Software · head to head
Octopus Deploy vs Ansible
Octopus Deploy
Software
Continuous delivery and runbook automation for releases
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Octopus Deploy free tier caps at 10 projects, 10 tenants, 10 machines, 10 users, 5 concurrent tasks and 1 space; 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 Octopus Deploy and Ansible actually diverge.
| Attribute | Octopus Deploy | Ansible |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | open-source |
| Platforms | Web | Linux, Windows, Mac, Api |
| Founded | Unknown | 2012 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Octopus Deploy
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.
Octopus Deploy
No use cases recorded yet. See the Octopus Deploy review.
Ansible
- Configuration managementnot Octopus Deploy
- Server provisioningnot Octopus Deploy
- Application deploymentnot Octopus Deploy
- Multi-node managementnot Octopus Deploy
- Orchestrationnot Octopus Deploy
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Octopus Deploy
- Free tier caps at 10 projects, 10 tenants, 10 machines, 10 users, 5 concurrent tasks and 1 space
- Annual billing is the only option for both Octopus Cloud and Octopus Server; there is no monthly plan
- Professional cloud tier is $4,330 per year and Enterprise cloud is $24,600 per year, with tenants and machines sold as add-ons beyond the free allotment
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
Octopus Deploy
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Octopus Deploy 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 Ansible if
- You need playbooks.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
- You also want inventory management.
Questions people ask
- Is Octopus Deploy or Ansible better?
- Neither clearly leads. Octopus Deploy starts at Free and Ansible at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Octopus Deploy or Ansible?
- Octopus Deploy starts at Free and Ansible at Free.
- Does Octopus Deploy or Ansible run on more platforms?
- Octopus Deploy runs on Web. Ansible runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
- Can I use Octopus Deploy for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What can Octopus Deploy do that Ansible cannot?
- Ansible covers Playbooks, Inventory management, Module library, Variables and templating.