Developers and deployment experts use two distinct terms quite frequently in cloud computing and Infrastructure: Code or IaC. They are imperative to the modern development and deployment processes. CloudFormation and Terraform hold high equity in the world of DevOps. CloudFormation vs. Terraform is a hot topic of discussion nowadays for its implications, impact, and capabilities. These map out the reasons for deciding which tool could be ideal for automation and cloud infrastructure management. AWS CloudFormation and Terraform yield robust traits and capabilities, differences, and implications that can impact your selection process and the final verdict. Through an elaborate discussion of CloudFormation vs. Terraform, we will analyze both tools to see which one we should opt for and why.
CloudFormation vs. Terraform Comparison
What is AWS CloudFormation?
AWS CloudFormation is a native IaC tool by Amazon that aids users in modeling and setting up AWS resources with the help of templates. It is also responsible for automating the setting up process of resources such as EC2 instances, VPCs, RDS databases, etc. Developers can employ the CloudFormation tool to describe the AWS environment in a template, which could either be in JSON or YAML format. It is then further interpreted by AWS in order to form or break down into the infrastructure components.
What is CloudFormation Used For?
CloudFormation has several functions and uses. It simplifies the management of AWS infrastructure while also letting developers manage, process, create, and configure AWS cloud services via a declarative code structure. The templates are also responsible for the accuracy and management of the deployment process as they affirm that it is consistent and reproducible throughout and doesn’t have manual mistakes and mismatching discrepancies. With CloudFormation, you can effortlessly carry out the automation and management of updates, rollbacks, and resource scaling processes. Also, if you are looking for compliance with the AWS practices, you can integrate CloudFormation tightly to AWS services optimize the costs, and manage security.
What is Terraform?
Terraform is often misread as AWS Terraform is an open-source IaC tool that is responsible for defining and provisioning infrastructure with the help of a declarative configuration language (HCL: HashiCorp Configuration Language). It was developed by Hashi Corp. As opposed to CloudFormation, Terraform offers maximum support and assistance for multiple cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. It is the primary enabler of flexibility when it comes to managing multi-cloud environments or hybrid infrastructures.
What is Terraform Used For?
Terraform also finds multiple uses in infrastructure management because it is impeccable in managing and provisioning cloud and on-premise infrastructure for a diverse range of platforms. It enables and empowers infrastructure to be expressed or presented as code and stored in version control systems. In this way, it becomes easier to audit, collaborate, and apply changes to the entire infrastructure and teams. Moreover, Terraform is often employed as a priority in cross-cloud resource management environments because it is an enabler of uniformity while managing different cloud environments.
CloudFormation vs. Terraform: Key Differences
The CloudFormation vs. Terraform debate rests on the capabilities, strengths, ease of service, support, and other factors. We will use a multi-factorial approach to discuss Terraform vs. CloudFormation in detail to support our cause:
-
Multi-Cloud Support
- CloudFormation is AWS-specific, unlike its counterpart, because it has deep integration with the AWS ecosystem. For users and developers who are fond of and have a commitment to AWS, this could be a powerful resource and support.
- Terraform, on the contrary, is cloud-agnostic, which means that it can be used across multiple and diverse providers, such as AWS, Azure, and GCP. Now, if the scope of your infrastructure undertakes different platforms, then Terraform is perfect for you because it will let you manage all of the platforms effortlessly and seamlessly through a single tool.
-
Language and Templates
- CloudFormation employs JSON and YAML templates typically, which are generally time-consuming, daunting, and harder to manage when it comes to complex setups.
- Terraform, on the other hand, makes use of its innate configuration language, HCL, which has an easier learning curve as it is more concise and readable. The configurations of Terraform tend to be more modular in comparison to CloudFormation; thus, they make the case for reusing the code.
-
State Management
- While discussing CloudFormation vs. Terraform, one must note that in CloudFormation, the state of resources is AWS-dependent or maintained. This turns out to be an advantage for the user because it becomes less visible and abstracts away the management of states.
- Terraform state management however, will utilize its own state file to monitor the infrastructure’s existing status. This state file has to be kept under careful surveillance and must be managed to avoid any losses that could lead to discrepancies during updates. In this case, it offers more visibility and control to some of the users, primarily advanced ones.
-
Drift Detection
- CloudFormation drift detection that helps in the identification of resources that have been diverged during the configuration process. This property is necessary because it keeps the system in sync with the specified template.
- In the debate of CloudFormation vs. Terraform, when it comes to drift detection, Terraform will also offer the same functionality but with a twist. It will require you to run a terraform plan command in order to recognize and analyze the differences between the current state and the expected or desired configuration.
-
Resource Graphs
- Terraform holds the faculty to automatically construct a dependency graph depending upon the configuration files. This ability will allow developers to figure out the order of development or destruction of resources. When it comes to large and complex environments, resource graphing can be very advantageous.
- CloudFormation drif detection, on the other hand, can manage dependencies with the help of logical relationships that have been predefined in the template. But it doesn’t generate a visual, pictorial representation or an automated dependency graph the way Terraform does.
-
Cost and Licensing
- CloudFormation is free for usage for everyone and only requires the users to pay for the resources they create via AWS. It definitely gives a cost-efficiency advantage to CloudFormation, especially to teams that work within AWS.
- Terraform is free and open-source, but the founding group has come up with an enterprise version that consists of advanced features that could be used by paying a fee. These advanced features are team collaboration, role-based access control, etc.
-
Extensibility
- Terraform comes with a wide extensibility property or trait because of its collection of community and official providers. With the help of these communities and providers, Terraform can integrate different services, APIs, infrastructures, and avenues.
- CloudFormation, on the contrary, is barred by its strict reliance on AWS and its ecosystem. However, with the recent introduction and arrival of custom resources, you can extend CloudFormation’s capabilities with Lambda functions.
Concluding AWS CloudFormation vs. Terraform Debate
Having read and learned everything said about the decision between CloudFormation vs. Terraform, has become a matter of needs more than a matter of choice.
Use CloudFormation if you find yourself reliant on AWS and have no immediate plans to employ multiple cloud providers. You can be inclined towards CloudFormation because of your familiarity with AWS services and its easy setup and drift detection features.
Use Terraform if you prefer operating in multi-cloud management environments or strategies. Terraform will offer you unmatched and unparalleled flexibility of dealing with hybrid setups. Its modularity and reusability could also be decisive factors in using Terraform.
Thus, in the debate of CloudFormation vs. Terraform, the final verdict and say will depend on your requirements, dependencies, and needs. Terraform and AWS CloudFormation can both bring advantages to you in their own specific ways. CloudFormation vs. Terraform decision requires you to analyze your situation first and then pick a tool. If you find yourself in the conundrum of CloudFormation vs. Terraform, then turn to [email protected] for all your queries.