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CFEngine vs Chef: catalog facts
CFEngine	Chef
Freemium Free Community edition, with a commercial Enterprise edition.	Paid Commercial enterprise platform with a free trial; demos available on request.
Linux, Self-hosted, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted
Lightweight agent suited to large fleets Configuration drift prevention and compliance reporting	Policy-as-code for repeatable server configuration Built-in compliance auditing on a schedule
Own policy language to learn Web UI and reporting belong to the Enterprise edition	Aimed at enterprises, with sales-led pricing Considerable setup and learning before it pays off
Downloadable app, Self-hosted	Downloadable app, Self-hosted
Open source	Closed source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026

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