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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Oracle Cloud vs Packer

Oracle Cloud logo

Oracle Cloud

Cloud & Infrastructure

Enterprise cloud computing services

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
P

Packer

Cloud & Infrastructure

Build automated machine images

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Packer packer 1.10.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with IBM Corporation as licensor, not an OSI open source licence
  • They diverge on capability: Oracle Cloud covers Autonomous Database, Packer covers Image building.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oracle Cloud and Packer actually diverge.

Attributes where Oracle Cloud and Packer differ
AttributeOracle CloudPacker
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Api, CliLinux, Windows, Mac
Founded20192013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud & Infrastructure).

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 Packer

  • Image building
  • Multi-platform support
  • Provisioners
  • Builders
  • Post-processors
  • Variables
  • Data sources
  • Validation

Both cover

  • Terraform
  • Ansible
  • 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 Packer
  • Hosting Oracle Database workloads on infrastructure from the same vendornot Packer

Packer

  • Building identical machine images for multiple clouds from one templatenot Oracle Cloud
  • Baking golden AMIs and VM images into a CI pipelinenot Oracle Cloud
  • Creating immutable infrastructure artifacts consumed by Terraformnot 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

Packer

  • Packer 1.10.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with IBM Corporation as licensor, not an OSI open source licence
  • The Additional Use Grant forbids offering Packer to third parties on a hosted or embedded basis in a paid product that competes with IBM's paid versions of Packer
  • Each version converts to the MPL 2.0 Change License only four years after that version is first published, and the Change Date is set separately per version
  • Alternative licensing for uses outside the grant must be arranged with the licensor rather than taken under the public licence

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

Packer

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Multi-platform image building
    • Template-driven
    • Provisioner support

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.
Oracle Cloud review

Choose Packer if

  • You need image building.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac.
  • You also want multi-platform support.
Packer review

Questions people ask

Is Oracle Cloud or Packer better?
Neither clearly leads. Oracle Cloud starts at Free and Packer at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Oracle Cloud or Packer?
Oracle Cloud starts at Free and Packer at Free.
Does Oracle Cloud or Packer run on more platforms?
Oracle Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli. Packer runs on Linux, Windows, Mac.
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 Packer is typically brought in for.
What can Oracle Cloud do that Packer cannot?
Oracle Cloud covers Autonomous Database, Compute Instances, MySQL Database Service, Object Storage. Packer covers Image building, Multi-platform support, Provisioners, Builders. Both handle Terraform, Ansible, Docker, Cloud deployment.
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