Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
A list of tools for defining and managing infrastructure through code. Compare major tools like Terraform, Ansible, AWS CloudFormation, and Pulumi.
| No | Name | Description | Trend | License | Type | Official Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Terraform | Open-source IaC tool by HashiCorp. Uses HCL (HashiCorp Configuration Language) for multi-cloud infrastructure management. Defines and manages infrastructure declaratively. | Most popular in IaC field (70% market share). Rich provider and module ecosystem. Enhanced team collaboration with Terraform Cloud. Established as enterprise standard. | MPL-2.0 | Infrastructure as Code | Official |
| 2 | Ansible | Open-source automation tool by Red Hat. Agentless remote host management via SSH. Configuration management and automation using YAML-based Playbooks. | Established position as configuration management tool. Easy deployment with agentless design. Enhanced enterprise features with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform. Standard tool for IT automation. | GPL v3 | Configuration Management | Official |
| 3 | AWS CloudFormation | AWS native IaC service. Defines and manages AWS resources using JSON/YAML templates. Features deep AWS service integration and zero-cost usage. | Standard IaC tool in AWS environments. Immediate support for new services. Improved developer experience with AWS CDK integration. Rich track record in large-scale AWS environments. | Commercial | Cloud Native IaC | Official |
| 4 | Pulumi | Multi-cloud IaC platform. Defines infrastructure using general-purpose programming languages like TypeScript, Python, Go, C#. Features strong type system and IDE support. | Rapid growth with programming language-based IaC description. Strong IDE support and type safety. Optimal for cloud-native application development. Gaining attention with developer-friendly approach. | Apache License 2.0 | Modern IaC | Official |
| 5 | AWS CDK | AWS Cloud Development Kit. Framework for defining AWS resources using programming languages like TypeScript, Python, Java. Automatically generates CloudFormation templates. | Growing popularity among AWS developers. IaC leveraging programming language advantages. Full compatibility with CloudFormation. High reliability with official AWS support. | Apache License 2.0 | AWS IaC Framework | Official |
| 6 | Chef | Configuration management and automation platform using Ruby DSL. Pioneer in Infrastructure as Code. Agent-based configuration management. | Historic configuration management tool but declining new adoption. Mainly continued use in existing environments. Continued use with Chef InSpec for compliance automation specialized purposes. | Apache License 2.0 | Configuration Management | Official |
| 7 | Puppet | Configuration management tool using declarative language. Strong in infrastructure automation for large-scale environments. Agent-based configuration management achieving compliance and state management. | Rich track record in enterprise environments but declining new adoption. Legacy system management and continued use in large-scale environments. Also supports ad-hoc automation with Puppet Bolt. | Apache License 2.0 | Configuration Management | Official |
| 8 | Azure Resource Manager | Microsoft Azure native IaC service. Defines and manages Azure resources using ARM templates (JSON) or Bicep language. Complete integration with Azure services. | Standard IaC tool in Azure environments. Bicep language significantly simplifies template description. CI/CD integration with Azure DevOps. Expanding adoption in Microsoft environments. | Commercial | Cloud Native IaC | Official |
| 9 | Google Cloud Deployment Manager | Google Cloud native IaC service. Defines and manages GCP resources using YAML, Python, Jinja2 templates. Deep integration with Google Cloud services. | Standard tool in GCP environments but losing market share to Terraform. Google Cloud recommended but limited adoption in new projects. Mainly continued use in existing projects. | Commercial | Cloud Native IaC | Official |
| 10 | Kubernetes YAML | Kubernetes native resource definition method. Declaratively manages Kubernetes cluster resources (Pod, Service, Deployment, etc.) in YAML format. | Essential technology in Kubernetes environments. Templating and customization with Helm and kustomize. Expanding use in GitOps workflows. Standard for container orchestration. | Apache License 2.0 | Container Orchestration | Official |