Introduction
When it comes to Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI CD), two names always come to mind, Red Hat Ansible and HashiCorp Terraform. Both Red Hat Ansible and HashiCorp Terraform are infrastructure automation tools, but which one is a better fit for you? In this blog post, we'll have an unbiased comparison between Red Hat Ansible and HashiCorp Terraform, so you can choose which tool to implement for your next project.
Ease of Use
Both Red Hat Ansible and HashiCorp Terraform are easy to use, but Red Hat Ansible is easier to work with as it uses a simple language called YAML. YAML is a declarative language, meaning you only have to declare the desired state, and Ansible will handle the rest. On the other hand, HashiCorp Terraform uses HCL, which is a more verbose language. However, HashiCorp Terraform has better error handling and will give you a detailed error report if you encounter an error while running the code.
Learning Curve
Red Hat Ansible has a steeper learning curve than HashiCorp Terraform. HashiCorp Terraform uses a simple, declarative language and has an excellent documentation that covers everything from the basics to the advanced topics. Red Hat Ansible, on the other hand, has a broader scope, and you need to learn the basics of the YAML language before you can start using Ansible. Ansible also has a vast number of modules, roles, and playbooks that you need to learn to be able to use more advanced features.
Performance
When it comes to performance, HashiCorp Terraform is faster than Red Hat Ansible. Terraform uses a highly optimized graph-based architecture that allows it to create and destroy resources efficiently. Ansible, on the other hand, uses a different approach and may require multiple runs to achieve idempotency. This means that Terraform can handle large infrastructures more efficiently.
Cost
Both Red Hat Ansible and HashiCorp Terraform are open-source tools with active communities, making them both highly cost-effective. However, if you're a business looking for enterprise-level support, Red Hat Ansible offers more features, support, and better documentation.
Conclusion
As you can see, both Red Hat Ansible and HashiCorp Terraform have their advantages and disadvantages. Whether you choose Red Hat Ansible or HashiCorp Terraform for your next project highly depends on your needs and preferences. If you have a small infrastructure that can be easily managed with a declarative language, HashiCorp Terraform may be the better choice for you. If you need a tool with a wide range of modules, better documentation, and enterprise-level support, Red Hat Ansible may be the way to go.
References
- Official Red Hat Ansible documentation
- Official HashiCorp Terraform documentation