Developer Tools · head to head
HCP Terraform vs Okteto
HCP Terraform
Developer Tools
Infrastructure as code provisioning and management, formerly Terraform Cloud
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Okteto
Developer Tools
Runs production-like development environments on your own Kubernetes cluster
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: HCP Terraform legacy free version deprecated; no current freemium tier; Okteto two of the three plans publish no price at all, with no currency and no billing period stated anywhere, so any budget above five seats requires a sales conversation before you can even compare it with an alternative.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which HCP Terraform and Okteto actually diverge.
| Attribute | HCP Terraform | Okteto |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | usage-based | quote |
| Platforms | Web | Linux, macOS, Windows, CLI, Kubernetes, Web |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Developer 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 HCP Terraform
Nothing recorded that Okteto does not also cover.
Only in Okteto
- Cluster development environments
- File synchronisation
- Development containers
- Environment catalogue
- Preview environments
- Bring your own cloud
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
HCP Terraform
- Infrastructure as Code managementnot Okteto
- Cloud resource provisioningnot Okteto
Okteto
- A microservices estate where no developer can run the full dependency graph on a laptopnot HCP Terraform
- Giving each pull request a working environment reviewers can click rather than describenot HCP Terraform
- Letting coding agents build and test against real databases and queues instead of mocksnot HCP Terraform
- Removing a fleet of local Kubernetes installations that drift from production and produce false test resultsnot HCP Terraform
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
HCP Terraform
- Legacy free version deprecated; no current freemium tier
- New users receive $500 credit but still require usage to continue service
- Terraform Enterprise requires custom pricing
Okteto
- Two of the three plans publish no price at all, with no currency and no billing period stated anywhere, so any budget above five seats requires a sales conversation before you can even compare it with an alternative.
- The Apache-2.0 CLI is restricted to the development section of the manifest, so build services, user management and observability all require the commercial platform and the open licence provides very little continuity insurance.
- The last disclosed funding round is a 15 million US dollar Series A from February 2022 with nothing announced since, and the contributor base is dominated by company employees, which is concentrated risk for something embedded in every developer daily loop.
- You must bring and pay for the Kubernetes cluster, so node cost, capacity planning and version upgrades stay with your platform team on top of the licence fee.
- The 2026 repositioning towards AI agents means the classic developer inner loop is no longer what the marketing leads with, so a buyer purchasing that use case should confirm roadmap commitment rather than assume it.
Pricing, plan by plan
HCP Terraform
Free- Essentials$0.1/month
- Per resource pricing
- Remote state storage
- VCS connection
- Standard$0.47/month
- Per resource pricing
- Essentials features plus unlimited modules
- Module deprecation
- Premium$0.99/month
- Per resource pricing
- Standard features plus module revocation
- Waypoint actions
Okteto
Free- StarterFree
- 5 seats included
- Self-hosted deployment into your own cluster
- Community support
- Scale$undefined/year
- Contact sales, no price, currency or billing period published
- More seats and environments than Starter
- Self-hosted deployment
- Enterprise$undefined/year
- Contact sales, no price published
- Bring your own cloud deployment
- Available through Google Cloud and AWS marketplaces
Which should you pick?
Choose Okteto if
- You need cluster development environments.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, CLI, Kubernetes, Web.
- You also want file synchronisation.
Questions people ask
- Is HCP Terraform or Okteto better?
- Neither clearly leads. HCP Terraform starts at Free and Okteto at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, HCP Terraform or Okteto?
- HCP Terraform starts at Free and Okteto at Free.
- Does HCP Terraform or Okteto run on more platforms?
- HCP Terraform runs on Web. Okteto runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, CLI, Kubernetes, Web.
- Can I use HCP Terraform for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is HCP Terraform best used for?
- HCP Terraform is most often used for infrastructure as code management, cloud resource provisioning. Of those, infrastructure as code management and cloud resource provisioning are not what Okteto is typically brought in for.
- What can HCP Terraform do that Okteto cannot?
- Okteto covers Cluster development environments, File synchronisation, Development containers, Environment catalogue.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
HCP Terraform: How much does HCP Terraform cost?
HCP Terraform uses per-resource pricing starting at $0.10/month/resource for Essentials, $0.47/month/resource for Standard, and $0.99/month/resource for Premium.
SourceOkteto: Is Okteto open source?
The CLI is Apache-2.0, but the README states it supports only the development section of the manifest. Everything operationally interesting, including builds, user management and observability, is in the commercial platform.
HCP Terraform: Does HCP Terraform offer a free tier?
No, the legacy free version has been deprecated. However, new users receive $500 credit to try the service.
SourceOkteto: What does it cost?
Only the free Starter tier with five seats is published. Scale and Enterprise are both contact sales, with no price, currency or billing period disclosed on the pricing page.
HCP Terraform: What does the Standard plan include?
Standard plan at $0.47/month/resource includes unlimited modules, module deprecation, team notifications, no-code provisioning, and Waypoint templates.
SourceOkteto: Do I need my own Kubernetes cluster?
Yes. Okteto installs into a cluster you provide and pay for, so capacity, upgrades and node costs remain your responsibility in addition to the licence.
Okteto: How is this different from running Kubernetes locally?
Environments run against the same managed databases, queues and service mesh as production, so a class of failures that only appears in a real cluster is caught before merge rather than after deploy.
Related pages
More on HCP Terraform
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- Okteto vs Refact
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