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Cloud · head to head

Pulumi vs Radix UI

Pulumi logo

Pulumi

Cloud

Modern infrastructure as code using programming languages

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Radix UI logo

Radix UI

Web Development

Unstyled, accessible React component primitives

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Pulumi the free Individual plan allows one user and one concurrent stack update; Radix UI you write all the styling, so time to a finished interface is much longer than with a styled library
  • They diverge on capability: Pulumi covers Multi-language support, Radix UI covers Unstyled primitives.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Pulumi and Radix UI actually diverge.

Attributes where Pulumi and Radix UI differ
AttributePulumiRadix UI
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, ApiWeb
CategoryCloudWeb Development
Founded2017Unknown

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

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 Radix UI

  • Unstyled primitives
  • Accessibility built in
  • Composable API
  • Controlled or uncontrolled

What people use each for

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

Pulumi

  • Infrastructure as codenot Radix UI
  • Cloud resource provisioningnot Radix UI
  • DevOps automationnot Radix UI
  • Multi-cloud managementnot Radix UI

Radix UI

  • Design systems that need correct accessibility without inherited visual opinionsnot Pulumi
  • Replacing hand-built dropdowns and dialogs that have accessibility bugsnot Pulumi
  • Teams with a designer whose output should not be constrained by a library’s themenot 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

Radix UI

  • You write all the styling, so time to a finished interface is much longer than with a styled library
  • Composable part-based APIs are more verbose than a single component with props
  • Covers primitives rather than complex widgets, so data grids and date pickers come from elsewhere

Pricing, plan by plan

Pulumi

Free
  • IndividualFree
    • 1 user
    • Unlimited projects/stacks
    • 500 workflow minutes monthly
  • Team$40/month
    • Up to 10 users
    • Secure collaboration
    • CI/CD integration
  • Enterprise$400/month
    • Unlimited users
    • SAML/SSO
    • RBAC
  • Business Critical$null/custom
    • Self-hosting
    • Advanced compliance
    • SCIM integration

Radix UI

Free
  • Radix UIFree
    • Full functionality
    • Commercial use permitted
    • Community support

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 Radix UI if

  • You need unstyled primitives.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want accessibility built in.
Radix UI review

Questions people ask

Is Pulumi or Radix UI better?
Neither clearly leads. Pulumi starts at Free and Radix UI at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Pulumi or Radix UI?
Pulumi starts at Free and Radix UI at Free.
Does Pulumi or Radix UI run on more platforms?
Pulumi runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. Radix UI runs on Web.
Can I use Pulumi for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Pulumi best used for?
Pulumi is most often used for infrastructure as code, cloud resource provisioning, devops automation, multi-cloud management. Of those, infrastructure as code and cloud resource provisioning are not what Radix UI is typically brought in for.
What can Pulumi do that Radix UI cannot?
Pulumi covers Multi-language support, Multi-cloud, State management, Secrets management. Radix UI covers Unstyled primitives, Accessibility built in, Composable API, Controlled or uncontrolled.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Pulumi: How much does Pulumi cost?

Pulumi offers a free Individual tier forever, Team plan at $40/month with 40 credits, and Enterprise at $400/month with 400 credits. Credit usage varies by resource type and workflow needs.

Source
Radix UI: Is Radix UI free?

Yes, open source under the MIT licence.

Pulumi: What is included in the Pulumi free tier?

The free Individual tier includes 1 user, unlimited projects/stacks, 500 workflow minutes monthly, and 5 million Neo tokens free.

Source
Radix UI: Why use unstyled components?

Because accessibility is the hard part and visual design is the part teams want to own. Radix gives the first and stays out of the second.

Pulumi: How are Pulumi credits charged?

1 Pulumi Credit equals $1 USD. Credits are drawn from a shared pool. IaC resources cost $0.1825/month per resource on Team and $0.365 on Enterprise; ESC secrets cost $0.50-$0.75/month; workflow minutes cost $0.01 each.

Source
Radix UI: What is the relationship with shadcn/ui?

shadcn/ui is built on Radix primitives, adding Tailwind styling and copy-paste distribution on top.

Pulumi: Does Pulumi offer volume discounts?

Yes, the Enterprise tier ($400/month) includes volume discounts and is designed for approximately 2,000 IaC resources.

Source
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