DigitalOcean cost guide · September 25, 2026
What does it cost to deploy an app on DigitalOcean App Platform?
App Platform is a managed deployment service for repositories and containers. It can suit an AI-built app that needs a frontend plus a web service, worker or database. The total depends on every component, not just the smallest container.
Published starting points
| Component | Published starting point | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Static sites | Free tier | Up to three apps that use only static-site components; each app includes 1 GiB of outbound data transfer. |
| Shared app container | From $5/month | A small 1 vCPU, 512 MiB option; bandwidth allowance depends on the selected size. |
| Development database | $7/month for 512 MiB | The documented development database is limited and is not a substitute for a production database with backups. |
| Extra outbound transfer | $0.02 per GiB | Transfer above the included allowance can add to the monthly bill. |
Prices checked against DigitalOcean’s published pricing on September 25, 2026. Confirm live prices before purchasing.
Estimate the whole app, component by component
A frontend-only demo may fit the static tier. A full-stack project can need a web container, a worker, a database and outbound transfer. List each piece before comparing the monthly price with Vercel, Hostinger or another provider.
- Count web services, workers, jobs and static sites separately.
- Choose the smallest container that meets the project’s documented resource needs; do not assume the $5 size fits every Next.js app.
- Budget for production data storage and backups separately from the development database.
- Check outbound transfer, custom domains, logs and any external managed services.
Official pricing and deployment docs
See DigitalOcean’s App Platform pricing page and detailed pricing documentation for current component and bandwidth rates.
This page summarizes public documentation, not a quote. We do not currently earn commission from DigitalOcean.
Compare with the deployment guide or open the hosting finder.