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Software · head to head

Pulumi vs Akamai

Pulumi logo

Pulumi

Software

Modern infrastructure as code using programming languages

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Akamai logo

Akamai

Software

Leading content delivery and security platform

From
$1000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Pulumi has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Pulumi the free Individual plan allows one user and one concurrent stack update; Akamai only the cloud computing services carry published rates; security and content delivery products require contacting sales for a price
  • They diverge on capability: Pulumi covers Multi-language support, Akamai covers CDN.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Pulumi and Akamai actually diverge.

Attributes where Pulumi and Akamai differ
AttributePulumiAkamai
Starting priceFree$1000/month
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, ApiWeb, Api
Founded20171998

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 Pulumi

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

Only in Akamai

  • CDN
  • DDoS Protection
  • Web Application Firewall
  • Bot Management
  • Image Optimization
  • Video Platform
  • API Gateway
  • Analytics

Both cover

  • AWS
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

Pulumi

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

Akamai

  • Content delivery and web performance through Ion and adaptive media deliverynot Pulumi
  • DDoS protection, bot management and API securitynot Pulumi
  • Running compute, Kubernetes and managed databases on Akamai's cloudnot Pulumi
  • Edge compute with EdgeWorkersnot Pulumi
  • Zero trust access for enterprise applicationsnot Pulumi

Where each one falls short

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

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

Akamai

  • Only the cloud computing services carry published rates; security and content delivery products require contacting sales for a price
  • Cloud pricing varies by region across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific rather than being a single rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Pulumi

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

Akamai

$1000/month
  • CDN$1000/month
    • Content delivery
    • Global edge network
    • Real-time analytics
  • Security Suite$2000/month
    • DDoS protection
    • WAF
    • Bot management

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Akamai if

  • You need cdn.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want ddos protection.
Akamai review

Questions people ask

Is Pulumi or Akamai better?
Neither clearly leads. Pulumi starts at Free and Akamai at $1000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Pulumi or Akamai?
Pulumi has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Pulumi and $1000/month for Akamai.
Does Pulumi or Akamai run on more platforms?
Pulumi runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. Akamai runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Pulumi for free?
Yes. Pulumi has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Akamai starts at $1000/month.
What is Pulumi best used for?
Pulumi is most often used for defining cloud infrastructure as code in typescript, python, go, c# or java rather than a dsl, managing pulumi state and secrets in a hosted backend instead of self-managed storage, policy, drift detection and deployment workflows for platform engineering teams. Of those, defining cloud infrastructure as code in typescript, python, go, c# or java rather than a dsl and managing pulumi state and secrets in a hosted backend instead of self-managed storage are not what Akamai is typically brought in for.
What can Pulumi do that Akamai cannot?
Pulumi covers Multi-language support, Multi-cloud, State management, Secrets management. Akamai covers CDN, DDoS Protection, Web Application Firewall, Bot Management. Both handle AWS, Cloud deployment.
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