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Palo Alto Networks vs Pulumi

Palo Alto Networks logo

Palo Alto Networks

Software

Enterprise cybersecurity platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pulumi logo

Pulumi

Software

Modern infrastructure as code using programming languages

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Pulumi has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Palo Alto Networks enterprise-focused pricing model; Pulumi the free Individual plan allows one user and one concurrent stack update
  • They diverge on capability: Palo Alto Networks covers Advanced threat prevention, Pulumi covers Multi-language support.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Palo Alto Networks and Pulumi actually diverge.

Attributes where Palo Alto Networks and Pulumi differ
AttributePalo Alto NetworksPulumi
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, On-premises, HybridLinux, Windows, Mac, Api
Founded20052017

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 Palo Alto Networks

  • Advanced threat prevention
  • Threat detection and response
  • Cloud security
  • Endpoint protection
  • Network security
  • API protection
  • Incident response
  • Threat intelligence

Only in Pulumi

  • Multi-language support
  • Multi-cloud
  • State management
  • Secrets management
  • RBAC
  • Stacks
  • Automation API
  • Policy as Code

Both cover

  • AWS
  • Azure
  • Cloud deployment
  • On-premise deployment

What people use each for

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

Palo Alto Networks

  • Enterprise network security and threat protectionnot Pulumi
  • Cloud-native application protectionnot Pulumi
  • Identity and access securitynot Pulumi
  • Security operations and incident responsenot Pulumi

Pulumi

  • Defining cloud infrastructure as code in TypeScript, Python, Go, C# or Java rather than a DSLnot Palo Alto Networks
  • Managing Pulumi state and secrets in a hosted backend instead of self-managed storagenot Palo Alto Networks
  • Policy, drift detection and deployment workflows for platform engineering teamsnot Palo Alto Networks

Where each one falls short

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

Palo Alto Networks

  • Enterprise-focused pricing model
  • Complex implementation required

Pulumi

  • The free Individual plan allows one user and one concurrent stack update
  • The Team plan is $40 per month base including 40 credits, and caps the organisation at 10 users
  • SAML/SSO, RBAC, audit logs and drift detection require the Enterprise plan at $400 per month base
  • The per-resource rate rises from $0.1825 per resource per month on Team to $0.365 on Enterprise, so upgrading raises the unit price as well as the base fee
  • Managed secrets are billed separately at $0.50 per secret per month on Team and $0.75 on Enterprise
  • Self-hosting, SCIM user sync, audit log export and 24x7 support are only in Business Critical, which is custom priced with no published rate
  • Team includes up to 500 resources and Enterprise up to 2,000, with everything beyond billed on demand as credits

Pricing, plan by plan

Palo Alto Networks

On request
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Threat prevention
    • Detection and response
    • Cloud security

Pulumi

Free
  • Pulumi CommunityFree
    • Open source
    • Community support
    • Self-hosted
  • Pulumi Cloud$10/month
    • Hosted backend
    • Team collaboration
    • RBAC

Which should you pick?

Choose Palo Alto Networks if

  • You need advanced threat prevention.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid.
  • You also want threat detection and response.
Palo Alto Networks review

Choose Pulumi if

  • You need multi-language support.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
  • You also want multi-cloud.
Pulumi review

Questions people ask

Is Palo Alto Networks or Pulumi better?
Neither clearly leads. Palo Alto Networks starts at On request and Pulumi at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Palo Alto Networks or Pulumi?
Pulumi has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Palo Alto Networks and Free for Pulumi.
Does Palo Alto Networks or Pulumi run on more platforms?
Palo Alto Networks runs on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid. Pulumi runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
Can I use Pulumi for free?
Yes. Pulumi has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Palo Alto Networks starts at On request.
What is Palo Alto Networks best used for?
Palo Alto Networks is most often used for enterprise network security and threat protection, cloud-native application protection, identity and access security, security operations and incident response. Of those, enterprise network security and threat protection and cloud-native application protection are not what Pulumi is typically brought in for.
What can Palo Alto Networks do that Pulumi cannot?
Palo Alto Networks covers Advanced threat prevention, Threat detection and response, Cloud security, Endpoint protection. Pulumi covers Multi-language support, Multi-cloud, State management, Secrets management. Both handle AWS, Azure, Cloud deployment, On-premise deployment.
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