Compare software

Ansible vs Chef: catalog facts
Ansible	Chef
Free The open-source software is available without a license fee. Hosting, hardware and…	Paid Commercial enterprise platform with a free trial; demos available on request.
macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted
Uses reusable playbooks and commonly connects over SSH.	Policy-as-code for repeatable server configuration Built-in compliance auditing on a schedule
Requires inventories, credentials and carefully maintained playbooks.	Aimed at enterprises, with sales-led pricing Considerable setup and learning before it pays off
Downloadable app	Downloadable app, Self-hosted
Open source	Closed source
License: GPL-3.0	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.