Developer Tools · head to head
HCP Terraform vs Portworx
HCP Terraform
Developer Tools
Infrastructure as code provisioning and management, formerly Terraform Cloud
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
Portworx
Cloud
Kubernetes-native storage and data services, priced by the node hour
- From
- $0.33/node hour
- Free plan
- No
The short version
- Only HCP Terraform has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: HCP Terraform legacy free version deprecated; no current freemium tier; Portworx bare metal nodes are charged at 1.11 USD per node hour against 0.33 for virtual nodes, so a bare metal cluster costs more than three times a virtualised one for identical capability.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which HCP Terraform and Portworx actually diverge.
| Attribute | HCP Terraform | Portworx |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $0.33/node hour |
| Pricing model | usage-based | Per node hour |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web | Linux |
| Category | Developer Tools | Cloud |
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 HCP Terraform
Nothing recorded that Portworx does not also cover.
Only in Portworx
- Container-native volumes
- Failure domain placement
- Volume encryption
- Database automation
- Disaster recovery
- Autopilot capacity management
- Hardware independence
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
HCP Terraform
- Infrastructure as Code managementnot Portworx
- Cloud resource provisioningnot Portworx
Portworx
- Running a production PostgreSQL or Cassandra cluster on Kubernetes and needing the data to survive node lossnot HCP Terraform
- A platform team offering self-service databases to developers on an internal Kubernetes platformnot HCP Terraform
- Failing over stateful applications between clusters in different regions as a disaster recovery positionnot HCP Terraform
- An OpenShift estate where the built-in storage option does not meet the availability requirement for stateful setsnot 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
Portworx
- Bare metal nodes are charged at 1.11 USD per node hour against 0.33 for virtual nodes, so a bare metal cluster costs more than three times a virtualised one for identical capability.
- A 1,000 node hour monthly minimum applies, which means small or intermittent clusters pay for capacity they do not consume.
- Replicating volumes across nodes consumes real capacity and network bandwidth, so the underlying infrastructure cost rises alongside the licence in a way the node hour rate does not show.
- Pure Storage ownership means roadmap priorities are set by an array vendor, and buyers should confirm that hardware independence remains contractual rather than assumed.
- Operating it well requires Kubernetes storage expertise, and teams that adopted Kubernetes to simplify operations often find they have added a distributed storage system to run.
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
Portworx
$0.33/node hour- Portworx Enterprise on virtual machine nodes$0.33/node hour
- Minimum 1,000 node hours per month
- Replicated persistent volumes
- Encryption and disaster recovery
- Portworx Enterprise on bare metal nodes$1.11/node hour
- Minimum 1,000 node hours per month
- Same capabilities on bare metal clusters
- Higher rate reflects node density
Which should you pick?
Choose Portworx if
- You need container-native volumes.
- You work on Linux.
- You also want failure domain placement.
Questions people ask
- Is HCP Terraform or Portworx better?
- Neither clearly leads. HCP Terraform starts at Free and Portworx at $0.33/node hour, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, HCP Terraform or Portworx?
- HCP Terraform has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for HCP Terraform and $0.33/node hour for Portworx.
- Does HCP Terraform or Portworx run on more platforms?
- HCP Terraform runs on Web. Portworx runs on Linux.
- Can I use HCP Terraform for free?
- Yes. HCP Terraform has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Portworx starts at $0.33/node hour.
- 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 Portworx is typically brought in for.
- What can HCP Terraform do that Portworx cannot?
- Portworx covers Container-native volumes, Failure domain placement, Volume encryption, Database automation.
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.
SourcePortworx: Is Portworx tied to Pure Storage hardware?
No. It runs on any Kubernetes distribution over any underlying storage, though Pure has owned it since 2020 and sets the roadmap.
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.
SourcePortworx: What does a real cluster cost?
At 0.33 USD per virtual node hour, twenty nodes running continuously is roughly 4,800 USD a month. Bare metal at 1.11 USD per node hour is around 16,000 USD for the same node count.
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.
SourcePortworx: Is backup included?
No. Portworx Backup is a separately priced product covering Kubernetes application backup.
Related pages
More on HCP Terraform
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