Apache CloudStack vs DigitalOcean Kubernetes

Apache CloudStack8.6Visit DigitalOcean Kubernetes8.1Visit

Higher score Apache CloudStack #3 in Cloud Computing platform 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit site

vs

DigitalOcean Kubernetes #7 in Cloud Computing platform 8.1/10 Paid ✓ 0 of 3 features Visit DigitalOcean

• Apache CloudStack fits best

  Teams building self-hosted private clouds

• DigitalOcean Kubernetes fits best

  Teams wanting managed Kubernetes with clear node pricing

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Side by side

Feature	Apache CloudStack 8.6/10 Visit ↗	DigitalOcean Kubernetes 8.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.6	8.1
Ranking	#3 in Cloud Computing platform	#7 in Cloud Computing platform
Best for	Teams building self-hosted private clouds	Teams wanting managed Kubernetes with clear node pricing
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free plan	$12/unit/mo
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted, Browser extension	Cloud
Platforms	Web, Linux	Web
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Live chat, Tickets, Community, Docs
Compliance	SSO/SAML, 2FA	SOC 2, GDPR
Integrations	4 integrations	8 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market
Features Apache CloudStack 0/3 · DigitalOcean Kubernetes 0/3
Managed Kubernetes	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Serverless compute	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Object storage	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Service model	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Compute options	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Regions available	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Support levels	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Orchestrates compute, networking, storage, and multiple hypervisors. Supports high availability, live migration, and disaster recovery. Offers REST-like and AWS-compatible APIs plus Terraform and Ansible integrations.	Managed control plane with node pool autoscaling and scale-to-zero support CPU and GPU worker node options, including NVIDIA H100 nodes Integrates with DigitalOcean load balancers, volumes, and container registry
Cons	Requires self-hosting and the operational work that entails. Its broad infrastructure scope may exceed the needs of simpler environments. Support channels are community resources and documentation.	Worker nodes are billed separately from the managed control plane No free plan; Basic nodes start at $12 per node per month High-availability control plane is a paid option
Our verdict	Apache CloudStack is an open-source Infrastructure-as-a-Service platform for deploying and managing public, private, and hybrid clouds. Its self-hosted model is aimed at cloud providers, managed service providers, telecommunications… Read the review →	DigitalOcean Kubernetes (DOKS) is a managed Kubernetes service for developers, startups, and small-to-medium-sized businesses. DigitalOcean manages the control plane and container infrastructure, while customers retain Kubernetes API and… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Apache CloudStack — where it wins

  • Orchestrates compute, networking, storage, and multiple hypervisors.
  • Supports high availability, live migration, and disaster recovery.
  • Offers REST-like and AWS-compatible APIs plus Terraform and Ansible integrations.

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires self-hosting and the operational work that entails.
  • Its broad infrastructure scope may exceed the needs of simpler environments.
  • Support channels are community resources and documentation.

• DigitalOcean Kubernetes — where it wins

  • Managed control plane with node pool autoscaling and scale-to-zero support
  • CPU and GPU worker node options, including NVIDIA H100 nodes
  • Integrates with DigitalOcean load balancers, volumes, and container registry

  Where it doesn't

  • Worker nodes are billed separately from the managed control plane
  • No free plan; Basic nodes start at $12 per node per month
  • High-availability control plane is a paid option

• Apache CloudStack8.6/10 · Free plan

  A capable private-cloud foundation for teams prepared to operate it themselves.

  Visit siteFull verdict →
• DigitalOcean Kubernetes8.1/10 · Paid

  A managed Kubernetes service with flexible CPU and GPU nodes priced by node.

  Visit DigitalOceanFull verdict →