Best Platform Engineering Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Terraform is ranked #1 of 29 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Northflank and Pulumi. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Northflank. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Terraform at $0.10/mo.
For development teams managing infrastructure and internal workflows, platform engineering software can be compared across both technical scope and team access. The ranking covers deployment models, infrastructure as code, Kubernetes support, self-service provisioning, workflow automation, and policy and governance. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing are additional points to consider. Backstage, Port, and Pulumi are among the first entries, followed by Terraform and Cycloid. Weigh the listed capabilities against how you manage infrastructure and enable teams to provision what they need, including which deployment model and governance approach fits your setup.
29 platform engineering software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 Terraform Top pick · 7.4 Free plan · $0.10/mo
#2 Northflank Runner-up · 7.3 Free plan · Free
#3 Pulumi Also great · 7.2 Free plan · $40/mo
- Free planFree trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$0.10/mofirst paid tier About TerraformVisit site - Free plan apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free planFree trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$40/mofirst paid tier About PulumiVisit site - Free plan apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Kubernetes support
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Kubernetes support
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free planFree trial apiLinuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Self-service provisioning
- Yes
- Infrastructure as code
- Yes
- Workflow automation
- Yes
- Kubernetes support
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$1,000/mofirst paid tier About UpboundVisit site - Free plan Linuxself-hostedWindowsRecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
- Free plan apiLinuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 29 /user/mo
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$45/mofirst paid tier About CycloidVisit site - Free planFree trial apiself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$499/mofirst paid tier About Devtron Release OrchestrationVisit site - Free plan apiLinuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiLinuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatformsFree About env0Visit site - Free planFree trial apiextensionWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 30 /user/mo
- Kubernetes support
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$30/mofirst paid tier About PortVisit site - Free planFree trial apiself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$1666.67/mofirst paid tier About SpaceliftVisit site - Free planFree trial apiself-hostedWeb
- Self-service provisioning
- Yes
- Infrastructure as code
- Yes
- Workflow automation
- Yes
- Kubernetes support
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$299/mofirst paid tier About SubstrateVisit site - Free trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$299/mofirst paid tier About QoveryVisit site - Free trial apiLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$6/mofirst paid tier About PorterVisit site - Free trial apiLinuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Self-service provisioning
- Yes
- Infrastructure as code
- Yes
- Workflow automation
- Yes
- Kubernetes support
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$7/mofirst paid tier About SealosVisit site - apiWeb
- Kubernetes support
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - apiself-hostedWeb
- Kubernetes support
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial apiself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$1,979/mofirst paid tier About HumanitecVisit site - Free trial apiWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 24 /user/mo
- Kubernetes support
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$24/mofirst paid tier About RoadieVisit site - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Kubernetes support
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebRecognisedDocumentedFree 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 platform engineering software is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
Terraform is ranked #1 of 29 with a score of 7.4. Northflank is second and Pulumi third.
How many of these have a free plan?
16 of the 25 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.