Clad

Free plan

What Clad is

Clad is declarative configuration management software for servers, using a Terraform-style plan-and-apply workflow. Before commands run, it shows proposed changes for each host; if a task fails, it says it reverses changes in reverse order. It can compare declared configuration with live servers to find manual changes, while Clad Shapes let users define a service pattern and reuse it across deployments. Clad connects over SSH and says managed hosts need no agent. It can convert Ansible playbooks to Clad format with one command. Installation options include Cargo, shell-script commands, or downloading a binary; the maker describes it as a single 5MB binary without Python, pip, or virtualenvs. The free, open-source Clad plan is listed as free. Enterprise offerings include audit dashboards, scheduled drift scans, webhook notifications, team RBAC and SSO, compliance reports, and priority support; no Enterprise price is listed. The page identifies Grundlabs as the maker.

Who it suits

Clad may suit operators who want to manage server configuration over SSH and review planned changes before applying them. Enterprise features are listed for teams needing audit dashboards, access controls, or compliance reports.

What it does well

Previews changes on every host before commands run.
Reverses changes if a task fails.
Finds drift between declared and live server state.
Imports Ansible playbooks with one command.

What to know first

Enterprise features are separate offerings.
Managed hosts require SSH access.

Limits

The free Clad plan is the single-binary, open-source offering. Audit dashboards, scheduled drift scans, webhooks, team RBAC and SSO, compliance reports, and priority support are listed under Enterprise.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Clad	Free and open source · Single binary	Free
Enterprise	Centralized audit dashboard · Scheduled drift scans · Webhook notifications · Team RBAC & SSO · Compliance reports · Priority support	On request

As clad.sh lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Open the Clad website
Install with Cargo or the shell script, or download the binary
Prepare SSH keys for managed hosts
Define the desired server state
Run the plan to review host changes
Apply the configuration

Verdict

Clad offers a free, open-source route to declarative server configuration, with change previews, rollback, and drift checks. Teams needing centralized audit and access features can review its Enterprise offering, for which no price is listed.

Questions

Is Clad free?

Yes. The Clad plan is free and open source, with a listed price of $0.

Does Clad require an agent on servers?

No. Clad uses SSH and says managed hosts need no agent.

How can Clad be installed?

The page provides Cargo and shell-script commands, and it also offers a downloadable binary.

Can Clad import Ansible playbooks?

Yes. Clad can convert Ansible playbooks to Clad format with one command.

What does Enterprise include?

Enterprise lists audit dashboards, scheduled drift scans, webhook notifications, team RBAC and SSO, compliance reports, and priority support.

Who makes Clad?

The page footer identifies Grundlabs as the maker.

Facts from Clad's own pages

Ansible import: Clad can convert Ansible playbooks to Clad format with one command. · clad.sh, 11 Oct 2026
Compliance: The Enterprise offering lists compliance reports. · clad.sh, 11 Oct 2026
Dependencies: The maker describes Clad as a single 5MB binary that needs no Python, pip, or virtualenvs. · clad.sh, 11 Oct 2026
Drift detection: Clad compares declared state against live servers to identify manual changes. · clad.sh, 11 Oct 2026
Enterprise features: Enterprise offerings listed include audit dashboards, scheduled drift scans, team RBAC and SSO, and compliance reports. · clad.sh, 5 Oct 2026
Enterprise integrations: The Enterprise offering lists webhook notifications. · clad.sh, 11 Oct 2026
Execution: Clad uses SSH and says it needs no agent on managed hosts. · clad.sh, 5 Oct 2026
Installation: The page gives Cargo and shell-script commands to install Clad or download its binary. · clad.sh, 11 Oct 2026
Integrations: The page describes Ansible playbook import and webhook notifications for enterprise teams. · clad.sh, 5 Oct 2026
Maker: The page footer identifies Grundlabs as the maker; it does not state a headquarters or founding year. · clad.sh, 5 Oct 2026
Managed hosts: The maker says Clad uses SSH keys and requires no agent on managed hosts. · clad.sh, 11 Oct 2026
Plan before apply: Clad shows what will change on every host before a command runs. · clad.sh, 11 Oct 2026
Reusable patterns: Clad Shapes let users define a service pattern once and deploy it repeatedly. · clad.sh, 11 Oct 2026
Rollback: Clad says it rolls back changes in reverse order if a task fails. · clad.sh, 11 Oct 2026
Speed: Clad says batched checks use four SSH round-trips instead of 139 and are 10x faster than Ansible on real infrastructure. · clad.sh, 11 Oct 2026
Support: Priority support is listed as an Enterprise offering, and the page gives [email protected] as a contact. · clad.sh, 11 Oct 2026
Team access: The Enterprise offering lists team RBAC and SSO. · clad.sh, 11 Oct 2026
What it does: Clad is declarative server configuration management with Terraform-style plan and apply, automatic rollback, and drift detection. · clad.sh, 11 Oct 2026

Where Clad stands on Freedom251

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