kitio.aiDigitalOcean vs SambaNova Cloud
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. DigitalOcean starts at See pricing page and SambaNova Cloud starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Hosted model inference
- Managed Agents
- Sandboxes for coding agents
- Action Gateway for tools
- Managed databases
- Containers and storage
- RDU-based inference
- OpenAI-compatible API
- Prompt caching
- Private SambaStack
- Free tier
| Feature | DigitalOcean | SambaNova Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Cloud for running AI inference, agents and apps in production | Fast inference for large open models on SambaNova's RDU chips |
| Category | Models & APIs | Models & APIs |
| Pricing model | Paid | Freemium |
| Starting price | See pricing page | See pricing page |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Made by | DigitalOcean | SambaNova Systems |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Pricing compared
DigitalOcean starts at See pricing page and SambaNova Cloud starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
3 plans
Inference
From $0.05 / M tokens
- Hosted AI models
- Single API
- No infrastructure to manage
Action Gateway
$0.10 / 1,000 calls
- 16,000+ tools
- Credentials kept from the model
- Retries and rate limits
Harness Runtime
From $0.0535 / hour
- Isolated microVM sessions
- Pause, resume and fork
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
DigitalOcean
- Inference through a single API
- Usage-based pricing is stated openly
- AI and standard cloud in one account
- Managed Agents is still a public preview
- No free plan listed
- Smaller catalog than the largest clouds
SambaNova Cloud
- Fast on very large models
- Free tier available
- Private deployment option
- Small model catalog
- Less community tooling
- Company strategy shifted often
Which one should you choose?
Choose DigitalOcean if you want:
- Inference through a single API
- Usage-based pricing is stated openly
- AI and standard cloud in one account
Watch out: managed agents is still a public preview.
Choose SambaNova Cloud if you want:
- Fast on very large models
- Free tier available
- Private deployment option
Watch out: small model catalog.
DigitalOcean vs SambaNova Cloud FAQ
What is the difference between DigitalOcean and SambaNova Cloud?
DigitalOcean: Cloud for running AI inference, agents and apps in production. SambaNova Cloud: Fast inference for large open models on SambaNova's RDU chips. Both are models & apis tools.
Is DigitalOcean or SambaNova Cloud cheaper?
DigitalOcean starts at See pricing page and SambaNova Cloud starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do DigitalOcean and SambaNova Cloud have free plans?
DigitalOcean: No. SambaNova Cloud: Yes.
Who makes DigitalOcean?
DigitalOcean is made by DigitalOcean, based in United States.
Who makes SambaNova Cloud?
SambaNova Cloud is made by SambaNova Systems, based in United States.
Which should I choose, DigitalOcean or SambaNova Cloud?
Choose DigitalOcean if you value inference through a single api and usage-based pricing is stated openly. Choose SambaNova Cloud if you value fast on very large models and free tier available.