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Automate IT infrastructure with simple YAML playbooks

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Reviews onG2CapterraSourceForge
391 reviews tracked

The Bottom Line

Entry price

Free plan available, paid tiers above

Biggest pro

Agentless configuration management

Biggest con

Slow for large inventories

TL;DR - Ansible

  • Ansible is an open-source automation tool for configuration management, app deployment, and orchestration
  • It uses simple YAML playbooks to define automation tasks without requiring agents on managed nodes
  • Free and open-source, with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform for enterprise features
Pricing: Free plan available
Best for: Growing teams
4.5/5 across review platforms

What is Ansible?

Editorial review
Ansible is an open source automation platform by Red Hat for IT automation including configuration management, application deployment, and orchestration using simple YAML playbooks.

Available on: Web

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Agentless configuration management
  • Simple YAML syntax
  • Large module library
  • Good for multi-platform
  • Active community

Cons

  • Slow for large inventories
  • Python dependency
  • Debugging difficult
  • Less suitable for complex state
  • YAML limitations

Ratings Across the Web

4.5(391 reviews)

Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more

Key Features

Configuration managementApplication deploymentOrchestrationAgentless architectureYAML playbooksIdempotent execution2500+ modulesRole-based access

Pricing Plans

Ansible Core

Free

  • Open source
  • Configuration management
  • Application deployment
  • YAML playbooks
  • Community support

Ansible Automation Platform

null

  • Enterprise support
  • Automation controller (AWX)
  • Automation hub
  • Analytics
  • Content collections
  • 24/7 support

Reviews

4.5/5

Across 391 verified user reviews on G2, SourceForge, Capterra

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Ansible FAQ

What is Ansible?

Ansible is an open source IT automation platform that uses simple YAML playbooks to automate configuration management, application deployment, and multi-tier orchestration without requiring agents on managed nodes.

Is Ansible free?

Ansible Core is free and open source. Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform is a commercial product with enterprise features, support, and certified content. Contact Red Hat for pricing.

What makes Ansible agentless?

Ansible connects to managed nodes via SSH (or WinRM for Windows) and executes tasks remotely. No software agents need to be installed on target systems, simplifying deployment and security.

What are Ansible playbooks?

Playbooks are YAML files that define automation tasks. They describe the desired state of systems and the steps to achieve it, making infrastructure automation readable and version-controllable.

Source: ansible.com

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