AWS CloudFormation vs CDK8s
AWS CloudFormation
aws.amazon.comCDK8s
cdk8s.ioSide by side
| Figure | AWS CloudFormation | CDK8s |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 1 |
| Spec score · Infrastructure as Code Tools | 9.0 (#2) | 7.6 (#15) |
| What it does | AWS CloudFormation models, provisions, and manages AWS resources from declarative templates. | cdk8s is an open-source framework for defining Kubernetes applications and reusable abstractions with familiar programming languages and object-oriented APIs. |
Plans
AWS CloudFormation
- AWS CloudFormationFree
- CloudFormation serviceFree
- Third-party resource providersFree
In their own words
AWS CloudFormation
AWS CloudFormation models, provisions, and manages related AWS and third-party resources as infrastructure as code. YAML or JSON templates define AWS resources and their properties. StackSets deploy a common set of resources across multiple AWS accounts and Regions; Change Sets preview proposed stack updates, including possible deletion or replacement, and Drift Detection tracks changes made outside the service. For authoring, AWS CDK supports TypeScript, Python, Java, and .NET, while AWS SAM offers shorthand YAML for serverless resources that is converted during deployment. The CloudFormation Registry supports third-party resources and modules, and stacks can be updated from remote Git repositories. The service is available through API, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows, and manages state. CloudFormation itself has a free plan, with no additional charge for AWS and Alexa resource providers, but created AWS resources are billed at their standard rates. Third-party provider and custom hook operations may also incur charges. Access can be managed with IAM, and CloudTrail logs API calls.