DigitalOcean (DOCN) vs GDS (GDS)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
DigitalOcean (DOCN) has outperformed GDS (GDS) over the past year, gaining 232.4% versus a loss of 15.7%. Over five years, DOCN leads with a +42.8% price change compared with -45.5% for GDS. DigitalOcean is the larger company by market cap ($14.97 billion vs $6.34 billion), about 2.4 times the size.
On valuation, DigitalOcean trades at a lower forward P/E (69.1x vs 5044.5x for GDS).
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | DOCN | GDS |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $127.28 | $31.63 |
| Market cap | $14.97B | $6.34B |
| 1-day change | -2.85% | +1.93% |
| YTD return | +164.51% | -9.37% |
| 1-year return | +232.41% | -15.65% |
| 5-year return | +42.83% | -45.50% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 60.32 | 14.44 |
| Forward P/E | 69.11 | — |
| EPS (TTM) | $2.11 | $2.19 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $901.43M | — |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +15.48% | — |
| Net income (latest FY) | $259.26M | — |
| Gross margin | 59.86% | — |
| Operating margin | 17.42% | — |
| Net margin | 28.76% | — |
| 52-week high | $187.50 | $48.61 |
| 52-week low | $37.09 | $26.97 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -32.12% | -34.93% |
| Analyst consensus | none | strong_buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +37.65% | +58.96% |
| Average volume | 2.84M | 1.59M |
| Shares outstanding | 117.58M | 194.93M |
| Employees | 1,462 | 2,434 |
| Sector | Technology | Technology |
| Industry | Computer Software: Programming Data Processing | Computer Software: Programming Data Processing |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- DigitalOcean is about 2.4 times larger than GDS by market value ($14.97B vs $6.34B).
- DOCN has outperformed GDS by 248.1 percentage points over the past year.
- DigitalOcean trades at a higher earnings multiple (60.3x vs 14.4x trailing P/E).
About DigitalOcean
DOCN stock →DigitalOcean Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates an agentic inference cloud platform in North America, Europe, Asia, and internationally. The company provides AI and Digital Native Enterprises build, run, and scale intelligent applications for growing technology companies.
Technology · Computer Software: Programming Data Processing · 1,462 employees
About GDS
GDS stock →GDS Holdings Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development and operation of data centers in the People's Republic of China. It provides colocation services comprising critical facilities space, customer-available power, racks, and cooling; managed hosting services, including business continuity and disaster recovery, network management, data storage, system security, operating system, database, and server middleware services; managed cloud services; and consulting services.
Technology · Computer Software: Programming Data Processing · 2,434 employees
DOCN vs GDS FAQ
Which is bigger, DigitalOcean or GDS?
DigitalOcean (DOCN) is larger, with a market capitalization of $14.97B compared with $6.34B for GDS (GDS).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, DOCN or GDS?
DOCN returned +232.41% over the past 12 months, compared with -15.65% for GDS (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, DOCN or GDS?
GDS has the lower trailing P/E at 14.4, versus 60.3 for DOCN. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Are DigitalOcean and GDS in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Computer Software: Programming Data Processing industry within the Technology sector.