DigitalOcean App Platform is a fully managed PaaS that deploys and scales applications from static sites to full-stack web apps with databases — handling build, deploy, and scaling automatically from a Git repository. Unlike Railway (startup-focused), App Platform integrates with DigitalOcean's existing infrastructure and managed databases. Used by 600,000+ developers. Static sites free.
DigitalOcean App Platform
PaaS for apps from static to full-stack
Best for: Developers already using DigitalOcean wanting managed PaaS deployment from Git without managing Droplets and Nginx configuration
- Free plan
4.2/5 ratingEditorial score 80/100digitalocean.com
The editorial note
What to know about DigitalOcean App Platform
Is it right for you?
Who DigitalOcean App Platform suits
Choose it if
- Developers already using DigitalOcean wanting managed PaaS deployment from Git without managing Droplets and Nginx configuration
Look elsewhere if
- Teams needing enterprise-grade scaling (AWS Elastic Beanstalk or Heroku handles larger enterprise deployments
- App Platform is for SMBs and startups)
What you get
Key features
- Git deployments
- Auto-scaling
- Managed databases
- Static sites
- Custom domains
- HTTPS
- Logs
Works with
Integrations4
The trade-off
Pros and cons
Pros
- 600K+ developers
- Free static sites
- Git deployments
- Managed databases
- Auto-scaling
- DO ecosystem
Cons
- Less features than Heroku
- DO ecosystem lock-in
- Limited to DO regions
Quick read
At a glance
- Category
- Website & Hosting
- Pricing model
- Freemium
- Free plan
- Available
- Free trial
- Not listed
- Website
- digitalocean.com
The verdict
Our take on DigitalOcean App Platform
Best PaaS for DigitalOcean users wanting managed app deployment without configuring servers. App Platform serves developers who've outgrown static hosting but don't want the operational overhead of managing Droplets — developers at small startups already using DigitalOcean choose App Platform because deploying a Node.js or Python app from GitHub with automatic builds and managed PostgreSQL requires no server configuration.
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