In the world of Infrastructure as Code (IaC), HashiCorp's Terraform has emerged as a leading tool, enabling developers to use a high-level configuration language to describe the desired "end state" of their infrastructure, and then letting Terraform handle the details of making it happen. But as with any tool, understanding its pricing structure is crucial for budgeting and cost management. In this blog post, I will go into the pricing details of Terraform Cloud, compare the plans, and introduce a more cost-effective alternative.
Terraform Cloud Pricing Tiers
Terraform Cloud offers several pricing tiers designed to cater to different user needs. The pricing tiers include the following:
Free Tier
The Free tier of Terraform Cloud is designed for small teams and individuals. It offers up to 500 resources per month and includes all the capabilities needed for infrastructure as code provisioning.
Standard Tier
The Standard tier is designed for professional individuals or teams adopting infrastructure as code provisioning. The pricing starts at $0.00014 per hour per resource. The first 500 resources per month are free.
Plus Tier
The Plus tier is a custom offering designed for enterprises standardizing and managing infrastructure automation and lifecycle with scalable runs. The pricing for this tier is custom and requires contacting HashiCorp's sales team for a quote.
Enterprise Tier
The Enterprise tier is a self-managed offering designed for enterprises with a particular security, compliance, and additional operational requirements. Like the Plus tier, the pricing for the Enterprise tier is custom and requires contacting HashiCorp's sales team for a quote.
Terraform Pricing on Cloud Marketplaces
In addition to purchasing directly from HashiCorp, Terraform Cloud and Enterprise can also be purchased through various cloud marketplaces.
Azure Marketplace
On the Azure Marketplace, Terraform Cloud and Enterprise start at a one-time payment of $15,000 for one year. This offering includes features for collaborative infrastructure as code, compliance, and self-service infrastructure.
AWS Marketplace
On the AWS Marketplace, Terraform Enterprise includes five workspaces and bronze support, with pricing starting at $15,000 for 12 months, $30,000 for 24 months, and $45,000 for 36 months.
Spacelift as Terraform Cloud Alternative
Spacelift is a robust alternative to Terraform Cloud, offering a more flexible and secure CI/CD for Terraform. It provides a customizable GitOps workflow, enabling efficient infrastructure management at scale. Unlike Terraform Cloud, Spacelift supports unlimited policies across all tiers, unlimited integrations with third-party tools, and offers drift detection and remediation. It also extends its functionality beyond Terraform, working with other infra-as-code tools such as Pulumi, CloudFormation, and Ansible. Spacelift's pricing model is predictable, with no Resources Under Management (RUM) charges. It also offers a streamlined migration process from Terraform Cloud and is trusted by top companies worldwide.
Check the complete comparison between Spacelift and Terraform Cloud.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding Terraform Cloud's pricing model is critical for managing costs and optimizing resource allocation when adopting infrastructure as code (IaC).
However, the choice isn't limited to Terraform alone, as platforms like Spacelift provide:
- A competitive alternative.
- Boasting unlimited policies.
- Extensive integration options.
- Support for additional infra-as-code tools.
Hence, organizations need to weigh each platform's pricing, features, and tool compatibility to make an informed decision that best suits their specific IaC needs and budgetary considerations.
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