Free and open first

Best Data Center Automation in 2026

Data center automation tools help provision machines, manage infrastructure, and run repeatable operational tasks. This list is for people comparing software for a data center or hybrid environment on a budget.

22 apps
Research read 28 Sept 2026
How the order is worked out

1

Apache CloudStack

Free plan Open source APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

Apache CloudStack combines cloud deployment and management with broad hypervisor, storage, and access options.

9.3 Free plan Visit site
2

Canonical MAAS

Free plan Open source APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

MAAS provides server provisioning and infrastructure-management tools, with free self-support and paid support tiers.

9.2 Free plan · paid from $30/yr Visit site
3

CFEngine

Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3

CFEngine combines policy-based configuration management with reporting and security controls, and is designed for a wide range of infrastructure scale.

9.2 Free plan · pricing on request Visit site
4

Puppet

Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3

Puppet Enterprise brings policy-driven configuration management and automation together for complex environments.

8.7 Free plan Visit site
5

Chef Infra

Free plan APILinuxMac+2

Chef Infra combines infrastructure configuration, policy testing and drift correction, with a free non-commercial community edition and paid plans.

7.5 Open source Visit site
6

Foreman

Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

Foreman offers server provisioning, configuration integrations and several administration interfaces without a listed software charge.

7.4 Free plan Visit site
7

Cobbler

Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted

Choose Cobbler if you need a free Linux server to automate network installations and can manage its server and security requirements.

7.3 Free plan Visit site
8

OpenNebula
by OpenNebula
Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

Choose OpenNebula if you need a unified platform for virtualization and cloud infrastructure across on-premises, public cloud, or edge environments.

7.2 Free plan Visit site
9

OpenTofu

Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1

OpenTofu combines configuration-based infrastructure management with state tracking, reusable modules, and broad provider support. Its OCI provider installation remains secondary, rather than primary.

7.1 Free plan Visit site
10

OpenStack Barbican

Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted

Barbican offers OpenStack-native secret management with configurable storage integrations, including HSM support.

7.0 Open source Visit site
11

Terraform

Free plan APILinuxMac+3

Terraform provides a configuration-based workflow, reusable modules, and providers for connecting to services.

7.0 Free plan Visit site
12

xCAT

Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted

Choose xCAT if you need open-source automation for provisioning and managing large server or VM environments.

6.8 Open source Visit site
13

Supermicro SuperDoctor 5

Free plan LinuxWindows

SuperDoctor 5 offers free monitoring and remote management for administrators working with Supermicro servers. Its server requirement and one-to-one management model are important fit considerations.

6.7 Free plan Visit site
14

Cisco Catalyst Center

Paid APILinuxMac+3

5.9 Pricing on request Visit site
15

Dell OpenManage Enterprise

Free plan Web

5.9 Free plan · 90-day trial Visit site
16

MetalSoft Bare Metal Orchestrator

Paid APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

MetalSoft Bare Metal Orchestrator combines server provisioning, lifecycle management, automation, and integrations for multi-vendor infrastructure.

5.7 Pricing on request Visit site
17

Itential Automation Platform

Paid APISelf-hostedWeb

Choose Itential when an enterprise infrastructure team needs controlled automation across production systems and a choice of deployment models.

5.6 Pricing on request Visit site
18

Arista CloudVision

Paid Web

4.5 Pricing on request Visit site
19

HPE OneView

Paid Web

HPE OneView brings patch, configuration, and remediation functions together for a specific set of HPE platforms.

4.4 Pricing on request · 60-day trial Visit site
20

Nutanix Cloud Manager

Paid Web

4.3 Pricing on request Visit site
21

Red Hat Advanced Cluster Management for Kubernetes

Paid Web

The product covers several central cluster-management tasks across a wide range of named environments. Buyers should account for the customer-managed control plane and request pricing.

4.1 Pricing on request Visit site
22

VMware vSAN

Paid

Choose VMware vSAN if your requirements include hybrid deployment, broad storage-protocol support, replication or erasure coding, and Kubernetes compatibility.

3.6 Visit site

#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price

Check whether a tool has a free plan, trial, or open-source licence that fits your needs. Compare deployment choices, automation scope, infrastructure as code, supported operating systems, role-based access, API access, and the paid starting price before choosing.

Questions

Are free data center automation tools available?

Yes. Tools on this list include free plans, free products, and open-source options. Check the licence and limits before selecting one.

Which tools offer a free trial?

Dell OpenManage Enterprise lists a 90-day trial. HPE OneView lists a 60-day trial. Other trial terms may differ.

What is the lowest paid price listed?

Canonical MAAS lists paid plans from $30 per year. Several paid tools list pricing on request instead of a public starting price.

Can I run these tools on Linux or in a browser?

The listed platform options include Linux, web, self-hosted, API, Windows, and macOS. Check the platform details for the tool you are considering.

Why compare infrastructure as code?

Infrastructure as code lets you describe infrastructure in files for repeatable changes. Compare whether that approach matches your automation process.

Questions

More in IT & Infrastructure