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Configuration Management ToolsUnclaimed

PowerShell DSC

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Also known as
powershell-dsc

What is PowerShell DSC?

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.

Independently observed

What PowerShell DSC does

The capabilities that matter for configuration management tools, normalised so it lines up with every alternative. “-” means we haven't confirmed it, not that it's missing.

Core
Architecture
Agentless / SSH-push
Push / pull model
Push
Config language
JSON, YAML
Deployment
Masterless mode
-
Hosting
-
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
✓
Independently observed

Platform & deployment

Independently observed
Platforms
  • CLI
  • macOS
  • Linux
  • Windows

PowerShell DSC FAQ

Common questions about PowerShell DSC, answered from independent, dated evidence.

What is PowerShell DSC?

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

What platforms does PowerShell DSC support?

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

Is PowerShell DSC open source?

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

PowerShell DSC alternatives

Other configuration management tools we track, ranked by the same independent score.

All PowerShell DSC alternatives, ranked →

Independent · unbought · dated

The vioscaleAI score: one lens on the evidence

Not user reviews and not a paid placement: a confidence-weighted blend of the independent signals below (adoption, activity, security posture, and more), which you can sort and re-weight yourself. Vendors can correct their listing but can never move their rank, and stars are weighted low as a vanity metric. It is one way to read the evidence for PowerShell DSC, not the verdict.

Balanced composite 45 / 100
low · 31%
Signal contributions to the composite score
SignalScoreWeightContributionEvidence
Capabilities750.107.4✓
Reliability500.052.7✓
Stars330.031.1✓
Development activity100.121.1✓
Price level00.040.0-
Integrations00.050.0-
Dependent projects00.080.0-
Release cadence00.070.0-
Security posture00.090.0-
Package downloads00.170.0-
Security score00.050.0-
Pricing transparency00.050.0-
Developer Q&A activity00.080.0-

Computed . Re-weight it by intent, or see the full method.

All data & sourcesshow ↓

Every value we hold, with its source, retrieval date, and confidence. This is the evidence behind the score: don't trust it, verify it.

Activity

AttributeValueEvidence
Commits last 30d1mediumsource · 2026-09-07 · 65%

Adoption

AttributeValueEvidence
Github stars58highsource · 2026-09-07 · 90%

Content

AttributeValueEvidence
Faq3 itemsmediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 72%

Features

AttributeValueEvidence
CapabilitiesModel: push · Language: JSON, YAML · Idempotent: Yes · Architecture: agentless · Desired state: Yes · Windows support: Yesmediumsource · 2026-08-13 · 60%

Language

AttributeValueEvidence
PrimaryPowerShellhighsource · 2026-09-07 · 90%

License

AttributeValueEvidence
SpdxCC-BY-4.0highsource · 2026-09-07 · 95%

Pricing

AttributeValueEvidence
Modelcommercialmediumsource · 2026-09-07 · 60%

Reliability

AttributeValueEvidence
Status pageYesmediumsource · 2026-08-03 · 60%
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