DigitalOcean DOKS vs Vultr VKE: pricing
On the control plane, both DigitalOcean DOKS and Vultr VKE have a free control plane. DigitalOcean DOKS charges Free (Free) and Vultr VKE charges Free (Free). Their cheapest worker nodes are about $12/mo and $10/mo. For an illustrative 3-node cluster with one load balancer, Vultr VKE is the cheaper of the two (~$42/mo vs ~$48/mo). Snapshot captured June 2026 — verify before buying.
Data as of June 2026.
DigitalOcean DOKS vs Vultr VKE side by side
| Cost factor | DigitalOcean DOKS | Vultr VKE |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | DigitalOcean | Vultr |
| Control plane | Free | Free |
| Est. control-plane / month | Free | Free |
| Free control plane? | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest node / month | $12 | $10 |
| Load balancer | DigitalOcean Load Balancer from $12/month. | Vultr Load Balancer from $10/month. |
| Egress | Generous pooled free egress (e.g. 2,000 GiB/month with the basic node), then ~$0.01/GiB. | Monthly bandwidth allowance per node, then metered overage. |
| Free tier | Free standard control plane (no fee). Pay only for droplet nodes, block storage and load balancers. | Free control plane. Pay only for compute nodes, block storage and load balancers. |
| Regions | 15+ DigitalOcean datacenter regions. | 30+ Vultr locations worldwide. |
Sources: DigitalOcean pricing · Vultr pricing.
Sample monthly cost
A rough monthly total for a small cluster (3 nodes at each provider's cheapest node price + one $12/mo load balancer + the control-plane fee). This ignores egress, storage, support and node-size differences, so treat it as a starting point only:
| Component | DigitalOcean DOKS | Vultr VKE |
|---|---|---|
| Control plane | Free | Free |
| 3 × cheapest node | $36 | $30 |
| 1 × load balancer | $12 | $12 |
| Estimated total / month | $48 | $42 |
Verdict
On cost alone, Vultr VKE is the cheaper pick for this small-cluster example. But the right choice depends on more than price: DigitalOcean DOKS (free standard control plane) versus Vultr VKE (free control plane). Read each provider's full breakdown — DigitalOcean DOKS and Vultr VKE — and model your own node plan in the calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is DigitalOcean DOKS or Vultr VKE cheaper?
On the control plane, both DigitalOcean DOKS and Vultr VKE have a free control plane. For a sample 3-node cluster with one load balancer (using each provider's cheapest node and a $12/mo load balancer), Vultr VKE comes out lower — about $42/mo vs $48/mo. This is illustrative; your real cost depends on node size, count, egress and region. snapshot captured June 2026.
What is the control-plane fee for DigitalOcean DOKS vs Vultr VKE?
DigitalOcean DOKS: Standard control plane is free. A high-availability (HA) control plane with a 99.95% SLA is $40/cluster/month. Vultr VKE: Vultr Kubernetes Engine control plane is free. You pay only for worker nodes and associated resources. snapshot captured June 2026 — verify on each vendor's pricing page.
Which has the cheaper worker nodes, DigitalOcean DOKS or Vultr VKE?
Vultr VKE has the cheaper representative node: $10/mo vs $12/mo. DigitalOcean DOKS: Basic worker droplet from $12/month per node (1 vCPU / 2 GB). You pay only for the droplets, volumes and load balancers you use. Vultr VKE: Worker nodes from $10/month each (1 vCPU / 2 GB). A typical 2-node cluster plus a $10/month load balancer is about $30/month.
DigitalOcean DOKS or Vultr VKE — which should a small team pick?
If a free control plane and predictable pricing matter most, lean to whichever of DigitalOcean DOKS/Vultr VKE is free and simpler. If you need deep cloud integration or the widest region coverage, the larger vendor usually wins despite higher fees. Run your real node plan through the calculator before deciding.
More comparisons
Last updated: 2026-06-20