Droplet

Definition

DigitalOcean's term for a virtual machine (VM) in the cloud, offering scalable computing resources for developers and businesses to deploy applications.

Use Cases

• Slack: Hosting chat application backend — Slack used DigitalOcean Droplets to host their initial backend infrastructure, allowing them to scale quickly as user demand increased. (Enabled rapid deployment and scaling, contributing to Slack's ability to handle millions of users efficiently.)

Provider Equivalents

• AWS: EC2 Instance
• Azure: Virtual Machine
• GCP: Compute Engine
• OCI: Compute Instance

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between Droplet and EC2 Instance?

Droplets are DigitalOcean's VMs, optimized for simplicity and cost-effectiveness, while EC2 Instances offer more configuration options and integrations within AWS.

When should I use Droplet?

Use Droplets for quick, cost-effective deployment of Linux-based applications, especially if you prefer a straightforward interface and predictable pricing.

How much does Droplet cost?

Droplet pricing starts at $5/month for a basic configuration. Costs increase with higher CPU, memory, and additional features like backups and monitoring.

Category: compute

Difficulty: basic

Related Terms

• Virtual Machine
• DigitalOcean
• Cloud Computing
• Auto Scaling

See Also

• Compute Engine
• High-Perf Computing
• GPU Instance
• Bare Metal Server
• Web App Hosting