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Boxstarter vs Puppet: catalog facts
Boxstarter	Puppet
Free Free and open source, installed through Chocolatey or a zip download.	Paid A commercial product from Perforce; prices are not listed on the homepage.
Windows, Command line	Windows, Linux, Command line
Survives reboots during long installs Can set up remote machines	Enforces declared server state and corrects drift Puppet Forge library of shared modules
Windows only Requires writing scripts in PowerShell and Chocolatey terms	Aimed at organisations rather than individuals Has its own configuration language to learn
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License: Apache-2.0	License not stated
No account 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 October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026

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