Feature by feature
10 dimensions compared, August 2026
7
Hostwares
2
DigitalOcean App Platform
| Feature | HHostwares | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat packs: $3 / $7 / $18 per month | Per instance: $5 (512MB fixed) to $50+ (2vCPU/4GB scalable) |
| 1 vCPU / 2GB app | $7/mo (Standard pack) | $25/mo (shared scalable) |
| Managed databases | From $3/mo flat, multiple engines | Dev DB $7/mo (512MB, PG only); managed DBs from ~$15/mo |
| Static sites | $3/mo pack (always-on, any framework) | 3 static apps free |
| One-click services | 326+ incl. Supabase stack | Minimal - separate Marketplace on Droplets |
| AI capabilities | AI DevOps agent (web + CLI) | None for app operations |
| Bandwidth | Not metered (fair use) | Per-app allowance, then $0.02/GB |
| Autoscaling | Vertical (upgrade pack; auto-scale option on servers) | Horizontal autoscaling on scalable tiers |
| cPanel / domain registration | Yes | No (DNS only) |
| Payment methods | PayPal, Stripe, bKash | Credit card, PayPal |
Sources: digitalocean.com pricing page & docs, August 2026. Vendors change pricing - confirm on their site.
DigitalOcean App Platform pricing vs Hostwares pricing
DO App Platform: static sites free (up to 3), fixed containers from $5/mo (1 shared vCPU / 512MB / 50GB transfer), scalable containers $12/mo (1GB) to $50/mo (2 vCPU / 4GB), dev database $7/mo (512MB, Postgres only), production managed databases from roughly $15/mo as a separate product, bandwidth overage $0.02/GB, dedicated egress IP $25/mo. Hostwares: $3 / $7 / $18 flat packs that work for apps and databases alike.
$ scenario: 1 vCPU / 2GB app + production Postgres
DigitalOcean App Platform
HHostwares
- flat. same price in your biggest month.
The honest verdict
Choose Hostwares if…
- You want a full-stack app + DB for $10/mo instead of $32–40/mo
- You want 326+ one-click services, Supabase, cPanel, and domains
- You want an AI agent operating your infrastructure
- You want simpler pricing than mix-and-matching DO products
Choose DigitalOcean App Platform if…
- You're already deep in the DigitalOcean ecosystem (Droplets, Spaces, VPC)
- You need free static site hosting (3 apps free)
- You want a large public cloud's regional footprint
Why teams switch from DigitalOcean App Platform
One pricing table, not five products
On DO you price the app, the database product, bandwidth, and egress IPs separately. A Hostwares estimate is: count your packs.
4× cheaper at production size
The 1 vCPU / 2GB tier that costs $25/mo on App Platform is $7/mo on Hostwares - with a database bringing the gap to $40 vs $10.
An actual service catalog
WordPress, n8n, Ghost, Supabase, and 320 more deploy in one click on Hostwares. On DO those live on self-managed Droplets.
AI instead of tickets
DO's support is ticket-based. Hostwares ships an AI agent that fixes most issues the moment you describe them.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hostwares a good DigitalOcean App Platform alternative?
Yes - both deploy containers from GitHub with managed builds. Hostwares is significantly cheaper at production sizes ($7 vs $25 for 1 vCPU / 2GB), includes databases from $3/mo, and adds an AI DevOps agent and a 326+ service catalog.
How does Hostwares compare on price?
A production app with Postgres runs about $40/mo on DO App Platform versus $10/mo on Hostwares. DO's advantage is at the very bottom: 3 static sites are free.
Does Hostwares offer VPS like DigitalOcean Droplets?
Yes - Hostwares sells dedicated servers/VPS on demand alongside its packs, so you can graduate from packs to your own server without changing platforms.
Can I use my own domain and get SSL?
Yes - custom domains with automatic SSL are included on every pack, and Hostwares also registers domains directly, which DigitalOcean doesn't.
How do I migrate from DO App Platform?
Connect the same GitHub repo on Hostwares, copy environment variables, deploy, then dump/restore the database. DNS moves last. The AI can execute the database migration commands for you.
How much does Hostwares cost?
Resource packs are $2/mo for Micro (0.25 vCPU, 256 MB, 5 GB), $3 for Starter (0.5 vCPU, 512 MB, 10 GB), $7 for Standard (1 vCPU, 2 GB, 25 GB), $18 for Performance (2 vCPU, 4 GB, 50 GB) and $35 for Business (4 vCPU, 8 GB, 100 GB). One pack runs one deployment - a site, a database or a service.
Is there a free tier?
No. Entry is $2/mo for a Micro pack. There is no free tier and no signup bonus - if a competitor's free tier covers your project, use it.
Do you charge for bandwidth?
No. Packs are a flat monthly price and traffic is not metered, so a busy month costs the same as a quiet one.
Are there per-seat fees?
No. You pay for resources, not for people. Adding teammates does not change the bill.
What is your refund policy?
Resource packs carry a 7-day money-back guarantee on first purchase. cPanel hosting is a pro-rated refund within the first 7 days if the account has not been used. Servers are a full refund within 48 hours if not provisioned, pro-rated within 7 days. Domains are non-refundable per ICANN policy. Full terms are on the refund policy page.
How do I pay?
PayPal, Stripe (card) and bKash, invoice-based. AI credits are a separate balance and are only used for the AI agent, never for hosting.
Does the price change at renewal?
No. The price you buy at is the price you renew at. There is no introductory rate that steps up later.
How do I deploy an application?
Connect a GitHub repository and Hostwares detects the framework and builds it. Next.js, React, Vue, Svelte, Node, Python, Go, Ruby, PHP and static sites are detected without configuration. You can also deploy any Docker image or upload a ZIP.
Can I deploy from a private repository?
Yes. Connect your GitHub account and private repositories become selectable in the deploy panel.
Do you support Docker?
Yes. Deploy any public or private Docker image with a tag and a port, or let a Dockerfile in your repository drive the build.
What databases can I run?
Managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, Redis and MongoDB from $3/mo, with automated backups and a connection string. Each database occupies its own pack.
Do I get shell access?
You get a shell into your own container. You do not get root on the host - if you need kernel modules or arbitrary system packages, an unmanaged VPS is the right tool rather than a managed platform.
Can I run background workers and cron jobs?
Yes. A worker or scheduled job is a separate deployment from the same repository with a different start command, so it needs its own pack.
How long does a deployment take?
Most applications build and go live in about 60 seconds. Larger stacks - Supabase runs 14 containers - take a few minutes.
Are custom domains and SSL included?
Yes. Custom domains are included on every pack and SSL certificates are issued and renewed automatically once DNS resolves to us. There is no per-domain charge.
Can I register domains through Hostwares?
Yes, from $9.58/yr for a .com, with DNS management included for domains in your account.
Do you offer email hosting?
Email mailboxes come with cPanel hosting, which is a separate product from container packs and starts around $1.25/mo equivalent. Container packs do not include mailboxes.
How do I migrate an existing application?
Push the project to GitHub, connect the repository, move your environment variables across, and dump and restore any databases. For most standard applications this is under an hour. Detailed guides exist for Heroku, Vercel and Railway.
Will you help me migrate?
Ask through a support ticket. The AI DevOps agent can also perform much of the work directly - connecting the repository, setting environment variables, provisioning a database and diagnosing failed builds.
What is the AI DevOps agent?
An AI that operates your infrastructure through conversation - deploying from GitHub, reading build logs, diagnosing failures, setting environment variables, configuring domains and provisioning databases. It is available in the dashboard, from a CLI, and as an MCP server for editors such as Cursor and Claude Desktop.
Does the AI agent cost extra?
It uses AI credits, which are a separate balance from hosting. Chat starts at $0.10 and task execution at $0.50. Billing and support questions are free regardless of balance.
What support do you offer?
Support tickets from the dashboard, with the AI agent available for technical troubleshooting at any hour. We are a small team - if you need a contractual enterprise SLA with named contacts, we do not offer that today.
Are backups included?
Managed databases have automated backups. Verify a restore before you rely on it - that advice applies to any provider, ours included.
Where are your servers located?
Deployments run in a single region per container rather than across a global edge network. If your application needs multi-region placement or edge delivery close to users on several continents, a platform built for that is the better choice.
Do you have a status page?
Yes, at /status, showing real-time platform and infrastructure status.
Are you SOC 2 certified?
No. We have not completed a SOC 2 audit. If your procurement process requires one, that is a genuine reason to choose a larger provider.
How long has Hostwares been running?
Hostwares LLC was incorporated in Wyoming in 2026, so we are a new platform. If a long uptime track record is your main criterion, an established provider is the honest answer.
Can I export my data and leave?
Yes. Deployments are standard containers built from your own repository, and databases can be dumped with the usual tools. There is no proprietary format holding your application in place.
What happens if I do not pay an invoice?
Invoices are raised ahead of the due date so you can pay early. After the due date a grace period runs before services are suspended, and suspended services are terminated after 30 days of non-payment. You are emailed at each stage.
More platform comparisons
Deploy in 60 seconds.
From $1/mo, flat.
Connect GitHub, pick a pack, and let the AI DevOps agent handle the rest - deploys, debugging, and fixes included.
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