Ansible’s been the default for a long time. Agentless, readable YAML, huge module library-hard to argue with that on paper. In practice, though, most teams end up drowning in playbooks that grow like weeds, roles that drift out of sync, and idempotency surprises that only show up in production.
The good news? A bunch of newer platforms have stepped in and basically asked: why write all that low-level automation when you can declare what you need and let something smarter handle the details?
What follows are the tools real teams actually migrate to when they’re tired of debugging “gather facts” at midnight. Some are lightweight controllers, some are full environment-as-code platforms, others sit somewhere in between-but they all cut the ceremony way down compared to classic Ansible workflows.
1. AppFirst
AppFirst takes a different angle from traditional configuration management. Developers describe what an application needs – things like CPU, database type, networking rules, and the Docker image – and the platform spins up the full cloud environment automatically. It handles the VPCs, security groups, IAM roles, observability setup, and whatever else the cloud requires, without anyone writing Terraform, CDK, or even looking at YAML. The goal is to let people stay in their usual codebase and deploy with almost no infrastructure knowledge.
The service works on AWS, Azure, and GCP at the same time, so switching clouds later does not force a rewrite. Everything comes with logging, monitoring, alerting, and cost breakdowns already attached to each application and environment. Companies can run it as SaaS or install it inside their own clusters if they prefer to keep things on-prem.
Faits marquants :
- Provisions complete cloud environments from a short app-focused description
- Supports AWS, Azure, and GCP without config changes
- Includes logging, monitoring, alerting, and cost visibility out of the box
- Offers SaaS or self-hosted deployment
- Provides central audit logs for all infrastructure changes
Pros:
- Almost no infrastructure code to write or review
- Same workflow works across different clouds
- Security and observability are built in from the start
- No separate DevOps or platform team needed for day-to-day deploys
Cons:
- Still in waitlist / early-access phase, not fully public yet
- Less control over low-level cloud details compared to writing IaC by hand
- Teams that already have heavy Terraform investments might need to shift their habits
Informations de contact :
- Site web : www.appfirst.dev
2. Puppet
Puppet focuses on desired-state configuration management across servers, cloud instances, networks, and edge devices. Administrators write manifests in Puppet’s own DSL or use pre-built modules to define how systems should look, and the agents (or agentless pulls in newer setups) make sure reality matches that definition over time. The platform handles everything from basic package installation to complex compliance enforcement with detailed reporting.
Different editions exist – a core version built on the open-source base, an enterprise one with extra scale and support features, and an advanced tier that adds deeper policy controls. Organizations pick the level that fits their environment, with options for on-prem or cloud deployment.
Faits marquants :
- Uses declarative manifests to enforce system state
- Works across hybrid environments including cloud and edge
- Provides detailed audit and compliance reporting
- Offers multiple editions from basic to advanced governance
- Integrates into existing DevOps toolchains
Pros:
- Strong compliance and audit capabilities with full reporting
- Mature module ecosystem covers most common software stacks
- Handles very large estates reliably
- Clear separation between desired state and enforcement logic
Cons:
- Learning curve for the Puppet DSL can feel steep at first
- Agent-based model adds another moving part on managed nodes
- Changes sometimes require careful planning to avoid surprises
- Manifests can grow complex in large organizations
Informations de contact :
- Website: www.puppet.com
- Phone: +1 612.517.2100
- Email: sales-request@perforce.com
- Address: 400 N 1st Ave #400 Minneapolis, MN 55401
3. Chef
Chef centers on Ruby-based cookbooks and recipes that describe infrastructure configuration. Nodes pull policies from a central server or run in a more modern agentless mode, then converge to the declared state. The newer Chef 360 platform adds a UI layer and workflow orchestration on top of the traditional code-first approach, letting people mix click-driven actions with policy-as-code when needed.
The toolset covers configuration management, compliance scanning, and cross-tool orchestration. Deployment choices include SaaS, self-hosted, or marketplace installs on AWS and Azure. A free trial is available to test the platform.
Faits marquants :
- Combines traditional cookbooks with a newer UI-driven workflow layer
- Supports both agent and agentless execution
- Includes built-in compliance content and scanning
- Runs on cloud, on-prem, hybrid, or air-gapped setups
- Offers pre-built templates for common operational tasks
Pros:
- Flexible mix of code and UI reduces context switching
- Strong integration options with other DevOps tools
- Good support for compliance-as-code workflows
- Works in disconnected environments when needed
Cons:
- Ruby-based DSL adds a language barrier for some admins
- Shifting between older Chef and the 360 platform can feel disjointed
- Full features often require the paid platform rather than open pieces
- Cookbook complexity can grow quickly without discipline
Informations de contact :
- Website: www.chef.io
- Téléphone : +1-781-280-4000
- Email: asia.sales@progress.com
- Address: 15 Wayside Rd, Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/chef-software
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/getchefdotcom
- Twitter: x.com/chef
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/chef_software
4. Salt Project
Salt Project delivers fast, data-driven remote execution and configuration management through a master-minion architecture, though agentless modes exist too. Configuration gets written in YAML files called Salt states, or people can fire off one-off commands across thousands of targets almost instantly thanks to the ZeroMQ messaging layer.
The open-source project still receives regular updates and bug fixes. For enterprise needs, Salt powers VMware’s Tanzu Salt offering with additional support and features layered on top.
Faits marquants :
- Extremely fast remote execution over ZeroMQ
- State files written in straightforward YAML
- Event-driven automation with reactors and beacons
- Supports both master-minion and agentless operation
- Active open-source development with LTS releases
Pros:
- Speed of execution stands out compared to most tools
- Simple YAML syntax feels familiar to anyone who has used Ansible
- Very flexible targeting and orchestration capabilities
- No agent required in SSH mode
Cons:
- Master node can become a single point of failure in large setups
- Documentation sometimes lags behind new features
- Error messages can be cryptic when things go wrong
- Enterprise-grade support requires the VMware offering
Informations de contact :
- Website: saltproject.io
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/saltproject
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/SaltProjectOSS
- Twitter: x.com/Salt_Project_OS
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/saltproject_oss
5. AttuneOps
AttuneOps lets administrators build automation jobs by stringing together scripts and commands in languages they already know – Bash, PowerShell, Python, Perl, whatever fits. Jobs run across Windows, Linux, and macOS nodes via SSH or WinRM without installing agents. A nice trick is the ability to pause a job, fix a failed step, and resume instead of starting over.
The platform also generates configuration files, handles file transfers, and can coordinate steps across multiple servers as different users in a single run. A community edition exists for download, with paid tiers adding scheduling, self-service portal, and advanced orchestration.
Faits marquants :
- Builds automation from regular scripts without a special DSL
- Pause, edit, and resume failed jobs mid-run
- Agentless connection over SSH and WinRM
- Generates step-by-step manual docs from automated procedures
- Coordinates multi-server, multi-user jobs in one flow
Pros:
- Uses familiar scripting languages instead of learning something new
- Resume-from-failure saves time on long jobs
- Central place for scripts, files, and installers
- Self-service portal reduces interruptions for sysadmins
Cons:
- Still relies heavily on script quality and error handling
- Less declarative than pure configuration management tools
- Smaller community compared to older platforms
- Advanced features sit behind paid versions
Informations de contact :
- Website: attuneops.io
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/AttuneOps
- Twitter: x.com/AttuneOps
6. Rudder
Rudder puts most of its effort into security and compliance automation rather than general-purpose configuration. Administrators set policies through a web interface or built-in rules, then the platform pushes those out to Linux and Windows nodes, whether on-prem or in the cloud. It handles hardening, patch management, vulnerability scanning, and continuous compliance checks against benchmarks like CIS or NIST, all with a single dashboard that shows the real-time posture.
The agent-based setup keeps track of drift and can fix issues automatically. A demo is available, and the tool comes in open-source and supported commercial versions depending on how much hand-holding is needed.
Faits marquants :
- Web interface for creating and applying security policies
- Built-in patch and vulnerability management
- Continuous compliance scoring and reporting
- Covers both Linux and Windows systems
- Works in hybrid cloud and on-prem setups
Pros:
- Very strong focus on security hardening and audit readiness
- Clear compliance score makes status easy to understand at a glance
- Graphical policy editor lowers the entry barrier
- Automatic remediation options save manual cleanup time
Cons:
- General configuration management feels secondary to security features
- Agent required on every managed node
- Smaller ecosystem of community rules compared to older tools
- Less flexible for non-security automation tasks
Informations de contact :
- Website: www.rudder.io
- Phone: +33 1 83 62 26 96
- Address: 226 boulevard Voltaire, 75011 Paris, France
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/rudderbynormation
- Twitter: x.com/rudderio
7. CFEngine
CFEngine has been around for ages and still follows the promise-based declarative model it basically invented. Policies get written in its own lightweight language, nodes check in regularly, and the system makes sure everything stays in the promised state. It handles configuration, patching, hardening, and compliance reporting without much fuss.
A free community edition covers Linux only, while the enterprise version adds Windows support, a web UI, better reporting, and commercial backing. Most large-scale users run the enterprise build.
Faits marquants :
- Promise-based declarative language for policy definition
- Very lightweight agent footprint
- Community edition for Linux, enterprise edition adds Windows and UI
- Built-in drift detection and reporting
- Focus on autonomy and low overhead
Pros:
- Extremely stable and battle-tested at massive scale
- Minimal resource usage on managed nodes
- No master server bottleneck in basic setups
- Policy language is compact once you get used to it
Cons:
- Syntax feels quirky compared to YAML-based tools
- Windows support only in paid edition
- Web interface and advanced reporting locked behind enterprise
- Steeper initial learning curve for the language
Informations de contact :
- Website: cfengine.com
- Address: 470 Ramona Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/northern.tech
- Twitter: x.com/cfengine
8. OpenTofu
OpenTofu appeared as a direct fork of Terraform after the license change and now lives under the Linux Foundation. It works exactly like Terraform used to – HCL files define resources, providers talk to clouds, and state tracks what exists. Existing Terraform configurations run without changes, and the registry still hosts thousands of providers and modules.
New features show up faster than before, like state encryption by default, provider for_each, and flags to exclude specific resources during plans. Everything stays fully open source.
Faits marquants :
- Drop-in replacement for Terraform with identical HCL syntax
- Built-in state encryption with multiple key backends
- Provider for_each for multi-region or multi-account setups
- Exclusion flags to skip resources during apply
- Community-driven development under Linux Foundation
Pros:
- No license worries compared to newer Terraform versions
- Same workflow and modules everyone already knows
- Faster pace of practical feature additions
- State encryption works out of the box
Cons:
- Still depends on the same provider ecosystem quality
- Some enterprise Terraform features may lag or never appear
- Tooling fragmentation can confuse newcomers
- Long-term HashiCorp compatibility not guaranteed
Informations de contact :
- Website: opentofu.org
- Twitter: x.com/opentofuorg
9. Pulumi
Pulumi swaps HCL for real programming languages – TypeScript, Python, Go, C#, Java, even YAML if someone really wants it. Infrastructure gets defined like normal code, complete with loops, conditionals, and package imports, then the CLI turns that into cloud API calls. The state handling and preview steps feel similar to Terraform but with proper IDE support and testing frameworks.
Pulumi Cloud adds a hosted backend, policy enforcement, secrets management, and an AI agent called Neo that can generate or fix code. The core CLI and language runtimes stay open source and free.
Faits marquants :
- Infrastructure coded in general-purpose languages
- Full preview and diff before any changes
- Hosted Pulumi Cloud for state, secrets, and policy
- AI agent that understands existing stacks
- Works across all major clouds with the same code
Pros:
- Real language features make complex setups much cleaner
- Easy to unit-test infrastructure code
- Familiar development workflow for application developers
- Reusable components with normal package managers
Cons:
- Requires picking up a new tool instead of sticking to HCL
- Runtime dependencies can complicate CI environments
- Paid cloud features needed for larger organizations
- Smaller pool of ready-made examples compared to Terraform
Informations de contact :
- Website: www.pulumi.com
- Address: 601 Union St., Suite 1415, Seattle, WA 98101
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/pulumi
- Twitter: x.com/pulumicorp
10. Jenkins
Jenkins started as a simple continuous integration server and grew into a full-blown automation hub thanks to its massive plugin ecosystem. People write pipelines either in a web UI or as code in a Jenkinsfile, then runners – either on the main instance or distributed agents – execute the steps. It handles everything from basic builds to complex multi-branch deployments, and the community keeps adding new capabilities through plugins.
The core stays completely open source and self-hosted. Configuration lives mostly in the web interface, though modern setups lean heavily on Pipeline-as-Code. Someone can run it on a single laptop or scale it across dozens of agent nodes depending on the workload.
Faits marquants :
- Pipeline-as-Code using Jenkinsfile in Groovy syntax
- Huge plugin ecosystem for almost any tool or language
- Supports distributed builds with agents on different OSes
- Web UI for configuration and job monitoring
- Active open-source development and regular updates
Pros:
- Works with pretty much any stack thanks to plugins
- No cost for the core software or agents
- Flexible enough for tiny projects or massive setups
- Pipeline scripting gives decent version control
Cons:
- Web UI can feel clunky and dated in places
- Managing plugins and updates sometimes breaks things
- Scaling requires manual work on agents and security
- Groovy syntax in pipelines takes getting used to
Informations de contact :
- Website: www.jenkins.io
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/jenkins-project
- Twitter: x.com/jenkinsci
11. GitLab CI/CD
GitLab CI/CD lives inside the GitLab platform and uses a .gitlab-ci.yml file in the repository to define pipelines. Jobs run on runners – either shared ones on GitLab.com or self-hosted – and the YAML syntax covers stages, parallel execution, artifacts, and caching. Pipelines trigger on commits, merge requests, schedules, or manual clicks.
The same setup works for self-managed instances or the hosted version. Runners can spin up Docker containers for each job, keeping environments clean. Recent additions include reusable components and a catalog for sharing pipeline snippets across projects.
Faits marquants :
- Pipeline definition in .gitlab-ci.yml at repository root
- Built-in runners on GitLab.com or self-hosted options
- Supports matrix builds and job dependencies
- CI/CD components for reusable configuration
- Tight integration with GitLab issues, merge requests, and reviews
Pros:
- Everything stays in one place with the code
- Auto-devops templates get new projects started fast
- Review apps and environments preview changes easily
- Variables and secrets management built into the UI
Cons:
- YAML can get messy on complex pipelines
- Self-hosted runners need separate maintenance
- Some advanced features stay behind paid tiers
- Less plugin-style flexibility compared to standalone tools
Informations de contact :
- Website: gitlab.com
- LinkedIn : www.linkedin.com/company/gitlab-com
- Facebook : www.facebook.com/gitlab
- Twitter : x.com/gitlab
12. CircleCI
CircleCI runs pipelines defined in a config.yml file stored with the code. Jobs execute inside Docker containers or on macOS and Windows VMs, and the platform handles caching, workspaces, and parallelism automatically. Orbs let people package reusable chunks of configuration for common tasks.
A free tier covers open-source projects and small workloads, while paid plans unlock more concurrency, bigger machines, and self-hosted runners. The setup emphasizes speed, with smart defaults that often work without much tuning.
Faits marquants :
- YAML-based configuration with orbs for reuse
- Container and VM executors for different platforms
- Automatic caching of dependencies
- Built-in SSH debugging for failed jobs
- Insights and performance metrics on pipeline runs
Pros:
- Very fast feedback on small to medium projects
- Orbs make common setups easy to share
- Good support for monorepos and matrix jobs
- Clear pricing based on credits and concurrency
Cons:
- Costs add up quickly when scaling concurrency
- Self-hosted runners limited to enterprise plans
- Less control over the underlying runner OS
- Orb ecosystem smaller than traditional plugin libraries
Informations de contact :
- Website: circleci.com
- Phone: +1-800-585-7075
- Email: privacy@circleci.com
- Address: 2261 Market Street, #22561, San Francisco, CA, 94114
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/circleci
- Twitter: x.com/circleci
13. CloudBees CodeShip
CloudBees CodeShip offers a hosted CI/CD service with two flavors – a basic version that sets up common workflows quickly and a Pro version built around Docker that gives full control. Configuration happens either through a simple web UI for standard stacks or via YAML files for custom builds. Builds run on dedicated AWS instances to avoid noisy neighbors.
The service handles deployment targets directly or passes artifacts to external tools. Integration options cover notifications, code quality, and security scanning out of the box.
Faits marquants :
- Choice between guided UI setup or full YAML control
- Dedicated single-tenant AWS build instances
- Docker-based builds in the Pro version
- Parallel and sequential test pipelines
- Built-in deployment steps to common platforms
Pros:
- Quick start for standard web app stacks
- No resource contention with other customers
- Easy to evolve from basic to advanced workflows
- Good debugging tools and logs
Cons:
- Separate products for basic and advanced needs
- Pricing tied to build minutes and parallelism
- Smaller community compared to fully open options
- Less visibility when moving to self-hosted runners
Informations de contact :
- Site web : www.cloudbees.com
- Address: Faubourg de l’Hôpital 18 CH-2000 Neuchâtel Switzerland
- LinkedIn : www.linkedin.com/company/cloudbees
- Facebook : www.facebook.com/cloudbees
- Twitter : x.com/cloudbees
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/cloudbees_inc
14. Octopus Deploy
Octopus Deploy picks up where most CI servers leave off and focuses squarely on the deployment and operations side of the equation. Teams define a deployment process once – complete with variables, steps, and environment-specific tweaks – then reuse that exact process across dev, test, staging, and production. It handles everything from simple IIS drops to complicated Kubernetes rollouts, multi-tenant SaaS instances, cloud regions, or even on-prem servers behind firewalls.
Runbooks are a big part of the picture too; they let people script common operational tasks like certificate renewals, cache clears, or database migrations and expose them safely through the same UI with proper permissions. The platform keeps a full audit log of who did what and when, which comes in handy during compliance checks.
Faits marquants :
- Centralized deployment processes reused across environments
- Built-in multi-tenancy for customer-specific instances
- Runbooks for scripted operations and self-service tasks
- Role-based access and complete audit trails
- Works with Kubernetes, cloud, on-prem, and serverless targets
Pros:
- Deployment process stays consistent from dev to prod
- Runbooks reduce ad-hoc scripts and manual steps
- Multi-tenancy support without duplicating processes
- Good at handling complex or regulated environments
Cons:
- Adds another tool on top of existing CI pipelines
- Learning curve for the step editor and variable scoping
- Licensing costs scale with targets and users
- Less useful for teams with very simple deployment needs
Informations de contact :
- Website: octopus.com
- Phone: +1 512-823-0256
- Email: sales@octopus.com
- Address: Level 4, 199 Grey Street, South Brisbane, QLD 4101, Australia
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/octopus-deploy
- Twitter: x.com/OctopusDeploy
Conclusion
At the end of the day, walking away from Ansible usually means one of two things: people got tired of writing endless playbooks and debugging cryptic task failures, or they simply outgrew the “run some commands over SSH” model and needed something that handles state, compliance, security, or cloud provisioning more deliberately.
What’s interesting is how wide the spectrum has become. Some folks just want to describe the desired state once and let an agent keep things in line forever. Others want real programming languages instead of YAML, or a platform that spins up whole environments from a one-line request, or a pipeline tool that lives right next to the code. A few even want the old-school script-everything approach but with better orchestration and resume-from-failure tricks.
There’s no single “winner” because the pain points are different. One team might be drowning in drift and audit reports, another is stuck waiting on infra tickets, and a third just wants faster feedback loops without learning another domain-specific language. The good news? Pretty much whatever is frustrating about Ansible right now, something out there solves it in a way that feels almost custom-made.
