SaltStack

Name: SaltStack
Brand: SaltStack
Rating: 4.3 (99 reviews)

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Infrastructure automation and management

DevOps Automation Cloud & Infrastructure

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4.3(99 across the web)

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Reviews onG2

99 reviews tracked

The Bottom Line

Entry price

Free plan available, paid tiers above

Biggest pro

Configuration management

Biggest con

Learning curve

TL;DR - SaltStack

SaltStack is an infrastructure automation and configuration management tool
It manages servers at scale with event-driven automation
Free and open-source, Enterprise version available

Pricing: Free plan available

Best for: Growing teams

4.3/5 across review platforms

What is SaltStack?

Editorial review

SaltStack automates infrastructure with event-driven approach. Configuration management with remote execution-infrastructure automation that reacts. The speed is notable. The event-driven approach differs. The community supports it. Operations teams wanting reactive automation consider SaltStack for event-driven infrastructure.

Available on: Web

LCLouis CorneloupUpdated May 26, 2026 · how we evaluateSourcesaltproject.io ↗

Pros & Cons

Pros

Configuration management
Good for scale
Active development
VMware backed
Event-driven

Cons

Learning curve
Ansible more popular
Documentation gaps
Smaller community
Complex setup

Ratings Across the Web

4.3(99 reviews)

SaltStack holds an aggregate rating of 4.3 out of 5 from 99 reviews across G2, last checked March 18, 2026.

G299 reviews

4.3/5

Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more

Key Features

Configuration managementRemote executionEvent-drivenCloud provisioningVMwareOpen source

Pricing Plans

60-day Free Trial

Pricing checked Aug 26, 2026

Salt Open Source

Free

Community

Configuration management
Remote execution
Event-driven automation
Community support

VMware Aria Automation

Custom

Enterprise

Enterprise support
GUI management
Compliance features
VMware integration

Calculate your cost View full pricing

Is SaltStack worth the price?

80/100

Salt open source is powerful for configuration management.

Enterprise features now part of VMware Aria.

Hidden Costs & Gotchas

VMware enterprise pricing can be high

Complex learning curve

How SaltStack Compares to Competitors

Ansible is more popular and has free/paid tiers. Puppet similar. Salt fastest but steeper learning curve.

Reviews

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4.3/5

Across 99 verified user reviews on G2

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Best SaltStack Alternatives

Top alternatives based on features, pricing, and user needs.

PuppetPaid

Infrastructure automation and configuration management

4.2

AnsibleFreemium

Automate IT infrastructure with simple YAML playbooks

4.5

TerraformFreemium

Manage cloud infrastructure with declarative code

4.7

ChefPaid

Infrastructure automation with Ruby-based recipes

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Still deciding?

Most buyers shortlist 2 or 3 tools before committing. Pull a side-by-side comparison or browse the full alternatives shortlist below.

SaltStack vs PuppetHead-to-head: features, pricing, who wins SaltStack vs AnsibleHead-to-head: features, pricing, who wins SaltStack vs TerraformHead-to-head: features, pricing, who wins

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SaltStack FAQ

How does SaltStack facilitate infrastructure automation?

SaltStack automates infrastructure through an event-driven approach, allowing for reactive configuration management and remote execution. This system is designed to respond to events within the infrastructure, triggering automated actions.

Which teams benefit most from using SaltStack?

Operations teams looking for reactive automation and robust configuration management will find SaltStack particularly useful. It is well-suited for environments that require event-driven infrastructure management and can operate at scale.

How does SaltStack's approach compare to Ansible?

SaltStack utilizes an event-driven approach for infrastructure automation, which differs from Ansible's more popular agentless push model. While Ansible is generally more popular, SaltStack offers a distinct reactive automation capability.

What kind of trade-offs should users consider with SaltStack?

Potential users should be aware of SaltStack's learning curve and potentially complex setup. It also has a smaller community and some documentation gaps compared to more widely adopted tools.

How is SaltStack priced?

SaltStack is available on a free tier, providing basic access to its features. For users requiring more extensive usage and additional functionalities, paid plans are offered.

Can SaltStack handle large-scale infrastructure management?

Yes, SaltStack is designed to be good for scale, making it suitable for managing large and complex infrastructure environments. Its configuration management capabilities are robust for extensive deployments.

Source: saltproject.io

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