Migrate from DigitalOcean to Layerbase
Every DigitalOcean managed database is its own cluster with its own monthly floor. Paste the connection string from your Postgres, MySQL, or Managed Caching cluster and we copy it into Layerbase in one read-once pass. Your cluster is never modified and credentials are never stored.
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Why switch
Why teams leave DigitalOcean
One plan, not one cluster per engine
On DigitalOcean each engine is a separate managed cluster with its own floor: a Postgres at $15.15, a Managed Caching cluster at $15.00, and a MySQL at $15.15 is $45.30 a month before you have written a line of code. On Layerbase they are three databases inside one plan, $5 a month on Solo or $15 on Pro, alongside every other engine we host.
Branching, a console, and databases that sleep
Copy-on-write branching in seconds, a web query console for every engine, and idle databases that hibernate and wake on the next connection in about one to five seconds. A DigitalOcean cluster runs, and bills, whether anything is talking to it or not.
The engines DigitalOcean does not run
DigitalOcean manages six engines. Layerbase Cloud runs 18, so ClickHouse, QuestDB, Qdrant, Meilisearch, libSQL, and the rest live in the same account instead of on a Droplet you maintain yourself.
Reachable stays the default
A DigitalOcean cluster with no trusted sources is open to the internet, and locking it down is all-or-nothing per address list. Layerbase gives you TLS connection strings on every plan, with IP restrictions and mTLS on Pro when you want the door narrower.
How it works
Four steps, one pass
- 1
Create a free account or sign in
Sign in with Google or GitHub. No credit card is needed to start, and the migration wizard opens with this platform already selected.
- 2
Paste your connection string
Open Databases in the DigitalOcean control panel, pick your Postgres cluster, and copy the Connection string from the Connection details panel on the Overview tab, with the format set to Connection string rather than Connection parameters or Flags. Leave the network dropdown on Public network: the Private network (VPC) host only resolves from inside your DigitalOcean VPC, so it cannot be dialed from here. It looks like postgresql://doadmin:password@your-cluster.db.ondigitalocean.com:port/defaultdb?sslmode=require: paste the whole thing, because DigitalOcean assigns its own port. Use the cluster connection rather than a connection pool, so the copy reads the database directly. doctl databases connection <database-cluster-id> prints the same connection details.
- 3
Pick what to migrate and name it
Choose what to bring over, give the new Layerbase database a name, and start the migration. Progress streams live in the dashboard.
- 4
We copy it in one pass
The migration reads from DigitalOcean once and never writes to it. Credentials are used for the copy and never stored. When it finishes, you land in your new database with a live TLS connection string.
FAQ
Common DigitalOcean migration questions
Which DigitalOcean databases can I migrate?
Postgres, MySQL, and Managed Caching (Valkey). Postgres lands on Layerbase Postgres, MySQL on MySQL or MariaDB, and Managed Caching on Valkey or Redis. MongoDB is not in the wizard yet: Layerbase's document engine is FerretDB, which speaks the MongoDB wire protocol, and that path is a manual export and import today. Kafka and OpenSearch do not come across, because Layerbase does not host them.
Do I have to change my firewall?
Usually not. A DigitalOcean cluster is reachable from the internet unless you have added trusted sources, so most clusters need no change at all. If yours has trusted sources, it denies every other address and the migration cannot connect: open Network Access on the cluster, lift the restriction while the copy runs, and put it back when it finishes.
Where do I find the connection string?
Open Databases in the control panel, pick the cluster, and use the Connection details panel on the Overview tab, with the network dropdown on Public network and the format set to Connection string rather than Connection parameters or Flags. Paste the whole string, because DigitalOcean assigns its own port. doctl databases connection <database-cluster-id> prints the same details.
Does my cache come across?
Yes. DigitalOcean Managed Caching is Valkey-backed, so it lands on a Layerbase Valkey or Redis with every key, type, and TTL. Managed Caching ships with the noeviction policy, so a cluster on the default drops nothing while we read it. If you selected allkeys-lru or another eviction policy, keys can be evicted mid-scan and the copy is a live read rather than a snapshot.
What does it cost?
Postgres, MariaDB, Valkey, and Redis run on the Layerbase Free tier. MySQL starts on the $5 a month Solo plan, and Pro is $15 a month.
Ready to leave DigitalOcean?
Sign in, and the migration wizard opens with DigitalOcean already selected. Your source is read once and never modified, so there is nothing to undo if you change your mind.