# PowerShell DSC vs Salt

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Salt

| Attribute | PowerShell DSC | Salt |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 46.6 (27% (low)) | 53.3 (76% (high)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 3 | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | - | 0 |
| adoption.github_stars | 61 | 15,714 |
| adoption.package_downloads_weekly | - | 29,742 |
| 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":"An open-source framework that allows teams to automate and manage thousands of systems from a central control plane. It provides remote command execution, configuration management, and infrastructure orchestration capabilities through a master-minion agent architecture. It is indexed under Configuration Management Tools.","source":"https://saltproject.io","question":"What is Salt?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Salt is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the Apache-2.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://saltproject.io","question":"Is Salt free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Salt 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://saltproject.io","question":"What platforms does Salt support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Salt can be deployed cloud / SaaS and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://saltproject.io","question":"Can Salt be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Salt 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/saltstack/salt","question":"Is Salt open source?","confidence":0.95}]` |
| deployment.options | - | `{"cloud":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 Python-based automation tool and framework designed to deploy, configure, and manage complex IT infrastructure systems, supporting multiple operating systems and maintaining consistent desired state across infrastructure components. |
| 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}` | `{"model":"pull","hosting":"self","architecture":"agent","desired_state":true,"windows_support":true,"open_source_core":true,"cloud_provisioning":true,"enterprise_edition":false}` |
| integrations.count | - | 1 |
| integrations.list | - | `[{"name":"Bitnami"}]` |
| language.primary | PowerShell | Python |
| license.spdx | CC-BY-4.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` | `{"cli":true,"mac":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"}` | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://saltproject.io","retrievedAt":"2026-10-13T15:11:26.897Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| pricing.transparent | - | yes |
| release.cadence_days | - | 6 |
| release.history | - | `[{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3008.3","date":"2026-09-30T21:19:42Z","type":"stable","version":"v3008.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3007.15","date":"2026-09-30T21:12:34Z","type":"stable","version":"v3007.15"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3006.28","date":"2026-09-30T20:55:21Z","type":"stable","version":"v3006.28"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3008.1-2","date":"2026-07-26T01:32:20Z","type":"stable","version":"v3008.1-2"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3008.1-1","date":"2026-07-23T19:43:15Z","type":"stable","version":"v3008.1-1"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3008.2","date":"2026-07-01T19:37:49Z","type":"stable","version":"v3008.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3006.27","date":"2026-07-01T18:54:23Z","type":"stable","version":"v3006.27"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3006.26","date":"2026-06-24T17:16:34Z","type":"stable","version":"v3006.26"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3008.1","date":"2026-06-11T14:41:31Z","type":"stable","version":"v3008.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3008.0","date":"2026-05-27T10:36:40Z","type":"stable","version":"v3008.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3008.0rc4","date":"2026-05-15T17:27:10Z","type":"stable","version":"v3008.0rc4"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3008.0rc3","date":"2026-05-13T16:48:46Z","type":"stable","version":"v3008.0rc3"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3006.25","date":"2026-05-13T16:42:11Z","type":"stable","version":"v3006.25"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3008.0rc2","date":"2026-05-06T18:22:06Z","type":"stable","version":"v3008.0rc2"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3007.14","date":"2026-04-29T18:00:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v3007.14"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3008.0rc1","date":"2026-04-23T23:59:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v3008.0rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3006.24","date":"2026-04-23T22:26:43Z","type":"stable","version":"v3006.24"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3006.23","date":"2026-02-23T21:17:26Z","type":"stable","version":"v3006.23"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3006.22","date":"2026-02-22T02:37:56Z","type":"stable","version":"v3006.22"},{"url":"https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases/tag/v3007.13","date":"2026-02-12T23:09:14Z","type":"stable","version":"v3007.13"}]` |
| reliability.status_page | yes | yes |
| security.scorecard | - | 4.8 |
| security.vulnerabilities | - | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=alpine&package_name=salt-syndic&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (Configuration Management Tools)

| Capability | PowerShell DSC | Salt |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Architecture | Agentless / SSH-push | Agent-based |
| Push / pull model | Push | Pull |
| Config language | JSON, YAML | - |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Masterless mode | - | - |
| Hosting | - | 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 2026-10-17T01:29:13.794Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*