What cloud host should I use for a Docker app with a database?

It depends on how much you want to manage yourself, but for a Docker app with a database, the easiest and most reliable choices are usually:

Best simple option

Render or Railway

• Very easy Docker deployment
• Built-in managed databases
• Good for small to medium apps
• Minimal ops overhead

Best if you want more control and scale

AWS

• Use:
  • ECS/Fargate or App Runner for the Docker app
  • RDS for the database
• More complex, but very flexible and production-grade

Best if you want simple VM-style hosting

DigitalOcean

• Droplet or App Platform
• Managed PostgreSQL/MySQL available
• Easier than AWS, more control than Render/Railway

Good “developer friendly” choices

Fly.io

• Great for container apps
• Works well for apps close to users geographically
• DB support available, but a bit more hands-on than Render

My quick recommendation

• Small app / fastest setup: Render
• Want a balance of ease and flexibility: DigitalOcean
• Serious production / long-term scaling: AWS

Important tip

If your app needs a database, prefer a managed database instead of running the DB inside the same Docker container or even the same VM unless it's just for testing. Managed DBs are easier to back up, maintain, and scale.

If you want, I can recommend the best host based on your stack (for example: Node.js + Postgres, Python + MySQL, etc.) and your budget.