Railway vs DigitalOcean for Solo Developers

Quick Comparison

Railway Overview

Railway makes deploying backend services feel as easy as deploying a static site on Netlify. Push to Git, Railway detects your framework, builds your project, and it's running. Need Postgres? Click a button. Redis? Another click. The dashboard shows all your services, their connections, logs, and resource usage in a clean visual layout.

I started using Railway for staging environments and quick prototypes. The experience is remarkably smooth. Deploy a Django app, attach a Postgres database, set your environment variables, and the whole stack is running in minutes. The usage-based pricing means you only pay for what you use, which is great for projects that aren't running 24/7.

Railway's interface is one of the best in the managed hosting space. The canvas view shows your services as connected nodes, making it easy to visualize how your stack fits together. Logs stream in real-time. Environment variables can be shared across services. It's well thought out.

DigitalOcean Overview

DigitalOcean started as a developer-friendly VPS provider and has evolved into a broader cloud platform. Droplets (their VPS product) give you full root access to a Linux machine starting at $4/month. Beyond Droplets, they offer managed databases, Kubernetes, object storage, and the App Platform for managed deployments.

I've run production applications on DigitalOcean Droplets for a while. The value is solid. A $6/month Droplet with 1GB RAM handles a Django or Express app with Postgres comfortably for low to moderate traffic. The tradeoff is that you manage everything yourself. OS updates, security, Nginx configuration, SSL certificates, deploy scripts.

DigitalOcean's App Platform is their answer to Railway and Render. Connect a repo, select your runtime, and it deploys. The experience is good but not as polished as Railway's. It serves as a middle ground between raw Droplets and fully managed platforms.

Key Differences

Managed vs self-managed. Railway handles your infrastructure entirely. Server provisioning, networking between services, health checks, and deploys are all managed. DigitalOcean Droplets give you a blank Linux machine. You handle everything from there. The App Platform is the managed option, but it's less mature than Railway's offering.

Deploy experience. Railway's Git-based deploy is nearly instant for the developer. Push code, it builds and deploys. DigitalOcean Droplets require you to set up your own deploy pipeline, whether that's SSH + Git pull, Docker, or GitHub Actions. The App Platform has Git deploys like Railway, but the build times and configuration options lag behind.

Database management. Railway spins up Postgres or Redis as part of your project with environment variables automatically shared. DigitalOcean Managed Databases start at $15/month, which is pricier but includes automated backups, failover, and maintenance. On a raw Droplet, you install and manage the database yourself, which is free but labor-intensive.

Pricing model. Railway charges usage-based. A small backend running 24/7 costs roughly $5-10/month. DigitalOcean Droplets have fixed monthly pricing starting at $4. For always-on services, Droplets are cheaper. For intermittent workloads, Railway's usage pricing can be lower since you pay only when services run.

Scalability. Railway handles scaling by adjusting resource allocation. DigitalOcean requires you to resize Droplets manually or set up load balancers. Railway's approach is easier but gives you less control. DigitalOcean's approach requires more work but gives you exact control over your infrastructure.

Project consolidation. On DigitalOcean, you can run multiple apps on one Droplet. A single $6 VPS can host three small projects. On Railway, each project has its own resources and its own bill. For solo developers with multiple small projects, a DigitalOcean Droplet can be more cost-effective.

When to Choose Railway

• You want the fastest path from code to production
• Your project needs a backend with databases and you don't want to manage infrastructure
• Usage-based pricing suits your workload pattern
• You value a polished dashboard and developer experience
• You're building one or two projects, not hosting a dozen small ones

When to Choose DigitalOcean

• You want full control over your server environment
• You're running multiple projects and want to consolidate on one machine
• Fixed monthly pricing is easier to predict and budget for
• You need managed databases with automated backups and failover
• You're comfortable with Linux administration and enjoy the flexibility

The Verdict

Railway is the faster, easier option. If you want a backend running with Postgres in 10 minutes and you don't want to think about servers, Railway delivers. The developer experience is excellent, and for single projects, the cost is reasonable.

DigitalOcean is the more flexible and often cheaper option. A $6/month Droplet gives you full control and can host multiple projects. The App Platform offers a managed experience similar to Railway, though less polished. And managed databases are available when you need reliability without the admin work.

For solo developers who value time over infrastructure skills, Railway wins. For those who are comfortable with servers and want maximum value per dollar, DigitalOcean Droplets are hard to beat. And for those who want something in between, DigitalOcean's App Platform is a reasonable middle ground, though I'd pick Railway over it for the better developer experience.