Ansible is a household name among server automation solutions for any organization that is looking to improve its operational efficiency and meet the competition head-on. It is a DevOps tool for server automation and configuration management, and is undoubtedly a staple for many of these organizations, especially for maintaining and managing virtual and private servers in large volume.

However, the problem is in how not all infrastructures and environments are suited for Ansible, making it necessary to find more suitable solutions for specific workflows. There are a lot of efficient solutions that can better suit the needs and requirements of your specific task. So we have compiled for you a list of the best Ansible alternatives that could better suit your specific use cases.

What is Ansible?

Ansible is an open-source automation tool that is widely used by IT experts to make managing systems, installing applications, and configuring servers easier. It is renowned for its dependability and usability and it does not require an agent as it uses straightforward language to carry out activities.

Ansible supports the automation and streamlining of numerous IT operations processes, making it a great tool for most DevOps and IT teams. However considering the requirements and specifics of different companies and their projects, Ansible might not be suitable for everything. And hence, this list of the best Ansible alternatives that might better fit your specific use case.

10 Best Ansible Alternatives

1. SaltStack

For managing complex infrastructure, SaltStack is a very effective and powerful configuration management and automation solution. It makes use of a master-minion architecture in which the master server interacts with agent nodes (minions) to enforce configurations and carry out tasks. SaltStack is an excellent solution for orchestration, configuration management, and remote task execution because of its superior remote execution capabilities. It is a great Ansible alternative that fits nicely with a variety of IT environments, owing to its scalability and versatility.

Some of its features include:

Integrates with other DevOps tools with API.
Simple and straightforward programming interface.
Hundreds of applications are supported with prebuilt modules.
Can handle ten thousand minions per master.

2. Gitlab CI

With built-in continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) capabilities, GitLab CI is a crucial component of the GitLab platform, providing a very capable and efficient alternative to Ansible. By automating the procedures involved in testing, creating, and deployment, it speeds up the software development process significantly. GitLab CI also enables you to define and control your CI/CD pipelines right from your version control system. With a reputation for simplicity and a close connection with Git repositories, it is a good choice for the DevOps team that is looking for a highly functional Ansible alternative. Its features are:

Secure GitLab Container registry for Docker images.
Can change metadata or merge requests without having to use slash commands in comment fields to solve issues.
Allows for deeper integration with APIs.
Confidential Issues to keep information secure.
Promote inner sourcing of internal repositories with GitLab internal projects.

3. Jenkins

With a primary focus on continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD), Jenkins is one of the oldest and most popular open-source automation servers. It has a sizable ecosystem of extensions and plugins that let users personalize and automate many parts of their software development operations. Jenkins is highly customizable and suited for a variety of use cases thanks to its support for a wide range of integrations and its ability to be extended to handle complex automation tasks outside of CI/CD. This level of customizability and diverse functionality make it a very compelling Ansible alternative for various use cases. Some features of Jenkins include:

Scale-out to higher numbers of nodes and equally distribute workload across them.
Supported and updated to all versions of Linux, Windows and Mac OS.
Easy installation as it comes in the form of a WAR file.
Easy set-up using the web interface.
Allows distributing work across multiple machines.

4. Codenvy

Codenvy is a very efficient tool that can be a worthy Ansible alternative for those looking for a tool for automating their applications or processes. It can seamlessly automate any applications and microservices to a lot of different servers. It is especially a great tool for teams that require a tool to manage configurations that are specific to certain environments, for their particular applications. Some of its features include:

Command line installers can be generated to be deployed on any environment.
Does not require installing or configuring.
Easy configuration for deployments with a simple and user-friendly interface.
Reduces common operational problems and risks.
Supports operating systems like Mac OS, Windows, Solaris, Linux and more.

5. Attune

This modern infrastructure automation platform makes it significantly easier to manage cloud-native systems. Attune primarily focuses on giving an integrated interface for orchestrating infrastructure resources and containerized applications. With capabilities like policy-based governance and monitoring, Attune also simplifies the deployment and scaling of apps within Kubernetes clusters. Some of its major features include:

Python-based architecture.
Allows coordinating multiple servers.
Full-stack orchestration.
Simple process for task scheduling.
Allows versatility when it comes to running scripts.
Easy interface.

6. Terraform

HashiCorp’s Terraform is an open-source Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool that lets you use declarative programming to describe and provision infrastructure resources. When it comes to automating the deployment of infrastructure elements like virtual machines, databases, and networking resources, Terraform is a flexible option because it supports a wide range of cloud providers and infrastructure services. Terraform’s best features include:

The IaC model makes for flexible, simpler and scalable infrastructure.
Supports multiple cloud providers.
Consistently performs across platforms.
Houses various inbuilt as well as community-contributed modules for infrastructure components.

7. Puppet Enterprise

Puppet Enterprise is a great tool for automating many software delivery processes in a simple way. It allows IT and DevOps teams to eliminate a lot of manual work that comes with software delivery. Puppet is a competent Ansible alternative, especially considering how it can help deliver quality software rapidly with minimal effort. Some of the features of Puppet Enterprises include:

Allows teams to model and manage their whole environments.
Clever orchestration.
Visualizes workflows.
Context-based reporting in real-time.
Lets you define and enforce infrastructure.
Reporting on packages that run across infrastructures.

8. Chef

Chef is a widely used, powerful configuration management and automation tool that allows you to define and enforce system configurations using code easily. It operates on an “Infrastructure as Code” (IaC) model, where configurations are expressed as code scripts or “recipes.” Chef excels at automating the provisioning and management of infrastructure, making it a popular choice for DevOps teams and an exceptional alternative to Ansible. Its features are:

Accelerated cloud adoption.
Allows seamless data centre management.
Lets you manage multiple cloud environments.
Highly customizable and versatile.
The IaC model allows better, consistent automation and eliminates errors.

9. CFEngine

CFEngine is a long-established configuration management and automation tool that specializes in ensuring the desired state of systems and configurations. It operates on a declarative model, where you can define the desired system state, and CFEngine will work to enforce it. CFEngine’s key strength lies in its ability to maintain system compliance and enforce policies across large and varied environments. Its key features are:

Real-time viewing and monitoring of system state.
Agent-based architecture that constantly evaluates the system state.
Automatically detects faulty configurations.
Automatically corrects configuration problems to achieve the desired system state.
Users can define those actions that manage non-compliance.

10. Rudder

Rudder is another popular open-source configuration management tool made to automate system configuration and uphold compliance standards throughout IT infrastructure. Both technical and non-technical users can use it because it offers an extremely simple and user-friendly web-based interface for setting up and managing configuration policies. As an Ansible alternative, Rudder is especially well-suited for a policy-driven and user-friendly tool for configuration management. Its features are:

Different workflow options for expert and non-expert users.
Automation for tasks like installation and configuration.
Inventory of all nodes that are being managed.
Easy managing of nodes with the web interface.

7 Additional Alternatives to Ansible

Conclusion

It’s crucial to take your unique requirements and tastes into account when looking for Ansible alternatives for automation and configuration management. Different tools offer unique strengths and approaches, allowing you to tailor your choice to your specific project requirements and organizational objectives.

It’s crucial to assess these alternatives comprehensively and select the one that aligns best with your preferences. The ideal solution ultimately depends on your particular needs and organizational objectives.