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Software · head to head

Ansible vs Visual Studio

Ansible logo

Ansible

Software

Simple, agentless IT automation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Visual Studio logo

Visual Studio

Software

IDE for .NET and C++ development on Windows

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; Visual Studio community edition is free only for individual developers, classroom use, academic research and open-source contribution, not general commercial use

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ansible and Visual Studio actually diverge.

Attributes where Ansible and Visual Studio differ
AttributeAnsibleVisual Studio
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, ApiWeb
Founded2012Unknown

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 Visual Studio

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 Visual Studio
  • Server provisioningnot Visual Studio
  • Application deploymentnot Visual Studio
  • Multi-node managementnot Visual Studio
  • Orchestrationnot Visual Studio

Visual Studio

No use cases recorded yet. See the Visual Studio 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

Visual Studio

  • Community edition is free only for individual developers, classroom use, academic research and open-source contribution, not general commercial use
  • Monthly subscriptions are $45 per user per month for Professional and $250 per user per month for Enterprise, and do not include perpetual use rights the way annual Standard subscriptions do
  • A standalone perpetually licensed Visual Studio Professional 2022 costs $499 as a one-time purchase, separate from the subscription tiers

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

Visual Studio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Visual Studio 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 Visual Studio if

  • You want to start without paying.
Visual Studio review

Questions people ask

Is Ansible or Visual Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. Ansible starts at Free and Visual Studio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ansible or Visual Studio?
Ansible starts at Free and Visual Studio at Free.
Does Ansible or Visual Studio run on more platforms?
Ansible runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. Visual Studio 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 Visual Studio is typically brought in for.
What can Ansible do that Visual Studio cannot?
Ansible covers Playbooks, Inventory management, Module library, Variables and templating.
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