At a glance
| Database engines | PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Valkey, Kafka, OpenSearch |
| Regions | 12 DigitalOcean datacenters fully supported; limited plans in ATL1, RIC1, MKC1 and MEM1 |
| Scaling | Resize nodes, add storage, add read-only nodes; Standard Edition capped at 4 GiB RAM plans for new clusters |
| Backups and recovery | Daily backups with point-in-time recovery; 7-day restore window for PostgreSQL |
| High availability | Up to two standby nodes with automated failover; on Advanced Edition for new PostgreSQL and MySQL clusters |
| Free tier | None listed |
| Pricing model | Fixed hourly or monthly price per node size, plus extra storage |
DigitalOcean Managed Databases suits small teams already on DigitalOcean that want a managed database with flat, published node prices and a short list of options. Plan around the 2026 edition change: high availability and larger PostgreSQL and MySQL plans now sit in Advanced Edition, which starts at a much higher price than the 15 USD entry node.
Overview
DigitalOcean Managed Databases is the database-as-a-service part of the DigitalOcean cloud. It offers PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Valkey (for caching, queues and primary use), Kafka and OpenSearch clusters that DigitalOcean provisions, maintains and backs up, in the same cloud account as your other DigitalOcean resources.
A cluster has a primary node and zero, one or two standby nodes; with a standby, DigitalOcean fails over automatically. PostgreSQL and MySQL are sold in Standard and Advanced editions. Managed Databases is fully available in 12 DigitalOcean datacenters (New York, San Francisco, Amsterdam, London, Frankfurt, Toronto, Bangalore, Singapore and Sydney), with partial plan availability in a few newer US datacenters.
Key features
- Six engines in one service: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Valkey, Kafka and OpenSearch
- Daily backups with point-in-time recovery for PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB and OpenSearch (PostgreSQL restores to any point within the previous seven days)
- Zero, one or two standby nodes with automated failover (not available for Kafka and OpenSearch)
- Read-only nodes for PostgreSQL in other datacenters
- Vertical scaling of node size, with a connection pooler handling traffic during the change
- End-to-end SSL encryption on all clusters
- Database traffic does not count against the account bandwidth transfer allowance
Pros and cons
Pros
- Published, flat per-node prices that are easy to budget
- Backups with point-in-time recovery included in the node price
- Six engines, including MongoDB and Kafka, alongside DigitalOcean compute
- Database traffic does not use the account bandwidth allowance
Cons
- No free tier; the smallest node is about 15 USD a month
- New Standard Edition PostgreSQL and MySQL clusters cannot add standby or read-only nodes, so HA means Advanced Edition from 130 USD a month
- Runs only in DigitalOcean datacenters, a shorter list than the hyperscale clouds
- Kafka and OpenSearch clusters do not support standby nodes
Pricing
Clusters are priced per node, with hourly and monthly rates published in USD. The pricing page lists the smallest PostgreSQL and MySQL node (1 GiB RAM, 1 vCPU) at 15.15 USD per month (0.02254 USD per hour), Valkey from 15.00 USD, MongoDB from 15.23 USD, OpenSearch from 19.60 USD and Kafka from 148.80 USD per month. Standby and read-only nodes are extra nodes. For PostgreSQL, DigitalOcean's documentation lists high-availability clusters from 30.00 USD per month for the primary plus at least one matching 30.00 USD standby, additional Standard Edition storage at 0.215 USD per GiB-month, and Advanced Edition clusters from 130.00 USD per month (8 GiB RAM, 2 vCPU) with storage at 0.115 USD per GiB-month. No free database tier is listed.
Pricing checked on the vendor's official page on 7 November 2026. Prices change; confirm before buying.
Who it is best for
Small teams and startups already running applications on DigitalOcean that want a managed database with simple, fixed node pricing.
Who should look elsewhere
- Teams that need many regions, several cloud providers or commercial engines: see Aiven or Amazon RDS.
- Learning or side projects that should cost nothing: see free database hosting.
Verdict
DigitalOcean Managed Databases is a straightforward managed option with clear node prices and point-in-time recovery included, a good match for applications already on DigitalOcean. The 2026 split between Standard and Advanced editions makes high availability noticeably more expensive for new PostgreSQL and MySQL clusters, so price both editions before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
Does DigitalOcean have a free managed database tier?
No free database tier is listed. The smallest PostgreSQL or MySQL node (1 GiB RAM, 1 vCPU) is listed at 15.15 USD per month on the pricing page.
What is changing with Standard and Advanced editions?
From 15 October 2026 for new accounts and 30 November 2026 for all accounts, new Standard Edition PostgreSQL and MySQL clusters cannot use plans above 4 GiB of RAM or add standby or read-only nodes. Advanced Edition, from 130 USD a month, covers larger plans and HA. Existing clusters are not affected.
How are DigitalOcean database backups handled?
PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB and OpenSearch clusters include daily backups with point-in-time recovery. For PostgreSQL, DigitalOcean documents restoring to any point within the previous seven days.
Sources
- DigitalOcean Managed Databases pricing
- DigitalOcean docs: Managed Databases
- DigitalOcean docs: PostgreSQL pricing
- DigitalOcean docs: PostgreSQL features
- DigitalOcean docs: Regional availability
Checked November 2026.
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