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Cloud · head to head

Terragrunt vs Rancher

Terragrunt logo

Terragrunt

Cloud

The Open Source IaC Orchestrator Platform Teams Trust

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rancher logo

Rancher

Cloud

Kubernetes management platform for multiple clusters

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Terragrunt additional complexity layer on top of Terraform; Rancher another platform to run and keep available, and an outage in it affects access to everything it manages
  • They diverge on capability: Terragrunt covers Infrastructure orchestration, Rancher covers Multi-cluster management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Terragrunt and Rancher actually diverge.

Attributes where Terragrunt and Rancher differ
AttributeTerragruntRancher
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsAWS, Azure, GCPKubernetes, Linux, Docker, Self-hosted

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

  • Infrastructure orchestration
  • Run Queue
  • DRY configuration
  • Automated hooks
  • Infrastructure catalog
  • Least-privilege access

Only in Rancher

  • Multi-cluster management
  • Centralised RBAC
  • Cluster provisioning
  • App catalogue

What people use each for

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

Terragrunt

  • Organizing Terraform code across multiple environmentsnot Rancher
  • Automating infrastructure deployment workflowsnot Rancher
  • Implementing infrastructure as code templates for developer self-servicenot Rancher

Rancher

  • Operating many Kubernetes clusters with consistent access controlnot Terragrunt
  • Managing clusters across more than one cloud provider from one interfacenot Terragrunt
  • Edge deployments with many small clusters, typically alongside K3snot Terragrunt

Where each one falls short

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

Terragrunt

  • Additional complexity layer on top of Terraform
  • Requires understanding of Terraform concepts
  • Paid tier pricing not clearly published

Rancher

  • Another platform to run and keep available, and an outage in it affects access to everything it manages
  • Meaningful overhead if you only operate one or two clusters
  • Version compatibility between Rancher and managed Kubernetes versions needs watching during upgrades
  • Support requires a SUSE subscription; the project itself is community-supported

Pricing, plan by plan

Terragrunt

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Terragrunt CLI - completely free
    • Community support
  • Terragrunt Scale FreeFree
    • Free CI/CD pipeline
    • Unlimited runs and resources
    • For up to 25 infrastructure units
  • Terragrunt Scale Paid$undefined/custom
    • Volume pricing for more than 25 infrastructure units
    • Enterprise support

Rancher

Free
  • RancherFree
    • Full functionality
    • No data limits
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose Terragrunt if

  • You need infrastructure orchestration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on AWS, Azure, GCP.
  • You also want run queue.
Terragrunt review

Choose Rancher if

  • You need multi-cluster management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Kubernetes, Linux, Docker, Self-hosted.
  • You also want centralised rbac.
Rancher review

Questions people ask

Is Terragrunt or Rancher better?
Neither clearly leads. Terragrunt starts at Free and Rancher at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Terragrunt or Rancher?
Terragrunt starts at Free and Rancher at Free.
Does Terragrunt or Rancher run on more platforms?
Terragrunt runs on AWS, Azure, GCP. Rancher runs on Kubernetes, Linux, Docker, Self-hosted.
Can I use Terragrunt for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Terragrunt best used for?
Terragrunt is most often used for organizing terraform code across multiple environments, automating infrastructure deployment workflows, implementing infrastructure as code templates for developer self-service. Of those, organizing terraform code across multiple environments and automating infrastructure deployment workflows are not what Rancher is typically brought in for.
What can Terragrunt do that Rancher cannot?
Terragrunt covers Infrastructure orchestration, Run Queue, DRY configuration, Automated hooks. Rancher covers Multi-cluster management, Centralised RBAC, Cluster provisioning, App catalogue.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Terragrunt: Is Terragrunt free?

Yes, the Terragrunt CLI is completely free and open source. Terragrunt Scale offers a free tier for up to 25 infrastructure units.

Source
Rancher: Is Rancher free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee. SUSE sells support subscriptions.

Terragrunt: What is the difference between Terragrunt and Terraform?

Terragrunt is an orchestration layer on top of Terraform that handles state management, DRY principles, and deployment automation without replacing Terraform itself.

Source
Rancher: Does Rancher work with EKS and GKE?

Yes. It imports and manages existing clusters regardless of who provisioned them, alongside clusters it creates itself.

Rancher: Do I need Rancher for one cluster?

Generally no. Its value appears when cluster count and consistent access control become the problem, which is not the case with one.

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