Google Cloud Deployment Manager vs Pulumi vs Terraform: What are the differences?

<Google Cloud Deployment Manager, Pulumi, and Terraform are infrastructure as code tools that enable users to manage and provision cloud resources efficiently. Here, we will discuss the key differences between Google Cloud Deployment Manager and Pulumi and Terraform.>

1. Language Support: Google Cloud Deployment Manager uses configuration files written in YAML or Jinja to deploy resources on Google Cloud Platform. In contrast, Pulumi allows users to write infrastructure code using familiar programming languages such as Python, TypeScript, and Go, providing more flexibility and ease of use. Terraform, on the other hand, uses its own declarative language called HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL), which is tailored specifically for infrastructure as code tasks.

2. State Management: Google Cloud Deployment Manager relies on Google Cloud Storage to store the deployment state, which can lead to potential issues when managing state files in large-scale deployments. Pulumi provides a centralized architecture for state management, allowing users to store state securely in their preferred backend like VCS or cloud storage. Similarly, Terraform also offers built-in features for state management, supporting state locking and remote state storage to prevent conflicts and ensure consistency in infrastructure changes.

3. Provider Ecosystem: Google Cloud Deployment Manager is specific to Google Cloud Platform, offering native support for GCP resources and services. In comparison, Pulumi supports multiple cloud providers, enabling users to manage resources across different cloud environments with a unified workflow. Terraform boasts an extensive provider ecosystem with support for various cloud providers, infrastructure technologies, and third-party services, making it a versatile choice for multi-cloud and hybrid cloud deployments.

4. Execution Model: Google Cloud Deployment Manager follows a declarative model where users define the desired state of the infrastructure, and the tool handles the provisioning and configuration automatically. Pulumi embraces a modern imperative model, allowing for more dynamic and fine-grained control over resource creation and management through imperative coding techniques. Terraform combines both imperative and declarative paradigms in its execution model, offering a compromise between simplicity and flexibility in defining infrastructure workflows.

5. Community and Support: Google Cloud Deployment Manager, being a Google-owned tool, has a limited community compared to Pulumi and Terraform, which have active and supportive communities of users and contributors. Pulumi's community-driven approach fosters rapid development, updates, and community modules, enhancing the tool's usability and extensibility. Terraform's vibrant community offers a wide range of resources, modules, and best practices for infrastructure automation, making it a dependable choice for diverse infrastructure requirements.

In Summary, the key differences between Google Cloud Deployment Manager, Pulumi, and Terraform lie in their language support, state management capabilities, provider ecosystems, execution models, and community support, catering to different preferences and requirements in managing cloud infrastructure efficiently.