Canonical Landscape vs config.XO

Canonical Landscape manages Ubuntu desktops, servers, cloud instances, IoT devices, and other Ubuntu systems from a central portal. Administrators can handle updates, packages and repositories, run scripts remotely, set role-based access, and monitor machines. It can alert on updates and graph temperature, disk and memory use, system load, and custom metrics. One instance can manage up to 40,000 machines, with options to scale further. Deployment choices are Canonical-hosted SaaS, Managed Landscape, and self-hosted software; SaaS is bundled with Ubuntu Pro. A free SaaS account with Ubuntu Pro covers up to five machines. Managed Landscape costs $6,861 a year per physical machine on public clouds, VMware, OpenStack, or LXD, or $9,470 a year per physical machine on bare metal. No self-hosted price is listed; Ubuntu Pro is its main licensing mechanism. Landscape has a scriptable API and can integrate with configuration management, monitoring, and ticketing systems. Self-hosting requires the organization to install, host, and maintain it. SaaS does not currently offer repository mirroring or custom external identity-provider configuration.

config.XO extends Microsoft PowerShell Desired State Configuration to manage Windows and Linux node configurations. It evaluates managed servers and clients against their intended state and corrects drift automatically. Teams can assign configurations to groups or individual hosts, create their own configurations and modules, or use a web wizard to build DSC configurations without writing code. It supports on-premises physical hosts and virtual machines, as well as internet-connected public-cloud virtual machines; proxy configuration is possible. Listed Windows versions are Server 2022, 2019 and 2016, plus Windows 11 and 10. Configuration runs can install packages through application.XO. The cloud service is agent-based and lists patch management, policy as code and compliance reporting alongside drift detection. Uploaded DSC configurations are encrypted with an XOAP-provided certificate, but user-uploaded compiled MOF files are not encrypted. XOAP says its service is hosted in Europe, is GDPR compliant, encrypts management connections and does not store actual user credentials. Free includes three managed systems; Standard is €449.00 per month or €4,999 billed annually.