# Chef Infra vs cloud-init

| Attribute | Chef Infra | cloud-init |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 56.4 (74% (medium)) | 51.9 (66% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 44 | 34 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 10,030 | 0 |
| adoption.github_stars | 8,252 | 3,833 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A DevOps automation solution for defining and managing infrastructure configurations, enforcing compliance standards, and automating remediation across cloud, on-premises, hybrid, and air-gapped environments. Provides continuous compliance auditing, policy enforcement, and workflow orchestration. It is indexed under Configuration Management Tools.","source":"https://www.chef.io/blog/chefconf-early-bird-pricing-extended-to-wednesday-april-4th","question":"What is Chef Infra?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Chef Infra is a paid product; published pricing starts at $59 per node per year. It is sold across 3 plans (Business, Enterprise and Enterprise Plus). There is no free tier. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.chef.io","question":"How much does Chef Infra cost?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Chef Infra supports the web and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://www.chef.io/blog/chefconf-early-bird-pricing-extended-to-wednesday-april-4th","question":"What platforms does Chef Infra support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Chef Infra can be deployed cloud / SaaS, hybrid, on-premise, air-gapped and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://www.chef.io/blog/chefconf-early-bird-pricing-extended-to-wednesday-april-4th","question":"Can Chef Infra be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 6 integrations for Chef Infra, including Google Compute Engine, GitHub, Jenkins, AWS, Azure and GCP. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.chef.io/blog/chefconf-early-bird-pricing-extended-to-wednesday-april-4th","question":"What does Chef Infra integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed GDPR for Chef Infra. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Chef Infra not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://www.chef.io/security","question":"What security certifications does Chef Infra have?","confidence":0.7},{"answer":"Yes. Chef Infra is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/chef/chef","question":"Is Chef Infra open source?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Chef Infra is available worldwide. The vendor is headquartered in the United States.","source":"https://www.chef.io","question":"Where is Chef Infra available?","confidence":0.75}]` | `[{"answer":"An open-source utility that customizes cloud instances during boot by applying user-provided configuration data, supporting all major cloud providers and Linux distributions. It is indexed under Configuration Management Tools.","source":"https://cloud-init.io/","question":"What is cloud-init?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"cloud-init is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://cloud-init.io/","question":"Is cloud-init free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"cloud-init supports Linux. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://cloud-init.io/","question":"What platforms does cloud-init support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. cloud-init can be deployed cloud / SaaS, on-premise and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://cloud-init.io/","question":"Can cloud-init be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"cloud-init is available worldwide. The vendor is headquartered in the United Kingdom.","source":"https://cloud-init.io/","question":"Where is cloud-init available?","confidence":0.75}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"on_prem":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | Chef Infra enables teams to define infrastructure and software configurations as code, automating deployment and management across any environment at scale. | A boot-time initialization framework for Linux and Unix systems that automatically detects the cloud environment, retrieves configuration metadata, and provisions instances with network setup, storage configuration, SSH keys, and other initialization tasks. Supports all major public clouds, private cloud infrastructure, and bare-metal systems. |
| features.capabilities | `{"model":"pull","hosting":"both","language":"Ruby","idempotent":true,"architecture":"agent","desired_state":true,"windows_support":true,"content_registry":true,"open_source_core":true,"policy_compliance":true,"cloud_provisioning":true,"enterprise_edition":true}` | `{"model":"push","hosting":"self","idempotent":true,"architecture":"agentless","desired_state":true,"masterless_mode":true,"windows_support":false,"open_source_core":true,"cloud_provisioning":true}` |
| integrations.count | 6 | - |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Google Compute Engine"},{"name":"GitHub"},{"name":"Jenkins"},{"name":"AWS"},{"name":"Azure"},{"name":"GCP"}]` | - |
| language.primary | Ruby | Python |
| license.spdx | Apache-2.0 | - |
| market.availability | `{"hqCountry":"US","primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` | `{"cli":true,"linux":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"usage","plans":[{"free":false,"name":"Business","summary":"$59/node/year","features":["Node Management","Job Orchestration","Configuration Management","Desktop Management","Compliance Audit","Unlimited User Seats","Unlimited Org Units","30 Days Data Retention","Standard Support","99.9% Uptime SLA"],"commitment":"annual","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"node","amount":59,"period":"year","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Suitable for organisations that need to automate and orchestrate infrastructure management jobs critical to business success.","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"concurrent_jobs":"10","monthly_job_runs_per_node":"10"}},{"free":false,"name":"Enterprise","summary":"$189/node/year","features":["Node Management","Job Orchestration","Configuration Management","Desktop Management","Compliance Audit","Continuous Compliance","Cloud Security Posture Management","Application Delivery","Unlimited User Seats","Unlimited Org Units","30 Days Data Retention","Standard Support","99.9% Uptime SLA"],"commitment":"annual","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"node","amount":189,"period":"year","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For organizations tasked with maturing DevOps automation, orchestration and auditing for their entire organization.","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"concurrent_jobs":"10","monthly_job_runs_per_node":"10"}},{"free":false,"name":"Enterprise Plus","summary":"Custom pricing, contact sales","features":["Node Management","Job Orchestration","Configuration Management","Desktop Management","Compliance Audit","Continuous Compliance","Cloud Security Posture Management","Application Delivery","Unlimited User Seats","Unlimited Org Units","Up to 60 Days Data Retention","Premium Support","99.9% Uptime SLA","Optional Dedicated Instance"],"description":"For security-focused organizations aiming to extend DevOps automation to address security and compliance requirements.","contactSales":true,"includedLimits":{"concurrent_jobs":"50","monthly_job_runs_per_node":"10"}}],"summary":"From $59/node/year annual billing. No free tier.","currency":"USD","freeTier":false,"sourceUrl":"https://www.chef.io","retrievedAt":"2026-08-05T14:05:19.898Z","startingPrice":{"amount":59,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["year"]}` | `{"type":"open_source","sourceUrl":"https://cloud-init.io/","retrievedAt":"2026-08-21T12:43:06.271Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | commercial | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | low | free |
| pricing.transparent | no | yes |
| release.cadence_days | 233 | 38 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/chef/chef/releases/tag/v15.8.23","date":"2020-02-20T06:51:07Z","type":"stable","version":"v15.8.23"},{"url":"https://github.com/chef/chef/releases/tag/15.1.36","date":"2019-07-01T23:16:15Z","type":"prerelease","version":"15.1.36"},{"url":"https://github.com/chef/chef/releases/tag/11.18.14","date":"2015-07-09T13:15:27Z","type":"stable","version":"11.18.14"},{"url":"https://github.com/chef/chef/releases/tag/12.3.0","date":"2015-04-27T19:51:58Z","type":"stable","version":"12.3.0"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/26.2","date":"2026-07-29T03:33:43Z","type":"stable","version":"26.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/26.1","date":"2026-02-28T02:05:06Z","type":"stable","version":"26.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/25.3","date":"2025-09-26T11:33:24Z","type":"stable","version":"25.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/25.2","date":"2025-08-12T19:05:26Z","type":"stable","version":"25.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/25.1.4","date":"2025-08-06T19:27:52Z","type":"stable","version":"25.1.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/25.1.3","date":"2025-06-12T20:48:07Z","type":"stable","version":"25.1.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/25.1.2","date":"2025-05-01T17:45:51Z","type":"stable","version":"25.1.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/25.1.1","date":"2025-03-24T17:21:47Z","type":"stable","version":"25.1.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/25.1","date":"2025-02-20T21:12:24Z","type":"stable","version":"25.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/24.4.1","date":"2025-01-15T16:21:06Z","type":"stable","version":"24.4.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/24.4","date":"2024-11-25T16:33:16Z","type":"stable","version":"24.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/24.3.1","date":"2024-09-05T17:05:38Z","type":"stable","version":"24.3.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/24.3","date":"2024-08-30T22:38:19Z","type":"stable","version":"24.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/24.2","date":"2024-07-03T15:35:00Z","type":"stable","version":"24.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/24.1.7","date":"2024-06-05T16:36:32Z","type":"stable","version":"24.1.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/24.1.6","date":"2024-05-24T17:01:37Z","type":"stable","version":"24.1.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/24.1.4","date":"2024-04-05T21:48:54Z","type":"stable","version":"24.1.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/24.1.3","date":"2024-03-27T13:17:42Z","type":"stable","version":"24.1.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/24.1.2","date":"2024-03-21T15:55:41Z","type":"stable","version":"24.1.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/canonical/cloud-init/releases/tag/24.1.1","date":"2024-03-12T02:40:29Z","type":"stable","version":"24.1.1"}]` |
| reliability.sla_pct | 99.9 | - |
| reliability.status_page | yes | - |
| security.disclosure_policy | yes | - |
| security.gdpr | yes | - |
| security.scorecard | 3.2 | 6 |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":1,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=rubygems&package_name=chef&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":"MODERATE"}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=ubuntu&package_name=cloud-init&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (Configuration Management Tools)

| Capability | Chef Infra | cloud-init |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Architecture | Agent-based | Agentless / SSH-push |
| Push / pull model | Pull | Push |
| Config language | Ruby | - |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Masterless mode | - | ✓ |
| Hosting | Cloud + self-hosted | Self-hosted only |
| **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 | ✓ | ✓ |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T17:44:46.841Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*