cdist
6.4#10 in configuration management toolsFree planFree planLinuxmacOSSelf-hosted
Visitcdist vs Puppet
What both publish
| Fact | cdist | Puppet |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation | The project provides manuals in HTML and man-page formats, including documentation for community-maintained contrib types. | Documentation covers Enterprise, Continuous Delivery, security compliance and Bolt task execution, with versioned installation and administration material. |
| Extensibility | Types are cdist’s extension mechanism, and type and core are kept separate. | The product supports an extensible scanner architecture and open API framework, while Puppet Forge provides more than 7,000 reusable modules. |
| Integrations | The documentation describes SSH for remote communication and Git for obtaining cdist; it does not list a separate integrations catalog. | Official integration listings include ServiceNow, VMware, Argo CD, Jenkins, Dynatrace, Datadog, New Relic, Splunk, Tenable Nessus and CIS Benchmarks. |
| Intended users | The site describes cdist as used in environments ranging from small to enterprise grade. | Puppet describes Puppet Enterprise as best suited to medium and large organizations managing complex hybrid environments that require security, compliance, and centralized automation. |
| Operating systems | The documentation lists Linux distributions, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Mac OS X, and XenServer among systems cdist was tested or known to run on. | Puppet Enterprise supports managed Linux, Windows and macOS agents; primary servers run on Unix-like systems rather than Windows. |
| Purpose | cdist is a configuration management system positioned as an alternative to Ansible, Chef, or Puppet. | Puppet Enterprise provides policy-driven configuration management and infrastructure automation for enterprise-scale environments. |
cdist plans
- cdistFree
Puppet plans
- Puppet CoreFree
- Puppet Enterprise free trialFree
- Puppet Enterprise listing price$120 a month
- Puppet Enterprise AdvancedPriced on request
- Puppet EnterprisePriced on request
- Puppet Enterprise AdvancedPriced on request
Pick cdist if…
cdist may suit administrators who want to manage hosts through shell scripts and SSH without installing target-side agents. The source and target requirements should fit the systems involved.
Pick Puppet if…
It suits medium and large organizations managing complex hybrid environments that need centralized automation, security and compliance. Teams managing network or edge devices should note that this is optional and requires sales contact for licensing.