* [Topics](/en/topics "Topics") * [Automation and management](/en/topics/automation "Automation and management") * Ansible vs. Terraform Ansible vs. Terraform ===================== Updated January 30, 2026•*6*-minute read Copy URL Jump to section --------------- OverviewWhat is IaC?How are Ansible and Terraform similar?How are Ansible and Terraform different?How to use Ansible and Terraform togetherWhy Red Hat? Overview -------- Ansible® and Hashicorp Terraform are 2 open source tools that embrace an [Infrastructure as Code (IaC)](/en/topics/automation/what-is-infrastructure-as-code-iac) approach to automating IT environments. Both tools are critical for managing infrastructure, but they serve different, specialized roles within the automation lifecycle. Terraform is a dedicated IaC tool designed to build, change, and manage infrastructure in a safe, repeatable way. Ansible is a multipurpose IT automation engine built to configure systems, deploy software, and orchestrate complex tasks across servers, network devices, security tools, and hybrid environments. The most effective modern automation strategies use Terraform and Ansible together to achieve comprehensive infrastructure lifecycle management. Large organizations often transition from the core open source Ansible to [Red Hat® Ansible Automation Platform](/en/technologies/management/ansible) to manage and scale their automation efforts. Ansible Automation Platform adds enterprise features, such as centralized governance, automation analytics, and official support. By understanding the role of Terraform for infrastructure provisioning and Ansible's configuration capabilities—plus Ansible Automation Platform for scaling automation—teams can develop an end-to-end [automation strategy](/en/topics/automation/build-an-automation-strategy). [See how Red Hat and Terraform work together](https://catalog.redhat.com/en/solutions/detail/d975851515e740e4b20de45c5c0d663c "Red Hat | Ansible Automation Platform | Features and Benefits") What is Infrastructure as Code (IaC)? ------------------------------------- Provisioning new IT environments used to be time consuming, expensive, and manual. As virtualization, containers, and cloud computing led to more—and more frequent—infrastructure changes, relying on manual processes became unsustainable. That’s where IaC entered the picture. IaC is the process of managing and provisioning [IT infrastructure](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-it-infrastructure) through machine-readable code instead of manual configuration or hardware manipulation. Adopting IaC fundamentally shifts the relationship between developers and operations teams. Instead of clicking buttons in a cloud console or relying on ad hoc scripts, you create configuration files with complete infrastructure specifications. This helps you provision the same environment consistently every time, whether you’re deploying to development, staging, or production. By codifying and documenting your infrastructure in files you can edit, distribute, and place under version control, IaC helps eliminate errors, speed up deployments, and stop undocumented changes that lead to configuration drift. IaC is the foundation for modern [DevOps](/en/topics/devops) and cloud strategy. Because this methodology defines infrastructure through code that’s automatically executed, you need specialized tools to translate those files into working infrastructure. Ansible, Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform, and Terraform help expedite and get more from IaC: Terraform specializes in creating the infrastructure, and Ansible specializes in configuring what runs inside it. [Learn more about IaC](/en/topics/automation/what-is-infrastructure-as-code-iac) Recommended for you What’s new with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 ------------------------------------------------------- [Watch the webinar](https://www.redhat.com/en/events/webinar/whats-new-red-hat-ansible-automation-platform-2.6?percmp=RHCTG0250000455235) How are Ansible and Terraform similar? -------------------------------------- Despite specializing in different parts of the automation lifecycle, Terraform and Ansible have key similarities that define their success. ### Agentless design Ansible and Terraform both share a modern, simplified architecture that’s easier to run than older automation systems. Because they’re agentless, you don’t need to install special software or persistent agents on the servers or resources they manage, greatly simplifying setup. Terraform communicates primarily through cloud provider application programming interfaces (APIs), while Ansible executes tasks using standard protocols like SSH (Secure Shell) and APIs to communicate with managed nodes. ### Open source and community ecosystem Both Ansible and Terraform are foundational open source projects with large, active user bases. This community ecosystem provides vast libraries of ready-to-use content. With thousands of providers, Terraform can interface with nearly every [public cloud](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-public-cloud) and platform. Likewise, Ansible offers [modules](/en/topics/automation/what-is-an-ansible-module) and playbooks for almost any configuration task. This helps teams using either tool quickly find solutions and peer support. ### Complementary automation philosophy Finally, both tools share the goal of automating infrastructure. While they specialize, they also have a functional overlap; for instance, Ansible can perform provisioning, and Terraform can execute basic configuration scripts. This means both work toward the same objective: turning manual, error-prone IT processes into repeatable, consistent code. Thanks to their common purpose, you can combine Ansible and Terraform to automate your entire workflow. This video can't play due to privacy settings To change your settings, select the "Cookie Preferences" link in the footer and opt in to "Advertising Cookies or try disabling adblockers." Automate application deployments, optimize infrastructure, and support continuous updates and troubleshooting with Ansible and Terraform. Video duration: 2:46. How are Ansible and Terraform different? ---------------------------------------- Both tools are types of IaC, but they’re built differently to carry out their primary missions. Understanding these distinctions helps you choose the right tool for a task or decide how to integrate them. ### Declarative vs. procedural The most foundational difference lies in how you tell each tool what to do: * Terraform uses HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL), a declarative configuration language. Declarative means you define the desired end state—what you want the infrastructure to look like. Terraform’s engine then automatically determines the steps necessary to reach that state, managing all dependencies for you. * Ansible takes a mostly procedural (or imperative) approach to automation. It uses playbooks written in human-readable [YAML](/en/topics/automation/what-is-yaml). The procedural approach means you define the explicit step-by-step instructions—how to achieve the desired result. This task-based lets you precisely control and simplify troubleshooting because the execution order is clear. However, many underlying Ansible modules also act declaratively, making a change only if the target system isn’t already in the desired configuration state. ### Stateful vs. stateless This difference impacts how each tool views and tracks the infrastructure over time: * Terraform is stateful. It maintains a state file that acts as the single source of truth, tracking every infrastructure resource it provisions and its current configuration. The state file is essential because it lets Terraform manage the full lifecycle of a resource so it can reliably provision, scale, or retire resources when they’re no longer needed. * Ansible is largely stateless. It doesn’t maintain a persistent state file tracking the entire infrastructure. Instead, it relies on idempotency—the guarantee that running the same task multiple times will yield the same result without making unnecessary changes. Ansible achieves its desired configuration by directly querying the target system before making a change. ### Immutable vs. mutable The tools are designed around different philosophies for handling infrastructure updates: * Terraform prefers immutable—or unchangeable—infrastructure. If you need to make a substantial change or update, Terraform often favors tearing down the old resource and replacing it with a new, correctly configured resource. This strategy reduces the risk of complex configuration failures that can build up over time. * Ansible is built for mutable infrastructure, meaning it excels at making in-place changes to existing, running systems. This is necessary for Day 1 and Day 2 tasks like applying security patches, running operating system updates, or adjusting firewall settings on a server that can’t be easily replaced. ### Configuration drift Configuration drift is when the infrastructure running in production deviates from what’s defined in the source code. Both tools address this, but differently: * Terraform uses its persistent state file to actively detect drift. It can compare the currently running infrastructure against the state file and instantly flag any discrepancies. * Ansible typically mitigates drift by running continuously and relying on idempotent tasks to always enforce the desired configuration. This prevents the system from drifting too far from the expected state. How to use Ansible and Terraform together ----------------------------------------- The most valuable takeaway from comparing Terraform and Ansible is that it’s best to use them together instead of choosing just 1. Using the strengths of each tool helps organizations achieve complete, end-to-end automation—from the moment infrastructure is provisioned to the ongoing deployment and configuration of applications. ### Lifecycle management The most widely accepted practice is a straightforward, sequential handoff between the tools. Terraform handles the Day 0 provisioning, creating cloud infrastructure such as servers and networks. Once the infrastructure is successfully provisioned, Ansible takes over for Day 1 configuration, applying security policies, installing necessary software, and deploying the application code inside those new resources. Ansible also covers Day 2 operations like patching, updates, and configuration changes. ### Orchestrating with Ansible For complex workflows, Ansible Automation Platform can serve as the central orchestrator, wrapping Terraform execution within a broader automation process. Ansible Automation Platform can execute preprovisioning tasks and trigger a Terraform deployment to build the infrastructure. It can also execute postprovisioning tasks like application configuration while integrating with IT Service Management (ITSM) tools like [ServiceNow](https://catalog.redhat.com/en/solutions/detail/356013c7cdf6403d9276c2776dacc979) for tracking purposes. ### Terraform and Ansible Automation Platform integrations Red Hat offers a [certified collection of Terraform content for Ansible](https://catalog.redhat.com/en/solutions/detail/d975851515e740e4b20de45c5c0d663c). It includes modules that help you manage and provision IaC using HashiCorp Terraform ([HCP Terraform](https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/cloud-docs) and [Terraform Enterprise](https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/enterprise)). The collection supports automation capabilities similar to other cloud-provisioning tool integrations for Ansible, such as AWS CloudFormation, Azure Resource Manager, and Helm. Additionally, Hashicorp offers a [Terraform provider for interacting with Ansible](https://registry.terraform.io/providers/ansible/aap/latest).  A Terraform provider is a plug-in that adds resources and data sources that Terraform can manage. Providers must be declared in the Terraform configuration so Terraform can install and use them. The Ansible provider for Terraform lets Terraform manage the Ansible inventory directly. Instead of requiring separate inventory plug-ins to manually gather information about newly provisioned infrastructure and pass it to Ansible, the provider automates the handover. Users can define the use of an Ansible inventory directly within their Terraform configuration, letting [Ansible Playbooks](/en/topics/automation/what-is-an-ansible-playbook) run configuration tasks against the new hosts immediately upon creation. [Read more about the Terraform provider for Ansible](/en/blog/red-hat-ansible-automation-platform-provider-hashicorp-terraform-has-been-updated) Why use Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform? -------------------------------------------- The open source tools—Terraform and Ansible—provide a foundation for IaC. But scaling and governing these integrated workflows across large organizations introduces significant security and consistency challenges. [Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform](/en/technologies/management/ansible) reduces this complexity, transforming community automation into a strategic enterprise solution. It delivers the centralized control necessary to manage complex automation processes that span both Terraform provisioning and ongoing Ansible configuration. With open source at its core, Ansible Automation Platform is a trusted subscription product that offers full lifecycle support for organizations. It’s based on community Ansible, which benefits from the experience and intelligence of thousands of global contributors. Ansible Automation Platform helps organizations create, manage, and scale their automation workloads. It offers a flexible, stable, and security-focused foundation for deploying end-to-end automation—including for hybrid cloud, edge locations, networks, security, infrastructure, and many other use cases. [Learn more about Ansible Automation Platform](/en/technologies/management/ansible) Recommended for you E-book Automate your network with Red Hat ---------------------------------- This technical handbook provides guidance for implementing common network automation tasks with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform. [Read the e-book](https://www.redhat.com/en/resources/network-automation-technical-ebook?percmp=RHCTG0250000455234) Recommended for you Developing Advanced Automation with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform and exam -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This course teaches you advanced Ansible skills, helping you design, operate, and scale your automation. [View course with exam](https://www.redhat.com/en/services/training/developing-advanced-automation-red-hat-ansible-automation-platform-and-exam-au375?percmp=RHCTG0250000455236) Keep reading ------------ ### Why choose Red Hat for automation? Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform includes all the tools needed to share automation across teams and implement enterprise-wide automation. [Read the article](/en/topics/automation/why-choose-red-hat-for-automation "article | Why choose Red Hat for automation") ### What is IT service management (ITSM)? IT service management (ITSM) refers to the activities IT teams perform to ensure that IT services meet customer needs and contribute to business goals. [Read the article](/en/topics/automation/what-is-it-service-management-itsm "article | what is IT service management (ITSM)?") ### Automating Microsoft Windows with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform Use Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform, which includes native Microsoft Windows support and dedicated modules, to manage and execute core Windows functions. [Read the article](/en/technologies/management/ansible/automate-microsoft-windows-with-ansible "product article | automating microsoft windows with red hat ansible automation platform") Automation and management resources ----------------------------------- ### Featured product * #### [Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform](/en/technologies/management/ansible) A platform for implementing enterprise-wide automation, no matter where you are in your automation journey. [See all products](/en/technologies/all-products "See all products") ### Related content * Blog post [How Banco do Brasil uses hyperautomation and platform engineering to drive efficiency](/en/blog/how-banco-do-brasil-uses-hyperautomation-and-platform-engineering-drive-efficiency) * Blog post [New observability features in Red Hat OpenShift 4.20 and Red Hat Advanced Cluster Management 2.15](/en/blog/new-observability-features-red-hat-openshift-420-and-red-hat-advanced-cluster-management-215) * Blog post [2025 was a year of transformative customer success with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform](/en/blog/2025-was-year-transformative-customer-success-red-hat-ansible-automation-platform) * Blog post [2025 Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform: A year in review](/en/blog/2025-red-hat-ansible-automation-platform-year-review) ### Related articles * [What is IT service management (ITSM)?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-it-service-management-itsm) * [Why choose Red Hat for automation?](/en/topics/automation/why-choose-red-hat-for-automation) * [What is Podman?](/en/topics/containers/what-is-podman) * [What is Podman Desktop?](/en/topics/containers/what-is-podman-desktop) * [Automating Microsoft Windows with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform](/en/technologies/management/ansible/automate-microsoft-windows-with-ansible) * [What is InstructLab?](/en/topics/ai/what-is-instructlab) * [What is DevOps automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-devops-automation) * [What is Infrastructure as Code (IaC)?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-infrastructure-as-code-iac) * [Ansible vs. Kubernetes: how they work together](/en/topics/automation/Ansible-vs-Kubernetes) * [What is a configuration management database (CMDB)?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-a-configuration-management-database-cmdb) * [What is cloud migration? And how can automation help?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-cloud-migration) * [What is Istio?](/en/topics/microservices/what-is-istio) * [What is a software-defined data center (SDDC)?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-a-sddc) * [What is IT automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-it-automation) * [Why choose Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform as your AI foundation?](/en/topics/automation/automation-and-ai) * [What is CentOS Stream?](/en/topics/linux/what-is-centos-stream) * [How to build an IT automation strategy](/en/topics/automation/build-an-automation-strategy) * [What is access control?](/en/topics/security/what-is-access-control) * [What is virtual infrastructure management? And how can automation help?](/en/topics/automation/virtual-infrastructure-management) * [What is KVM?](/en/topics/virtualization/what-is-KVM) * [What is IT migration?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-it-migration) * [How to automate migrations with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform](/en/technologies/management/ansible/automate-migrations-with-red-hat-ansible-automation-platform) * [Why use Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform with Red Hat OpenShift?](/en/technologies/cloud-computing/openshift/ansible-on-openshift) * [What is CloudOps?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-cloudops) * [What is CentOS?](/en/topics/linux/what-is-centos) * [What are CentOS replacements?](/en/topics/linux/centos-alternatives) * [Red Hat Satellite on Red Hat Enterprise Linux](/en/technologies/management/satellite/satellite-for-rhel) * [What is role-based access control (RBAC)?](/en/topics/security/what-is-role-based-access-control) * [What is Helm?](/en/topics/devops/what-is-helm) * [Which Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform deployment option is right for you?](/en/technologies/management/ansible/ansible-deployment-options) * [What is an Ansible module—and how does it work?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-an-ansible-module) * [What is Argo CD?](/en/topics/devops/what-is-argocd) * [How to manage and automate applications at the edge](/en/topics/edge-computing/how-to-manage-automate-applications-edge) * [How to build an automation Center of Excellence](/en/topics/automation/how-to-build-automation-center-of-excellence) * [What is orchestration?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-orchestration) * [How to adopt Automation as Code: Extending Infrastructure as Code into Policy as Code](/en/topics/automation/how-to-adopt-automation-as-code) * [What is a webhook?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-a-webhook) * [Learning Ansible basics](/en/topics/automation/learning-ansible-tutorial) * [Red Hat Lightspeed data and application security](/en/topics/management/data-application-security) * [What is an Ansible Role—and how is it used?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-an-ansible-role) * [What is MicroShift?](/en/topics/edge-computing/microshift) * [What is data management?](/en/topics/data-services/what-is-data-management) * [Gain security with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform](/en/technologies/management/ansible/gain-security-with-red-hat-ansible-automation-platform) * [What is NetOps?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-netops) * [What is an Ansible Rulebook?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-an-ansible-rulebook) * [What is an Ansible Playbook?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-an-ansible-playbook) * [OpenJDK versus Oracle JDK](/en/topics/application-modernization/openjdk-vs-oracle-jdk) * [What is configuration management](/en/topics/automation/what-is-configuration-management) * [What is Cloud Foundry?](/en/topics/application-modernization/what-is-cloud-foundry) * [What is event-driven automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-event-driven-automation) * [Zero-Touch Provisioning and telco automation with Red Hat](/en/topics/telecommunications/zero-touch-provisioning-and-telco-automation-at-red-hat) * [What is Buildah?](/en/topics/containers/what-is-buildah) * [What is infrastructure automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-infrastructure-automation) * [What is YAML?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-yaml) * [What is provisioning?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-provisioning) * [What is compliance management?](/en/topics/management/what-is-compliance-management) * [Understanding Ansible, Terraform, Puppet, Chef, and Salt](/en/topics/automation/understanding-ansible-vs-terraform-puppet-chef-and-salt) * [What is cloud orchestration?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-cloud-orchestration) * [Ansible vs. Chef: What you need to know](/en/topics/automation/ansible-vs-chef) * [What is security automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-security-automation) * [Ansible vs. Salt: What you need to know](/en/topics/automation/ansible-vs-salt) * [What is Linux?](/en/topics/linux/what-is-linux) * [What's the best Linux distro for you?](/en/topics/linux/whats-the-best-linux-distro-for-you) * [What is a configuration file?](/en/topics/linux/what-configuration-file) * [Ansible vs. Puppet: What you need to know](/en/topics/automation/ansible-vs-puppet) * [Red Hat OpenShift vs. OKD](/en/topics/containers/red-hat-openshift-okd) * [Why run Apache Kafka on Kubernetes?](/en/topics/integration/why-run-apache-kafka-on-kubernetes) * [Spring on Kubernetes with Red Hat OpenShift](/en/technologies/cloud-computing/openshift/spring) * [What is Apache Kafka?](/en/topics/integration/what-is-apache-kafka) * [Ansible vs. Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform](/en/technologies/management/ansible/ansible-vs-red-hat-ansible-automation-platform) * [What is cloud automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-cloud-automation) * [What is Skopeo?](/en/topics/containers/what-is-skopeo) * [What is network automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-network-automation) * [What are managed IT services?](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-are-managed-it-services) * [Using Helm with Red Hat OpenShift](/en/technologies/cloud-computing/openshift/helm) * [What is business process management?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-business-process-management) * [What is patch management (and automation)?](/en/topics/management/what-patch-management-and-automation) * [What is the Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform automation controller?](/en/technologies/management/ansible/automation-controller-product-feature) * [What is Grafana?](/en/topics/data-services/what-is-grafana) * [What is SOAR?](/en/topics/security/what-is-soar) * [What is open source software?](/en/topics/open-source/what-is-open-source-software) * [Open source vs. proprietary software in vehicles](/en/topics/open-source/open-source-vs-proprietary-software-in-vehicles) * [What is business process automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-business-process-automation) * [What is KubeLinter?](/en/topics/containers/what-is-kubelinter) * [What is RKT?](/en/topics/containers/what-is-rkt) * [What is Kogito?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-kogito) * [What was CoreOS and CoreOS container Linux](/en/technologies/cloud-computing/openshift/what-was-coreos) * [What is IT process automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-it-process-automation) * [What is deployment automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-deployment-automation) * [What is business optimization?](/en/topics/automation/business-optimization) * [What is Kubernetes cluster management?](/en/topics/containers/what-is-kubernetes-cluster-management) * [What is SRE?](/en/topics/devops/what-is-sre) * [What is Jaeger?](/en/topics/microservices/what-is-jaeger) * [What is open source?](/en/topics/open-source/what-is-open-source) * [What is risk management?](/en/topics/management/what-is-risk-management) * [What is IT system life-cycle management?](/en/topics/management/it-system-life-cycle-management) * [What is Knative?](/en/topics/microservices/what-is-knative) * [What is etcd?](/en/topics/containers/what-is-etcd) * [What is an SOE?](/en/topics/management/what-is-an-soe) * [What is Clair?](/en/topics/containers/what-is-clair) * [What is robotic process automation (RPA?)](/en/topics/automation/what-is-robotic-process-automation) * [What is network management?](/en/topics/management/what-is-network-management) * [What is cloud management?](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-cloud-management) * [What's business automation?](/en/topics/automation/whats-business-automation) * [What is Docker?](/en/topics/containers/what-is-docker) [More about this topic](/en/topics/automation "More about this topic")