Salt

Open-source automation framework for remote execution, configuration management and orchestration across many servers.

FreeOpen sourceLinuxSelf-hostedCommand line
Official websitesaltproject.io

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Package managers

About Salt

Salt runs commands and applies configuration to thousands of systems from a single control plane. Administrators describe the desired state of machines in states, use grains to read facts about each system and pillars to hold per-system data, and can react to events as they happen.

It is developed in the open on GitHub, with documentation, an install guide for each supported platform and a Discord community. It suits administrators who want configuration management and remote execution in one tool.

Strengths

  • Remote execution and configuration management in one tool
  • Event-driven automation
  • Scales to thousands of managed systems
  • Extensive module and API reference

Limitations

  • Concepts such as states, grains and pillars take time to learn
  • Needs its own control infrastructure to run

Details

Pricing
FreeFree and open source.
License
Open source, license not stated
Developer
The Salt Project contributors
Platforms
Linux, Self-hosted, Command line
How it runs
Downloadable app, Self-hosted
Account
Not required
Best suited for
Administrators managing configuration on many servers
Last verified
Added
Provenance
Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 1 sources on file.

Alternatives to Salt

Compare all

Software that can replace Salt for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.

  • Puppet

    A configuration management and infrastructure automation tool that enforces the intended state of servers.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsLinuxCommand line

    Puppet enforces declared server state and fixes drift using its own language, but it is paid and not open source.

  • Chef

    An infrastructure automation platform for configuration management, compliance audits and workflow orchestration across servers.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hosted

    Chef is a paid enterprise automation platform with policy-as-code and built-in compliance auditing, with sales-led pricing.

  • CFEngine

    A configuration management and automation system that keeps servers in a defined, compliant state.

    FreemiumOpen sourceLinuxSelf-hostedCommand line

    CFEngine uses a lightweight agent and its own policy language, with a free Community edition and Enterprise web UI.

  • Rudder

    Open-source configuration management and compliance platform for Linux and Windows systems.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsLinuxSelf-hosted

    Rudder is an open source configuration management platform for Linux and Windows that adds compliance reporting and CIS benchmark auditing, with some features tied to commercial offerings.

  • Uyuni

    An open-source server for patching, configuring and provisioning large fleets of Linux machines using Salt.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxWebSelf-hosted

    Uyuni is built on Salt and acts as a full Salt master, adding a web interface for Linux patching, provisioning and compliance auditing.

  • AWX

    A web interface, REST API and task engine for running and scheduling Ansible automation.

    FreeOpen sourceWebSelf-hosted

    AWX provides a web interface and REST API for Ansible automation, so you move to Ansible playbooks instead of Salt states.

  • Foreman

    An open-source lifecycle management tool for provisioning, configuring and monitoring physical and virtual servers.

    FreeOpen sourceWebSelf-hostedCommand line

    Foreman adds provisioning across bare metal, virtualization and cloud with a web UI, and uses Salt or Puppet for the configuration management itself.

Salt as an alternative

Listings that name Salt as an alternative.

  • Ansible

    Automate configuration and deployments across your machines.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOSLinuxCommand line

    Salt combines remote execution, configuration management and event-driven automation, but it needs its own control infrastructure and concepts such as states, grains and pillars.

  • Landscape

    Canonical's systems management tool for monitoring, patching and auditing fleets of Ubuntu machines.

    PaidProprietaryLinuxWebSelf-hosted

    Salt is an open-source framework for remote execution and configuration management at scale, but it has no dedicated patching interface and its concepts take time to learn.

  • StackStorm

    A self-hosted, event-driven automation platform that connects apps and services through rules and workflows.

    FreeOpen sourceSelf-hosted

    Salt combines event-driven automation with remote execution and configuration management across thousands of servers, but needs its own control infrastructure and concepts like states and pillars.

Similar software

Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.

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