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Software · head to head

Ansible vs Asana

Ansible logo

Ansible

Software

Simple, agentless IT automation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Asana logo

Asana

Software

Manage your team's work, projects, & tasks online

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Ansible the open source project gives the engine and the language; the automation controller, automation mesh, automation hub, analytics and governance all belong to the paid Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform; Asana the free Personal tier is capped at 2 users, so it does not cover a small team
  • They diverge on capability: Ansible covers Playbooks, Asana covers Multiple project views.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ansible and Asana actually diverge.

Attributes where Ansible and Asana differ
AttributeAnsibleAsana
Pricing modelopen-sourceUnknown
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, ApiWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20122008

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Ansible

  • Playbooks
  • Inventory management
  • Module library
  • Variables and templating
  • Handlers
  • Roles
  • Async tasks
  • Plugins

Only in Asana

  • Multiple project views
  • Task dependencies
  • Milestones
  • Portfolios
  • Goals & OKRs
  • Workflow automation
  • Resource management
  • Reporting dashboards

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Ansible

  • Configuration managementnot Asana
  • Server provisioningnot Asana
  • Application deploymentnot Asana
  • Multi-node managementnot Asana
  • Orchestrationnot Asana

Asana

  • Project planning & trackingnot Ansible
  • Campaign managementnot Ansible
  • Product launchesnot Ansible
  • Event planningnot Ansible
  • Agile & Scrum managementnot Ansible

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Ansible

  • The open source project gives the engine and the language; the automation controller, automation mesh, automation hub, analytics and governance all belong to the paid Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform
  • Event-Driven Ansible and the AI coding assistant are platform features rather than open source ones
  • Red Hat does not publish platform pricing
  • Running open source Ansible at scale means building the control plane the platform otherwise provides

Asana

  • The free Personal tier is capped at 2 users, so it does not cover a small team
  • Timeline and Gantt views, reporting dashboards and time tracking all require Starter at $10.99 per user per month
  • Portfolios, goals, workload management and approvals need Advanced at $24.99 per user per month
  • Salesforce, Tableau and Power BI integrations are Advanced or above
  • Monthly billing costs more, at $13.49 and $30.49 against the annual rates

Pricing, plan by plan

Ansible

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Community edition
    • Unlimited nodes
    • Full functionality
  • Ansible Automation Platform$5000/year
    • Enterprise support
    • Ansible Tower
    • Advanced features

Asana

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Asana review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Ansible if

  • You need playbooks.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
  • You also want inventory management.
Ansible review

Choose Asana if

  • You need multiple project views.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want task dependencies.
Asana review

Questions people ask

Is Ansible or Asana better?
Neither clearly leads. Ansible starts at Free and Asana at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ansible or Asana?
Ansible starts at Free and Asana at Free.
Does Ansible or Asana run on more platforms?
Ansible runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. Asana runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Ansible for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Ansible best used for?
Ansible is most often used for configuration management, server provisioning, application deployment, multi-node management. Of those, configuration management and server provisioning are not what Asana is typically brought in for.
What can Ansible do that Asana cannot?
Ansible covers Playbooks, Inventory management, Module library, Variables and templating. Asana covers Multiple project views, Task dependencies, Milestones, Portfolios.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Asana: Does Asana have a free tier?

Yes. Asana offers a free Personal plan for up to 2 users, plus free trial access to paid plans.

Source
Asana: What is the starting price for Asana paid plans?

Asana Starter plan begins at $10.99 per user per month when billed annually, or $13.49 per user when billed monthly.

Source
Asana: Does Asana integrate with other work tools?

Yes. Asana offers 200+ integrations including Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, Jira, and Zoom.

Source
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Related pages

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