AWS CloudFormation vs Google Cloud VM Manager
AWS CloudFormation
aws.amazon.com
Google Cloud VM Manager
cloud.google.comSide by side
| Figure | AWS CloudFormation | Google Cloud VM Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 3 |
| Spec score · IT Configuration Management Software | 9.1 (#1) | 8.6 (#7) |
| Purpose | CloudFormation models, provisions, and manages related AWS and third-party resources as infrastructure as code. | VM Manager manages operating systems for large Windows and Linux VM fleets running on Compute Engine. |
| Rating on G2 | 4.4 out of 5 from 207 reviews | The Google Cloud Infrastructure page reports an average based on 15 real user reviews but does not display a numeric aggregate rating. |
| Rating on Gartner Peer Insights | 4.4 out of 5 from 110 ratings | Google Cloud Platform is rated 4.7 out of 5 from 2,035 ratings. |
| Rating on TrustRadius | 8.1 out of 10 from 118 reviews and ratings | Google Cloud Platform scores 9 out of 10 from 59 reviews and ratings. |
| What it does | AWS CloudFormation models, provisions, and manages AWS resources from declarative templates. | VM Manager is a Google Cloud suite for managing Windows and Linux operating systems across large Compute Engine VM fleets. |
Plans
AWS CloudFormation
- AWS CloudFormationFree
- CloudFormation serviceFree
- Third-party resource providersFree
Google Cloud VM Manager
- Free tierFree
- Usage-based VM ManagerFree
- VM ManagerFree
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.
Google Cloud VM Manager
Google Cloud VM Manager manages operating systems across Windows and Linux VM fleets running on Compute Engine. Its tools cover patch management, OS inventory and OS policies. Patch jobs apply updates on demand or on a schedule, report compliance, and can use selected approvals and pre- or post-patching scripts. OS inventory collects hostnames, OS and kernel versions, installed packages, available updates, Windows applications and OS vulnerabilities. OS policies centralize software configuration deployment, maintenance and reporting. Teams can use the Google Cloud console, Google Cloud CLI or OS Config API; Terraform can extend scope across projects. The service supports projects inside VPC Service Controls perimeters, but patch jobs operate on VMs in one project at a time. A free tier covers 100 VMs per Cloud Billing account per month, and limited-functionality mode is available at no cost for unlimited VMs. After the free tier, the listed charge is $0.003 per hour per VM with an active OS Config agent.