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Developer Tools · head to head

Spacelift vs Subframe

Spacelift logo

Spacelift

Developer Tools

Infrastructure-as-code orchestration for Terraform, OpenTofu, Pulumi and Kubernetes

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit SpaceliftFull review
Subframe logo

Subframe

Design

The AI-native design tool built for code

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit SubframeFull review

The short version

  • Spacelift is free; Subframe starts at $29/mo.
  • Where Spacelift falls short: three of the five tiers are quote-only, so a shortlist cannot be costed without entering a sales process with each vendor on it.
  • Where Subframe falls short: free plan limited to 1 project and 10 pages.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Spacelift and Subframe actually diverge.

Attributes where Spacelift and Subframe differ
AttributeSpaceliftSubframe
Pricing modelBy private worker and tier, not by userFreemium
PlatformsWeb, Self-hostedWeb
CategoryDeveloper ToolsDesign

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes).

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 Spacelift

  • Multi-tool orchestration
  • Policy as code
  • Private workers
  • Spaces
  • Blueprints
  • Drift detection

Only in Subframe

Nothing recorded that Spacelift does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Spacelift

  • Platform teams running infrastructure changes through approval gates rather than through application CInot Subframe
  • Organisations standardising Terraform and OpenTofu across many teams with policy enforcementnot Subframe
  • Estates needing private runners so cloud credentials never leave the networknot Subframe
  • Teams wanting drift detection and reconciliation rather than plan-time checks alonenot Subframe

Subframe

  • Creating production-ready interfaces without static mockupsnot Spacelift
  • Syncing design components with code as single source of truthnot Spacelift
  • Building responsive designs with auto layoutnot Spacelift
  • Real-time multiplayer collaboration with layer commentingnot Spacelift
  • Exporting Radix UI and Tailwind CSS code via CLInot Spacelift

Where each one falls short

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

Spacelift

  • Users are unlimited and private workers are metered, so deployment concurrency rather than headcount drives the bill, which inverts how most engineering budgets are built and is easy to under-forecast
  • There is no affordable paid entry point. The free tier stops at two users and the next tier is a five-figure commitment with nothing in between
  • Three of the five tiers are quote-only, so a shortlist cannot be costed without entering a sales process with each vendor on it
  • The self-hosted build lags the hosted one, has no public worker pool and lacks the Azure and Google Cloud integrations available in the SaaS product, with OIDC federation offered as the workaround
  • Stacks, Rego policies, Blueprints, Spaces and Spacelift-managed state are proprietary constructs, so leaving means rebuilding the orchestration layer rather than pointing it at a different runner

Subframe

  • Free plan limited to 1 project and 10 pages
  • Free plan includes limited AI features compared to Pro
  • Pro plan billed per editor, not per team

Pricing, plan by plan

Spacelift

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Two users
    • Public workers only
    • No private workers
  • Starter PlusOn request
    • Unlimited users
    • Two public workers
    • One to two private workers
  • BusinessOn request
    • Unlimited users
    • Three private workers
    • Quoted
  • EnterpriseOn request
    • Unlimited users
    • Five to thirty private workers
    • Self-hosted option

Subframe

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 project
    • Up to 10 pages
    • 2 prototypes
  • Pro$29/mo
    • Unlimited projects
    • Unlimited pages
    • Unlimited prototypes

Which should you pick?

Choose Spacelift if

  • You need multi-tool orchestration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want policy as code.
Spacelift review

Choose Subframe if

  • You want to start without paying.
Subframe review

Questions people ask

Is Spacelift or Subframe better?
Neither clearly leads. Spacelift starts at Free and Subframe at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Spacelift or Subframe?
Spacelift starts at Free and Subframe at Free.
Does Spacelift or Subframe run on more platforms?
Spacelift runs on Web, Self-hosted. Subframe runs on Web.
Can I use Spacelift for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Spacelift best used for?
Spacelift is most often used for platform teams running infrastructure changes through approval gates rather than through application ci, organisations standardising terraform and opentofu across many teams with policy enforcement, estates needing private runners so cloud credentials never leave the network, teams wanting drift detection and reconciliation rather than plan-time checks alone. Of those, platform teams running infrastructure changes through approval gates rather than through application ci and organisations standardising terraform and opentofu across many teams with policy enforcement are not what Subframe is typically brought in for.
What can Spacelift do that Subframe cannot?
Spacelift covers Multi-tool orchestration, Policy as code, Private workers, Spaces.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Spacelift: How is Spacelift priced?

By tier and by private worker count rather than per user. Users are unlimited on every paid plan. The published figure on the pricing page carries no period label, and the FAQ describes the tier as an annual subscription, so confirm the period in writing.

Subframe: Is there a free version of Subframe?

Yes, Subframe offers a free plan with 1 project, up to 10 pages, 2 prototypes, unlimited team members, and limited AI features.

Source
Spacelift: Does it support OpenTofu?

Yes, and Spacelift sponsors the OpenTofu project, which is a substantive hedge for anyone avoiding Terraform under the Business Source Licence.

Subframe: How is the Pro plan priced?

Subframe Pro costs $29 per editor per month, with unlimited projects, pages, prototypes, and AI usage.

Source
Spacelift: Is there a self-hosted version?

Yes, described as carrying Enterprise functionality, but it is priced on request and lags the hosted product on cloud integrations.

Subframe: Are viewer seats free?

Yes, Subframe offers free viewer seats across all pricing plans, allowing team members to view without an editor license.

Source
Spacelift: Why not just use the CI system we already have?

That is the real comparison. General purpose CI handles state, drift, approval gates and concurrency control for infrastructure poorly, and whether that is worth a five-figure floor depends on how much infrastructure change your organisation actually ships.

Spacelift: What happens to our pipelines if we leave?

They do not port. Rego policies, Blueprints, Spaces and managed state are Spacelift constructs and the orchestration has to be rebuilt elsewhere.

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