Atlas vs Terraform: What are the differences?

Introduction

Atlas and Terraform are both popular infrastructure as code (IaC) tools, but they have some significant differences in terms of their features and functionality. In this article, we will explore six key differences between Atlas and Terraform.

1. Collaboration and Version Control: One major difference between Atlas and Terraform is the approach to collaboration and version control. Atlas provides a platform for teams to collaborate and manage their infrastructure code. It includes features like access control, approval workflows, and version history. In contrast, Terraform focuses on the infrastructure provisioning aspect and integrates with version control systems like Git for collaboration and versioning.

2. Cloud Providers Support: Another important difference is the level of support for different cloud providers. Atlas is specifically designed to work with HashiCorp's own cloud platform, HashiCorp Cloud Platform (HCP). It provides tight integration and seamless deployment for infrastructure provisioned using Terraform. On the other hand, Terraform supports a wide range of cloud providers, including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and many more.

3. Integration and Deployment: Atlas offers built-in integration and deployment capabilities, allowing users to easily deploy their infrastructure code to the cloud. It provides features like environment management, rollbacks, and notifications. Terraform, on the other hand, primarily focuses on the provisioning of infrastructure and relies on external tools and scripts for deployment and integration.

4. Complexity and Flexibility: Atlas aims to simplify the infrastructure provisioning process by providing a user-friendly interface and additional features like module registry and stack visualization. It is particularly suitable for teams with limited infrastructure management experience or those looking for a more guided approach. Terraform, on the other hand, offers more flexibility and granular control over infrastructure provisioning. It allows users to define infrastructure as code using its declarative language, HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL), providing greater customization options.

5. Pricing: When it comes to pricing, there is a difference between Atlas and Terraform. Atlas is a commercial product and has a pricing model based on usage and team size. The cost is determined by factors such as the number of deployments, number of team members, and usage of additional features. Terraform, on the other hand, is an open-source tool and completely free to use. Users are only responsible for the costs associated with the cloud resources they provision using Terraform.

6. Community and Ecosystem: Lastly, the community and ecosystem around Atlas and Terraform are different. Terraform has a large and active community of users and contributors, with a vast collection of community modules and providers. This extensive ecosystem makes it easier to find and reuse existing infrastructure code and integrations. While Atlas has a dedicated user base, its ecosystem may not be as extensive as Terraform.

In summary, Atlas and Terraform have differences in terms of collaboration and version control, cloud providers support, integration and deployment capabilities, complexity and flexibility, pricing, and community and ecosystem. These differences can help users decide which tool best fits their specific infrastructure provisioning needs.