Best Infrastructure Policy as Code Tools in 2026
Updated
In short: Google Cloud Terraform Policy Validation is ranked #1 of 24 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Open Policy Agent and Terraform. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Open Policy Agent. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Terraform at $0.10/mo.
Infrastructure policy as code tools help you define and apply rules across infrastructure workflows. Compared on IaC formats and policy language, the entries also surface where checks can fit through CI/CD integration, admission control, and runtime enforcement. Policy testing and reporting offer further ways to compare how rules are checked and surfaced. Google Cloud Terraform Policy Validation, Open Policy Agent, and Terraform are among the first entries, followed by HashiCorp Nomad. The order is a ranked best-of list; use the listed capabilities to focus on what matters for your process. Free-plan availability and starting paid prices add cost context as you weigh policy coverage and workflow fit.
24 infrastructure policy as code tools ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 Google Cloud Terraform Policy Validation Top pick · 7.3 Free plan · Free
#2 Open Policy Agent Runner-up · 7.3 Free plan · Free
#3 Terraform Also great · 7.3 Free plan · $0.10/mo
- Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Policy language
- Rego
- IaC formats
- Terraform plan JSON
- Policy testing
- Yes
- Admission control
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Policy language
- Rego
- IaC formats
- Terraform plan JSON, JSON, YAML
- Policy testing
- Yes
- Admission control
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free planFree trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$0.10/mofirst paid tier About TerraformVisit site - Free plan apiLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Policy language
- YAML
- IaC formats
- Terraform
- Policy testing
- Yes
- Admission control
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Policy language
- AWS CloudFormation Guard DSL
- IaC formats
- CloudFormation templates and change sets; Terraform JSON; Kubernetes configurations
- Policy testing
- Yes
- Admission control
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Policy language
- OPA Rego
- IaC formats
- Terraform, Kubernetes, Docker, AWS CloudFormation, Ansible, Helm, Google Deployment Manager, AWS SAM, Microsoft ARM, Azure Blueprints, OpenAPI, Pulumi, Crossplane, Knative, Serverless Framework
- Policy testing
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatformsFree About KICSVisit site - Free plan apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Admission control
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOS
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Policy language
- Rego
- IaC formats
- Kubernetes YAML manifests and Custom Resources
- Policy testing
- Yes
- Admission control
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Policy language
- Sentinel
- IaC formats
- Terraform configurations, states, and plans
- Policy testing
- Yes
- Admission control
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Policy language
- WebAssembly-compatible languages including Rust, Go, CEL, and Rego
- IaC formats
- Kubernetes resources and admission requests in YAML/JSON
- Policy testing
- Yes
- Admission control
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Policy language
- Ruby DSL
- IaC formats
- Servers, containers, cloud APIs
- Policy testing
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$4.92/mofirst paid tier About Chef InfraVisit site - Free trial apiself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 2,499 /mo
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$2,499/mofirst paid tier About FireflyVisit site - macOSLinux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Policy language
- YAML configuration; CEL expressions
- IaC formats
- Kubernetes YAML, Helm, Kustomize
- Policy testing
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Policy language
- YAML and JSON
- Policy testing
- Yes
- Admission control
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Free plan
- Yes
- Policy language
- BDD-style feature files
- IaC formats
- Terraform plan and state output
- Policy testing
- Yes
- Admission control
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Free plan
- Yes
- Policy language
- JSON
- IaC formats
- Terraform plans, CloudFormation, Kubernetes, Infracost, JSON
- Policy testing
- Yes
- Admission control
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- No
- Policy language
- Kubernetes-native YAML and CEL
- IaC formats
- Kubernetes manifests, Terraform plans, OpenTofu plans, Dockerfiles, AWS CDK, CloudFormation templates, Ansible playbooks
- Policy testing
- Yes
- Admission control
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Policy language
- OPA/Rego
- IaC formats
- Terraform, Bicep, Kubernetes manifests, Helm charts
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Policy language
- Python
- IaC formats
- Terraform
- Policy testing
- Yes
- Admission control
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Free plan
- Yes
- Admission control
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which infrastructure policy as code tool is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
Google Cloud Terraform Policy Validation is ranked #1 of 24 with a score of 7.3. Open Policy Agent is second and Terraform third.
How many of these have a free plan?
11 of the 24 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Terraform has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.10/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.