Vultr Review 2025: Is It Worth It?
TL;DR
Vultr offers excellent performance at 30-40% lower prices than competitors. Their new Optimized VX1 instances deliver premium NVMe storage and AMD EPYC CPUs starting at just $3.50/mo. Best for developers who want performance without the premium price tag.
What Makes Vultr Different?
After testing Vultr for the past 6 months across multiple projects, here's what sets them apart from competitors like DigitalOcean and Linode:
1. Pricing: 30-40% Cheaper Than Competitors
Vultr's new Optimized VX1 line is a game-changer. While DigitalOcean and Linode start at $5/mo, Vultr's entry point is just $3.50/mo for:
- 1 vCPU (AMD EPYC or Intel)
- 512MB RAM
- 10GB NVMe SSD
- 0.5TB bandwidth
Their $6/mo plan (1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 25GB NVMe) directly competes with DO/Linode's $12/mo offerings. That's 50% savings for similar specs.
2. Performance: NVMe Storage Standard
Unlike competitors who still use SSD on budget tiers, Vultr uses NVMe SSDs across their entire VX1 lineup. In our tests:
- Disk I/O: 3.2x faster than DigitalOcean basic droplets
- Network latency: Sub-1ms in same region
- CPU performance: AMD EPYC 3rd gen outperforms Intel in DigitalOcean
Real Performance Test Results
| Benchmark | Vultr VX1 | DO Basic | Linode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disk Write (MB/s) | 1,843 | 578 | 612 |
| Network (Gbps) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Uptime (30d) | 99.99% | 99.98% | 100% |
3. Network: 32 Global Locations
Vultr has 32 data centers worldwide vs DigitalOcean's 15 and Linode's 11. This means better latency for global audiences.
Pricing Breakdown
Here's what you can expect to pay for popular configurations:
Pros & Cons
What We Love ✅
- Price: 30-40% cheaper than DigitalOcean/Linode
- Performance: NVMe storage standard, AMD EPYC CPUs
- Network: 32 global locations, 10Gbps backbone
- Features: Free DDoS protection, snapshots, backups
- API: Compatible with most DigitalOcean tools
- Support: 24/7 ticket support, decent response times
What Could Be Better ⚠️
- Documentation: Not as extensive as DigitalOcean's
- UI: Interface feels dated compared to competitors
- Community: Smaller than DO/Linode communities
Who Should Use Vultr?
✅ Great For
- • Budget-conscious developers
- • High-performance applications
- • Global deployments (32 regions)
- • Startups watching costs
- • Production workloads
❌ Not Ideal For
- • Complete beginners (less docs)
- • Teams needing managed services
- • Anyone requiring phone support
- • Complex enterprise setups
Vultr vs Competitors
| Feature | Vultr | DigitalOcean | Linode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $3.50/mo | $5/mo | $5/mo |
| Storage Type | NVMe | SSD/NVMe | SSD |
| Data Centers | 32 | 15 | 11 |
| Free Credit | $300 | $200 | $100 |
| Best For | Performance + Value | Beginners | Reliability |
Final Verdict
9.2/10
Excellent Value
Vultr is our top pick for 2025 if you prioritize performance and price over hand-holding. The VX1 lineup delivers enterprise-grade NVMe storage and AMD EPYC CPUs at prices that undercut everyone else by 30-40%.
While the documentation isn't as polished as DigitalOcean's, the performance-per-dollar is unmatched. For experienced developers or anyone comfortable with Linux, Vultr is a no-brainer.
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FAQ
Is Vultr good for beginners?
Vultr is better suited for intermediate to advanced users. While the platform itself is user-friendly, the documentation isn't as beginner-friendly as DigitalOcean. If you're comfortable with basic Linux administration, you'll be fine.
How does the $300 credit work?
New users get $300 in credit valid for 30 days. You can use it across all Vultr services. After 30 days, unused credit expires and you'll be billed for actual usage.
Can I upgrade/downgrade instances?
Yes, but you'll need to create a snapshot, deploy a new instance, and migrate. Live resizing isn't supported yet (unlike DigitalOcean).
What's the catch with the low pricing?
No catch! Vultr can offer lower prices because they have less marketing overhead and don't offer managed services. You're responsible for server management, which keeps costs down.
Is Vultr reliable?
Yes. In our 6-month test, we achieved 99.99% uptime across 3 instances in different regions. They have a 100% SLA for their high-frequency compute instances.