What this covers
- DigitalOcean, where most client apps live: Droplets, Managed Databases (including OpenSearch), Cloud Firewalls, Functions, and Spaces object storage.
- Google Cloud, and AWS when a project calls for it.
- Cloudflare for DNS and caching, plus Workers, R2 storage and D1 databases for lightweight apps that run at the edge.
- Migrations off expensive shared hosting or an aging server.
- Patching, monitoring and backups that run on their own, so problems show up on a dashboard before a customer notices.
- Right-sizing: matching server size and monthly cost to what the app actually uses.
Why DigitalOcean first
After a few years of side-by-side comparisons, DigitalOcean keeps winning for small and mid-sized businesses: simple pricing, a predictable monthly bill, and server addresses that don't disappear when you resize. AWS and Google Cloud earn their upcharge in specific cases, and we'll tell you if yours is one of them. The longer version is in What I put small businesses on.
Usually a good fit when
- Your app runs on a server nobody has logged into in a year.
- The monthly cloud bill keeps creeping up and nobody can say why.
- You're moving off shared hosting, or off a server in a closet.
