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Cloud · head to head

Chef vs GNAT Pro

Chef logo

Chef

Cloud

Infrastructure automation and management

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
GNAT Pro logo

GNAT Pro

Developer Tools

Software development environments and toolchains for Ada, C/C++ and Rust

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Chef has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; GNAT Pro no pricing published on website; requires contacting AdaCore directly for quotes
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chef and GNAT Pro actually diverge.

Attributes where Chef and GNAT Pro differ
AttributeChefGNAT Pro
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, ApiWeb
CategoryCloudDeveloper Tools
Founded2009Unknown

Identical on both: 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 GNAT Pro

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 GNAT Pro
  • Enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodesnot GNAT Pro

GNAT Pro

  • Building certified avionics software meeting DO-178B/C standardsnot Chef
  • Developing automotive embedded systems with ISO-26262 compliancenot Chef
  • Integrating Ada, C/C++, and Rust components in single codebasenot Chef
  • Managing software supply chain vulnerabilities and SBOMsnot Chef
  • Supporting long-lived software systems spanning decadesnot Chef

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

GNAT Pro

  • No pricing published on website; requires contacting AdaCore directly for quotes
  • Vendor indicates per-user, per-year subscription model but does not disclose specific costs

Pricing, plan by plan

Chef

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

GNAT Pro

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the GNAT Pro 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 GNAT Pro if

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

GNAT Pro review

Questions people ask

Is Chef or GNAT Pro better?
Neither clearly leads. Chef starts at Free and GNAT Pro at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chef or GNAT Pro?
Chef has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chef and On request for GNAT Pro.
Does Chef or GNAT Pro run on more platforms?
Chef runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. GNAT Pro runs on Web.
Can I use Chef for free?
Yes. Chef has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. GNAT Pro starts at On request.
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 GNAT Pro is typically brought in for.
What can Chef do that GNAT Pro 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
GNAT Pro: How much does GNAT Pro cost?

GNAT Pro pricing is not published on the website. Customers must request a pricing quote by contacting AdaCore directly or speaking with a GNAT Pro expert.

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
GNAT Pro: What is GNAT Pro licensing model?

GNAT Pro is sold on a per-user, per-year basis with no license locks. Customers can request pricing for their specific needs.

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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