We tested 15+ IaC platforms to find the best for managing cloud infrastructure. These tools help you provision, version, and maintain infrastructure with code instead of manual configuration.
Terraform is the industry standard for multi-cloud infrastructure as code. HCL provides a declarative, readable syntax. The provider ecosystem covers virtually every cloud and SaaS service. State management enables team collaboration.
Starting priceFree
Strengths
Multi-cloud standard
Huge ecosystem
Readable HCL
State management
Enterprise options
Limitations
BSL license concerns
State complexity
HCL learning
Large codebases
Who it's for: Best for teams managing multi-cloud infrastructure at any scale.
Pulumi lets you write infrastructure using real programming languages. TypeScript, Python, Go, or C# with full IDE support. Use loops, conditionals, and abstractions naturally. Testing infrastructure code becomes possible.
Starting priceFree
Strengths
Real languages
IDE support
Testing possible
Modern approach
Good docs
Limitations
Smaller ecosystem
State service
Learning curve
Some gaps
Who it's for: Best for developers who prefer programming languages over DSLs.
CloudFormation is AWS native infrastructure as code. First-party support means immediate access to new services. Deep AWS integration with IAM, service roles, and drift detection. Stacks organize related resources.
Starting priceFree
Strengths
AWS native
First-party
Deep integration
Drift detection
StackSets
Limitations
AWS only
Verbose syntax
Slow updates
Debugging hard
Who it's for: Best for AWS-only teams wanting native, integrated IaC.
OpenTofu is the community fork of Terraform with open-source governance. Compatible with Terraform providers and modules. Linux Foundation backing ensures long-term viability. The truly open alternative.
Starting priceFree
Strengths
Truly open source
Terraform compatible
Community driven
Linux Foundation
Same HCL
Limitations
Newer project
Diverging features
Smaller community
Enterprise gaps
Who it's for: Best for teams wanting open-source Terraform without license concerns.
Ansible is agentless automation for provisioning and configuration. SSH-based with no agents to install. YAML playbooks are human-readable. Great for server configuration and orchestration alongside IaC.
Starting priceFree
Strengths
Agentless
Simple YAML
Config management
Large community
Red Hat backed
Limitations
Stateless
Slower for large
Less declarative
Python dependency
Who it's for: Best for teams needing configuration management alongside provisioning.
AWS CDK lets you define AWS infrastructure using programming languages. Constructs provide reusable, high-level abstractions. Synthesizes to CloudFormation for deployment. Great developer experience for AWS.
Starting priceFree
Strengths
Real languages
Constructs
AWS native
Good abstractions
Active development
Limitations
AWS only
CloudFormation limits
Construct learning
Synth step
Who it's for: Best for developers building AWS infrastructure who prefer code.
Crossplane brings infrastructure management to Kubernetes. Define cloud resources as Kubernetes objects. Use kubectl and GitOps for infrastructure. Compositions create reusable abstractions for your platform.
Starting priceFree
Strengths
Kubernetes native
GitOps ready
Compositions
CNCF
Multi-cloud
Limitations
K8s required
Complex setup
Steeper learning
Smaller ecosystem
Who it's for: Best for platform teams building internal developer platforms on Kubernetes.
Bicep is Azure native IaC with cleaner syntax than ARM templates. Compiles to ARM for deployment. First-class Azure support with immediate service coverage. Simpler learning curve than direct ARM.
Starting priceFree
Strengths
Clean syntax
Azure native
ARM compatible
Good tooling
Microsoft backed
Limitations
Azure only
Smaller community
Fewer resources
ARM limitations
Who it's for: Best for Azure-focused teams wanting cleaner IaC than ARM templates.
We tested each IaC tool for real cloud provisioning workflows.
Multi-Cloud Support (25%) — Ability to manage different cloud providers.
Developer Experience (25%) — Language, tooling, and workflow quality.
Ecosystem (20%) — Modules, providers, and community resources.
State Management (15%) — How infrastructure state is tracked and shared.
Enterprise Features (15%) — Team collaboration, governance, and security.
How to Choose
Choose Terraform if you need multi-cloud standard.
Choose Pulumi if you need use real languages.
Choose CloudFormation if you need AWS-only native.
Choose OpenTofu if you need open-source priority.
Choose Ansible if you need config + provisioning.
Common Questions
Terraform uses HCL, a domain-specific language. Pulumi uses real programming languages. Terraform has larger ecosystem. Pulumi better developer experience. Choose based on team skills and preferences.
HashiCorp changed Terraform to BSL license. OpenTofu is the open-source fork. For most users, both work similarly. Evaluate based on your license requirements and risk tolerance.
CloudFormation, CDK, and Bicep integrate best with their clouds. Multi-cloud tools offer portability. Choose cloud-native if single-cloud. Choose multi-cloud tools for flexibility.
State tracks what exists vs what is defined. Store remotely for team access. Terraform Cloud, S3, or other backends work. Lock state during applies. Back up state files regularly.
