Cassette vs DigitalOcean

DigitalOcean pioneered the simple VPS. Cassette takes that idea further by removing what you don't need and polishing what you do.

The Short Version

Where DigitalOcean Adds Friction

DigitalOcean started simple but grew complex. Today, creating a Droplet means choosing between dozens of options: regions, VPC networks, monitoring agents, backup schedules, SSH keys from a separate menu, firewalls from another panel.

The product sprawl is real:
- Droplets, App Platform, Functions, Kubernetes, Spaces, Databases, Load Balancers, VPCs, Firewalls, Monitoring, Uptime, and more
- Each with its own pricing model
- Each with its own dashboard section

You came for a server. You got a shopping mall.

Where Cassette Stays Simple

Cassette is one thing: a computer in the cloud that works like the laptop on your desk.

One size picker. Small, Medium, or Large. Each with clear specs and a single price. No bandwidth meters ticking in the background.

Backups included. Daily snapshots happen automatically. No checkbox to remember, no extra line item on your bill.

Monitoring that makes sense. CPU, memory, and disk usage in a dashboard you'll actually check. No agents to install, no separate product to configure.

A console that works. Browser-based terminal that connects instantly. No VNC viewer, no Java applet flashbacks.

What This Means in Practice

Deploying a Side Project

On DigitalOcean:
1. Create Droplet
2. Configure firewall (separate UI)
3. Set up monitoring agent
4. Enable backups (extra cost)
5. Add SSH keys (another panel)
6. SSH in and start working

On Cassette:
1. Pick a size
2. SSH in and start working

Your SSH keys are already there. Backups are already running. Monitoring is already watching. The firewall defaults to sensible (SSH and web traffic open, everything else closed).

Running Multiple Apps

Here's where Cassette's simplicity pays compounding returns.

On a single Cassette, you can run your main web app, a staging environment, a Postgres database, a Redis cache, a background job processor, and a monitoring stack. One server, one bill, one place to check.

DigitalOcean pushes you toward their managed database ($15+/month), their managed Redis ($15+/month), their App Platform for staging. Each adds a line item and a login.

We're not saying managed services are bad. We're saying you probably don't need them yet. A well-configured Linux server handles more than the cloud providers want you to believe.

The Pricing Reality

DigitalOcean's $4/month Droplet sounds great until you add:
- Backups: +20% ($0.80-$20/month)
- Bandwidth overages: variable
- Managed databases: $15+/month each
- Load balancers: $12/month
- Monitoring: included but limited

Cassette's pricing is the price. A Medium instance at $29/month includes everything. If your bill says $29, you pay $29.

When DigitalOcean Makes Sense

DigitalOcean is a good choice if you:
- Need managed Kubernetes at scale
- Want their managed database offerings
- Require multiple geographic regions
- Already have infrastructure there and switching costs are high

When Cassette Makes Sense

Cassette is the better choice if you:
- Want a server that works like your laptop, not a cloud console to learn
- Run multiple apps on one machine (most people should)
- Value predictable bills over à la carte pricing
- Prefer root access over managed services
- Want backups and monitoring without extra configuration
- Deploy with tools like Kamal, Dokku, or Docker Compose

The Philosophy Difference

DigitalOcean grew up. They added enterprise features, compliance certifications, partner programs. That's fine for companies that need those things.

Cassette stays small on purpose. We believe most software doesn't need hyperscale infrastructure. It needs a computer that's fast, predictable, and always on.

A single well-configured server can handle more traffic than most apps will ever see. Rails, Django, Phoenix, Node, Go—the frameworks that power the modern web were designed to run on exactly this kind of machine.

The cloud providers overcomplicated things. We're here to remind you: it's just a computer. A very good one, but still just a computer.

Ready to try the simpler approach? Join the waitlist and we'll set you up.