Best Infrastructure as Code Tools for DevOps in 2023
Tags: terraform, cloud, devops
Published: 2023-10-31 15:30:47

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is a crucial facet of the DevOps lifecycle, aiding in the automation, configuration, and management of infrastructure. Various tools serve this domain, each with distinct features catering to different needs within cloud architecture. Here's a look at some notable IaC tools for Cloud Architects in 2023:

### **HashiCorp Terraform Cloud**


![Terraform cloud designer](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/hvk7twkrnhclwmmsk3q8.png)

Terraform, an open-source IaC tool by HashiCorp, facilitates the definition, provisioning, and management of infrastructure using code. It is particularly favored for cloud-based environments, allowing development teams to script their infrastructure setup, thereby promoting consistency, cost-effectiveness, and rapid deployments [1](https://www.techrepublic.com/article/infrastructure-as-code-tools-devops/).

### **[Brainboard](https://app.brainboard.co/)**


![Best Terraform Cloud Alternative](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/e1j5bfus1wf64icl8gud.png)


[Brainboard](https://app.brainboard.co/) provides a visual interface for designing cloud infrastructure before diving into code. It auto-generates code in real-time as designs are created, fostering a "Design First, Code When Needed" approach. This tool streamlines processes and optimizes existing infrastructure, enabling collaborative cloud infrastructure design and management. With Brainboard, teams can visually design their cloud setups, accelerating the build and delivery of infrastructures, thus enhancing the onboarding process significantly [2](https://www.brainboard.co/#:~:text=Standardizes%20your%20processes%20and%20optimizes,time)[3](https://www.g2.com/products/brainboard/reviews#:~:text=Reviews%20Pricing%20Brainboard%20Reviews%20%26,onboarding%20by%20up%20to%2070)[4](https://www.stackshare.io/brainboard/alternatives#:~:text=Top%20Alternatives%20to%20Brainboard,all%20these%20providers%20in%20parallel)[5](https://www.brainboard.co/solutions/from-diagram-to-infrastructure-as-code?1f5a9dc3_page=2#:~:text=4.9%20out%20of%205%20,generated%20on%20the%20fly).

### **Spacelift**


![Spacelift best alternative](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/7zyrpxm64foh1ev2mxf1.png)

Spacelift offers a flexible CI/CD platform for IaC, providing a collaboration and automation layer for infrastructure code management. It supports various IaC tools like Terraform, CloudFormation, and Pulumi, among others. Spacelift facilitates complex workflows, automated change review, and compliance checks, allowing teams to customize their workflows while ensuring compliance and control [6](https://slashdot.org/software/p/Spacelift/#:~:text=Spacelift%20Reviews%20,projects%20to%20tags%20or%20branches)[7](https://platformengineering.org/tools/spacelift#:~:text=Background%20Founded%20in%202020%20by,features%20Achieve%20Terraform%20at%20scale)[8](https://spacelift.io/#:~:text=Spacelift%20is%20a%20sophisticated%20CI%2FCD,%E2%80%93%20Spacelift%20fits%20every%20team)[9](https://dev.to/spacelift/how-to-quickly-improve-your-infrastructure-as-code-3b1o#:~:text=Apart%20from%20providing%20a%20comprehensive,4%29%20Complex%20Workflows).

## **OpenTofu**


![terraform open source alternative](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/0uqnv0co8muh2pthmund.png)



OpenTofu emerged as an open-source alternative to Terraform, initiated by the Linux Foundation. It aspires to be a community-driven successor to HashiCorp's Terraform, following a neutral governance model. OpenTofu was launched in response to HashiCorp changing Terraform's license, thus presenting itself as a free and open-source option for Infrastructure as Code (IaC) adopters. With the backing of industry leaders and a burgeoning community of developers, OpenTofu is poised to become a notable player in the IaC domain, offering a new choice for organizations and cloud architects seeking to define and manage infrastructure through code [1](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/press/announcing-opentofu#:~:text=5%20MIN%20READ%20Linux%20Foundation,to%20infrastructure%20as%20code%20solution)[2](https://www.sdxcentral.com/articles/news/linux-foundation-jumps-into-infrastructure-as-code-with-opentofu/2023/09/#:~:text=Previously%20code,under%20a%20neutral%20governance%20model)[3](https://devopstipstricks.com/opentofu-a-free-and-open-source-terraform-replacement/#:~:text=OpenTofu%20is%20an%20open,1)[4](https://spacelift.io/blog/opentofu-for-infrastructure-as-code#:~:text=Pawe%C5%82%20Piwosz%2025%20Sep%202023,IaC).

### **AWS CloudFormation, Azure Resource Manager, Google Cloud Deployment Manager**

These three tools are prominent offerings from major cloud service providers—Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, respectively. They provide frameworks to define, deploy, and manage infrastructure resources within their cloud environments. While AWS CloudFormation is tailored for AWS environments, Azure Resource Manager serves Azure setups, and Google Cloud Deployment Manager is designed for Google Cloud Platform infrastructures. These tools are pivotal for cloud architects working within these ecosystems, allowing them to leverage IaC principles to manage and automate their cloud resources efficiently [10](https://slashdot.org/software/comparison/AWS-CloudFormation-vs-Azure-Resource-Manager-vs-Google-Cloud-Deployment-Manager/#:~:text=Compare%20AWS%20CloudFormation%20vs,Azure%20Resource%20Manager%20View%20Product)[11](https://sourceforge.net/software/compare/AWS-CloudFormation-vs-Azure-Resource-Manager-vs-Google-Cloud-Deployment-Manager/#:~:text=Compare%20AWS%20CloudFormation%20vs,best%20choice%20for%20your%20business).

Each of these tools brings a unique set of features to the table, catering to different facets of IaC and cloud management. The choice among them would largely depend on the specific needs of a project, the cloud platform in use, and the team's expertise.