Canonical Landscape vs Google Cloud VM Manager
Canonical Landscape
ubuntu.com
Google Cloud VM Manager
cloud.google.comSide by side
| Figure | Canonical Landscape | Google Cloud VM Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $571.75/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 3 |
| Spec score · Patch Management Software | 8.5 (#9) | 8.8 (#4) |
| Spec score · IT Automation Software | 8.5 (#15) | 8.7 (#13) |
| Integrations | Landscape has a scriptable API for customization and can integrate with existing configuration management, monitoring and ticketing systems. | VM Manager works with the Google Cloud console, Google Cloud CLI, direct OS Config API calls, and Terraform resources. |
| Purpose | Landscape is a systems management tool for managing and monitoring Ubuntu deployments, including desktops, servers, cloud instances and IoT devices. | VM Manager manages operating systems for large Windows and Linux VM fleets running on Compute Engine. |
| Support | Landscape support is available to customers who purchase it with Ubuntu Pro. | Google Cloud support packages include options such as 24/7 coverage, phone support and access to a technical support manager; VM Manager questions can also be posted to Stack Overflow. |
Plans
Canonical Landscape
- Landscape SaaS (Ubuntu Pro included)Free
- Self-hosted LandscapeFree
- Managed Landscape on public clouds, VMware, OpenStack or LXD$6,861 a year
- Managed Landscape on bare metal$9,470 a year
Google Cloud VM Manager
- Free tierFree
- Usage-based VM ManagerFree
- VM ManagerFree
In their own words
Canonical Landscape
Canonical Landscape manages and monitors Ubuntu deployments, including desktops, servers, cloud instances and IoT devices. It can install, update and remove software, apply automated update and security-patch policies, and configure users and groups. For monitoring, it can alert on updates, chart temperature, disk, memory and system-load trends, show running processes and collect custom metrics. It also supports patch-compliance reporting, role-based access control, audit logging, APT repository mirroring and custom package management. Landscape can run as multi-tenant SaaS, as a Canonical-managed single-tenant service, or self-hosted on cloud or on-premises infrastructure, including air-gapped environments. One instance can manage up to 40,000 machines, with larger deployments possible. A scriptable API supports customization and integrations with configuration-management, monitoring and ticketing systems. Self-hosted Landscape and SaaS included with Ubuntu Pro are listed at free. Managed options cost $6,861 a year on supported public-cloud or virtualization environments, or $9,470 a year on bare metal, billed per physical machine. Ubuntu Pro offers a 30-day enterprise trial.
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.