DigitalOcean vs Scaleway: What are the differences?

Introduction

DigitalOcean and Scaleway are two popular cloud computing platforms that provide Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). While both offer similar services such as virtual machines, storage, and networking capabilities, there are several key differences that set them apart.

1. Pricing Models: DigitalOcean primarily follows a fixed monthly pricing model, where users pay a predetermined price for their chosen plan. In contrast, Scaleway offers a pay-as-you-go model, allowing users to only pay for the resources they consume. This can be beneficial for users with varying resource demands or those who are looking to minimize costs.

2. Data Centers: DigitalOcean has a larger global presence with data centers across various regions, including the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America. Scaleway, on the other hand, has a more limited geographical coverage, with data centers primarily located in Europe. This difference in data center availability may be a crucial consideration for users who require specific regional data residency or low latency.

3. Virtual Machine Types: Both DigitalOcean and Scaleway offer a range of virtual machine types to cater to different workload needs. However, Scaleway differentiates itself by providing a unique offering called "Bare Metal Cloud," which allows users to provision dedicated servers with direct access to physical hardware. This can be beneficial for users who require high-performance computing or have specific hardware requirements.

4. Managed Databases: DigitalOcean offers a range of managed database services, including PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Redis, which greatly simplifies database administration tasks. In contrast, Scaleway does not currently provide managed database services. Users on Scaleway would need to set up and manage their databases manually or rely on third-party solutions.

5. Object Storage: DigitalOcean offers an object storage service called Spaces, which provides scalable and cost-effective storage for various types of data. Scaleway also offers object storage called Object Storage with similar features. However, DigitalOcean Spaces provides more robust integration with their other services, making it a preferred choice for users heavily utilizing other DigitalOcean services.

6. Community and Documentation: Both DigitalOcean and Scaleway have active communities and extensive documentation to support their users. However, DigitalOcean has gained a reputation for its exceptional community-driven tutorials and documentation, which are often considered comprehensive and beginner-friendly. This extensive resource base can be particularly helpful for users who are new to cloud computing or require detailed step-by-step guidance.

In summary, key differences between DigitalOcean and Scaleway lie in their pricing models, geographical coverage, virtual machine types, managed database offerings, object storage integration, and community documentation support. Depending on specific requirements, users may prioritize factors such as cost, data residency, hardware access, managed services, integration, or the availability of comprehensive documentation and community support.