Side by side
AWS CDK vs OpenTofu
Both stand on infrastructure as code tools. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxMacWindows
AWS CDK lets teams define AWS infrastructure in familiar languages and deploy through CloudFormation, with reusable constructs and pipeline support. The CDK itself is free, but Node.js 22.x or later is required and deployed resources may incur charges.
Visit AWS CDK
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.
Visit OpenTofuThe facts
| AWS CDK | OpenTofu | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Windows | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | aws.amazon.com | opentofu.org |
| On infrastructure as code tools | #4 of 31 | #8 of 31 |
AWS CDK: what it does well
- Stable bindings cover six programming languages.
- Reusable constructs cover many AWS services.
- CDK Pipelines supports testing, integration, and production deployments.
- Supports policy as code and drift detection.
- Available on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
What to know first
- Requires Node.js 22.x or later.
- Deployed AWS resources may incur charges.
- Custom constructs cannot guarantee compliance.
OpenTofu: what it does well
- Free open-source tool with a listed free plan.
- Terraform-compatible workflows and configurations.
- Client-side state encryption supports several key providers.
- Independent resources can be created or modified in parallel.
- Providers can be installed from mirrors or caches.
What to know first
- OCI is not yet the primary provider source.
- Changes depend on maintaining an infrastructure state file.
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