DigitalOcean Custom images
LeaderThe comprehensive agentic cloud. ☁️
Est 2012|Valuation $14.3B|Raised $3.5B
The comprehensive agentic cloud. ☁️
Published May 18, 2026
| Starting Price | Vendor-published per-GB storage pricing (see official documentation) | No separate import fee; standard storage and compute charges apply via the vendor's storage and VM services | No separate import fee; standard cloud storage and ongoing image storage charges apply |
| Best For | Simple Linux VM golden images for Droplets; small and mid-sized teams | Enterprise migrations, broad OS support including Windows imports, and broader ecosystem tooling | Import into GCE with Cloud Storage integration and GCP-native workflows |
| Key Strength | Straightforward storage-based pricing; support for multiple disk formats (raw, qcow2, vhdx, vdi, vmdk) | Mature migration tooling and broader compatibility, including UEFI-related scenarios | Integrated import workflow with cloud storage integration and platform-native networking/security features |
| Key Weakness | No IPv6 for custom-image Droplets; BIOS-only boot; no Windows image support; ISO conversion required | Operational complexity and broader billing surface area across storage and compute services | Can be complex for teams not already using the platform; ongoing pricing complexity |
DigitalOcean is generally positioned as a simpler operational model compared with hyperscalers. AWS VM Import/Export and Google Cloud image import provide broader OS support and import flexibility, including UEFI/Windows workflows in some cases, while DigitalOcean provides a more straightforward storage-based pricing model and a simpler import process for supported Linux images. Buyers should weigh the operational trade-offs, boot-mode requirements, and networking constraints when selecting a provider.