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Cloud · head to head

Chef vs Fig

Chef logo

Chef

Cloud

Infrastructure automation and management

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
F

Fig

Developer Tools

IDE-style autocomplete for your existing terminal

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Chef priced per node per year, at $59 on Business and $189 on Enterprise, so cost scales with fleet size rather than with team size; Fig shut down on 1 September 2024. Amazon acquired Fig in August 2023 and folded it into Amazon Q Developer, which now carries the terminal autocomplete
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chef and Fig actually diverge.

Attributes where Chef and Fig differ
AttributeChefFig
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, ApiWeb
CategoryCloudDeveloper Tools
Founded20092020

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

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 Chef

  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Roles
  • Data bags
  • Attributes
  • Chef Server
  • Chef Infra
  • Chef Compliance

Only in Fig

Nothing recorded that Chef does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Chef

  • Configuration management and infrastructure automation across server fleetsnot Fig
  • Enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodesnot Fig

Fig

No use cases recorded yet. See the Fig review.

Where each one falls short

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

Chef

  • Priced per node per year, at $59 on Business and $189 on Enterprise, so cost scales with fleet size rather than with team size
  • Tripling the price between the two published tiers puts compliance and audit features well above basic automation
  • Enterprise Plus and every self managed deployment are custom quoted with no published price

Fig

  • Shut down on 1 September 2024. Amazon acquired Fig in August 2023 and folded it into Amazon Q Developer, which now carries the terminal autocomplete
  • The standalone desktop app is no longer available or supported
  • The completion specs remain open source on GitHub, but the product that consumed them is gone

Pricing, plan by plan

Chef

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Chef Infra
    • Community support
    • Full functionality
  • Chef Automate$4000/year
    • Chef Infra
    • Compliance automation
    • Insights

Fig

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Fig review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Chef if

  • You need recipes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
  • You also want cookbooks.
Chef review

Choose Fig if

  • You want to start without paying.
Fig review

Questions people ask

Is Chef or Fig better?
Neither clearly leads. Chef starts at Free and Fig at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chef or Fig?
Chef starts at Free and Fig at Free.
Does Chef or Fig run on more platforms?
Chef runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. Fig runs on Web.
Can I use Chef for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Chef best used for?
Chef is most often used for configuration management and infrastructure automation across server fleets, enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodes. Of those, configuration management and infrastructure automation across server fleets and enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodes are not what Fig is typically brought in for.
What can Chef do that Fig cannot?
Chef covers Recipes, Cookbooks, Roles, Data bags.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Chef: How much does Chef cost?

Chef does not publish pricing on its website. The company offers a free trial and directs interested customers to request a demo or contact their sales team for pricing details.

Source
Chef: Is there a free trial available?

Yes, Chef offers a free trial to interested users, allowing them to evaluate the platform before purchasing.

Source
Chef: What deployment options are available?

Chef is available as SaaS (cloud-hosted), on-premises, and through cloud marketplaces like AWS and Azure, but specific pricing for each deployment model is not published.

Source
Chef: How do I get pricing information?

Sign up for the free trial or request a demo through Chef's website to speak with their sales team about pricing.

Source
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