DigitalOcean vs OpenShift: What are the differences?

Introduction

DigitalOcean and OpenShift are two popular cloud computing platforms that offer hosting solutions for websites and applications. While both platforms have similar features, there are several key differences that set them apart. In this article, we will explore and compare the main differences between DigitalOcean and OpenShift.

1. Pricing Model: DigitalOcean follows a traditional pricing model where users pay for the resources they consume on a per-hour basis. The cost is calculated based on the size and specifications of the virtual machine instances chosen by the user. On the other hand, OpenShift offers a flexible pricing model, allowing users to choose between a pay-as-you-go option or a subscription-based plan with fixed monthly costs. This difference in pricing models provides users with more options and flexibility when choosing the most cost-effective solution for their needs.

2. Ease of Use: DigitalOcean is known for its simplicity and user-friendly interface. It provides a straightforward and intuitive control panel, making it easy for users to navigate and manage their resources. OpenShift, on the other hand, offers a more complex setup process and requires a deeper understanding of containerization and orchestration technologies like Kubernetes. While this complexity may be daunting for beginners, it offers more advanced features and customization options for experienced users.

3. Deployment Options: DigitalOcean primarily focuses on providing virtual private servers (VPS) and does not directly support containerization out-of-the-box. Users can manually set up and manage containers using tools like Docker. In contrast, OpenShift is built on top of Kubernetes, a powerful container orchestration platform. It provides seamless integration and native support for containerized applications, making it easier to deploy and manage container-based workloads.

4. Scalability and High Availability: DigitalOcean allows users to horizontally scale their applications by adding more virtual machines and load balancers. However, setting up high availability configurations and auto-scaling requires manual configuration and additional setup. OpenShift, on the other hand, offers built-in support for horizontal pod autoscaling, making it easier to scale applications based on resource usage. It also provides features like rolling updates and self-healing capabilities, ensuring high availability and uptime for applications.

5. Community and Support: DigitalOcean has a large and active community with extensive documentation, tutorials, and a vibrant online forum. It offers prompt customer support through various channels like live chat and ticket-based systems. OpenShift also has an active community, with resources like documentation, tutorials, and forums available. However, as OpenShift is an enterprise-grade platform, its support primarily relies on Red Hat's official channels, which may require additional subscription-based support.

6. Extensibility and Integration: DigitalOcean provides a range of pre-configured, ready-to-use droplets and easy integration with other services like load balancers, object storage, and databases. While OpenShift also supports integration with external services, it offers more flexibility in terms of integrating with enterprise-grade tools and services. OpenShift's ecosystem includes a wide range of certified third-party extensions and integrations, making it suitable for complex enterprise environments.

In summary, DigitalOcean is a straightforward and user-friendly platform with a traditional pricing model, while OpenShift offers more advanced features, flexibility, and scalability for container-based workloads. Both platforms have active communities and provide support, but OpenShift's support is primarily tied to Red Hat's official channels. Ultimately, the choice between DigitalOcean and OpenShift depends on the specific needs and technical expertise of the users.