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Salt vs Microsoft DSC: catalog facts
Salt	Microsoft DSC
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.
Linux, Self-hosted, Command line	Windows, Command line
Remote execution and configuration management in one tool Event-driven automation	Declarative, idempotent configuration that is safe to reapply Open source and actively developed by the PowerShell team
Concepts such as states, grains and pillars take time to learn Needs its own control infrastructure to run	Aimed at administrators; there is no graphical interface Configuration concepts take some learning for newcomers
Downloadable app, Self-hosted	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: MIT
No account needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

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