Softwr

Cloud · head to head

Porter vs Puppet

Porter logo

Porter

Cloud

Effortless app infrastructure, your own cloud

From
$6/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Puppet logo

Puppet

Cloud

Infrastructure automation for enterprises

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Puppet has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Porter pricing based on vCPU and memory can be expensive for small projects; Puppet no pricing published for commercial tiers; requires contacting sales
  • They diverge on capability: Porter covers Rapid deployment, Puppet covers Manifests.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Porter and Puppet actually diverge.

Attributes where Porter and Puppet differ
AttributePorterPuppet
Starting price$6/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownquote
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsAWS, GCP, AzureLinux, Windows, Mac, Api
FoundedUnknown2005

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud).

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 Porter

  • Rapid deployment
  • Multi-cloud support
  • Framework agnostic
  • DevOps automation
  • Enterprise compliance
  • Cost optimization

Only in Puppet

  • Manifests
  • Modules
  • Classes
  • Variables
  • Facts
  • Puppet Master
  • Hiera
  • Facter

What people use each for

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

Porter

  • Deploying Next.js applications with serverless backendsnot Puppet
  • Scaling microservices across multiple cloud providersnot Puppet
  • Running applications without dedicated DevOps staffnot Puppet

Puppet

  • Infrastructure automationnot Porter
  • Configuration managementnot Porter
  • DevOps at scalenot Porter
  • Enterprise infrastructurenot Porter

Where each one falls short

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

Porter

  • Pricing based on vCPU and memory can be expensive for small projects
  • Vendor lock-in to Porter platform despite multi-cloud support
  • Limited customization for complex infrastructure requirements

Puppet

  • No pricing published for commercial tiers; requires contacting sales
  • Enterprise and Advanced tiers require custom quote
  • Free tier limited to 25 nodes maximum

Pricing, plan by plan

Porter

$6/month
  • Standard$undefined/usage
    • RAM: $6 per month per GB
    • vCPU: $13 per month per vCPU
    • Unlimited applications
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Volume discounts available
    • All Standard features
    • Premium support

Puppet

Free
  • DeveloperFree
    • Up to 25 nodes
  • Core Commercial$null/custom
    • 25+ nodes
    • Vendor-backed SLAs
    • Training with Certified Engineers
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Web GUI
    • RBAC
    • Multi-environment support
  • Advanced$null/custom
    • AI-powered features
    • Advanced patching
    • Vulnerability remediation

Which should you pick?

Choose Porter if

  • You need rapid deployment.
  • You work on AWS, GCP, Azure.
  • You also want multi-cloud support.
Porter review

Choose Puppet if

  • You need manifests.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
  • You also want modules.
Puppet review

Questions people ask

Is Porter or Puppet better?
Neither clearly leads. Porter starts at $6/month and Puppet at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Porter or Puppet?
Puppet has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $6/month for Porter and Free for Puppet.
Does Porter or Puppet run on more platforms?
Porter runs on AWS, GCP, Azure. Puppet runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
Can I use Puppet for free?
Yes. Puppet has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Porter starts at $6/month.
What is Porter best used for?
Porter is most often used for deploying next.js applications with serverless backends, scaling microservices across multiple cloud providers, running applications without dedicated devops staff. Of those, deploying next.js applications with serverless backends and scaling microservices across multiple cloud providers are not what Puppet is typically brought in for.
What can Porter do that Puppet cannot?
Porter covers Rapid deployment, Multi-cloud support, Framework agnostic, DevOps automation. Puppet covers Manifests, Modules, Classes, Variables.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Porter: How is Porter priced?

Porter uses pay-as-you-go pricing: $6 per month per GB of RAM and $13 per month per vCPU. You only pay for the resources your applications use, not cloud instance capacity.

Source
Puppet: How much does Puppet cost?

Puppet's Developer tier is free for up to 25 nodes. Commercial, Enterprise, and Advanced tiers require contacting their sales team for a custom quote.

Source
Porter: Does Porter include cloud provider costs?

Porter pricing excludes underlying cloud provider costs (AWS, Azure, GCP), though cloud credits can offset those expenses.

Source
Puppet: Is there a free version of Puppet?

Yes, Puppet's Developer tier is free forever for up to 25 nodes of infrastructure.

Source
Porter: Do startups get special pricing?

Yes, nonprofits receive 50% off standard rates, and startups may qualify for special pricing programs.

Source
Puppet: What does the Enterprise tier include?

Puppet's Enterprise tier includes web GUI, RBAC, and multi-environment support for organizations managing infrastructure at scale, with pricing available upon request.

Source
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