Side by side
Canonical MAAS vs CFEngine
Both stand on it automation software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan Open source APILinuxSelf-hosted+1
MAAS provides server provisioning and infrastructure-management tools, with free self-support and paid support tiers. Account for the free plan’s support exclusions and the Ubuntu Pro requirement for controllers.
Visit Canonical MAAS
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. The free Community Edition is Linux-focused; Enterprise adds a web portal, extensive reporting, and support, with pricing beyond 25 hosts available on request.
Visit CFEngineThe facts
| Canonical MAAS | CFEngine | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Self-hosted, Web | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | See the plans | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 5 | 3 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | canonical.com | cfengine.com |
| On it automation software | #1 of 77 | #2 of 77 |
Canonical MAAS: what it does well
- Automates server lifecycle tasks.
- Web UI, command line, and API management.
- Integrates with Terraform, Juju, and Ansible.
- Supports network and storage configuration.
- Free plan covers all machines.
What to know first
- Free plan has no HA support.
- Free plan lacks RBAC and Knowledge Base.
- Free plan has no phone or ticket support.
- Ubuntu Pro is required for MAAS controllers.
CFEngine: what it does well
- Agents check hub compliance every five minutes by default.
- Designed to manage tens or hundreds of thousands of nodes.
- Enterprise includes compliance reports and policy analysis.
- Secure bootstrap uses mutual authentication and TLS encryption.
- Community Edition is free under GNU GPL.
What to know first
- Community Edition supports Linux.
- Enterprise pricing beyond 25 hosts is available on request.
Alternatives to Canonical MAAS Alternatives to CFEngine The whole list