Software · head to head
Ansible vs HCP Terraform
HCP Terraform
Software
Infrastructure as code provisioning and management, formerly Terraform Cloud
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
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; HCP Terraform billed per managed resource per month rather than per user: Essentials starts at $0.10 per resource per month, Standard at $0.47, and Premium at $0.99
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Ansible and HCP Terraform actually diverge.
| Attribute | Ansible | HCP Terraform |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | open-source | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Linux, Windows, Mac, Api | Web |
| Founded | 2012 | Unknown |
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 HCP Terraform
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 HCP Terraform
- Server provisioningnot HCP Terraform
- Application deploymentnot HCP Terraform
- Multi-node managementnot HCP Terraform
- Orchestrationnot HCP Terraform
HCP Terraform
No use cases recorded yet. See the HCP Terraform 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
HCP Terraform
- Billed per managed resource per month rather than per user: Essentials starts at $0.10 per resource per month, Standard at $0.47, and Premium at $0.99
- Standard and Premium tiers bundle HCP Waypoint, which is unavailable on Essentials
- Enterprise tier for self-managed deployments is quote only through sales
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
HCP Terraform
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the HCP Terraform 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.
Choose HCP Terraform if
Nothing in the data separates HCP Terraform from Ansible on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Ansible or HCP Terraform better?
- Neither clearly leads. Ansible starts at Free and HCP Terraform at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Ansible or HCP Terraform?
- Ansible has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ansible and On request for HCP Terraform.
- Does Ansible or HCP Terraform run on more platforms?
- Ansible runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. HCP Terraform runs on Web.
- Can I use Ansible for free?
- Yes. Ansible has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HCP Terraform 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 HCP Terraform is typically brought in for.
- What can Ansible do that HCP Terraform cannot?
- Ansible covers Playbooks, Inventory management, Module library, Variables and templating.
Related pages
More on HCP Terraform
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