Software · head to head
Oracle Cloud vs Chef
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Oracle Cloud the free trial gives US$300 of credit that expires when consumed or after 30 days, whichever comes first; 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
- They diverge on capability: Oracle Cloud covers Autonomous Database, Chef covers Recipes.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Oracle Cloud and Chef actually diverge.
| Attribute | Oracle Cloud | Chef |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | usage-based | open-source |
| Platforms | Linux, Windows, Api, Cli | Linux, Windows, Mac, Api |
| Founded | 2019 | 2009 |
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 Oracle Cloud
- Autonomous Database
- Compute Instances
- MySQL Database Service
- Object Storage
- Block Volume
- Load Balancers
- Virtual Cloud Network
- API Gateway
Only in Chef
- Recipes
- Cookbooks
- Roles
- Data bags
- Attributes
- Chef Server
- Chef Infra
- Chef Compliance
Both cover
- Docker
- Cloud deployment
- Linux support
- Windows support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Oracle Cloud
- Running virtual machines, databases and storage on Oracle's cloud infrastructurenot Chef
- Hosting Oracle Database workloads on infrastructure from the same vendornot Chef
Chef
- Configuration management and infrastructure automation across server fleetsnot Oracle Cloud
- Enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodesnot Oracle Cloud
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Oracle Cloud
- The free trial gives US$300 of credit that expires when consumed or after 30 days, whichever comes first
- The US$300 cloud credit is available only in select countries
- Only one Oracle Cloud Free Trial or Always Free account is permitted per person
- Accounts left idle for 30 days or more are eligible for suspension or termination as abandoned
- Always Free NoSQL Database is restricted to the Phoenix region
- Free Tier availability is subject to capacity limits, and the published per-service capacity figures are estimates that assume the entire credit is spent on that one service
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Oracle Cloud
Free- Always FreeFree
- Oracle Autonomous Database
- 2 compute instances
- 100 GB storage
- Pay-as-You-GoFree
- Flexible pricing
- No long-term commitment
- Enterprise support
Chef
Free- Open SourceFree
- Chef Infra
- Community support
- Full functionality
- Chef Automate$4000/year
- Chef Infra
- Compliance automation
- Insights
Which should you pick?
Choose Oracle Cloud if
- You need autonomous database.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- You also want compute instances.
Choose Chef if
- You need recipes.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
- You also want cookbooks.
Questions people ask
- Is Oracle Cloud or Chef better?
- Neither clearly leads. Oracle Cloud starts at Free and Chef at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Oracle Cloud or Chef?
- Oracle Cloud starts at Free and Chef at Free.
- Does Oracle Cloud or Chef run on more platforms?
- Oracle Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli. Chef runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
- Can I use Oracle Cloud for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Oracle Cloud best used for?
- Oracle Cloud is most often used for running virtual machines, databases and storage on oracle's cloud infrastructure, hosting oracle database workloads on infrastructure from the same vendor. Of those, running virtual machines, databases and storage on oracle's cloud infrastructure and hosting oracle database workloads on infrastructure from the same vendor are not what Chef is typically brought in for.
- What can Oracle Cloud do that Chef cannot?
- Oracle Cloud covers Autonomous Database, Compute Instances, MySQL Database Service, Object Storage. Chef covers Recipes, Cookbooks, Roles, Data bags. Both handle Docker, Cloud deployment, Linux support, Windows support.