Best IT Configuration Management Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Canonical Landscape is ranked #1 of 23 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Foreman and Salt. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Foreman. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Terraform at $0.10/mo.
IT configuration management software helps teams define and maintain system settings across infrastructure. Compare agentless operation, configuration as code, and drift detection to understand how the ranked options approach configuration work. Compliance policies and operating system coverage add further points to weigh, while deployment model and managed node limits help clarify operational fit. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing provide cost context. The entries begin with Canonical Landscape and Foreman, followed by Salt. Terraform and CFEngine are also among the early options. Consider which configuration practices and environment requirements matter to your team as you compare the listed capabilities.
23 IT configuration management software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 Canonical Landscape No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4$571.75/mo Deployment model: hybridDrift detection: Yes
- 2 Foreman No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4Free Deployment model: self_hosted
- 3 Salt No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4Free Deployment model: self_hostedDrift detection: Yes
- 4 Terraform No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4$0.10/mo Drift detection: Yes
- 5 CFEngine No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free Deployment model: self_hostedDrift detection: Yes
- 6 Pulumi No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3$40/mo Drift detection: Yes
- 7 Rudder No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free Deployment model: self_hostedDrift detection: Yes
- 8 AWS CloudFormation No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free Drift detection: Yes
- 9 OpenTofu No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free Drift detection: Yes
- 10 Uyuni No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free Drift detection: Yes
- 11 Chef Infra No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7$4.92/mo Drift detection: Yes
- 12 Puppet No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7 Deployment model: self_hostedDrift detection: Yes
- 13 SUSE Multi-Linux Manager No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.6 Deployment model: hybridConfiguration as code: YesDrift detection: Yes
- 14 Azure Machine Configuration No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4$6/mo Deployment model: cloudDrift detection: Yes
- 15 Nix No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4Free
- 16 AWS Systems Manager State Manager No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.1 Deployment model: cloudDrift detection: Yes
- 17 Azure Bicep No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.1 Drift detection: Yes
- 18 Google Cloud VM Manager No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.1 Deployment model: cloudDrift detection: Yes
- 19 Juju No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.1 Deployment model: self_hosted
- 20 Microsoft Desired State Configuration No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.1 Deployment model: self_hostedDrift detection: Yes
- 21 Crossplane No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 4.9 Drift detection: Yes
- 22 Google Cloud Infrastructure Manager No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 4.8 Drift detection: Yes
- 23 OpenStack Heat No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 4.7
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which IT configuration management software is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
Canonical Landscape is ranked #1 of 23 with a score of 6.4. Foreman is second and Salt third.
How many of these have a free plan?
11 of the 23 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Terraform has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.10/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.