DigitalOcean Backups

Announcing public preview of usage-based backups

Now, you can schedule backups every 4, 6, or 12 hours to meet aggressive RPOs and compliance standards. Our new usage-based billing means you only pay for the backup data you retain.

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Key features

Ensure business continuity with daily, fully-automated backups.

Read the docs

Backups as frequently as intra-daily, daily, and weekly

Now you can back up your Droplets as frequently as every 4, 6, or 12 hours. Daily and weekly backups also offer expanded retention options. The new usage-based intra daily backup options join our existing daily and weekly schedules, giving you the flexibility to help you meet compliance standards and better protect your data with the ideal frequency.

Only pay for what you use

Our new billing model for usage-based backup preview means you only pay for the restorable backup data you actually use. This provides a more transparent and predictable way to manage your costs, enabling you to avoid being charged for unused or unnecessary storage.

Configurable backup windows

Pick any four-hour window for your backups to be taken—you can always recover your Droplet along with any files, applications, or databases running on top of it.

Quick backups with modern storage infrastructure

Our new backup storage infrastructure uses incremental backup technology to quickly backup only what you change.

Learn about if backups are accessible in your area by viewing our regional availability.

Pricing

Frequency	No. of backups	Retention	Price
Daily	7	7 days	30% of Droplet cost	Get Started
Weekly	4	4 weeks	20% of Droplet cost	Get Started

See how easy it is to set up DigitalOcean Backups

Boost your data protection strategy with on-demand snapshots of Droplets.

Check out DigitalOcean Snapshots

Daily Droplet backups are now available in the following regions.

NYC1New York City, USALive
NYC3New York City, USALive
AMS3Amsterdam, NetherlandsLive
SFO2San Francisco, USALive
SFO3San Francisco, USALive
SGP1Singapore, AsiaLive
LON1London, UKLive
FRA1Frankfurt, GermanyLive
TOR1Toronto, CanadaLive
BLR1Bangalore, IndiaLive
SYD1Sydney, AustraliaLive

Looking to back up Kubernetes clusters, databases, files, apps and more, with advanced retention policies?

Try SnapShooter!

Frequently asked questions about Backups

What are DigitalOcean Backups?

They’re automated, system-level backups of Droplets (virtual machines) on DigitalOcean—either daily (retained up to 7 days) or weekly (retained 4 weeks), letting you restore or clone your Droplet quickly.

Are these backups full or incremental?

They’re incremental backups. The first backup is a full copy; all subsequent backups only capture changed data, resulting in faster operations and lower storage overhead.

How much do DigitalOcean Backups cost?

Daily backups cost 30% of your Droplet’s monthly price

Weekly backups cost 20% of your Droplet’s monthly price

How fast and reliable is restoration?

Restores are fast thanks to the incremental backup infrastructure. You can recover your Droplet—including files, apps, and databases—in just a few clicks, making it effective for rapid recovery.

Can I control when backups happen?

Yes. You can pick a 4-hour backup window that best suits your schedule to avoid impacting peak usage.

Where are backups available globally?

Daily backups are already live in multiple regions: NYC1, NYC3, AMS3 (Amsterdam), SFO2/SFO3 (San Francisco), SGP1 (Singapore), LON1 (London), FRA1 (Frankfurt), TOR1 (Toronto), BLR1 (Bangalore), SYD1 (Sydney)—with more regions rolling out over time.

How do Backups differ from Snapshots?

Backups are automatic, incremental, and retain recent copies for you.

Snapshots are manual, full-disk point-in-time images that you control and retain indefinitely unless you delete them.

Can I automate or customize backup workflows?

Yes. You can manage backups via DigitalOcean’s GUI, CLI (doctl), or API. For advanced control—like offsite storage, custom schedules, or combined backups for Droplets, Kubernetes, Databases—use SnapShooter or write scripts leveraging DO’s API.

What should devs and startups know about backup strategy?

Start fast: Enable daily backups to stay protected from data loss or user error.

Test recoveries: Run a restore periodically to validate your process.

Add Snapshots for flexibility: Use them for QA, migrations, or pre-upgrade checkpoints.

Scale smarter: If you need multi-product backups, try SnapShooter for centralized control.