CloudFormation is fine until it isn’t. Once teams start juggling multi-cloud setups, heavier automation needs, or faster deployment cycles, the tool can feel a bit limiting. That’s usually when the search for something more flexible or developer-friendly begins.
In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the alternatives that have stepped up in this space. Some lean into easier templating, others focus on deeper automation, and a few simply remove the friction CloudFormation tends to introduce. More importantly, we’ll highlight the companies behind these tools, the ones helping teams build cleaner infrastructure without the extra noise. This isn’t about finding a magic replacement, but about understanding which direction fits the way your team actually works. Let’s break it down.
1. AppFirst
AppFirst takes a pretty different approach compared to CloudFormation and most traditional IaC tools. Instead of asking teams to define every piece of infrastructure line by line, they flip it around and let developers describe what the app actually needs. From there, the platform assembles the whole setup automatically. It appeals to teams that want the benefits of IaC without the long trail of Terraform files, YAML, reviews, refactors, and everything else that usually piles up when apps scale.
They also lean into the idea of staying cloud-agnostic, which is handy when people don’t want their infrastructure templates tied too tightly to one provider. AppFirst handles the security defaults, the networking bits, the logs, the monitoring, and all the internal wiring that normally eats up half a sprint. It’s a different kind of alternative to CloudFormation, but for teams that want to reduce IaC overhead instead of expanding it, it ends up filling a gap nicely.
Key Highlights:
- Application-first approach instead of writing infrastructure code
- Works across AWS, Azure, and GCP
- Provides built-in logging, monitoring, and auditing
- Standardizes security and cloud best practices automatically
- Offers SaaS and self-hosted deployment options
Services:
- Automated infrastructure provisioning
- Cross-cloud deployment support
- Security and compliance enforcement
- Cost visibility and audit logs
- Built-in observability tools
- App-focused configuration workflows
Contact Info:
- Website: www.appfirst.dev
2. Pulumi
Pulumi comes up a lot whenever people start looking for something more flexible than CloudFormation. They take a pretty straightforward approach to infrastructure as code by letting teams work in normal programming languages instead of dealing with long YAML files. Most folks use it when they want their infrastructure to feel like part of their actual software workflow instead of a separate world they only touch when something breaks. Pulumi also brings everything into one place, so teams can manage code, secrets, policies, and automation without juggling a bunch of disconnected tools.
They also lean heavily into making day-to-day tasks less painful. Engineers can test code, reuse components, and work in the same languages they already use for their apps. On top of that, they’ve built extra tools for things like centralizing secrets, keeping an eye on multi-cloud setups, and giving teams a clearer path to build internal platforms. Their newer AI features add another layer, helping automate some of the routine work without getting in the way.
Key Highlights:
- Uses real programming languages for infrastructure
- Works across multiple cloud providers
- Includes built-in tools for secrets, config, and policy control
- Offers AI features to automate common tasks
- Supports internal platform building and reusable components
Services:
- Infrastructure as code tooling
- Multi-cloud resource management
- Secrets and configuration management
- Policy and governance features
- AI-driven infrastructure automation
- Internal developer platform support
Contact Information:
- Website: www.pulumi.com
- Address: 601 Union St., Suite 1415 Seattle, WA 98101 USA
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/pulumi
- Twitter: x.com/pulumicorp
3. Terraform
Terraform is usually one of the first names people bring up when they want something more flexible than CloudFormation. They focus on describing infrastructure in a simple config language so teams can manage resources across different clouds the same way. Most folks use it when they want a single workflow instead of juggling AWS-specific templates and separate tools for everything else. Terraform also fits well into larger engineering setups because it works with a wide range of providers, not just the major clouds.
They put a lot of effort into helping teams handle more than just basic provisioning. Their ecosystem includes tools for building consistent images, managing policies, and coordinating multi-cloud setups. The whole idea is to treat infrastructure as something that can be planned, tracked, and changed with fewer surprises. It’s not meant to replace engineering effort, just make the work less scattered.
Key Highlights:
- Lets teams manage infrastructure using a single config language
- Works across cloud providers and many external services
- Supports team workflows through versioning and planning
- Large ecosystem of integrations and reusable configurations
- Can be paired with other HashiCorp tools for broader workflows
Services:
- Infrastructure as code tooling
- Multi-cloud provisioning
- Team collaboration features
- Policy and configuration management
- Image and environment provisioning via related tools
- Support for automation and CI workflows
Contact Information:
- Website: www.hashicorp.com
- Address: 101 2nd Street, Suite 700 San Francisco, California, 94105 USA
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/hashicorp
- Twitter: x.com/hashicorp
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/HashiCorp
4. env0
env0 often comes up when teams hit the limits of CloudFormation and need something that can manage Terraform or other IaC tools in a cleaner, more predictable way. Instead of relying on CloudFormation’s AWS-only workflow, env0 gives teams a central place to run their infrastructure pipelines across different clouds and environments. It helps keep everything consistent, so deployments don’t depend on whatever script or shortcut someone used last month. For teams juggling Terraform stacks or shifting away from CloudFormation templates, this kind of structure makes day-to-day work less chaotic.
They also deal with a lot of the rough edges that show up once IaC gets bigger. env0 adds guardrails, review steps, and visibility that CloudFormation alone doesn’t really cover. Teams can see what’s being deployed, catch issues earlier, and rely on one shared workflow instead of dozens of separate processes. The idea isn’t to replace Terraform or OpenTofu, but to sit on top of them and keep the whole operation organized while still letting engineers work the way they prefer.
Key Highlights:
- Helps teams move beyond AWS-only CloudFormation workflows
- Standardizes IaC processes for Terraform and other tools
- Supports Git-based reviews and predictable pipelines
- Adds guardrails like RBAC and policy checks
- Improves visibility into deployments and environment changes
Services:
- IaC workflow automation
- Multi-environment and multi-account coordination
- Governance and policy management
- Cost oversight and usage controls
- Self-service deployment features
- Integrations for Terraform and related IaC tools
Contact Information:
- Website: www.env0.com
- Address: 100 Causeway Street, Suite 900, Boston, MA 02114 United States
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/env0
- Twitter: x.com/envzero
5. Spacelift
Spacelift shows up on the radar for teams that have outgrown CloudFormation’s way of doing things and want something that handles modern IaC workflows without locking them into one cloud. Instead of writing long CloudFormation templates and manually wiring everything into a pipeline, Spacelift gives teams a central place to run Terraform, OpenTofu, Ansible, and other tools they already rely on. It’s the kind of setup people look for when they want more flexibility and a cleaner path to manage multi-cloud or mixed-infrastructure environments.
They also tackle a few of the problems that come up when CloudFormation becomes a bottleneck. With Spacelift, deployments follow the same workflow every time, reviews are easier to manage, and changes are more visible across teams. Developers can spin up things through a controlled process, while platform teams still keep the guardrails in place. It’s not trying to replace IaC tools themselves, but it sits on top and helps organize everything they’re doing.
Key Highlights:
- Built to support Terraform, OpenTofu, Ansible, and other CloudFormation alternatives
- Helps teams move away from AWS-only pipelines
- Standardizes IaC workflows across clouds and environments
- Adds policies, drift checks, and visibility CloudFormation doesn’t cover well
- Makes self-service possible while keeping platform teams in control
Services:
- IaC orchestration for Terraform, OpenTofu, CloudFormation, and more
- Automated workflows for provisioning and configuration
- Policy and access controls for safer deployments
- Drift detection and environment tracking
- Multi-cloud and multi-environment management
- Self-hosted and SaaS deployment options
Contact Information:
- Website: spacelift.io
- Email: info@spacelift.io
- Address: 541 Jefferson Ave. Suite 100 Redwood City CA 94063 USA
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/spacelift-io
- Twitter: x.com/spaceliftio
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/spaceliftio
6. Chef
Chef is often considered when teams want an alternative to CloudFormation that goes beyond template-driven provisioning and gives them more control over how servers and configurations are managed over time. Instead of defining everything in long JSON or YAML documents, Chef uses policy-as-code to keep infrastructure consistent across cloud and on-prem environments. Teams look at it when they need something flexible enough to manage configuration, compliance, and workflows in one place, especially if they’re mixing AWS with other platforms.
They also focus on the ongoing lifecycle of infrastructure, which is something CloudFormation doesn’t really cover well. Chef lets teams automate configuration, enforce standards, and run audits through repeatable policies rather than relying on manual fixes or ad hoc scripts. It fits into setups where people want more day-to-day control and want to avoid drift, while still keeping their systems aligned with the rules and processes their organization depends on.
Key Highlights:
- Supports policy-as-code as an alternative to CloudFormation templates
- Helps manage configuration, compliance, and workflows across environments
- Works across AWS, cloud, hybrid, and on-prem setups
- Provides guardrails through repeatable policies and audits
- Designed for long-term infrastructure consistency, not just provisioning
Services:
- Infrastructure configuration management
- Compliance and security policy enforcement
- Workflow and job orchestration
- Application and node management
- Support for cloud, hybrid, and on-prem environments
Contact Information:
- Website: www.chef.io
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/chef-software
- Twitter: x.com/chef
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/chef_software
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/getchefdotcom
7. Ansible
Ansible is one of the tools teams look at when CloudFormation starts feeling too tied to AWS and not flexible enough for everything else they need to manage. Instead of writing long CloudFormation templates, Ansible uses simple YAML playbooks that describe the state you want your systems to be in. They lean into automation and configuration management rather than just provisioning, which makes Ansible useful when teams need something that works across clouds, on-prem machines, network devices, or whatever else is in the mix.
They also keep things pretty straightforward by running without agents and relying on standard connections like SSH. This helps teams manage a lot of day-to-day tasks that CloudFormation doesn’t cover, like patching, updating configs, and keeping servers consistent over time. It fits well in setups where infrastructure needs regular adjustments and automation, and where people want a tool that can handle changes across different environments without locking them into AWS’s way of doing things.
Key Highlights:
- Uses simple YAML playbooks instead of CloudFormation templates
- Works across cloud, on-prem, and hybrid environments
- Agent-less design that reduces setup and maintenance
- Helps automate ongoing configuration and system changes
- Supports a wide range of operating systems and platforms
Services:
- Configuration management and automation
- Playbook-driven provisioning
- Software deployment and updates
- Zero-downtime rolling updates
- Multi-environment and multi-platform support
Contact Information:
- Website: docs.ansible.com
8. Salt Project
Salt is one of the tools people look at when CloudFormation feels too tied to AWS and not flexible enough for everything happening across their infrastructure. Instead of relying on templates, Salt leans on automation, remote execution, and configuration management to handle systems at scale. They use a data-driven approach that lets teams push changes out quickly and keep machines aligned with whatever state they’re supposed to be in, whether that’s on AWS, on-prem, or somewhere in between. It’s the kind of tool teams consider when they need something that can react fast and manage a lot of moving pieces at once.
They also focus heavily on ongoing operations, not just provisioning. Salt gives teams a way to run commands across large fleets, automate routine fixes, and enforce configuration standards without jumping between different tools. For people moving away from CloudFormation, Salt often ends up being the part that handles the day-to-day management work that a template-based system doesn’t cover. It’s useful when infrastructure needs constant updates and you want a system that can automate those tasks without turning everything into a manual effort.
Key Highlights:
- Works across cloud, on-prem, and hybrid environments
- Uses automation and remote execution instead of static templates
- Helps keep systems aligned with defined states
- Supports fast, large-scale configuration changes
- Useful for teams needing more operational control than CloudFormation provides
Services:
- Configuration management
- Remote execution and orchestration
- System state enforcement
- Multi-environment automation
- Support for cloud, hybrid, and on-prem setups
Contact Information:
- Website: saltproject.io
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/saltproject
- Twitter: x.com/Salt_Project_OS
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/saltproject_oss
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/SaltProjectOSS
9. OpenTofu
OpenTofu is usually mentioned when teams want to step away from CloudFormation and move toward something more flexible without losing the familiar Terraform workflow. Since it’s a community-driven fork of Terraform, it works as a drop-in replacement, which makes it easier for teams to switch without rewriting everything. They focus on keeping IaC open-source and giving engineers the same style of configuration they’re used to, just without the licensing concerns that pushed many people to look for alternatives in the first place.
They also add a few extra features that help with the things CloudFormation doesn’t cover well, like managing multi-cloud setups, organizing modules, and giving teams more control over how resources get deployed. OpenTofu keeps the same provider ecosystem as Terraform, so teams can use it to build and manage infrastructure across different clouds while moving away from AWS-only templates. It fits into workflows where people want IaC that feels familiar but gives them more long-term stability and freedom.
Key Highlights:
- Works as a Terraform-compatible alternative to CloudFormation
- Fully open-source and community-driven
- Supports multi-cloud and multi-environment configurations
- Compatible with a large provider and module ecosystem
- Adds features like resource exclusion, state encryption, and advanced provider patterns
Services:
- Infrastructure as code configuration
- Multi-cloud resource deployment
- State management and encryption
- Module and provider support
- Git-based workflows and version control integration
Contact Information:
- Website: opentofu.org
- Twitter: x.com/opentofuorg
10. Crossplane
Crossplane is something teams pick up when CloudFormation starts feeling too limited or too AWS-shaped for the kind of platforms they want to build. Instead of relying on templates that only describe resources, Crossplane lets them create their own APIs on top of Kubernetes. That means they can define infrastructure in a more modular way and expose it to developers without making everyone learn the low-level details of each cloud provider. For teams that want to build a consistent experience across clouds, or even just keep AWS a bit more organized, this approach gives them more room to design things the way they want.
They also focus heavily on the idea of running infrastructure through a control plane rather than a one-off provisioning tool. Crossplane plugs into Kubernetes, so everything becomes declarative, version controlled, and easy to extend. Instead of treating infrastructure as a set of isolated pieces, teams can stitch together policies, permissions, and resource definitions into one cohesive workflow. For anyone moving away from CloudFormation, it’s appealing because it offers a lot of flexibility while still keeping the overall process predictable.
Key Highlights:
- Lets teams build custom APIs as an alternative to CloudFormation templates
- Works across multiple cloud providers through a Kubernetes control plane
- Supports declarative workflows for consistent infrastructure management
- Integrates naturally with cloud native tools and Kubernetes features
- Helps platform teams design their own opinionated infrastructure layers
Services:
- Custom control plane creation
- Multi-cloud resource orchestration
- Policy and permission management
- Declarative configuration workflows
- Kubernetes-based extension and integration
Contact Information:
- Website: www.crossplane.io
- Email: info@crossplane.io
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/crossplane
- Twitter: x.com/crossplane_io
11. Northflank
Northflank is one of those platforms teams look at when CloudFormation starts feeling a bit too tied to AWS and not great for running workloads across different clouds. Instead of asking engineers to deal with the usual maze of YAML, cloud consoles, and pipeline stitching, Northflank gives them a single place to deploy and manage apps, databases, and jobs across whatever cloud they already use. They lean into this idea of bringing your own cloud, so teams can stay on AWS if they want, or mix in GCP, Azure, or on-prem without rebuilding their setup from scratch.
They also handle a lot of the operational work people usually end up scripting around when moving away from CloudFormation. Things like workload automation, preview environments, pipelines, failover, and cluster lifecycle management all get baked into one platform. Teams use it when they want the freedom to run things wherever it makes sense but still keep a consistent developer experience. It ends up acting like the missing layer between cloud resources and day-to-day engineering workflows, especially for groups that want less infrastructure busywork and more focus on shipping code.
Key Highlights:
- Works across AWS, GCP, Azure, on-prem, and hybrid setups
- Offers a unified workflow instead of relying on CloudFormation templates
- Provides consistent deployment and management across clouds
- Supports GitOps, pipelines, preview environments, and autoscaling
- Simplifies Kubernetes operations through BYOC and BYOK
Services:
- Multi-cloud workload deployment
- Kubernetes cluster lifecycle management
- Application, database, and job hosting
- Automated pipelines and GitOps workflows
- Failover and disaster recovery tools
- Internal developer platform capabilities
Contact Information:
- Website: northflank.com
- Email: contact@northflank.com
- Address: 20-22 Wenlock Road, London, England, N1 7GU
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/northflank
- Twitter: x.com/northflank
12. Puppet
Puppet shows up in conversations about CloudFormation alternatives mainly because they take a different angle on the whole infrastructure problem. Instead of focusing on how to create resources, they lean into keeping everything in the state it should be. Their approach tends to make more sense for teams that care about long-term consistency across fleets of servers or hybrid setups, rather than just spinning up cloud resources and walking away. A lot of what they do is about turning configuration work into code and letting the system enforce those rules automatically, which can feel like a big relief compared to chasing drift by hand.
They also fit into workflows where CloudFormation starts to feel a bit narrow. Puppet plays well across different environments, not just AWS, and their model suits teams that want a central source of truth for how systems should behave. Whether it is operating systems, app configs, or a mix of on-prem and cloud machines, Puppet gives teams a way to define everything once and let automation do the repetitive work. It is a different style of IaC, but in many organizations it ends up filling in gaps CloudFormation doesn’t try to solve.
Key Highlights:
- Focuses on configuration management rather than cloud-specific provisioning
- Helps maintain consistent state across servers and environments
- Useful in hybrid and multi-cloud setups
- Emphasizes version-controlled, repeatable infrastructure practices
- Supports modeling infrastructure as code with a declarative language
Services:
- Configuration management and enforcement
- Infrastructure as code workflows
- Policy and compliance automation
- Orchestration for tasks and deployments
- Integration with CI/CD and monitoring tools
Contact Information:
- Website: www.puppet.com
- Email: sales-request@perforce.com
- Phone: +1 612.517.2100
- Address: 400 First Avenue North #400 Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA
13. Google Cloud Deployment Manager
Google Cloud’s Deployment Manager comes up pretty often when teams are looking for alternatives to CloudFormation, mostly because it gives them a similar declarative way to define infrastructure but without locking everything into AWS. Instead of writing long lists of steps, they describe what the final setup should look like, and Deployment Manager figures out how to make it happen across Google Cloud services. It tends to appeal to teams that want structure but also like being able to break things into reusable templates instead of rewriting the same config for every project.
They also lean heavily into templating, which lets teams build out complex setups without drowning in YAML. People can mix Python or Jinja with their configuration files, which makes tweaking things for different environments a bit easier. It slots comfortably into the usual IaC routine version control, code reviews, repeatable deployments and gives teams a predictable way to manage GCP resources when CloudFormation isn’t an option or when they’re running multi-cloud setups.
Key Highlights:
- Declarative IaC approach focused on Google Cloud resources
- Uses templates to structure and reuse configurations
- Supports YAML with Jinja or Python templates for flexibility
- Works well with Git-based workflows
- Lets teams manage deployments consistently across environments
Services:
- Infrastructure provisioning and updates
- Template-based resource definitions
- Multi-environment configuration management
- Integration with gcloud CLI and API
- Version-controlled IaC workflows
Contact Information:
- Website: cloud.google.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/showcase/google-cloud
- Twitter: x.com/googlecloud
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/googlecloud
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/googlecloud
Conclusion
Looking at CloudFormation alternatives makes one thing pretty clear: teams have a lot more freedom now than they did a few years ago. Some tools stick close to the traditional IaC model, others build whole platforms on top of it, and a few try to remove infrastructure work from developers almost entirely. There isn’t one perfect path here, just different ways to lighten the load depending on how your team likes to work.
If you’re trying to figure out what fits, the easiest move is to test a couple of options on a small, low-risk project. You’ll quickly feel which approach matches your workflow and which one adds friction. And once you find a tool that actually makes deployments less of a headache, it tends to become part of the routine without much debate.
