data-center locations | 26 in 15 countries | 13 in 8 countries |
| Regions | Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America | Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania |
| Virtualisation | KVM | KVM |
| Hourly billing | Yes | Yes |
| NVMe storage | — | Yes |
| DDoS protection | Yes | Yes |
| Backups | Paid | Paid |
| Managed option | Yes | No |
| Payment methods | card, paypal, wire, other | card, paypal, crypto, alipay, other |
| Money-back | Not published | Not published |
| Uptime SLA | 99.99% | 99.99% |
| Trustpilot | 2.5 (207 reviews) | 4.5 (2,581 reviews) |
| Founded / HQ | 2003, Cambridge US | 2012, Broomfield US |
Highlighted cells mark the better value where the comparison is objective (lower price, more locations, higher rating).
Plans at the same size
The closest matching plans by RAM from each provider.
| RAM | Linode | $/month | DigitalOcean | $/month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Nanode 1 GB (1 vCPU, 25 GB) | $5.00 | Basic 1 GB (s-1vcpu-1gb) (1 vCPU, 25 GB) | $6.00 |
| 2 GB | Linode 2 GB (1 vCPU, 50 GB) | $12.00 | Basic 2 GB (s-1vcpu-2gb) (1 vCPU, 50 GB) | $12.00 |
| 4 GB | Linode 4 GB (2 vCPU, 80 GB) | $24.00 | Basic 4 GB (s-2vcpu-4gb) (2 vCPU, 80 GB) | $24.00 |
| 8 GB | Linode 8 GB (4 vCPU, 160 GB) | $48.00 | Basic 8 GB (s-4vcpu-8gb) (4 vCPU, 160 GB) | $48.00 |
| 16 GB | Linode 16 GB (6 vCPU, 320 GB) | $96.00 | Basic 16 GB (s-8vcpu-16gb) (8 vCPU, 320 GB) | $96.00 |
Locations
Akamai Cloud (Linode) operates 26 locations (Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America); DigitalOcean operates 13 (Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania).
Cities both offer: Amsterdam, Atlanta, Frankfurt, London, New York, Singapore, Sydney and Toronto.
Only Linode: Ashburn, Chennai, Chicago, Dallas, Jakarta, Los Angeles, Madrid, Melbourne, Miami, Milan and 8 more.
Only DigitalOcean: Bangalore, Kansas City, Memphis, Richmond and San Francisco.
Frequently asked questions
Is Akamai Cloud (Linode) or DigitalOcean better?
As of October 23, 2026, Akamai Cloud (Linode) wins more of the head-to-head checks (3 vs 2), while DigitalOcean ranks higher overall. DigitalOcean is cheaper to start ($4.00 vs $5.00 a month) and Akamai Cloud (Linode) has more locations (26 vs 13).
Is Akamai Cloud (Linode) cheaper than DigitalOcean?
DigitalOcean has the lower entry price: $4.00 against $5.00 per month. The plans-at-equal-RAM table compares them size by size.
Which has more data centers, Akamai Cloud (Linode) or DigitalOcean?
Akamai Cloud (Linode), with 26 locations in 15 countries versus 13 at DigitalOcean. Both operate in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Frankfurt, London, New York and 3 more.
Do Akamai Cloud (Linode) and DigitalOcean offer Windows VPS?
Neither offers Windows Server.
Sources
Prices, plans and locations were read from these pages; last checked October 23, 2026. Prices change, so confirm on the provider's site before you buy.