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Software · head to head

Ansible vs Harness

Ansible logo

Ansible

Software

Simple, agentless IT automation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Harness logo

Harness

Software

Software delivery platform across CI, CD, security testing and cost management

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ansible has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Harness essentials plan caps users at 500, organizations at 1, custom dashboards at 5 and concurrent CI pipeline executions at 60, all unlimited only on Enterprise

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ansible and Harness actually diverge.

Attributes where Ansible and Harness differ
AttributeAnsibleHarness
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, ApiWeb
Founded2012Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Harness

Nothing recorded that Ansible does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Ansible

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

Harness

No use cases recorded yet. See the Harness review.

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

Harness

  • Essentials plan caps users at 500, organizations at 1, custom dashboards at 5 and concurrent CI pipeline executions at 60, all unlimited only on Enterprise
  • Pipeline history is limited to 6 months on the Essentials plan; extending to 25 months requires an Enterprise add-on
  • Enterprise plan pricing is quote only, reached by contacting sales rather than a published rate

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

Harness

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Harness 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 Harness if

Nothing in the data separates Harness from Ansible on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Harness review

Questions people ask

Is Ansible or Harness better?
Neither clearly leads. Ansible starts at Free and Harness at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ansible or Harness?
Ansible has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ansible and On request for Harness.
Does Ansible or Harness run on more platforms?
Ansible runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. Harness runs on Web.
Can I use Ansible for free?
Yes. Ansible has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Harness starts at On request.
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 Harness is typically brought in for.
What can Ansible do that Harness cannot?
Ansible covers Playbooks, Inventory management, Module library, Variables and templating.
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