# DigitalOcean Manager vs Control for GitLab

The clearest difference is rating: Control for GitLab at 3.9 against DigitalOcean Manager's 3.4. Control for GitLab also leads on ratings volume (256 vs 5). DigitalOcean Manager's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. DigitalOcean Manager sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Control for GitLab sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Control for GitLab holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Control for GitLab has 256 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 45% of DigitalOcean Manager's written reviews are positive against 30% of Control for GitLab's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

DigitalOcean Manager ships an update every 2 months, Control for GitLab every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DigitalOcean Manager | Control for GitLab |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/digitalocean-manager/id633128302/reviews) | **[3.9 (256 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/control-for-gitlab/id654747119/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **256** |
| Positive reviews | **45.5% of reviews** | 29.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 2 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 16.7.11 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Philip Heinser](https://appshunter.io/developer/500111044) | [Valerio Mazzeo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1620011571) |

## What reviewers say

### DigitalOcean Manager

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/digitalocean-manager/id633128302)

Monitor and manage your cloud servers from your mobile device. View server status, reboot instances, and create snapshots for backup.

**Highlights:** View Droplet status, Reboot Droplets, Create snapshots, Manage cloud servers

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Donation | $2.99 | one-time |


### Control for GitLab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/control-for-gitlab/id654747119)

Manage your GitLab projects on your iPhone or iPad from anywhere. Track projects, issues, merge requests, and code, all from your mobile device. Stay connected to your team and code even when you're on the go.

**Highlights:** Manage Projects, Issues, and Merge Requests, Browse Source Code and Commits, Full Team Management, View and Edit Branches and Tags, Markdown and Emoji Support, Secure with Passcode

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GitLab Control Pro | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to access from mobile
- 👍 Nice and easy to use
- 👍 Great UI
- 👍 Helpful tool for quick code check

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Doesn't connect to server
- 🐛 Missing critical features
- 🔍 Lacks functionality compared to website
- 💸 Paywalled features
- 🔍 Poor performance on large codebases

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues with two-factor authentication
- Inconsistent project and issue listing
- Crashes and connection errors
- Incorrect charging and purchase issues

**Requested features**

- Support for multiple GitLab instances
- Ability to approve merge requests
- Dark mode option
- Better code viewing and editing capabilities
- Support for GitLab CI/CD features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DigitalOcean Manager free?

DigitalOcean Manager is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Control for GitLab free?

Control for GitLab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, DigitalOcean Manager or Control for GitLab?

Control for GitLab is rated higher. DigitalOcean Manager averages 3.4 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Control for GitLab averages 3.9 from 256 ratings.

### Do DigitalOcean Manager or Control for GitLab have ads?

Control for GitLab shows ads; DigitalOcean Manager does not.

### Which is updated more often, DigitalOcean Manager or Control for GitLab?

DigitalOcean Manager ships an update every 2 months, and Control for GitLab every 6 weeks. Most recently, DigitalOcean Manager was updated on September 23, 2026 and Control for GitLab on September 29, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*