AWS CloudFormation vs OpenStack Heat
AWS CloudFormation
aws.amazon.comOpenStack Heat
docs.openstack.orgSide by side
| Figure | AWS CloudFormation | OpenStack Heat |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 1 |
| Spec score · IT Configuration Management Software | 9.1 (#1) | 7.6 (#18) |
| Spec score · Infrastructure as Code Tools | 9.0 (#2) | 7.6 (#17) |
| Spec score · Orchestration / Provisioning Software | 9.1 (#2) | 7.6 (#21) |
| Spec score · Infrastructure Automation | 9.1 (#2) | 7.6 (#14) |
| Purpose | CloudFormation models, provisions, and manages related AWS and third-party resources as infrastructure as code. | Heat orchestrates composite cloud applications from declarative templates through an OpenStack-native REST API. |
| Template formats | Templates can be written in JSON or YAML and describe resources and their configuration. | Heat runs HOT templates written in YAML and also supports AWS CloudFormation templates. |
| Templates | Templates describe AWS resources and their properties in YAML or JSON. | Heat templates describe infrastructure and resource relationships in human-readable text files that can be managed with version control. |
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.
OpenStack Heat
OpenStack Heat is a free, open-source orchestration service for composite applications in OpenStack. Declarative templates describe infrastructure and relationships in human-readable files that can be version-controlled. Heat can create instances, floating IPs, volumes, security groups, and users, while supporting instance high availability, autoscaling, and nested stacks. It runs HOT templates written in YAML and also accepts AWS CloudFormation templates. Templates can integrate with Puppet and Ansible, and operators can extend capabilities with plugins. The service exposes an OpenStack-native REST API and a CloudFormation-compatible Query API. Access is available through a command-line interface, RESTful queries, and the OpenStack dashboard. Heat runs on Linux as a self-hosted service and is provided under the Apache 2.0 license. Installation assumes an existing OpenStack environment with Compute, Image Service, and Identity, with guidance covering Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS, Ubuntu, and Debian.