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Software · head to head

Packer vs pCloud

P

Packer

Software

Build automated machine images

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
pCloud logo

pCloud

Software

Prices are final. No setup fees or other hidden charges

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Packer has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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; pCloud headline lifetime prices are discounted promotional prices; the Premium 500GB lifetime plan is listed at $299 struck through down to $199, and Ultra 10TB at $1,890 down to $1,190, so the full non-promotional price is materially higher

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Packer and pCloud actually diverge.

Attributes where Packer and pCloud differ
AttributePackerpCloud
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourceone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, MacWeb
Founded2013Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Packer

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

Only in pCloud

Nothing recorded that Packer does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Packer

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

pCloud

No use cases recorded yet. See the pCloud review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

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

pCloud

  • Headline lifetime prices are discounted promotional prices; the Premium 500GB lifetime plan is listed at $299 struck through down to $199, and Ultra 10TB at $1,890 down to $1,190, so the full non-promotional price is materially higher
  • Ultra 10TB plan's download link traffic is capped at 2TB, the same limit as the much smaller Premium Plus 2TB plan, despite the 5x storage difference

Pricing, plan by plan

Packer

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

pCloud

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the pCloud review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose pCloud if

Nothing in the data separates pCloud from Packer on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

pCloud review

Questions people ask

Is Packer or pCloud better?
Neither clearly leads. Packer starts at Free and pCloud at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Packer or pCloud?
Packer has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Packer and On request for pCloud.
Does Packer or pCloud run on more platforms?
Packer runs on Linux, Windows, Mac. pCloud runs on Web.
Can I use Packer for free?
Yes. Packer has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. pCloud starts at On request.
What is Packer best used for?
Packer is most often used for building identical machine images for multiple clouds from one template, baking golden amis and vm images into a ci pipeline, creating immutable infrastructure artifacts consumed by terraform. Of those, building identical machine images for multiple clouds from one template and baking golden amis and vm images into a ci pipeline are not what pCloud is typically brought in for.
What can Packer do that pCloud cannot?
Packer covers Image building, Multi-platform support, Provisioners, Builders.
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