What is the difference between Microsoft Azure and DigitalOcean?

Microsoft Azure and DigitalOcean are both cloud GPU providers offering different pricing models, features, and GPU availability. Use our comparison tool to see real-time pricing and feature differences.

Which is cheaper: Microsoft Azure or DigitalOcean?

Pricing varies by GPU model and usage requirements. Check our real-time comparison table to find the best deals for your specific needs.

Can I switch between Microsoft Azure and DigitalOcean?

Yes, both providers offer flexible cloud GPU services. However, consider factors like data transfer costs, setup time, and specific features when switching between providers.

How many GPU models are available for comparison?

We track pricing for 11 different GPU models across both Microsoft Azure and DigitalOcean, with 0 models available from both providers.

Microsoft Azure vs DigitalOcean GPU Cloud Pricing 2026

GPU Pricing Comparison

Total GPUs: 11Both available: 1Microsoft Azure: 6DigitalOcean: 6

Showing 11 of 11 GPUs

Last updated: 5/12/2026, 8:40:02 PM

GPU Model ↑	Microsoft Azure Price	DigitalOcean Price	Price Diff ↕	Sources
A10 24GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.59/hr★ Best	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
A10 24GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.59/hour Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure
A100 PCIE 40GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.68/hr★ Best	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
A100 PCIE 40GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.68/hour Updated: 4/27/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure
A100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.75/hr★ Best	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
A100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.75/hour Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure
H100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Microsoft AzureDigitalOcean	$2.19/hr★ Best	$2.99/hr 8x GPU	↓$0.80(26.7%)	Microsoft Azure DigitalOcean API
H100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $2.19/hour Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price DigitalOcean $2.99/hour 8x GPU configuration Updated: 5/12/2026 Price Difference:↓$0.80(26.7%) Microsoft Azure DigitalOcean API
H200 141GB VRAM • DigitalOcean	Not Available	$3.44/hr★ Best	—	DigitalOcean API
H200 141GB VRAM • Not Available DigitalOcean $3.44/hour Updated: 5/12/2026 ★Best Price DigitalOcean API
L40S 48GB VRAM • DigitalOcean	Not Available	$1.57/hr★ Best	—	DigitalOcean API
L40S 48GB VRAM • Not Available DigitalOcean $1.57/hour Updated: 5/12/2026 ★Best Price DigitalOcean API
MI300X 192GB VRAM • DigitalOcean	Not Available	$1.99/hr★ Best	—	DigitalOcean API
MI300X 192GB VRAM • Not Available DigitalOcean $1.99/hour Updated: 5/12/2026 ★Best Price DigitalOcean API
RTX 4000 Ada 20GB VRAM • DigitalOcean	Not Available	$0.76/hr★ Best	—	DigitalOcean API
RTX 4000 Ada 20GB VRAM • Not Available DigitalOcean $0.76/hour Updated: 5/12/2026 ★Best Price DigitalOcean API
RTX 6000 Ada 48GB VRAM • DigitalOcean	Not Available	$1.57/hr★ Best	—	DigitalOcean API
RTX 6000 Ada 48GB VRAM • Not Available DigitalOcean $1.57/hour Updated: 5/12/2026 ★Best Price DigitalOcean API
Tesla T4 16GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.20/hr★ Best	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
Tesla T4 16GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.20/hour Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure
Tesla V100 32GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.51/hr★ Best 8x GPU	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
Tesla V100 32GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.51/hour 8x GPU configuration Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure

A10 24GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.59/hr★ Best	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
A10 24GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.59/hour Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure
A100 PCIE 40GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.68/hr★ Best	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
A100 PCIE 40GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.68/hour Updated: 4/27/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure
A100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.75/hr★ Best	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
A100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.75/hour Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure
H100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Microsoft AzureDigitalOcean	$2.19/hr★ Best	$2.99/hr 8x GPU	↓$0.80(26.7%)	Microsoft Azure DigitalOcean API
H100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $2.19/hour Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price DigitalOcean $2.99/hour 8x GPU configuration Updated: 5/12/2026 Price Difference:↓$0.80(26.7%) Microsoft Azure DigitalOcean API
H200 141GB VRAM • DigitalOcean	Not Available	$3.44/hr★ Best	—	DigitalOcean API
H200 141GB VRAM • Not Available DigitalOcean $3.44/hour Updated: 5/12/2026 ★Best Price DigitalOcean API
L40S 48GB VRAM • DigitalOcean	Not Available	$1.57/hr★ Best	—	DigitalOcean API
L40S 48GB VRAM • Not Available DigitalOcean $1.57/hour Updated: 5/12/2026 ★Best Price DigitalOcean API
MI300X 192GB VRAM • DigitalOcean	Not Available	$1.99/hr★ Best	—	DigitalOcean API
MI300X 192GB VRAM • Not Available DigitalOcean $1.99/hour Updated: 5/12/2026 ★Best Price DigitalOcean API
RTX 4000 Ada 20GB VRAM • DigitalOcean	Not Available	$0.76/hr★ Best	—	DigitalOcean API
RTX 4000 Ada 20GB VRAM • Not Available DigitalOcean $0.76/hour Updated: 5/12/2026 ★Best Price DigitalOcean API
RTX 6000 Ada 48GB VRAM • DigitalOcean	Not Available	$1.57/hr★ Best	—	DigitalOcean API
RTX 6000 Ada 48GB VRAM • Not Available DigitalOcean $1.57/hour Updated: 5/12/2026 ★Best Price DigitalOcean API
Tesla T4 16GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.20/hr★ Best	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
Tesla T4 16GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.20/hour Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure
Tesla V100 32GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.51/hr★ Best 8x GPU	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
Tesla V100 32GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.51/hour 8x GPU configuration Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure

Features Comparison

Microsoft Azure

Azure AI
Comprehensive suite of AI services and tools for building intelligent applications
Enterprise Integration
Seamless integration with Microsoft ecosystem and enterprise tools
Hybrid Capabilities
Strong hybrid and multi-cloud support with Azure Arc
Advanced Security
Industry-leading security features and compliance certifications
Global Scale
Extensive worldwide network of data centers and edge locations

DigitalOcean

GPU Droplets
On-demand NVIDIA and AMD GPU instances with per-hour billing and no long-term contracts.
One-Click ML Frameworks
Pre-configured images with PyTorch, TensorFlow, and CUDA for immediate productivity.
Integrated Platform
GPU Droplets work seamlessly with DigitalOcean's networking, storage, and managed databases.
Simple Pricing
Transparent per-hour pricing with no hidden fees or complex instance families.

Pros & Cons

Microsoft Azure

Advantages

Strong enterprise integration and support
Comprehensive AI and machine learning services
Advanced security and compliance features
Extensive hybrid cloud capabilities

Considerations

Complex pricing and billing structure
Can be expensive for certain workloads
Steeper learning curve for new users

DigitalOcean

Advantages

Simple, transparent pricing with no surprises
Wide GPU selection including H100, H200, L40s, and AMD MI300X
No long-term commitments required
Well-known developer platform with strong community

Considerations

Newer to GPU cloud compared to specialized providers
Some high-end SKUs (MI325X, B300) require sales contact
Limited GPU data center regions

Compute Services

Microsoft Azure

Azure Virtual Machines

GPU-enabled VMs for various workloads

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

Managed Kubernetes service with GPU support

Integrated GPU node pools
Automated scaling and updates

Azure Machine Learning

End-to-end ML platform with GPU acceleration

Automated ML capabilities
Integrated MLOps

DigitalOcean

Pricing Options

Microsoft Azure

Pay-as-you-go

Flexible pricing with no upfront commitment

Reserved VM Instances

Save up to 72% with 1 or 3-year commitments

Spot VMs

Up to 90% savings for interruptible workloads

Azure Hybrid Benefit

Cost savings for existing Windows Server and SQL Server licenses

Azure savings plan for compute

Save money across select compute services globally by committing to spend a fixed hourly amount for 1 or 3 years

DigitalOcean

Getting Started

Microsoft Azure

Get Started

1
Create an Azure account
Sign up for Azure and get started with free credits
2
Set up your environment
Configure your subscription, resource groups, and access controls
3
Choose compute services
Select from VMs, containers, or serverless based on your needs
4
Deploy resources
Launch your first GPU-enabled instance or AI service

DigitalOcean

Get Started

1
Create an Account
Sign up at digitalocean.com and verify your account.
2
Create a GPU Droplet
Select GPU Droplets from the Create menu, choose your GPU type and configuration.
3
Choose an Image
Select a pre-configured AI/ML image or a base OS image.
4
Launch and Connect
Launch your GPU Droplet and connect via SSH to start working.

Support & Global Availability

Microsoft Azure

Global Regions

60+ regions worldwide with multiple availability zones

Support

Basic, Developer, Standard, and Professional Direct support plans with 24/7 options. Extensive documentation and community resources.

DigitalOcean

Global Regions

GPU Droplets are available in select US data centers with expansion planned.

Support

24/7 support via ticket system, extensive documentation, and active community forums.