Terraform

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Score6.4

Rank#5 of 32

From$0.10/mo

Free planYes

Free trialYes

Runs onAPI, Linux, macOS, Self-hosted, Web, Windows

Summary

Terraform is an infrastructure-as-code tool for defining, provisioning, and managing cloud and on-premises resources through human-readable configuration files. Its workflow is to write a configuration, review an execution plan, and apply approved changes. Providers connect Terraform to services through APIs, and the Registry lists providers for services including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Kubernetes, GitHub, and Splunk. Modules package reusable configurations that users can find or publish in the Registry. The free Community Edition is a downloadable command-line tool. HCP Terraform adds remote runs, repository connections to GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket that can trigger plans after changes, and API integration. It stores state remotely with encryption at rest and offers workspaces, single sign-on, and role-based access controls. HCP Terraform and Terraform Enterprise support Sentinel policies. HashiCorp cautions that policy-as-code is a guardrail, not a security boundary, and trusted providers and modules matter because they can access workspace variables and state. Downloads and editor tools are available for Windows, macOS, and Linux workflows. HCP Terraform Free allows 500 managed resources; paid rates start at $0.10 per resource per month.

Who it is for

Terraform Community Edition suits practitioners who want a downloadable tool for infrastructure work. HCP Terraform’s free features are described as suitable for small teams, while larger organizations can look at paid collaboration and governance features.

What is good

Configuration changes follow a review-and-apply workflow.
Registry offers reusable modules and service providers.
HCP Terraform stores state remotely with encryption at rest.
Free Community Edition is downloadable.

What to know first

Free HCP Terraform allows 500 managed resources.
Trusted providers and modules can access workspace state.
HCP Terraform paid plans charge per managed resource.
Enterprise pricing is custom.

Verdict

Terraform supports infrastructure workflows from local configuration through remote collaboration and governance. Consider provider and module access carefully, and check plan limits and per-resource pricing before selecting an HCP Terraform tier.

Terraform plans and pricing

All plans

Free Free 500 managed resources · 1 concurrent remote run · 1 concurrent agent run developer.hashicorp.com · 22 Sept 2026

Essentials Not published Unlimited managed resources · 3 concurrent remote runs · 1 concurrent agent run developer.hashicorp.com · 22 Sept 2026

Standard Not published Unlimited managed resources · 10 concurrent remote runs · 10 concurrent agent runs developer.hashicorp.com · 22 Sept 2026

Premium Not published Unlimited managed resources · 200 concurrent remote runs · 300 concurrent agent runs developer.hashicorp.com · 22 Sept 2026

Terraform Community Edition Free Free downloadable command-line tool Provision infrastructure on any cloud provider developer.hashicorp.com · 29 Sept 2026

HCP Terraform Free Free No charge Up to 500 managed resources · 1 remote run and 1 agent run concurrently developer.hashicorp.com · 29 Sept 2026

Compared on cloud management software

Free plan: Yesdeveloper.hashicorp.com

Facts

Purpose: Terraform is an infrastructure-as-code tool for defining, provisioning, and managing cloud and on-premises resources through human-readable configuration files.developer.hashicorp.com · 29 Sept 2026
Workflow: Terraform’s core workflow is to write configuration, review an execution plan, and apply approved infrastructure changes.developer.hashicorp.com · 29 Sept 2026
Providers: Providers connect Terraform to services through APIs, and the Registry lists providers for services including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Kubernetes, GitHub, and Splunk.developer.hashicorp.com · 29 Sept 2026
Reusable modules: Terraform modules package reusable infrastructure configurations, and users can find or publish public modules in the Terraform Registry.developer.hashicorp.com · 29 Sept 2026
Collaboration: HCP Terraform can run Terraform remotely, connect to GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, trigger plans from repository changes, and integrate through an API.developer.hashicorp.com · 29 Sept 2026
Security and state: HCP Terraform stores state remotely with encryption at rest and provides workspaces, single sign-on, and role-based access controls.developer.hashicorp.com · 29 Sept 2026
Security limitation: HashiCorp says policy-as-code provides guardrails rather than a security boundary, and trusted providers and modules are important because they can access workspace variables and state.developer.hashicorp.com · 29 Sept 2026
Supported downloads: The official install page provides Terraform downloads and installation instructions for Windows, macOS, and Linux.developer.hashicorp.com · 29 Sept 2026
Editor integration: HashiCorp provides a Visual Studio Code extension and a language server for editors that support the Language Server Protocol.developer.hashicorp.com · 29 Sept 2026
Policy and governance: HCP Terraform and Terraform Enterprise support Sentinel policies to enforce infrastructure standards and security rules.developer.hashicorp.com · 29 Sept 2026
Enterprise deployment: Terraform Enterprise is a self-hosted HCP Terraform distribution with customizable resource limits and installation options that include air-gapped and active-active architectures.developer.hashicorp.com · 29 Sept 2026
Company history: HashiCorp was founded by Mitchell Hashimoto and Armon Dadgar in 2012.hashicorp.com · 29 Sept 2026