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Digital Ocean is the best when it comes to ease of use. An elegantly designed dashboard with ample features like 100+ one-click apps makes beginners’s lives easier. A newbie can not only host a website but also install a VPN with a click.
Their server resource quality is stunner, as their entry-level plan was superbly performed in an independent test. Their TTFB was 131 ms, and their uptime was 99.96%.
You can enhance the performance by just opting thier NVMe VPS plans, which also come with premium AMD and Intel processors.
They love you to test out their servers for free. Therefore, they provide a 60-day trial offer with a $200 credit.
Table of Contents
How To Claim DigitalOcean Free Trial
Looking for cloud hosting with zero commitment? DigitalOcean’s free trial gives you $200 in credits for 60 days—enough to run 10 cloud VPS (aka Droplets), launch 100+ one-click apps, and test premium NVMe SSD servers.
Perfect for devs, students, and startups to host websites, deploy VPNs, test apps, or run Docker containers. With top-tier AMD/Intel CPUs, blazing-fast DNS, and 99.96% uptime. This is a test ride worth taking.
Grabbing the DigitalOcean free trial offer is like eating butter cake. The whole process will be done in 2 minutes.
1.Visit Digital Ocean trial page
2.Put down your email address and password in the sign-up box. Hit create free account.
3.Go to your inbox, find confirmation mail, and click the confirmation link to validate your email address.
4.You can add your Paypal account, which will require a transaction of at least $5. The payment of $5 will be used after a 60-day trial period. 
Don’t want to pay anything? Link your card.
5.Enter your billing address.
6.You will be redirected to the Paypal payment page, where you can pay $5. (If you had opted for Paypal.)
7.Now your account is fully activated.
What Resources Will You Get
DigitalOcean doesn’t restrict any service during the trial. Users are free to use, test, and deploy their applications on any of their products.
- 10 Droplets
- Cloud Firewall
- Unlimited IPv4 and IPv6
- Free Superb DNS Management
- Daily Backup
- Free 1-click marketplace
What Can You Do
DigitalOcean solely focuses on Linux-related products. Therefore, you may be disappointed if you need a Windows VPS, RDP or Forex VPS.
However, for the hosting any application on linux servers, it is an ideal cloud platform.
- Host Websites of various CMS like WordPress, Laravel, Drupal etc.
- Run up to 15 static sites
- Run VPN, Minecraft etc.
- Build a container-based application
- Deploy a database
- Deploy a virtual machine
Plan Pricing
The host has 5 kinds of hosting plans. You can choose one as per your project.
Shared CPU Plan – The plan comes with a basic virtual machine with a mix of memory and compute resources. It is best for small projects that can handle variable levels of CPU performance, like blogs and web apps. Additionally, you will have the choice to choose between regular chips, premium Intel, and premium AMD with an NVMe SSD.
| RAM | CPU | Storage | Bandwidth | Price |
| 512 MB | 1 Core | 10 GB SSD | 500 GB | $4/mo |
| 1 GB | 1 Core | 25 GB SSD | 1 TB | $6/mo |
| 2 GB | 1 Cores | 50 GB SSD | 2 TB | $12/mo |
| 2 GB | 2 Cores | 60 GB SSD | 3 TB | $18/mo |
| 4 GB | 2 Cores | 80 GB SSD | 4 TB | $24/mo |
| 8 GB | 4 Cores | 160 GB SSD | 5 TB | $48/mo |
| 16 GB | 8 Cores | 320 GB SSD | 6 TB | $96/mo |
General Purpose Plan – It derives high-performance virtual machines with a good balance of memory and dedicated hyper-threads from best-in-class Intel chips. It is a good choice for production websites, e-commerce sites, and enterprise appliactions.
| RAM | CPU | Storage | Bandwidth | Price |
| 8 GB | 2 Core | 25 GB SSD | 4 TB | $63/mo |
| 16 GB | 4 Core | 50 GB SSD | 5 TB | $126/mo |
| 32 GB | 8 Cores | 100 GB SSD | 6 TB | $252/mo |
| 64 GB | 16 Cores | 200 GB SSD | 7 TB | $504/mo |
| 128 GB | 32 Cores | 400 GB SSD | 8 TB | $1008/mo |
| 160 GB | 40 Cores | 500 GB SSD | 9 TB | $1260/mo |
CPU Optimized Plan – It is best for CPU-intesive applications like video rendering, machine learning, and ad serving as it is compute-optimized virtual machhines with dedicated hyper-threads.
| RAM | CPU | Storage | Bandwidth | Price |
| 4 GB | 2 Core | 25 GB SSD | 4 TB | $42/mo |
| 8 GB | 4 Core | 50 GB SSD | 5 TB | $84/mo |
| 16 GB | 8 Cores | 100 GB SSD | 6 TB | $168/mo |
| 32 GB | 16 Cores | 200 GB SSD | 7 TB | $336/mo |
| 64 GB | 32 Cores | 400 GB SSD | 9 TB | $672/mo |
Memory Optimized Plan – It is ideal for RAM-intesive applications like high-performance database, web scale in memory caches and real time big data processing.
| RAM | CPU | Storage | Bandwidth | Price |
| 16 GB | 2 Core | 50 GB SSD | 4 TB | $84/mo |
| 32 GB | 4 Core | 100 GB SSD | 6 TB | $168/mo |
| 64 GB | 8 Cores | 200 GB SSD | 7 TB | $336/mo |
| 128 GB | 16 Cores | 400 GB SSD | 8 TB | $672/mo |
| 192 GB | 24 Cores | 600 GB SSD | 9 TB | $1008/mo |
| 256 GB | 32 Cores | 800 GB SSD | 10 TB | $1344/mo |
Storage Optimized Plan – It is suitable for storage-intesive projects.
| RAM | CPU | Storage | Bandwidth | Price |
| 16 GB | 2 Core | 300 GB NVMe | 4 TB | $131/mo |
| 32 GB | 4 Core | 600 GB NVMe | 6 TB | $262/mo |
| 64 GB | 8 Cores | 1.17 TB NVMe | 7 TB | $524/mo |
| 128 GB | 16 Cores | 2.34 TB NVMe | 8 TB | $1048/mo |
| 192 GB | 24 Cores | 3.53 TB NVMe | 9 TB | $1572/mo |
| 256 GB | 32 Cores | 4.69 TB NVMe | 10 TB | $2096/mo |
Data Center
The cloud platform has 14 data centers in 9 prevelant global locations.
- New York (3 DC)
- San Francisco(3 DC)
- Amsterdam (2 DC)
- Singapore
- London
- Frankfurt
- Toronto
- Banglore
- Sydney
Conclusion
With $200 hosting credit for 60 days, trying DigitalOcean is a wise choice to test them out how their servers are good and how they deliver best UX in the market.
Don’t forget, the host has one of fastest DNS service in the World, which is absolutely free of cost. You hook up with it.
FAQ
1. How do I activate the DigitalOcean free trial with $200 credit?
To activate it, head to the official DigitalOcean trial page, sign up with your email, confirm it, and add a payment method (credit card or PayPal). If you use PayPal, a $5 pre-authorization will apply—but don’t worry, it’s only charged after the 60-day trial ends.
2. What exactly can I do with the free $200 credit?
A lot, actually. You can launch up to 10 Droplets, access 100+ one-click apps, run VPN servers, host WordPress/Laravel/Drupal, deploy databases, or even test container-based workloads—all with full root access and enterprise-grade performance.
3. Can I use the trial without adding my card or PayPal?
No—you’ll need to link a valid payment method for verification. DigitalOcean is strict about this to prevent abuse. A $5 pre-charge (if using PayPal) ensures you’re a real user, but it’s only deducted once the trial ends or your credits run out.
4. Is Windows VPS or RDP available with DigitalOcean?
Unfortunately, no. DigitalOcean focuses strictly on Linux-based environments. If you’re looking to run Windows VPS, RDP, or Forex bots, you’ll need to explore other providers.
5. What happens when my $200 credit or 60 days run out?
Once either limit is hit—whichever comes first—you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan to keep your servers running. If you don’t, your data and instances may be paused or permanently deleted. So make sure to back up or migrate before the trial ends.
Meet Ravi Kumar, our web hosting and WordPress speed optimization guru with over 4 years of experience. He’s optimized 150+ websites, uncovering common VPS performance issues. Armed with insights, Ravi ensures smooth VPS experiences for all.
I found this article quite enlightening as I’m on the lookout for a reliable but budget-friendly hosting solution for my upcoming blog. DigitalOcean’s free trial appears to be a promising start, especially with the resources outlined. I’m particularly drawn to their plan pricing and data center information provided. Could you share more about your experience or advice on the best practices for bloggers getting started with DigitalOcean? Would love to hear more insights on this. Thank you for the valuable information, Ravi.
So, we’re expecting folks to jump on the DigitalOcean bandwagon just because they offer a few freebies now? I’d love to see how they plan to compete on performance and reliability against the big players. Also, any hidden catches with this free trial? Data center locations are a nice touch, but let’s talk about uptime guarantees and customer support, yeah?
Alex, that’s a fair point. However, DigitalOcean has been quite competitive in terms of developer-friendly features and community support. Price-wise, they’re also quite transparent. Hidden fees aren’t typically their style, from what I’ve seen.
heard a lot about digitalocean and considering it for hosting my first project. does the free trial have learning resources as well, or is it all just about the server stuff?
Hey Ravi Kumar, great overview on DigitalOcean’s free trial! I’m currently evaluating cloud solutions for my startup, and the detailed breakdown of resources was super helpful. Quick q: Have you had any experience with scaling projects on DO? Specifically curious about the ease of moving from a free trial to a more robust plan without hiccups. Thanks!
Ellie, I’ve scaled a few projects on DO. Transitioning is pretty smooth, especially if you plan ahead. Their docs are gold for this!
Thanks, Jordan! That’s reassuring to hear. Gonna dive into those docs tonight.
hey, Ravi Kumar can u help pls? I seen ur post about DigitalOcean n its free trial stuff, sounds cool but im kinda lost. What’s actually in the free trial, like how much storage do we get n can I use it for hosting my gaming site? My buddy says cloud things are pricey so wanna make sure i dnt get charged a lot after. thx man
Hi Donnie, DigitalOcean’s free trial is quite generous and yes, it should be able to host your gaming site depending on the traffic. Make sure to monitor your usage to avoid extra charges!
Be careful with these
All y’all excited over free trials and data centers, but what about the impact on our environment? These digital spaces ain’t just ‘free’ – they take up real energy, dude. Ravi Kumar, any thoughts on how green DigitalOcean is or we just skipping that part?
I dunno guys, I tried reading about the data center part but got lost. They say it’s important but why? Can’t all this cloud stuff just float anywhere? Why does it need a center? Also, Ravi kinda seemed like he knew what he was talking about, but now i’m not so sure. Can clouds even have centers?
lol, ‘can clouds even have centers?’ that’s gold. but yea, data centers are like the brain for all the cloud stuff. they need to be somewhere physically, even if we access things through the cloud.
so if i get it right, the stuff in the clouds have to be stored in a big computer thing somewhere? that’s wild, thought it was just floating up there tbh.
wait, so u saying they give free trials but what’s the catch? like i always hear about these things an then bam! you’re hit with a bill u didn’t expect. gotta make sure i read this right cuz my start up ain’t rich yet, lol. anyone knows how their data center works? cuz i read somewhere that’s important.
Lol, digitalOcean be like ‘come swim in our digital pond,’ but then they are sneaky about it. I mean, whats with all the complex pricing stuff, can anyone explain it like I’m five? Also, Ravi, your article kinda made me wanna try it, but I’m just a broke college student, will they accept my ramen as payment?
haha dude, if they accepted ramen as payment, i’d have the best infrastructure in town. we’re all just too broke for these digital oceans.
hey, i wuz wondering how the digital ocean trail works, do i gotta put in a credit card or something? cuz i dont like that stuff, they always catch ya with the fees later. anyone tried it yet? Ravi Kumar, gotta say, im kinda curious after reading your piece.