DigitalOcean vs Laravel Forge

Not sure which of these tools fits your work? Compare DigitalOcean and Laravel Forge to see what you can do with each, what you'll pay and what to check before you choose.

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Check if these tools match how you work. Confirm the plans, limits and renewal prices with each provider before you choose.

Compare features and pricing for DigitalOcean, Laravel Forge
What matters to youDigitalOceanLaravel Forge
Best suited to
  • Startups and SaaS companies
  • Indie developers
  • API hosting
  • Micro-SaaS infrastructure
  • Teams migrating from shared hosting
  • Laravel developers
  • SaaS startups
  • Agencies managing multiple Laravel apps
  • PHP engineering teams
  • Developers using DigitalOcean or AWS
Starting priceFrom $3.00From $12.00
CategoryHosting ProvidersHosting Providers
Ratings shown4.7 / 5 (12,400 reviews shown)4.8 / 5 (2,100 reviews shown)
Features to compare
  • Droplets VPS hosting
  • Managed Kubernetes (DOKS)
  • App Platform PaaS
  • Managed PostgreSQL and Redis
  • Spaces object storage
  • Block storage volumes
  • VPC networking
  • Floating IPs
  • Firewalls and load balancers
  • Monitoring dashboards
  • API and CLI automation
  • Marketplace app images
  • Git-based deployments
  • Team projects and collaboration
  • Usage-based billing
  • One-click server provisioning
  • Zero-downtime deployments
  • Git-based deployments
  • Queue worker management
  • Cron job automation
  • Automatic SSL provisioning
  • Domain management
  • Real-time server metrics
  • Health checks and heartbeats
  • Role-based access control
  • Laravel VPS integration
  • Nuxt and Next.js support
  • SSH access
  • Database backups
  • Multi-server management dashboard
Strengths
  • Extremely developer-friendly interface
  • Transparent predictable pricing
  • Excellent tutorials and documentation
  • Fast server provisioning and deployment
  • Strong ecosystem for startups and SaaS teams
  • Dramatically simplifies Laravel deployments
  • Predictable flat-rate pricing
  • Excellent Laravel ecosystem integration
  • Strong monitoring and automation tools
  • Supports multiple cloud providers
Considerations
  • CPU and RAM value weaker than some competitors
  • Backups and snapshots cost extra
  • Fewer advanced enterprise services than AWS or Azure
  • DDoS protection often requires external services
  • Requires server and cloud knowledge
  • Not fully managed infrastructure hosting
  • Infrastructure costs billed separately
  • Less beginner-friendly than traditional hosting platforms

Before you decide

  1. Which tool fits the way you work?
  2. What will it cost you now and when you renew?
  3. Can you try it on a real task before you choose?

Questions you may have when comparing DigitalOcean and Laravel Forge

What's different about DigitalOcean and Laravel Forge?

DigitalOcean lists Droplets VPS hosting, Managed Kubernetes (DOKS) and App Platform PaaS. Laravel Forge lists One-click server provisioning, Zero-downtime deployments and Git-based deployments. Start with the features you would actually use, then check which plan includes them. A shorter feature list doesn't necessarily mean a tool can't do something you need.

Which one will cost me less?

Compare the total for your team, not just the starting price. Check the billing period, currency, number of users, usage limits and renewal rate, then add any extras you need. If you try a free plan or trial, check what happens when you reach its limits.

How do I choose between DigitalOcean and Laravel Forge?

Pick a task you do often and try it in both tools. See which feels easier to use and works with the tools you already rely on. Before you pay, check the plan limits and whether you can get the support you need.