Top 9 Infrastructure as Code Platforms for 2025

This post helps you choose the top Infrastructure as Code (IaC) platforms that can automate deployments, enhance security, and improve collaboration for your organization.

Infrastructure as Code has transformed how organizations’ cybersecurity teams deploy and manage IT infrastructure. It automates workflows, maintains consistency across cloud environments, and seamlessly scales up organizations. You can configure servers and run them in a fraction of a minute these days thanks to the latest IaC provisions. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global infrastructure as code market was worth USD 759.1 million in 2022, increasing to USD 908.7 million by 2023. It is expected to continue growing, reaching USD 3,304.9 million by 2030, with a projected CAGR of 20.3% during this period. This data shows that businesses are adopting Infrastructure as Code platforms quickly.

As organizations increasingly adopt IaC to streamline operations and minimize manual errors, choosing the right platform becomes essential for success.

In this article, we will dive into the top IaC platforms, exploring their standout features, ideal use cases, and critical factors to consider when selecting the best tool for your business. We will help you make an informed decision about IaC, whether you are new to it or looking to upgrade.

What Is an Infrastructure as Code (IaC)?

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is a method for managing and provisioning computing resources by defining infrastructure in configuration files–formats like YAML Ain’t Markup Language(YAML), JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), or HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL). Unlike manual setup, these configurations are machine-readable, automating tasks that range from server setup to network management.

With IaC, infrastructure management becomes programmable. Declarative models specify the desired state (like “ensure the server is running”), while imperative models outline exact steps to reach that state, offering precision and control.

Using tools like AWS CloudFormation, Terraform, and Ansible, teams can version, track, and modify infrastructure as they would application code, improving scalability and consistency, and reducing human error.

Key Concepts of Infrastructure as Code

Let’s explore some of the key concepts of Infrastructure as Code that shape its value and practical use.

• Automation: You can automate the deployment or management of your IT resources, such as servers, storage, networks, virtual machines, containers, networking rules, security groups, and applications.

• Declarative vs. Imperative approaches: IaC can be implemented using two main approaches: 

a) Declarative: The approach allows you to specify the desired end state of the infrastructure without detailing how to achieve that state. The tool then handles the execution details automatically. Declarative scripts can be run multiple times without changing the outcome, ensuring consistency across deployments.

b) Imperative: It requires you to provide a detailed sequence of commands that specify how to achieve the desired infrastructure state. The method involves writing explicit instructions for each step of the process. You must have granular control over each step in the provisioning process, which can benefit complex configurations. Writing imperative scripts often necessitates a deeper understanding of programming languages and infrastructure management.

• Idempotency: This principle ensures that applying the same IaC code multiple times will yield the same result without causing unintended changes. This reduces inconsistencies and simplifies the management of infrastructure states.

• Version control: IaC configurations are stored in version control systems like Git, Bitbucket, AWS CodeCommit, Perforce, and Subversion (SVN). These systems allow teams to track changes, roll back to previous states, and collaborate more effectively across development and operations teams.

Need for Infrastructure as Code Platforms

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) enables developers to deploy resources more quickly, create scalable and repeatable infrastructure, and automate configurations, ultimately saving time and resources. Here is why you need IaC:

Enhanced Security

With Infrastructure as Code (IaC), security is built directly into the foundation of your infrastructure. You can codify and automate security policies, making sure that every deployment adheres to consistent and comprehensive security standards.

For example, embedding role-based access controls (RBAC) helps you define who can do exactly what. You can also establish encryption protocols for data protection and automate network security settings to control traffic. Even complex firewall configurations can be written into code, with integrated monitoring tools to flag anomalies in real-time. Codifying these elements reduces human error and preemptively addresses vulnerabilities, strengthening your infrastructure.

Multi-Cloud and Hybrid-Cloud Support

IaC platforms facilitate the management of infrastructure across multiple cloud providers and hybrid environments by providing a single interface for managing resources across different cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).

Organizations can easily migrate applications and services between different cloud providers or between on-premises and cloud environments by using code to define infrastructure. In hybrid or multi-cloud setups, IaC can automate the replication of data and configurations across different environments.

Disaster Recovery

You can recover data fast with IaC disaster recovery features. Foresee network outages,  restore critical systems, and assets, and enable your enterprises to quickly respond to disruptions.  You can backup your systems and data and make copies that can be stored securely in the cloud or on-premises.

In the event of a disaster, these snapshots can be used to quickly restore services to their last known good state, significantly improving Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO).

Collaboration and Compliance

It is pretty vital in most IT collaborative environments where plenty of stakeholders have interactions with infrastructure to put everyone in line. It helps when one has a single source of truth when it comes to the actual configurations within infrastructure and ease collaboration between teams by understanding how their infrastructure holds.

However, given the increasing standards for tightening regulatory compliance, version control and audit trails that IaC platforms offer are even more important in demonstrating compliance, creating a powerful case for these platforms in today’s IT governance.

Infrastructure as Code Platforms Landscape in 2025

As the demand for efficient infrastructure management grows, several IaC platforms have emerged as leading choices in 2025. Here are nine tools that continue to shape how teams build, deploy, and manage infrastructure today:

#1. SentinelOne Singularity Infrastructure as Code

SentinelOne Singularity Cloud Security is a complete Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) that protects your entire cloud infrastructure, including resources created with IaC tools. It provides real-time protection and visibility for all your cloud assets, ensuring that your IaC-managed environments stay secure from development to runtime.

Platform at a Glance

• Singularity Cloud Workload Security: It is a real-time Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP) that effectively detects and mitigates threats, such as ransomware, fileless attacks, crypto miners, and zero-day vulnerabilities. This AI-driven runtime protection solution supports servers, VMs, and containerized workloads across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and private cloud environments.

• Singularity Cloud Native Security: It offers an agentless CNAPP solution that swiftly responds to alerts. It utilizes a distinctive Offensive Security Engine™ with Verified Exploit Paths™ to enhance team efficiency. The platform identifies over 750 types of hardcoded secrets in code repositories, preventing cloud credential leakage, and ensures real-time compliance with standards like NIST, MITRE, and CIS through SentinelOne’s Cloud Compliance Dashboard.

• Singularity Cloud Data Security: The tool is designed for adaptive and scalable protection of Amazon S3 and NetApp cloud storage. It performs rapid malware analysis, scans objects in Amazon S3 buckets to prevent sensitive data leakage, encrypts and quarantines malicious files instantly, and allows for easy restoration or recovery of data when needed.

Features

• Agentless Deployment: It enables quick setup without the need for extensive agent installation, allowing organizations to start protecting their cloud environments almost immediately.

• AI-Powered Threat Detection: SentinelOne uses advanced machine learning algorithms for real-time detection of malware, zero-day exploits, and other sophisticated threats, ensuring rapid response times.

• Unified Security Management: The software combines Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP), Cloud Detection and Response (CDR), and more into a single platform.

• Comprehensive Coverage: It protects various cloud environments, including Amazon S3, Kubernetes, and other containerized workloads, providing visibility across public and private clouds.

• Offensive Security Engine: This unique feature helps organizations identify potential vulnerabilities and exploit paths from an attacker’s perspective, enhancing proactive security measures.

• Generative AI Support: The tool incorporates Purple AI to streamline security operations and enhance data privacy protection through intelligent automation.

Core problems that SentinelOne Eliminates

• Performs configuration checks on AI services
• Scans (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) CI/CD pipelines and repositories
• Fixes misconfigurations
• Identifies unknown cloud deployments
• Quickly evaluates compliance issues

Testimonials

• Users have praised SentinelOne for its comprehensive capabilities. One user Pragya S. noted that,
  

  “SentinelOne helped with GitLab IaC scanning, one-click threat remediation, and seamless CI/CD integration support, and it effectively secured hyperscalers like AWS and various Kubernetes, VMs, and Docker deployments. It meticulously checked modules, templates, files, and other environment variables. Impressive!”

• Another user, Daniel Wong, Head of Security and Compliance at Skyflow, said,
  

  “We were one of the early customers for Cloud Native Security (CNS) and are delighted to see it fully integrated as part of the SentinelOne Singularity platform. CNS’ agentless CNAPP platform is significantly less noisy and its alerts powered by Offensive Security Engine are more actionable as compared to alternatives. Along with differentiators like secret scanning capabilities, CNS as part of the larger Singularity Cloud Security platform is poised to be an integral part of our security landscape for the future.”

#2. Terraform by HashiCorp

Terraform is an open-source Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool developed by HashiCorp. It lets DevOps teams define infrastructure using declarative configuration files that are easy to read, share, reuse, and version.

You can define and provision data center infrastructure using a high-level configuration language called HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL).

Also, the tool enables you to write infrastructure configurations in HCL or JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), enabling version control and easy collaboration.

Features

• Terraform manages resources across various cloud providers like AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and more, as well as on-premises solutions.
• It lets you plan and apply infrastructure changes. Use Terraform plan to preview changes, and Terraform apply to execute them. For automated workflows, use the -auto-approve flag to bypass manual approval, streamlining the deployment process.
• It provides a terraform graph command to generate a visualization of resource dependencies in your configuration. This helps you understand the structure of your infrastructure and how resources are interconnected within your Terraform project.

#3. AWS CloudFormation

AWS CloudFormation is an Infrastructure as Code (IaC) service that allows you to define and provision AWS infrastructure using code.

With CloudFormation, you automate the creation and management of AWS resources through templates written in JSON or YAML.

These templates describe what you want your resources to look like, such as EC2 instances, S3 buckets, and RDS databases, and CloudFormation takes care of the rest.

Features

• With the AWS Cloud Development Kit, you can design your cloud setup using languages like TypeScript, Python, Java, and .NET.
• The software manages dependencies between resources using both the DependsOn attribute for explicit dependencies and implicit ones based on resource references. This ensures resources are created, updated, or deleted in the correct order without manual intervention, allowing for seamless stack operations and reducing the risk of deployment errors.
• Its StackSets enable the deployment of identical AWS resources across multiple accounts and regions using a single template.
• It can detect configuration drift, which occurs when changes are made to resources outside of CloudFormation.

• You can define your cloud setup using text-based JSON or Yet Another Markup Language YAML files or use AWS CloudFormation Designer for a visual approach.

#4. Ansible

Ansible bridges the gap between traditional configuration management tools (like Puppet and Chef) and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) platforms (like Terraform).

It can be used for both configuration management of existing systems and provisioning of new infrastructure, making it versatile in DevOps workflows.

Created by Michael DeHaan in 2012 and acquired by Red Hat in 2015, Ansible is built to handle both Unix-like systems and Microsoft Windows.

You do not need to install agents with Ansible. Instead, it uses temporary remote connections through SSH for Unix-like systems and Windows Remote Management for executing PowerShell commands.

You can run the Ansible control node on most Unix-like systems with Python installed or Windows using the Windows Subsystem for Linux. It lets you defіne system configurations using Ansible’s declarative language.

Key features

• Ansible does not require agents on remote systems. It uses SSH or WinRM for communication, which reduces overhead and minimizes security vulnerabilities.
• It uses YAML playbooks to define automation tasks in a human-readable format. Each playbook consists of one or more plays, which define the target hosts and the tasks to execute.
• The tool achieves idempotency primarily through its check mode and conditional statements. Its Check mode allows users to simulate changes without making alterations, ensuring safe deployments.
• It includes a rich library of built-in modules for various tasks like package management, user management, and service orchestration.
• You can dynamically generate inventory lists from external sources such as cloud providers (AWS, Azure, and GCD) or databases.

#5. Chef

Chef is an open-source infrastructure-as-code tool that automates deployment and management for system administrators and DevOps teams.

With Chef, you define your infrastructure using a Domain-specific language (DSL), which is based on Ruby, and handle it through code. This approach simplifies the complexity involved in configuring and managing large-scale deployments.

Key features

• Chef automates repetitive tasks like application deployment, patch management, and system updates, saving you time and effort.
• Chef Supermarket helps you access a repository of community-contributed cookbooks and recipes to extend functionality and simplify your configurations.
• Chef InSpec writes automated tests for your infrastructure to check for CIS, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS compliance, and security, ensuring your setup meets your standards.
• You can build, deploy, and manage applications consistently across different environments with Chef Habitat.
• It allows you to manage your cloud-based infrastructure with support for various cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.

#6. Pulumi

Pulumi is an open-source tool for infrastructure-as-code (IaC) that lets you define and manage your cloud infrastructure using popular programming languages like JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Go, and .NET languages (C#, F#). It works with major cloud providers like AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Kubernetes.

Unlike traditional IaC tools that use specific languages or configuration files, Pulumi employs a declarative model for infrastructure management, enabling you to define desired states and configurations using general-purpose programming languages.

Key features

• Pulumi’s CrossGuard feature enables policy as code that allows teams to define, enforce, and manage compliance policies in their infrastructure as code workflows.

• It keeps track of state information either in the Pulumi service or your managed backends (S3, or Azure Blob Storage).
• You can integrate with CI/CD pipelines such as (Jenkins, GitLab, CircleCI, Travis CI) version control systems, and other DevOps tools.
• It allows you to reuse code with components and libraries, making your infrastructure code modular and reusable.
• You can combine declarative and imperative approaches for more flexible infrastructure management.

#7. Puppet

Puppet is a powerful open-source tool designed for automating software deployment and management across your systems. It features an agent-master architecture, where the Puppet master controls and manages multiple Puppet agents, ensuring efficient configuration management.

As a system administrator or IT professional, you can leverage Puppet to manage infrastructure as code, enabling you to define and enforce system configurations consistently across large environments.

This approach helps maintain the integrity and uniformity of your systems, as Puppet uses declarative language to specify desired states, ensuring that configurations remain correct and consistent.

Key features

• The tool works with various operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS.
• It has configuration files that define the desired state of your system, acting as a blueprint for managing resources. They work alongside modules, which are collections of manifests and related files, enabling efficient management of different parts of your infrastructure.
• Puppet ensures that applying the same configuration multiple times will result in the same system state, which helps avoid unintended changes or errors.
• It provides detailed reports and compliance checks to track configuration changes and system status.
• The tool integrates with various tools and platforms like AWS, Azure, Docker, and Kubernetes. Also, it has an API that allows you to create custom integrations easily, connecting Puppet with other tools.

#8. Google Cloud Deployment Manager

Google Cloud Deployment Manager is a native Infrastructure as Code (IaC) service for automating the creation, configuration, and management of your Google Cloud resources.

You can use it to define your cloud infrastructure in configuration files with YAML, Python, or Jinja2 templates. Once you’ve set up your configuration, the Deployment Manager takes care of deploying these resources, ensuring everything is consistent and repeatable.

Key features

• It allows you to define your cloud resources with YAML or JSON files. This makes it easy to manage even complex deployments.
• It lets you use Python or Jinja2 templates to standardize and reuse resource creation across different projects.
• You can organize resources into logical groups, so you can manage and deploy them as a unit.
• The software allows parameterization in configuration files, enabling customized deployments for different environments like development, staging, and production.

#9. SaltStack

SaltStack is an open-source platform built with Python that helps you manage configurations, run commands remotely, and automate tasks.

Whether you’re dealing with on-premise systems, cloud environments, or both, SaltStack is designed to handle large-scale IT infrastructures.

It makes life easier for system administrators by letting you control multiple machines at once, keeping everything consistent across your environment, and providing tools for orchestration, configuration management, and real-time monitoring.

Key features

• It operates in a master-minion architecture, providing centralized control via a master server that manages multiple minions. It also supports a masterless mode for more decentralized configurations.
• You can execute commands across multiple systems simultaneously, using the ZeroMQ messaging system for high-speed communication.
• It allows you to define system states declaratively using YAML or Jinja templates. This ensures consistency across environments.
• The tool supports various management models including agent-based and agentless configurations.
• It features a modular design with an extensible architecture and a rich library of community-developed modules, including Beacons and Reactors for powerful event-driven automation across diverse tasks.

How to Choose the Right Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Platforms

Choosing an  Infrastructure as Code (IaC) platform is a strategic decision, that impacts both the functionality of your infrastructure and the efficiency of your team.  The right tool should align with your team’s technical strengths and operational needs, seamlessly integrate with existing systems, and also adhere to your organization’s security standards. Here a few things you must consider:

Compatibility with Existing Infrastructure

First, consider compatibility. Your IaC tool should support the technologies and cloud environment you currently use, such as public clouds (AWS, Azure, GCP), private clouds, or on-premises environments. Equally important is compatibility with services like databases and load balancers–elements essential for continuity and stability.

The declarative or Imperative approach

Next, evaluate the methodology. A declarative approach (e.g., Terraform, AWS CloudFormation) allows you to specify the end state of your infrastructure, leaving the system to handle execution. Alternatively, an imperative approach (e.g., Ansible, Chef), requires explicit step-by-step instructions. The choice should reflect your team’s expertise, as familiarity with one model over the other could impact the tool’s efficacy.

Supported programming languages

Choose a tool that supports programming languages your team is proficient in. This can enhance productivity and ease the learning curve associated with adopting a new tool.

Ease of Use

Look at the platform’s usability. Complex syntax or a sparse user interface can slow the onboarding process. Tools with extensive documentation, tutorials, and community support can simplify the process, ensuring quicker integration.

Security and Compliance

Security is non-negotiable, so examine the security features of the IaC tool, including access controls, encryption capabilities, and compliance auditing. Ensuring that this tool meets your organization’s security standards is critical.

Conclusion

Using an Infrastructure as Code (IaC) platform is important for today’s organizations to manage their infrastructure effectively. IaC allows for quicker deployments, greater consistency, better teamwork, enhanced security, and lower costs.

By handling infrastructure like software, organizations can automate tasks, minimize human errors, and keep their systems in a stable state. Choosing an IaC solution is a smart investment that will benefit organizations for years to come.

When selecting an IaC tool like SentinelOne Singularity Cloud, Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, Ansible, or Chef, choose one that aligns with your needs. Check those that integrate with your existing systems, how they match your coding style, and whether they meet your security and compliance standards.

For top-tier security and automation, look into SentinelOne Singularity Cloud. It provides advanced features for vulnerability management, cloud detection, response, and real-time credential leak detection. Book a Demo now to see how SentinelOne’s solution can protect your cloud environment.

FAQs

What is Infrastructure as Code (IaC)?

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is a management approach that uses code to automate the provisioning and management of IT infrastructure, enabling consistent and repeatable configurations across environments.

What are the benefits of using Infrastructure as Code (IaC)?

The benefits of IaC include increased deployment speed, reduced manual errors, improved consistency, enhanced collaboration among teams, and better resource management through version control.

What are some popular IaC platforms?

Popular IaC platforms include Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, Ansible, Puppet, Pulumi, and Azure Resource Manager. These tools facilitate the automation of infrastructure deployment across various cloud environments.

What languages are used in IaC?

IaC tools utilize various languages, including YAML and JSON for configuration files, and programming languages like Python, JavaScript, Go, and TypeScript in tools like Pulumi for defining infrastructure.

How do you ensure security in IaC?

Security in IaC can be ensured by implementing access controls, using secure coding practices, regularly auditing configurations, integrating security testing into CI/CD pipelines, and leveraging tools that provide compliance checks.