The 16 best infrastructure as code (IaC) tools in 2025

Infrastructure-as-code (IaC) represents a shift from manual provisioning to programmable infrastructure. 

Instead of relying on scripts or human input, teams define networks, compute resources, and configurations as version-controlled code. This creates consistency across environments and transforms infrastructure management into a repeatable, testable engineering process.

For DevOps and security leaders, the value extends far beyond automation. Codified infrastructure reduces configuration drift, speeds up recovery after incidents, and embeds compliance directly into deployment workflows. 

By treating infrastructure definitions as code, organizations can apply the same rigor to reviews, testing, and scanning that governs application development.

At the enterprise level, IaC unites development, operations, and security around a single, auditable source of truth. With IaC security frameworks like policy-as-code and static scanning, it shifts risk management from reaction to prevention.

The next step is choosing the right tools. Below are the 16 best infrastructure as code tools in 2025, each designed to strengthen automation, scalability, and security across the modern DevOps pipeline.

Key takeaways

• IaC has become a foundational enterprise capability: The right infrastructure as code tools accelerate delivery, reduce risk, and create an auditable foundation for DevSecOps.
• Security and governance define maturity in 2025: Modern IaC stacks integrate policy enforcement, IaC scanning, and secrets management to maintain control across dynamic environments.
• Toolchains, not single tools, drive success: Enterprises combine provisioning engines, configuration managers, and orchestration platforms to unify code, infrastructure, and compliance.

Criteria for evaluating IaC tools: security, usability, integration

Choosing the right IaC tools determines how well your organization can automate infrastructure safely and at scale. 

The strongest options balance security, scalability, and ecosystem maturity, three pillars that define enterprise readiness.

1. Security and governance

Security is now the primary evaluation lens. 

Tools should include strong secret management, encrypted state storage, and role-based access control. 

Support for infrastructure as code security scanning and policy-as-code enforcement is essential, allowing misconfigurations to be detected and blocked before deployment. Integrating these controls early in the pipeline aligns with CI/CD pipeline security best practices.

2. Usability and scalability

The tool’s language model and workflow determine adoption speed. 

Declarative frameworks like Terraform and Bicep simplify repeatability, while developer-first platforms such as Pulumi or AWS CDK provide flexibility with general-purpose languages. 

Large-scale environments need reliable state management, whether handled by the cloud provider or through centralized backends, to prevent drift and ensure consistent provisioning.

3. Integration and ecosystem

Enterprises rarely operate on a single cloud. 

Multi-cloud support, prebuilt providers, and a strong module ecosystem reduce time to deploy while avoiding lock-in. 

Commercial support models, enterprise SLAs, and extensibility through APIs or policy engines round out the evaluation criteria, ensuring each tool can scale with governance and compliance requirements.

These pillars form a clear decision framework that prioritizes security, measures usability against team skill sets, and favors integrations that align with your broader DevSecOps ecosystem.

The best infrastructure as code tools in 2025

The infrastructure-as-code ecosystem has evolved from niche DevOps utilities into enterprise-critical systems that shape how modern organizations build and secure the cloud. 

Today, no single platform can do it all. Most enterprises blend multiple tools for provisioning, configuration, and orchestration to gain flexibility and control.

Foundational provisioning tools

Provisioning tools define and deploy the underlying infrastructure. They’re the networks, servers, and cloud services that every application depends on. These form the backbone of any IaC strategy.

1. Terraform (HashiCorp)

Terraform remains the industry benchmark for infrastructure as code tools, offering declarative provisioning across all major clouds and on-prem environments. 

Its HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL) is simple yet powerful and supported by a vast ecosystem of over a thousand providers. 

Terraform Cloud and Enterprise add key governance features, such as remote state management, access control, and Sentinel for policy-as-code enforcement.

TLDR: The most widely adopted and extensible multi-cloud provisioning engine for teams standardizing on repeatable, compliant deployments.

2. OpenTofu (Linux Foundation)

Born from Terraform’s licensing changes, OpenTofu preserves full Terraform compatibility under an open-source license governed by the Linux Foundation. 

It offers client-side state encryption for added security, supports the same HCL syntax and providers, and integrates well with external platforms like Spacelift for orchestration and governance. 

For enterprises that value transparency and control, OpenTofu provides freedom without compromise.

TLDR: A fully open, security-focused Terraform alternative with community-backed governance and encryption baked in.

3. Pulumi

Pulumi reimagines infrastructure-as-code by letting developers use real programming languages like Python, TypeScript, Go, and C# to define infrastructure. 

This approach merges application and infrastructure logic, enabling teams to reuse code, run tests, and integrate with existing CI pipelines. 

Pulumi Enterprise extends security with CrossGuard, a policy-as-code framework that enforces compliance and guardrails at deployment.

TLDR: A developer-first IaC platform that brings modern programming practices to cloud infrastructure.

4. AWS CloudFormation

CloudFormation is AWS’s native IaC engine, built to provision and manage cloud resources at scale using YAML or JSON templates. 

It automatically tracks state, integrates tightly with IAM and AWS Config, and offers StackSets for managing resources across accounts and regions. Its depth of integration makes it ideal for organizations deeply invested in the AWS ecosystem.

TLDR: The natural choice for AWS-native enterprises seeking reliability, automation, and first-party integrations.

5. Azure Resource Manager (ARM) and Bicep

ARM underpins every Azure deployment, while Bicep provides a cleaner syntax that compiles to ARM templates. Together, they enable consistent infrastructure management across Azure resources with strong integration into Azure Policy and RBAC. 

For enterprises standardizing on Microsoft technologies, ARM and Bicep deliver automation that feels native, secure, and repeatable.

TLDR: Microsoft’s native IaC framework, purpose-built for controlled, compliant operations across Azure environments.

6. Google Cloud Infrastructure Manager

Google Cloud Infrastructure Manager brings Terraform into Google’s ecosystem as a fully managed service. 

It executes Terraform configurations using Cloud Build, maintaining versioned state and configuration history automatically. 

With built-in IAM controls and audit logging, it allows teams to focus on infrastructure design rather than toolchain management.

TLDR: The best fit for GCP organizations seeking Terraform automation delivered as a managed, secure service.

7. AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK)

The AWS CDK bridges the gap between infrastructure and application code. 

By letting developers define infrastructure in familiar languages like TypeScript and Python, CDK makes infrastructure feel like part of the development workflow. 

It compiles to CloudFormation templates but adds higher-level abstractions called constructs that enforce architectural and security best practices.

TLDR: A developer-friendly AWS toolkit that codifies secure architecture patterns and reusable infrastructure blueprints.

8. CDK for Terraform (CDKTF)

CDKTF extends Terraform with the same developer experience as AWS CDK. 

It lets teams write infrastructure in general-purpose languages and converts that code into Terraform JSON. This fusion combines Terraform’s ecosystem with a modern programming model, simplifying complex infrastructure logic and testing.

TLDR: Terraform’s flexibility with the power and familiarity of TypeScript, Python, or Go for infrastructure definition.

9. Crossplane

Crossplane turns Kubernetes into a universal control plane for infrastructure. 

It uses the Kubernetes API to define cloud resources declaratively, allowing platform engineers to build secure, self-service abstractions for application teams. 

With built-in RBAC and policy support, Crossplane connects application and infrastructure lifecycles in a unified workflow.

TLDR: A Kubernetes-native control plane that unifies application and infrastructure management across clouds.

Configuration management and automation tools

While provisioning tools create infrastructure, configuration management platforms define what runs on it. They handle software installation, patching, and compliance, extending IaC principles deeper into runtime operations.

10. Ansible (Red Hat)

Ansible is one of the most accessible automation frameworks for large, heterogeneous environments. 

Using simple YAML playbooks, it manages configuration, application deployment, and network orchestration without installing agents on managed systems. 

Red Hat’s Ansible Automation Platform adds enterprise features like RBAC, credential encryption, and centralized reporting, giving teams full visibility into automation workflows.

TLDR: The versatile, agentless automation platform for enterprises managing complex hybrid and multi-cloud systems.

11. Puppet Enterprise

Puppet takes a declarative, model-driven approach to configuration management, ensuring that infrastructure always matches its defined desired state. 

Its enterprise platform provides detailed compliance dashboards, real-time reporting, and role-based permissions for controlled change management. Puppet’s strong compliance orientation makes it a mainstay in industries where audits and certifications drive operations.

TLDR: A trusted framework for enforcing configuration consistency and compliance across large, long-lived server fleets.

12. Chef Enterprise Automation Stack

Chef extends the idea of infrastructure as code security into post-deployment management. 

Its Ruby-based “recipes” define everything from system configuration to application delivery. 

The Chef Enterprise suite adds Chef Automate for pipeline visualization, Chef Habitat for packaging, and Chef InSpec for compliance as code, enabling security and operations to collaborate on continuous assurance.

TLDR: A full-stack automation suite that unites configuration, compliance, and delivery in one IaC-aligned workflow.

13. SaltStack (VMware)

SaltStack combines configuration management with real-time event-driven automation. 

Its lightweight agents communicate through a high-speed messaging bus, enabling near-instant remote execution across thousands of systems. 

The enterprise edition adds graphical management, directory integration, and a SecOps module for vulnerability scanning and automated remediation.

TLDR: A high-speed automation framework for environments that demand both scalability and continuous compliance enforcement.

IaC management and orchestration platforms

As IaC scales across teams and tools, governance and automation become critical. These platforms provide the collaboration, policy control, and visibility that turn IaC from scripts into managed enterprise workflows.

14. Spacelift

Spacelift centralizes infrastructure automation by orchestrating Terraform, OpenTofu, Pulumi, and other IaC engines in one control plane. 

Built with Open Policy Agent (OPA) at its core, it enforces governance through policy-as-code and generates dynamic, short-lived credentials to minimize key exposure. 

With drift detection, audit trails, and customizable self-service templates, it allows teams to standardize workflows without slowing development.

TLDR: The policy-driven orchestration layer that unifies multi-IaC operations under secure, automated governance.

Essential supporting tools

Supporting tools fill critical gaps, helping teams scale Terraform usage, validate configurations, and maintain continuous security feedback loops across environments.

15. Terragrunt

Terragrunt simplifies managing Terraform at scale by standardizing structure and automating repetitive tasks like remote state handling and module dependencies. 

It enforces DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) principles, reduces maintenance overhead, and improves reliability across large monorepos. 

While lightweight, it’s indispensable for organizations managing hundreds of Terraform configurations.

TLDR: The efficiency booster for large Terraform deployments, built to simplify, standardize, and scale.

16. Checkov (Prisma Cloud)

Checkov is a leading open-source scanner for IaC security and compliance validation. 

It analyzes configurations from Terraform, CloudFormation, Kubernetes, Helm, and more, identifying risks such as public storage buckets, unencrypted volumes, or missing tags before deployment. 

Easy CI/CD integration allows security checks to run automatically, ensuring only compliant code is promoted to production.

TLDR: The essential static analysis engine for enforcing security policies and preventing IaC misconfigurations before runtime.

All the tools you need to deploy IAC

All of these tools form the modern enterprise IaC stack. Provisioning engines establish the foundation, configuration managers control state, orchestration platforms add governance, and scanning tools ensure compliance, all working as one continuous system of automation and assurance.

How to integrate IaC security in your pipeline

Integrating IaC security directly into the software delivery lifecycle ensures infrastructure remains compliant from commit to runtime. 

The goal is to make security continuous, automated, and measurable, not an afterthought handled after deployment.

A mature approach layers multiple safeguards across the pipeline, combining prevention, detection, and governance. These are the key steps every enterprise should implement:

• Run static analysis early: Integrate IaC scanning tools like Checkov or Snyk IaC into IDEs, pre-commit hooks, and CI workflows. Detecting misconfigurations before merge prevents security debt from entering the repository. 
• Enforce policies automatically: Embed policy-as-code controls with Open Policy Agent (OPA) or Sentinel to enforce organizational standards such as encryption, resource tagging, and cost allocation. Treat policies as versioned code reviewed and tested alongside infrastructure.
• Secure modules and dependencies: Pin module versions, verify publishers, and continuously scan IaC registries for vulnerabilities. Managing dependencies this way helps in closing the loop between application and infrastructure security.
• Detect and remediate drift: Continuously compare deployed infrastructure against its source code to spot unauthorized changes. Automate correction through redeployment or version control updates. Modern teams detect architecture drift early in the SDLC to maintain alignment between code and runtime.
• Extend right to runtime: Protect against post-deployment changes by continuously monitoring infrastructure state. Extending visibility and validation beyond deployment ensures that what runs in production remains as secure as the code you wrote. This mindset of extending right from code to runtime creates a complete, adaptive security posture.
• Adopt a unified DevSecOps model: Bring development, security, and platform teams together through shared workflows and dashboards. Use Infrastructure-as-Code policies and controls to automate compliance reviews, eliminate bottlenecks, and accelerate safe releases.

By embedding these layers of control, organizations transform IaC from a simple automation tool into a continuous risk management framework, where every change is reviewed, tested, and validated automatically before it reaches production.

Build confidence in every line of infrastructure code

The modern IaC ecosystem offers no shortage of powerful options. From Terraform and Pulumi to Spacelift and Checkov, each tool plays a role in defining, automating, and securing infrastructure. 

Yet as stacks grow, so does complexity. Managing policy enforcement, scanning results, and drift detection across multiple tools often leaves teams with fragmented visibility and inconsistent risk signals.

Apiiro helps enterprises connect IaC risk with the broader software context, mapping misconfigurations, policies, and code changes across repositories, pipelines, and runtime environments. By correlating risks from code to cloud, security teams can prioritize what matters most and prevent vulnerabilities from ever reaching production.

Apiiro integrates seamlessly into existing DevSecOps pipelines, enhancing the workflows built on these IaC platforms rather than replacing them. It provides full lifecycle visibility, from the pull request to runtime validation, ensuring every change aligns with security, compliance, and business intent.

See how Apiiro can help you turn infrastructure code into a measurable, governable part of your security posture. Book a demo to see your entire IaC ecosystem, from code to runtime, through a single, unified lens.

Frequently asked questions

1. What features should you prioritize when choosing an IaC tool for security?

Look for native secret management, encrypted state storage, and integration with policy-as-code and scanning tools. Enterprise-grade options also provide detailed audit logs and role-based access control to ensure only authorized users can modify configurations. Together, these features help teams enforce secure defaults and maintain consistent governance across all environments.

2. How often should IaC templates be rescanned for configuration drift?

Templates themselves don’t drift, but deployed infrastructure does. Automated drift detection should run continuously in production and at least daily for critical systems. Many teams schedule comparisons as part of CI/CD pipelines to immediately identify when runtime infrastructure deviates from the code baseline and automatically trigger remediation.

3. Can IaC tools alone protect against misconfigurations without additional cloud scanners?

No. IaC tools provision resources exactly as written, but they don’t validate whether those configurations are secure. IaC scanning solutions, such as Checkov or Snyk, analyze templates before deployment to identify risky settings. Pairing IaC tools with continuous cloud posture monitoring provides the full security coverage enterprises need.

4. How do you manage dependencies and modules in large IaC codebases securely?

Treat infrastructure modules like application dependencies. Use only verified sources, pin versions to known-good releases, and run regular vulnerability scans on shared registries. Establish internal repositories for approved modules and enforce automated checks in the CI/CD pipeline to prevent the use of unverified or outdated components.

5. What role do policy-as-code engines play in enforcing IaC best practices?

Policy-as-code engines such as OPA or Sentinel turn governance rules into executable code. Integrated directly into pipelines, they automatically block insecure or non-compliant changes, like unencrypted storage or untagged resources, before deployment. This automation enforces security and compliance consistently across teams, reducing manual review cycles and configuration drift.