Comparison

CFEngine vs SaltStack

On the evidence we track, SaltStack leads this comparison with a composite score of 55/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

CFEngine full profile →SaltStack full profile →

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CFEngine50

★SaltStack55

Attribute comparison across 2 tools
Attribute	CFEngine	SaltStackLeader
Vioscale score	50 / 100medium · 57%	55 / 100medium · 69%
Pricing
Free tierpricing.free_tier	✓	-
Modelpricing.model	commercial	-
Price levelpricing.price_level	low	-
Transparentpricing.transparent	✗	-
Integrations
Countintegrations.count	2	-
Security
Disclosure policysecurity.disclosure_policy	✓	-
Scorecardsecurity.scorecard	6.6	4.8
Vulnerabilitiessecurity.vulnerabilities	Count: 0 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fcfengine%2Fcore&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 0	Count: 67 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=pypi&package_name=salt&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 2 · Max severity: CRITICAL
Adoption
Dependent reposadoption.dependent_repos	0	428
Github starsadoption.github_stars	532	15,637
Package downloads weeklyadoption.package_downloads_weekly	-	23,112
Activity
Commits last 30dactivity.commits_last_30d	100	47
Release
Cadence daysrelease.cadence_days	-	5
Historyrelease.history	-	20 items
License
Spdxlicense.spdx	-	Apache-2.0
Language
Primarylanguage.primary	C	Python
Market
Availabilitymarket.availability	Available worldwide	-

Score

Vioscale score

CFEngine50 / 100medium · 57%

SaltStack55 / 100medium · 69%

Pricing

Free tier

CFEngine✓

SaltStack–

Model

CFEnginecommercial

SaltStack–

Price level

CFEnginelow

SaltStack–

Transparent

CFEngine✗

SaltStack–

Integrations

Count

CFEngine2

SaltStack–

Security

Disclosure policy

CFEngine✓

SaltStack–

Scorecard

CFEngine6.6

SaltStack4.8

Vulnerabilities

CFEngineCount: 0 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fcfengine%2Fcore&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 0

SaltStackCount: 67 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=pypi&package_name=salt&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 2 · Max severity: CRITICAL

Adoption

Dependent repos

CFEngine0

SaltStack428

Github stars

CFEngine532

SaltStack15,637

Package downloads weekly

CFEngine–

SaltStack23,112

Activity

Commits last 30d

CFEngine100

SaltStack47

Release

Cadence days

CFEngine–

SaltStack5

History

CFEngine–

SaltStack20 items

License

Spdx

CFEngine–

SaltStackApache-2.0

Language

Primary

CFEngineC

SaltStackPython

Market

Availability

CFEngineAvailable worldwide

SaltStack–

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for configuration management tools. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Capability comparison for Configuration Management Tools
Capability	CFEngine	SaltStack
Core
Architecture	Agent-based	-
Push / pull model	Both	-
Config language	CFEngine policy language	-
Deployment
Masterless mode	-	-
Hosting	Cloud + self-hosted	-
Correctness
Idempotent	✓	-
Model
Desired-state declarative	✓	-
Ecosystem
Content registry	✓	-
Platform
Windows support	✓	-
Scope
Cloud provisioning	-	-
Governance
Policy / compliance	✓	-
Commercial
Enterprise edition	✓	-
Licensing
Open-source core	✓	✓

Core

Architecture

CFEngineAgent-based

SaltStack-

Push / pull model

CFEngineBoth

SaltStack-

Config language

CFEngineCFEngine policy language

SaltStack-

Deployment

Masterless mode

CFEngine-

SaltStack-

Hosting

CFEngineCloud + self-hosted

SaltStack-

Correctness

Idempotent

CFEngine✓

SaltStack-

Model

Desired-state declarative

CFEngine✓

SaltStack-

Ecosystem

Content registry

CFEngine✓

SaltStack-

Platform

Windows support

CFEngine✓

SaltStack-

Scope

Cloud provisioning

CFEngine-

SaltStack-

Governance

Policy / compliance

CFEngine✓

SaltStack-

Commercial

Enterprise edition

CFEngine✓

SaltStack-

Licensing

Open-source core

CFEngine✓

SaltStack✓

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

CFEngine

Provides automated configuration deployment and continuous enforcement of desired system state across large-scale infrastructures, with capabilities for security hardening and compliance verification. Available in open-source community and commercial enterprise editions.

Independently observed

SaltStack

Leader

Not documented yet.

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

CFEngine

HybridFree tier

Free open-source community edition or commercial enterprise edition

Community EditionFree
- GitHub source access
- Community support
Enterprise EditionContact sales
- Inventory & compliance reports
- Web UI (Mission Portal)
- APIs
- Alerts & dashboards
- Enhanced platform support

as of 2026-08-14verify ↗

SaltStack

Leader

Pricing not documented yet.

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platform and deployment support comparison
Supports	CFEngine	SaltStack
WebPlatforms	✓	-
WindowsPlatforms	✓	-
LinuxPlatforms	✓	-
CLIPlatforms	✓	-
Cloud / SaaSDeployment	✓	-
Self-hostedDeployment	✓	-
On-premiseDeployment	✓	-

Platforms

Web

CFEngine✓

SaltStack–

Windows

CFEngine✓

SaltStack–

Linux

CFEngine✓

SaltStack–

CLI

CFEngine✓

SaltStack–

Deployment

Cloud / SaaS

CFEngine✓

SaltStack–

Self-hosted

CFEngine✓

SaltStack–

On-premise

CFEngine✓

SaltStack–

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

CFEngine

2 total

Git
Docker

Independently observed

SaltStack

Leader

Not documented yet.

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.