United States · Cloud and VPS
DigitalOcean US renewal prices: what it costs after the intro term
DigitalOcean does not discount its first term on the Basic Droplet - 1GB plan in the United States. The advertised $6.00 a month is also the renewal price, so what you see is what you keep paying.
That is unusual in this market and it is worth knowing before you compare it with a host advertising a lower first-term price.
What the host publishes in the United States
| Plan | Type | Advertised | Cash due today | Renewal options as published | Increase | Conditions as published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Droplet - 1GB | Cloud and VPS | $6.00 | $6 computed from the published monthly price and its term |
| no increase | Billed monthly without a commitment: $6.00/month. $6.00/month, or $0.00893 per hour. Billed per second with a 60-second minimum and capped at the flat monthly price. No term and no renewal increase. |
| Basic Droplet - 2GB | Cloud and VPS | $12.00 | $12 computed from the published monthly price and its term |
| no increase | Billed monthly without a commitment: $12.00/month. $12.00/month, or $0.01786 per hour, capped at the flat monthly price. No term and no renewal increase. |
| Basic Droplet - 8GB | Cloud and VPS | $48.00 | $48 computed from the published monthly price and its term |
| no increase | Billed monthly without a commitment: $48.00/month. $48.00/month, or $0.07143 per hour, capped at the flat monthly price. No term and no renewal increase. |
Scroll sideways on a phone.
What it costs once the introductory term is over
A hosting price has three parts that are almost never shown together: the invoice charged at signup, the cost of the months inside the period you are comparing, and the invoice that arrives when the introductory term ends. These are different numbers and the two tables below keep them apart.
| Plan | 1 year | 2 years | 3 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Droplet - 1GB | $6.00 $72 of service | $6.00 $144 of service | $6.00 $216 of service | $6.00 $360 of service |
| Basic Droplet - 2GB | $12.00 $144 of service | $12.00 $288 of service | $12.00 $432 of service | $12.00 $720 of service |
| Basic Droplet - 8GB | $48.00 $576 of service | $48.00 $1,152 of service | $48.00 $1,728 of service | $48.00 $2,880 of service |
Scroll sideways on a phone.
What is actually charged, and when
| Plan | Cash due today | Next renewal invoice | Cash paid through 1yr | Cash paid through 2yr | Cash paid through 3yr | Cash paid through 5yr | Unused prepaid at 3yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Droplet - 1GB | $6 | $6 for 1 month | $72 | $144 | $216 | $360 | 0 months |
| Basic Droplet - 2GB | $12 | $12 for 1 month | $144 | $288 | $432 | $720 | 0 months |
| Basic Droplet - 8GB | $48 | $48 for 1 month | $576 | $1,152 | $1,728 | $2,880 | 0 months |
Scroll sideways on a phone.
Service cost and cash paid are not the same number. A 48-month offer compared over three years has 36 months of service cost but a four-year invoice already paid. We show both and never call either one the total. No domain renewal, migration or overage charge is added to either. The full method is at Method.
How to read these figures
- On three-year service cost, Liquid Web works out cheaper for cloud and vps in the United States ($5.00 a month against $6.00) - its figures.
- If any figure here is stale, the comparison is stale. Hosts change prices without notice and none of them tell us when. These were read on 2026-09-06.
Where to check this yourself
Go to DigitalOcean and open its pricing page. Every United States figure above comes from https://www.digitalocean.com/pricing/droplets, read on 2026-09-06.
Related
- DigitalOcean against Hostinger over three years
- DigitalOcean against Bluehost over three years
- DigitalOcean against DreamHost over three years
- Alternatives to DigitalOcean
- How much web hosting costs after the first year
- The hosts that stay cheap in year two
- Work out your own period, on cash or on service cost
- What web hosting really costs
Written by Kaz, independent publisher. No commercial relationship with the companies named unless it is listed on the disclosure page.
Sources: hosts' own pricing and renewal pages only. Figures last verified 2026-09-06. I have not used these products. Nothing here is a personal test result.
Ranking method and formulas: Method. Listing position on this site is not for sale.
Corrections: contact form.