hashicorp-terraform-vs-red-hat-ansible-automation-platform

Ansible and Terraform are both configuration management tools designed to help create and maintain the runtime environment of applications. Both technologies are used by companies of all sizes, particularly those that engage in software development.

Terraform is known for robust orchestration features and is popular with organizations that need application runtime environments to be both very particular and very stable. Terraform maintains required resources and dependencies.

Ansible is capable of handling both runtime orchestration and configuration management. It has stronger configuration management features, though, so it is most popular with businesses that benefit from its software provisioning and configuration management features.

Features

Ansible and Terraform both include configuration management features but have a few standout features of their own. Though they compete in the same space, there is not much feature overlap between the two technologies.

Ansible has robust configuration management features and flexible orchestration features. As a result, Ansible can be an all-in-one configuration management technology. Ansible also offers strong automation features that can help users save time.

Terraform provides advanced orchestration features to ensure a stable runtime environment for application development and testing. Using Terraform, users can install and develop infrastructure easily and quickly.

Limitations

Though Ansible and Terraform both provide configuration management or orchestration features, they also have a few limitations that are important to consider.

Ansible is not as advanced as Terraform when it comes to orchestration features. Additionally, until the highest pricing tier, Ansible doesn’t offer 24×7 support, meaning users may have to rely on community support at times. Weak support can be an issue as Ansible has a complex UI that makes implementation and training difficult.

Terraform’s API changes frequently, which can make integrations challenging to implement. Terraform also has limited documentation, which further complicates integrations. The insufficient documentation can also be an issue because Terraform has a high learning curve, making it a challenging technology for new users to grasp.

Pricing

Ansible offers two packages for businesses, including Ansible’s entire suite of automation products. The standard package includes all essential features as well as 8×5 customer support. The premium package includes 24×7 support. Both packages are priced depending on the business. A free trial is available for users that want to try the technology before purchasing.

Terraform provides a free version for individual users, as well as 3 prices for teams and businesses. The teams package costs $20 per user per month and includes basic features along with role and team management. The $70 per user per month package includes a resource estimation tool. Lastly, the enterprise package is priced depending on the business and consists of an on-premises option.

Which is Right for you?

The most significant difference between Ansible and Terraform is that Terraform offers reliable orchestration tools during runtime, while Ansible offers robust configuration management tools. Businesses that prefer one of those feature sets over the other should make their selection based on that. Ansible does have some orchestration tools, so it may be ideal for organizations that need orchestration and configuration management tools but only want a single solution.

Many businesses use both Ansible and Terraform. This solution is ideal for organizations that can benefit from the features of both technologies.