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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

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)

Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more

Key Features

Configuration managementRemote executionEvent-drivenCloud provisioningVMwareOpen source

Pricing Plans

60-day Free Trial

Pricing checked Jul 7, 2026

Most Popular

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

Reviews

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4.3/5

Across 99 verified user reviews on G2

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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.

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