Comparing DigitalOcean vs. netcup as VPS hosting providers (2025)

DigitalOcean is an American cloud service provider headquartered in New York City. The company operates 15 globally distributed data centers and offers cloud infrastructure services primarily to developers, startups, and small to medium-sized businesses. It is known for its VPS offerings, Kubernetes-based container services, and serverless computing solutions.

Founded in 2012, DigitalOcean emerged from the TechStars startup accelerator and grew rapidly, becoming one of the first cloud-hosting providers to offer SSD-based virtual machines in 2013. The company expanded internationally, opened multiple data centers, and acquired several companies, including Nimbella, CSS-Tricks, and Cloudways. DigitalOcean went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021 and continues to expand its infrastructure and product offerings, including GPU-based computing for AI workloads.

netcup is an Internet Service Provider (ISP) based in Karlsruhe, offering web hosting, domain registration, and server management services. The company serves over 200,000 customers, including individuals and businesses.

Founded as a one-man business in 2008, it became part of the Anexia group in 2016. This partnership provides access to shared technologies and an extended network.

netcup is a member of RIPE, DENIC, and eco e.V., among other organizations and operates using 100% green electricity.