DigitalOcean Postgres alternative

# DigitalOcean Managed Postgres, or a whole machine for the same money.

DigitalOcean's managed PostgreSQL is a database node sized by memory, with storage priced by the GiB and standby nodes as an option. Lathe prices the whole machine instead: at the entry plan, about what the smallest node costs, you get a dedicated machine with more memory and storage, and your app and a cache can run on it beside the database. [Start free - 14 days, no card needed ](https://app.lathe.live/login)[From $15 a month → ](https://lathe.live/pricing)

## What each price buys. DigitalOcean: a node, plus storage The smallest PostgreSQL node is $15.15 a month for 1 GiB of memory and 1 vCPU, with storage from 10 GiB, added in 10 GiB steps at $0.215 per GiB a month. The next size is $30.45 for 2 GiB. Standby nodes for failover are added on top. Lathe: the machine The entry plan is $15 a month for 1 vCPU, 2 GB of memory and 20 GB of NVMe storage, with 20 TB of traffic a month. Postgres gets a memory budget out of that, which you set; the rest runs whatever else you switch on. Pooling and extensions PgBouncer on port 6432 for many short connections, direct Postgres on 5432 for migrations and sessions. pgvector, pg_stat_statements, pg_trgm and pgcrypto from the start, more from the allowed list per database. Backups A daily backup, 7 kept, restored in place with the same address, and the latest one restored and checked every month. What you give up Standby nodes and automatic failover, read-only replicas, and a large provider's range of regions and products. A Lathe instance is one machine. When to stay If your stack already lives on DigitalOcean and you want a standby node, stay. If you run one small node and pay separately for the server your app runs on, one machine holding both is the simpler bill.

## Good for

- A small app paying for a database node and a server separately
- A database that has outgrown 10 GiB and is paying for storage by the GiB
- Putting a cache beside the database without a second node
- Moving to one flat bill you can read off the pricing page

## Questions

**How do I move from DigitalOcean Managed Postgres? **

pg_dump against the node's connection string, pg_restore --no-owner --no-privileges into the Lathe instance's direct port, then change the connection string in your app. The pooled port 6432 takes the place of a connection pool.

**Is the entry plan really comparable? **

The machine has more memory and storage than the $15.15 node, but it runs everything you switch on, not only Postgres. Compare the memory budget you give Postgres with the node's memory.

**Can my app stay on DigitalOcean? **

Yes. It connects over TLS like any client. Choose a Lathe location near the app, since every query crosses the distance between them.

**Are the DigitalOcean numbers on this page current? **

They were checked against DigitalOcean's managed database pricing page on September 23, 2026. Check them again before quoting them - pricing pages change.

Every number on this page comes from the [pricing page ](https://lathe.live/pricing)'s facts. [Previous Fly.io Postgres alternative with one flat price ](https://docs.lathe.live/guides/fly-postgres-alternative)[Next ElephantSQL alternative: where to run Postgres now ](https://docs.lathe.live/guides/elephantsql-alternative)

## Related

- [Move a Postgres database with pg_dump and pg_restore ](https://docs.lathe.live/guides/migrate-postgres)

Moving a PostgreSQL database between providers in three commands: dump, restore, switch the connection string. What to check, and how to keep downtime short.
- [Postgres on a cheap VPS, or the same box run for you ](https://docs.lathe.live/guides/vps-vs-managed)

A VPS with Postgres on it is the right call until the night it stops answering. What self-hosting costs in hours, what Lathe does instead, and when each fits.
- [A managed database with a flat price you can compute ](https://docs.lathe.live/guides/flat-price-database)

One dedicated machine, one monthly price from $15: storage, 20 TB of traffic, backups, TLS and the console included. Nothing metered.

[All guides ](https://docs.lathe.live/guides)

## A whole machine, from $15 a month.

Live about 5 minutes on average after checkout. Cancel any time; Mini starts with a 14-day free trial. [Start free - 14 days, no card needed ](https://app.lathe.live/login)