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Software · head to head

HCP Terraform vs Ansible

HCP Terraform logo

HCP Terraform

Software

Infrastructure as code provisioning and management, formerly Terraform Cloud

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ansible logo

Ansible

Software

Simple, agentless IT automation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ansible has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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; 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

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HCP Terraform and Ansible actually diverge.

Attributes where HCP Terraform and Ansible differ
AttributeHCP TerraformAnsible
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebLinux, Windows, Mac, Api
FoundedUnknown2012

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 HCP Terraform

Nothing recorded that Ansible does not also cover.

Only in Ansible

  • Playbooks
  • Inventory management
  • Module library
  • Variables and templating
  • Handlers
  • Roles
  • Async tasks
  • Plugins

What people use each for

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

HCP Terraform

No use cases recorded yet. See the HCP Terraform review.

Ansible

  • Configuration managementnot HCP Terraform
  • Server provisioningnot HCP Terraform
  • Application deploymentnot HCP Terraform
  • Multi-node managementnot HCP Terraform
  • Orchestrationnot HCP Terraform

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

Pricing, plan by plan

HCP Terraform

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the HCP Terraform review.

Ansible

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Community edition
    • Unlimited nodes
    • Full functionality
  • Ansible Automation Platform$5000/year
    • Enterprise support
    • Ansible Tower
    • Advanced features

Which should you pick?

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.

HCP Terraform review

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

Questions people ask

Is HCP Terraform or Ansible better?
Neither clearly leads. HCP Terraform starts at On request and Ansible at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HCP Terraform or Ansible?
Ansible has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for HCP Terraform and Free for Ansible.
Does HCP Terraform or Ansible run on more platforms?
HCP Terraform runs on Web. Ansible runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
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 can HCP Terraform do that Ansible cannot?
Ansible covers Playbooks, Inventory management, Module library, Variables and templating.
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