18.4
Puppet Enterprise provides policy-driven configuration management and infrastructure automation for medium and large organizations handling complex…
Free planOpen sourceWebAPILinux
Best Data Center Automation in 2026
Use data center automation tools to provision servers, maintain configurations, and coordinate infrastructure with repeatable processes. Before selecting one, review its automation coverage, infrastructure-as-code capabilities, API support, and role-based permissions. If you need phone access, check for an Android app before signing up. Check each product's listed platforms—web, Windows, macOS, Linux, self-hosted,…
28.1
Canonical MAAS is an open source platform for managing physical servers as cloud resources.
Free planOpen sourceWebAPILinux
38.0
Terraform is an infrastructure-as-code tool for defining and managing cloud and on-premises resources with human-readable configuration files.
Free planWebAPILinux
- 4
CFEngine
CFEngine automates infrastructure, security and compliance by steering managed systems toward a state defined by users.
Free planOpen sourceWebAPILinuxmacOS7.8Free plan - 5
Apache CloudStack
Apache CloudStack is free software for deploying and managing networks of virtual machines as a highly available, scalable IaaS cloud platform.
Free planOpen sourceWebAPILinuxSelf-hosted7.4Free plan - 6
Foreman
Foreman is a free, open-source lifecycle management tool for physical and virtual servers.
Free planWebAPILinuxSelf-hosted6.9Free plan - 7
Supermicro SuperDoctor 5
Supermicro SuperDoctor 5 is a free monitoring tool for Windows and Linux that tracks hardware health and system availability in data centers in real time.
Free planLinuxWindows6.8Free plan - 8
Chef Infra
Chef Infra is configuration management software for automating infrastructure setup and maintaining a defined system state.
APILinuxmacOSSelf-hosted6.7From $59 a year - 9
OpenTofu
OpenTofu is a free infrastructure as code tool for defining cloud and on-premises resources in human-readable configuration files.
Free planLinuxmacOSSelf-hostedWindows6.4Free plan - 10
Cisco Catalyst Center
Cisco Catalyst Center is a centralized controller and management dashboard for enterprise network operations.
WebAPILinuxmacOS6.2 - 11
Cobbler
Cobbler is free, self-hosted Linux server software for automating network installations and provisioning.
Free planAPILinuxSelf-hosted6.2Free plan - 12
xCAT
xCAT is an open-source toolkit for deploying, scaling, and managing bare metal servers and virtual machines.
Free planAPILinuxSelf-hosted6.2Free plan - 13
OpenStack Barbican
OpenStack Barbican is a key management service for securely storing, provisioning, and managing secrets such as keys, certificates, passwords, and binary data.
Free planAPILinuxSelf-hosted6.1Free plan - 14
OpenNebula
WebAPILinuxSelf-hosted6.0 - 15
MetalSoft Bare Metal Orchestrator
MetalSoft Bare Metal Orchestrator provisions, re-provisions, and manages general-purpose and specialized servers across hardware generations and vendors.
WebAPILinuxSelf-hosted5.9 - 16
Itential Automation Platform
WebAPISelf-hosted5.7 - 17
Red Hat Advanced Cluster Management for Kubernetes
Red Hat Advanced Cluster Management for Kubernetes is paid web software for provisioning and managing Kubernetes clusters across datacenters, public…
Web5.1 - 184.9
- 194.9
- 20
HPE OneView
Web4.8 - 214.6
- 224.5
Choosing well
Compare plans and trials
Check the Free plan and Paid from fields together. Free listings include Apache CloudStack, Cobbler, Foreman, and Chef Infra; Canonical MAAS combines a free plan with service from $30 per year.
Trial lengths are different: Dell OpenManage Enterprise shows 90 days, while HPE OneView shows 60 days. Paid products such as Arista CloudVision and Cisco Catalyst Center list pricing on request.
Match deployment to your environment
Review Deployment options and Supported operating systems before setup. Available category choices span web services, Linux software, self-hosted deployments, Windows, macOS, and API access.
For example, MetalSoft Bare Metal Orchestrator lists web, self-hosted, Linux, and API support.
Review scope and infrastructure as code
Use Automation scope to determine whether a tool covers provisioning, configuration, or wider infrastructure workflows. Infrastructure-as-code support is useful when changes must be defined repeatably.
Some listed tools provide open-source code. If you may inspect, change, or redistribute that code, review its licence; Chef Infra is listed as open source.
Review access and API controls
Role-based access helps match permissions to team responsibilities. API access can connect automation with existing systems, so confirm both fields against your integration plan.
Questions people ask
Can I find data center automation tools with free plans?
Yes. Apache CloudStack, Cobbler, Foreman, and Chef Infra show free options. Canonical MAAS and CFEngine show free plans alongside paid services or pricing on request.
Which deployment platforms are covered?
The listings cover web, Linux, Windows, macOS, self-hosted deployments, and APIs. Check that the product you are considering supports the option you need.
Can I try a paid product before buying?
Trial periods differ: Dell OpenManage Enterprise shows 90 days and HPE OneView shows 60 days. Other paid products provide pricing on request.
What access features should I compare?
Review role-based and API access together, then align those controls with your team's structure and integration requirements.