Development Tools · head to head
Ansible vs Octopus Deploy
Octopus Deploy
Development Tools
Continuous delivery and runbook automation for releases
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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; Octopus Deploy free tier caps at 10 projects, 10 tenants, 10 machines, 10 users, 5 concurrent tasks and 1 space
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Ansible and Octopus Deploy actually diverge.
| Attribute | Ansible | Octopus Deploy |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | open-source | freemium |
| Platforms | Linux, Windows, Mac, Api | Web |
| Founded | 2012 | Unknown |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Development Tools).
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 Octopus Deploy
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 Octopus Deploy
- Server provisioningnot Octopus Deploy
- Application deploymentnot Octopus Deploy
- Multi-node managementnot Octopus Deploy
- Orchestrationnot Octopus Deploy
Octopus Deploy
No use cases recorded yet. See the Octopus Deploy 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
Octopus Deploy
- Free tier caps at 10 projects, 10 tenants, 10 machines, 10 users, 5 concurrent tasks and 1 space
- Annual billing is the only option for both Octopus Cloud and Octopus Server; there is no monthly plan
- Professional cloud tier is $4,330 per year and Enterprise cloud is $24,600 per year, with tenants and machines sold as add-ons beyond the free allotment
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
Octopus Deploy
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Octopus Deploy 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.
Questions people ask
- Is Ansible or Octopus Deploy better?
- Neither clearly leads. Ansible starts at Free and Octopus Deploy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Ansible or Octopus Deploy?
- Ansible starts at Free and Octopus Deploy at Free.
- Does Ansible or Octopus Deploy run on more platforms?
- Ansible runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. Octopus Deploy runs on Web.
- 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 Octopus Deploy is typically brought in for.
- What can Ansible do that Octopus Deploy cannot?
- Ansible covers Playbooks, Inventory management, Module library, Variables and templating.