# PowerShell DSC vs Puppet Bolt

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Puppet Bolt

| Attribute | PowerShell DSC | Puppet Bolt |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 46.6 (27% (low)) | 53.9 (71% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 3 | - |
| adoption.github_stars | 61 | - |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A declarative configuration platform where you describe desired system state in JSON or YAML, then validate and enforce it across machines. Resources handle the actual configuration work and can be written in any language. It is indexed under Configuration Management Tools.","source":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/dsc/overview","question":"What is PowerShell DSC?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"PowerShell DSC supports Windows, macOS, Linux and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/dsc/overview","question":"What platforms does PowerShell DSC support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. PowerShell DSC is published under the CC-BY-4.0 licence, a copyleft licence, so check its terms before embedding it in a closed-source product. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/microsoftdocs/PowerShell-Docs-DSC","question":"Is PowerShell DSC open source?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"answer":"Puppet Bolt supports Windows, Linux and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://www.puppet.com/community/open-source/bolt","question":"What platforms does Puppet Bolt support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Puppet Bolt 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.puppet.com/community/open-source/bolt","question":"Can Puppet Bolt be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 11 integrations for Puppet Bolt, including ServiceNow, VMware, Argo CD, Jenkins, Dynatrace, Datadog, New Relic and CIS Benchmarks, plus 3 more. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.puppet.com/community/open-source/bolt","question":"What does Puppet Bolt integrate with?","confidence":0.6}]` |
| deployment.options | - | `{"on_prem":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | A PowerShell-based platform for writing infrastructure configurations as code, with origins in Windows management but expanding to cross-platform support across Windows, Linux, and macOS. | A framework for managing infrastructure resources by specifying desired states through modules and code, supporting multiple operating systems. |
| features.capabilities | `{"model":"push","language":"JSON, YAML","idempotent":true,"architecture":"agentless","desired_state":true,"windows_support":true,"content_registry":true,"open_source_core":true,"policy_compliance":true}` | `{"hosting":"both","desired_state":true,"windows_support":true,"open_source_core":true,"policy_compliance":true,"cloud_provisioning":true,"enterprise_edition":true}` |
| integrations.count | - | 11 |
| integrations.list | - | `[{"name":"ServiceNow"},{"name":"VMware"},{"name":"Argo CD"},{"name":"Jenkins"},{"name":"Dynatrace"},{"name":"Datadog"},{"name":"New Relic"},{"name":"CIS Benchmarks"},{"name":"Tenable Nessus"},{"name":"DISA STIG"},{"name":"Splunk"}]` |
| language.primary | PowerShell | - |
| license.spdx | CC-BY-4.0 | - |
| market.availability | - | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` | `{"linux":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/dsc/overview","retrievedAt":"2026-10-05T10:04:39.990Z"}` | - |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | - |
| pricing.model | open_source | commercial |
| pricing.price_level | free | - |
| reliability.status_page | yes | - |

## Capabilities (Configuration Management Tools)

| Capability | PowerShell DSC | Puppet Bolt |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Architecture | Agentless / SSH-push | - |
| Push / pull model | Push | - |
| Config language | JSON, YAML | - |
| **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 | ✓ | ✓ |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-17T01:29:11.990Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*