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Head-to-head · Self-Hosted App Hosting

DigitalOcean Kubernetes vs Stackspin

  • Updated Sep 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score DigitalOcean Kubernetes #4 in Self-Hosted App Hosting 7.2/10 From $12/mo ✓ 0 of 2 features Visit DigitalOcean
Stackspin #6 in Self-Hosted App Hosting 7.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Stackspin

DigitalOcean Kubernetes leads on 0 checks, Stackspin on 3, and 0 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreDigitalOcean Kubernetes · 7.2/10
  • Free planonly Stackspin
  • Most featuresStackspin · 2 of 2

DigitalOcean Kubernetes scores higher on our rubric for self-hosted app hosting: 7.2 against 7.1 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #6.

Stackspin offers free plan; DigitalOcean Kubernetes doesn't. Stackspin offers managed app updates; DigitalOcean Kubernetes doesn't publish it. Stackspin offers automated backups; DigitalOcean Kubernetes doesn't publish it.

DigitalOcean Kubernetes is the better fit for teams specifically needing managed Kubernetes. Stackspin is the better fit for small teams hosting a curated app stack.

  • DigitalOcean Kubernetes fits best

    Teams specifically needing managed Kubernetes

  • Stackspin fits best

    Small teams hosting a curated app stack

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature DigitalOcean Kubernetes 7.2/10 Visit ↗ Stackspin 7.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 7.2 7.1
Ranking #4 in Self-Hosted App Hosting #6 in Self-Hosted App Hosting
Best for Teams specifically needing managed Kubernetes Small teams hosting a curated app stack
Pricing model Paid Free
Starting price $12/mo Not published
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Self-hosted
Support Email, Live chat, Tickets, Community, Docs Email
Integrations 8 integrations 9 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market Small business, Mid-market
Features DigitalOcean Kubernetes 0/2 · Stackspin 2/2
Managed app updates Not published ✓ (best)
Automated backups Not published ✓ (best)
Specs
App catalog size Not published Not published
App deployment Not published One_click
Backup retention Not published Not published
Server regions Not published Not published
Our review
Pros
  • Managed control plane with node pool autoscaling and scale-to-zero support
  • Rolling updates, role-based access control, and OIDC single sign-on
  • Connects with DigitalOcean load balancers, volumes, and container registry
  • Dashboard installs and manages a focused collaboration app catalog
  • Unified users and OpenID single sign-on across supported apps
  • Automatic updates, optional Velero backups, and Grafana/Prometheus monitoring
Cons
  • Requires Kubernetes API and cluster administration rather than turnkey app hosting
  • Worker nodes are billed separately from the managed control plane
  • No free plan; Basic worker nodes start at $12 per node per month
  • Requires configuring and managing your own Kubernetes cluster
  • App choices are limited to a defined catalog of supported tools
  • Backups are optional and require Velero and S3-compatible storage setup
Our verdict

DigitalOcean Kubernetes (DOKS) is a managed Kubernetes service for developers, startups, and small-to-medium-sized businesses that need Kubernetes clusters in DigitalOcean's cloud. DigitalOcean manages the control plane and underlying…

Read the review →

Stackspin is an open-source platform for deploying and managing self-hosted collaboration applications. It is aimed at civil society organizations and value-driven teams that want a shared operating layer for tools such as Nextcloud,…

Read the review →
  1. DigitalOcean KubernetesSelf-Hosted App Hosting 7.2From $12/mo
  2. StackspinSelf-Hosted App Hosting 7.1Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • DigitalOcean Kubernetes — where it wins

    • Managed control plane with node pool autoscaling and scale-to-zero support
    • Rolling updates, role-based access control, and OIDC single sign-on
    • Connects with DigitalOcean load balancers, volumes, and container registry

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires Kubernetes API and cluster administration rather than turnkey app hosting
    • Worker nodes are billed separately from the managed control plane
    • No free plan; Basic worker nodes start at $12 per node per month

  • Stackspin — where it wins

    • Dashboard installs and manages a focused collaboration app catalog
    • Unified users and OpenID single sign-on across supported apps
    • Automatic updates, optional Velero backups, and Grafana/Prometheus monitoring

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires configuring and managing your own Kubernetes cluster
    • App choices are limited to a defined catalog of supported tools
    • Backups are optional and require Velero and S3-compatible storage setup

More comparisons

All Self-Hosted app hosting comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026

Last updated · How we research and update