7 Best Terraform Cloud Alternatives for 2025
HashiCorp's pricing model change has prompted organizations to look for alternatives to Terraform Cloud. Several powerful options have emerged, offering cost predictability and control over infrastructure automation, extending beyond basic Terraform use.
Modern DevOps teams need tools that save costs, provide reliable state management, smooth CI/CD integration, and policy enforcement. The right tool can improve productivity and resource effectiveness.
This article reviews seven Terraform Cloud alternatives, focusing on deployment models, operational needs, and integration features. Each tool’s strengths help you choose the best fit for your organization's requirements.
Factors in Selecting Alternatives
Evaluate tools by looking at deployment models, operational needs, and integration features. Self-hosted options offer more control and security but require existing infrastructure management skills and data sovereignty requirements. SaaS solutions provide quick deployment and reduce operational overhead.
Key features to consider are state management, workspace organization, and CI/CD integration. Reliable state locking and versioning are important. Supporting multiple environments and team structures impacts operational success. Tools should support automated plan generation and apply operations and drift detection within CI/CD pipelines. GitOps lets teams manage infrastructure changes through pull requests, facilitating code review and maintaining a change audit trail.
Alternatives for Infrastructure Automation
Terrateam: GitOps-First Terraform Automation
Terrateam is a GitOps-first alternative to Terraform Cloud, built for teams automating infrastructure in GitHub. It integrates directly with pull request workflows, enforcing code reviews and automating Terraform, OpenTofu, Pulumi, CDKTF, and more. Everything runs within GitHub without requiring an external UI, keeping your workflow simple and secure. State files remain within your infrastructure, and advanced workflow features support complex, multi-step deployments. For teams using GitHub, Terrateam provides a lightweight and scalable alternative without the complexity of extra tooling.
Atlantis: Open-Source Self-Hosted GitOps
Atlantis automates Terraform workflows through pull requests, maintaining clear audit trails. It integrates with Git repositories, offering a standardized workflow for reviewing and applying changes. Its self-hosted nature requires ongoing maintenance.
Terrakube: 100% Open-Source Platform
Terrakube provides a solution with private registry support and custom workflows, integrating with major VCS systems and allowing extensive customization. It suits teams wanting full control over infrastructure management. Recent updates include workspace importers for Terraform Cloud migrations and OpenTofu integration.
Burrito: Lightweight GitOps Automation
Burrito manages Terraform code through CI/CD pipelines. Its lightweight nature and GitOps alignment suit teams wanting simple workflows with effective drift detection. Burrito runs within infrastructure, providing security and control over operations.
Airplane: Infrastructure Automation with Terraform
Airplane enhances Terraform's workflow capabilities with integration and automation features. It uses CI/CD pipelines and tool integration to automate deployments efficiently, making it suitable for teams needing reliable infrastructure.
Teller: Secrets Management and Automation
Teller manages secrets and integrates seamlessly with Terraform automation, securely managing sensitive information and ensuring real-time secret population. It supports CI/CD integration, detecting secret drift before deployment, maintaining secure and efficient process.
EnvZilla: Open-Source Environment Automation
EnvZilla, though not widely documented, aligns with automation needs by promoting environment management and streamlining workflows for Terraform configurations. Its features and integrations are comparable with other discussed alternatives.
Selecting the Right Tool
Your choice depends on specific needs and constraints. Teams focused on GitHub integration might prefer Terrateam or Atlantis. Organizations requiring enterprise features and multi-framework support might find Airplane or Terrakube advantageous. If cost control is a priority, select a solution with comprehensive cost estimation and policy integration.
Start by assessing core requirements like state management, policy enforcement, and collaboration features. Test chosen solutions in controlled environments for compatibility with workflows. Successful implementation depends on setup and team adoption, so invest in training and establishing clear infrastructure automation processes.
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