blitz.cloud vs DigitalOcean App Platform: container prices and EU hosting
DigitalOcean App Platform against blitz.cloud on container prices, payment method, EU regions, Docker images and managed databases, checked 14 September 2026.
DigitalOcean App Platform is the better choice when you're ready to pay from the first container and want more database engines and a large provider with droplets, storage and networking in the same account. blitz.cloud fits when you want to run containers and a database for free in the EU. On App Platform the free tier covers three static sites only, with no free containers, and sign-up needs a payment method.
At a glance
| blitz.cloud | DigitalOcean App Platform | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | BlitzWorks UG, Regensburg, Germany. No US parent | DigitalOcean, LLC, Colorado, US |
| EU regions | One region in the EU today, more planned | Amsterdam, Frankfurt (plus London) |
| Free tier | 5 apps, 512 MB memory, 10 GB storage, one database. Apps sleep after 15 minutes without visitors and wake on the next one. No expiry, no card | 3 static sites, no free containers, 1 GiB transfer per app. A payment method is required at sign-up |
| Cheapest paid plan | Pro, 7 EUR a month including VAT | Container $5 a month (1 vCPU, 512 MiB). Dev database $7 a month (Postgres only) |
| An app that stays awake, with a database | Pro, 7 EUR a month for your whole account, up to 5 databases | $12 a month: container $5 plus dev database $7 (checked 14 September 2026) |
| Run a finished Docker image | Yes, public Docker Hub images, amd64 | Yes, from DigitalOcean's registry, Docker Hub and GHCR. Automatic redeploy only from DigitalOcean's registry |
| Git push deploys | Yes, after you connect GitHub, private repositories included | Yes |
| Managed databases | PostgreSQL 17, MariaDB 11.4, Redis (Valkey 8), with nightly backups | PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Valkey, Kafka, OpenSearch from $15 a month. None free |
| Custom domains and HTTPS on free | HTTPS on your blitz.cloud subdomains. Custom domains on Pro | Yes |
Where DigitalOcean is the better choice
DigitalOcean is a full cloud. When App Platform stops being enough, droplets, Kubernetes, object storage and load balancers are in the same account and on the same bill. Its managed databases cover more engines, including MySQL, MongoDB and Kafka.
App Platform deploys from git, pulls images from GHCR as well as Docker Hub, and custom domains work on every tier. The company has run production workloads for a long time and publishes detailed documentation for all of it.
Where blitz.cloud fits better
- You want to run a container without paying for it. App Platform's free tier doesn't include containers.
- You don't want to enter a payment method to try something.
- You want a database included rather than starting at $7 or $15 a month.
- You prefer a German operator and your data in the EU.
Moving from DigitalOcean App Platform to blitz.cloud
If your app runs from an image on Docker Hub, deploy the same image on blitz.cloud, provided it's public, built for amd64 and listens on a port such as 8080. Images in DigitalOcean's own registry need to be pushed to Docker Hub first. For a Postgres or MySQL database, create a PostgreSQL or MariaDB database on blitz.cloud and import a dump. See deploy a Docker image and databases.
If App Platform builds your app from GitHub, connect GitHub on blitz.cloud and pick the same repository. blitz.cloud uses your Dockerfile or writes one, and puts every push to the branch online. Images from DigitalOcean's registry can also go to another public registry, such as ghcr.io, instead of Docker Hub. See deploy a GitHub project.
Sources
- https://www.digitalocean.com/legal/terms-of-service-agreement
- https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/app-platform/details/availability/
- https://www.digitalocean.com/pricing/app-platform
- https://docs.digitalocean.com/support/why-do-i-need-to-enter-a-payment-method/
- https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/app-platform/how-to/deploy-from-container-images/
- https://www.digitalocean.com/products/managed-databases
Facts checked on 14 September 2026. Prices and plans change; tell us at hallo@blitzworks.io if something here is out of date.
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Keep your app online, in the EU.
Put it online from GitHub or the App Store in a few minutes. Pro keeps your apps awake around the clock, on your own domains, for 7 EUR a month for all of them, and you can try it for 14 days first.