Does Flask Work With DigitalOcean?
Flask runs excellently on DigitalOcean through App Platform, Droplets, or Kubernetes, with multiple deployment paths suited to different scale requirements.
Quick Facts
How Flask Works With DigitalOcean
Flask is a perfect fit for DigitalOcean's infrastructure because it's lightweight and runs on standard Linux environments. You have three main deployment strategies: DigitalOcean App Platform (fully managed, best for quick deploys), Droplets with Gunicorn/Nginx (maximum control, cost-effective at scale), or App Platform Containers (Docker-based, good middle ground). App Platform handles the entire deployment pipeline—you connect your Git repo and it automatically builds and serves your Flask app with zero infrastructure management. For Droplets, you SSH in, install Python/pip, run your Flask app behind Gunicorn as a WSGI server, and configure Nginx as a reverse proxy. Both approaches integrate seamlessly with DigitalOcean's managed databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL), object storage (Spaces), and monitoring tools. The developer experience is smooth: Flask's simplicity pairs well with DigitalOcean's straightforward documentation and intuitive dashboard. You'll want to use environment variables for configuration and handle static files either through Nginx or a CDN.
Best Use Cases
Flask App with Gunicorn for DigitalOcean Droplet
pip install flask gunicorn python-dotenvfrom flask import Flask, jsonify
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
load_dotenv()
app = Flask(__name__)
@app.route('/api/health', methods=['GET'])
def health():
return jsonify({"status": "healthy"}), 200
@app.route('/api/hello/<name>', methods=['GET'])
def hello(name):
return jsonify({"message": f"Hello, {name}!"}), 200
if __name__ == '__main__':
port = int(os.getenv('PORT', 8000))
app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=port, debug=False)
# Run with: gunicorn --workers 4 --bind 0.0.0.0:8000 app:appKnown Issues & Gotchas
App Platform's free tier has limited execution time; long-running tasks fail
Fix: Use Celery with Redis for background jobs, or migrate to a paid Droplet for sustained workloads
Static files served from Flask in development don't scale; users get 404s in production
Fix: Configure Nginx to serve static files directly or upload assets to DigitalOcean Spaces and use a CDN
Default Droplet firewall blocks incoming connections; app appears offline
Fix: Open ports 80/443 in DigitalOcean's firewall settings and ensure Gunicorn listens on 0.0.0.0
App Platform auto-restart can cause data loss if using local file storage
Fix: Use managed databases or DigitalOcean Spaces for persistent data instead of local filesystem
Alternatives
- •Django + DigitalOcean App Platform (more batteries-included, better for larger projects)
- •FastAPI + DigitalOcean Droplets (modern async Python, faster performance)
- •Node.js Express + DigitalOcean (if you prefer JavaScript, similar lightweight ecosystem)
Resources
Related Compatibility Guides
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