Puppet vs Rex
Puppet
puppet.com
Rex
rexify.orgSide by side
| Figure | Puppet | Rex |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $120/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 5 | 1 |
| Spec score · Configuration Management Tools | 8.9 (#2) | 7.3 (#20) |
| Configuration management | The platform continuously enforces declared configuration state and records audit and correction information. | Rex tasks can install packages, upload configuration files, start services, and run an action when a file changes. |
| Integrations | Official integration listings include ServiceNow, VMware, Argo CD, Jenkins, Dynatrace, Datadog, New Relic, Splunk, Tenable Nessus and CIS Benchmarks. | The guides include managing OpenWrt devices and Amazon EC2 instances. |
| License | Open-source Puppet is released under Apache-2.0, while Puppet Enterprise adds proprietary commercial components, orchestration, console and support. | Rex and all its parts are released under the Apache 2.0 license. |
| Purpose | Puppet Enterprise provides policy-driven configuration management and infrastructure automation for enterprise-scale environments. | Rex is an automation framework for managing local machines and remote machines over SSH. |
Plans
Puppet
- Puppet CoreFree
- Puppet Enterprise free trialFree
- Puppet Enterprise listing price$120 a month
- Puppet EnterprisePriced on request
- Puppet Enterprise AdvancedPriced on request
In their own words
Puppet
Puppet Enterprise provides policy-driven configuration management and infrastructure automation for complex cloud and hybrid environments. It uses policy as code to continuously enforce desired state, helping organizations identify and remediate configuration drift. Both agent-based and agentless management are supported, with a web interface and role-based access control. Puppet Enterprise Advanced adds continuous enforcement of CIS Benchmarks and DISA STIGs, self-service automation, AI features, observability integrations, and advanced patching. It also integrates with third-party vulnerability scanners, including Nessus, for remediation. Listed integrations include GitHub, AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, HashiCorp Vault, and ServiceNow. Agents are listed for Linux, Windows, and macOS. Puppet describes the product as suited to medium and large organizations managing complex environments that require security, compliance, and centralized automation. Pricing is custom; a free trial runs on up to 10 nodes with no commitment or time limit. Network and edge device management is optional, and licensing for those devices requires contacting sales.
Rex
Rex is a free, open-source automation framework for managing local computers and remote machines over SSH. It runs self-hosted and agentless on Linux and Windows, with support also listed for RHEL/CentOS, Fedora, OpenWRT, BSDs, and Solaris. Projects keep inventory, environments, authentication details, and tasks in a Rexfile. You can combine local or remote execution, push or pull management, and imperative or declarative styles. Tasks can install packages, upload configuration files, start services, and trigger actions when files change. Rex uses a DSL compatible with Perl syntax and can be extended with Perl modules or custom code. Authentication documentation covers passwords, SSH keys, passphrases, external credential sources, and ssh-agent. The control host needs Perl and dependencies; managed hosts need Perl 5 and a valid SSH account. Installation is recommended through CPAN, with package-manager and source options. Apache 2.0 licensing applies to Rex and its parts.