DigitalOcean Open Source Credits
Cloud Provider Credits
$20,000 in credits
DigitalOcean offers grants of credits to open source projects to help with their development, infrastructure, and testing needs.
Who qualifies
Every condition below is taken from the vendor’s own published criteria. Read them before you spend an afternoon on the application.
Osss
The programme is aimed at osss. Vendors read this loosely, but expect to describe the company and what you are building on the application.
DigitalOcean offers grants of credits to open source projects to help with their development, infrastructure, and testing needs.
About DigitalOcean Open Source Credits
Quick answer
DigitalOcean offers grants of credits to open source projects to help with their development, infrastructure, and testing needs.
DigitalOcean is a cloud infrastructure provider offering compute, storage, and networking services. Their Open Source Credits program grants annual cloud credits to FOSS projects to cover development, testing, and production infrastructure—no equity dilution, no VC requirement.
DigitalOcean Open Source Credits at a glance
DigitalOcean is a cloud infrastructure provider offering compute, storage, and networking services. Their Open Source Credits program grants annual cloud credits to FOSS projects to cover development, testing, and production infrastructure—no equity dilution, no VC requirement.
- $60–$20,000Annual credit range
- OSI-approved licensePrimary eligibility gate
- 1–2 weeksTypical approval window
- 12 monthsStandard credit validity
The DigitalOcean Open Source Credits offer explained
DigitalOcean grants annual credits that cover Droplets (VMs), App Platform, Managed Databases, Spaces (object storage), and bandwidth. Credits are non-transferable, expire after 12 months, and are applied directly to your DigitalOcean account. The grant amount depends on project maturity, community size, and infrastructure needs.
Heads up: credit programs change their terms and caps regularly — confirm the current offer on the application page before you plan around it.
Apply to DigitalOcean Open Source CreditsHow DigitalOcean Open Source Credits compares
Here's how DigitalOcean Open Source Credits stacks up against other cloud infrastructure credits in the same category:
| Program | Headline offer | Category |
|---|---|---|
| DigitalOcean Open Source Credits | $20,000 in credits | This page |
| Alibaba Cloud Startup Catalyst Program | $120,000 in credits | Cloud Provider Credits |
| Appwrite Startups Program | $20,000 in credits | Cloud Provider Credits |
| AWS Activate | $100,000 in credits | Cloud Provider Credits |
Who should apply — and who shouldn't
Apply if
- Your project is OSI-licensed and has active community contributors or users.
- You need reliable cloud infrastructure for CI/CD, testing, or production workloads but lack budget.
- You want to avoid equity dilution or VC pressure while scaling infrastructure.
- You're open to DigitalOcean's ecosystem (Droplets, App Platform, Managed Databases) and don't require multi-cloud.
Skip if
- Your project is proprietary or uses a non-OSI license (e.g., custom commercial license).
- You need multi-cloud flexibility or are already committed to AWS/GCP/Azure.
- Your infrastructure needs exceed $20,000 annually or require specialized services (GPU compute, Kubernetes at scale).
More Cloud Provider Credits
If DigitalOcean Open Source Credits isn't the right fit, compare it against Alibaba Cloud Startup Catalyst Program, Appwrite Startups Program, AWS Activate, AWS Rapid Ramp Credits — or browse the full Cloud Provider Credits category.
What the credit covers
- Annual cloud credits ($60–$20,000)
- Covers Droplets, App Platform, Managed Databases, Spaces, and bandwidth
- No equity or investor requirement
- Direct application (no sponsor needed)
- Co-marketing and community visibility
- Priority support from Open Source team
- 12-month credit validity
- Fast 1–2 week approval
- OSI-license requirement only
- Renewable annually (reapply each year)
Programme tracks
What DigitalOcean Open Source Credits publishes for each stage — confirm on the application, since credit programmes are re-cut more often than list pricing.
| Track | Value | Who it is for | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 (Early-stage projects) | $60–$500/month | Annual grant | 1–2 small Droplets · Basic managed database · Limited bandwidth · Suitable for new or small projects |
| Tier 2 (Growing projects) | $500–$1,200/month | Annual grant | 3–5 Droplets or App Platform instances · Managed databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis) · Spaces object storage · Moderate bandwidth |
| Tier 3 (Mature projects) | $1,200–$20,000/month | Annual grant | Large-scale infrastructure (10+ Droplets, Kubernetes) · Multiple managed databases · High-capacity Spaces storage · Premium bandwidth and priority support |
How to apply
4 steps. The last one is the part most people skip.
- 1
Open DigitalOcean Open Source Credits through the link on this page
It carries our referral tag. The terms you get are identical either way, and it never changes what this page says about the programme.
- 2
Have the eligibility evidence ready
Applications are checked against one condition — osss. Incorporation date, cap table and a one-line description of what you are building cover most of it.
- 3
Size the migration against the 12 months window
Credits start burning from activation, not from when you get round to using them. Work out what you will genuinely consume in that window before you move production workloads across.
- 4
Know the rate you land on when it runs out
DigitalOcean offers grants of credits to open source projects to help with their development, infrastructure, and testing needs.
Where this programme wins and loses
What works
- No equity or dilution Credits are grants, not investments; DigitalOcean takes no stake in your project.
- No sponsor required Direct application process; no need for VC or accelerator backing.
- Co-marketing & visibility Approved projects get featured on DigitalOcean's open source page and community channels.
- Direct team access Priority support and direct contact with DigitalOcean's Open Source team for technical guidance.
- Covers full stack Credits work across Droplets, App Platform, Managed Databases, Spaces, and bandwidth—not just compute.
- Fast approval Typical 1–2 week turnaround; credits activate immediately upon approval.
What doesn't
- 12-month expiry Credits expire after 12 months; unused balance is forfeited. Requires planning to avoid waste.
- DigitalOcean-only Credits only work on DigitalOcean services; no multi-cloud flexibility or portability to AWS/GCP.
- Capped at $20K annually Projects with large infrastructure needs (e.g., high-traffic services, GPU workloads) may outgrow the maximum tier quickly.
The bottom line
This is a no-strings-attached grant for legitimate open source projects. The eligibility bar is reasonable (OSI license + community proof), approval is fast, and credits cover real production costs. Even if you eventually outgrow DigitalOcean, the 12-month runway is valuable runway for early-stage FOSS projects.
DigitalOcean Open Source Credits FAQ
The questions we actually get asked about this programme.
Ask us something elseOpen source projects with an OSI-approved license, active community engagement, and ideally a Code of Conduct. Proprietary or closed-source projects are not eligible.
Credits are valid for 12 months from activation. Unused balance expires after 12 months and cannot be rolled over.
No. This is a direct grant program; you apply directly to DigitalOcean without needing investor or accelerator sponsorship.
Once credits are exhausted, you'll need to pay standard DigitalOcean rates or reapply for the program in the next cycle (typically annual).
Combine with DigitalOcean's startup program or other promotional offers may be possible; contact the Open Source team to confirm stacking rules.
Most applications are reviewed and approved within 1–2 weeks. Complex or high-credit-tier requests may take slightly longer.
