StackGen vs. Terraform Cloud vs. Terraform Enterprise: Which Fits Your DevOps Needs?

When it comes to scaling DevOps operations, choosing the right Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) tool is key to success. Three prominent tools in the market—Terraform Cloud, Terraform Enterprise, and StackGen—offer powerful features for automating cloud infrastructure, but they cater to different needs, environments, and organizational scales. Today's blog post will help you compare these tools and understand which one is best suited for your organization.

1. Overview: What They Are

Terraform Cloud:

• Managed service by HashiCorp for running Terraform without the need for managing infrastructure.
• Focuses on collaboration, version control, and workflow automation for teams using Terraform.
• Ideal for organizations that want to use Terraform but prefer not to manage their own infrastructure.

Terraform Enterprise:

• Terraform Enterprise is the commercial version of HashiCorp's open-source Terraform.
• One of the most widely adopted IaC tools, known for its flexibility and ability to manage infrastructure at scale.
• Often preferred by organizations with complex infrastructures and stringent data governance needs, allowing customers to self-select and maintain control over their data management processes.

StackGen:

• StackGen is a generative infrastructure platform designed to simplify cloud infrastructure management for teams of all sizes.
• Automates cloud environment provisioning with a focus on ease of use and quick setup.
• StackGen is trusted by both small companies and large enterprises, showcasing its ability to scale and meet the needs of organizations of all sizes—from simple infrastructure setups to complex, high-demand environments.

2. Core Features Comparison

3. Ease of Use

• Terraform Cloud: Terraform Cloud is perfect for teams seeking a fully managed Terraform experience with minimal setup and overhead. It provides an intuitive web interface for managing state and infrastructure, making it easier to interact with your cloud resources. However, it does require a solid understanding of Terraform’s core principles to fully leverage its capabilities. 

• Terraform Enterprise: While Terraform’s core functionality is robust, it does require an understanding of its architecture and workflows. The Enterprise version does streamline some processes, like policy enforcement and access controls, but it can be challenging for teams with limited IaC experience.

• StackGen: StackGen was designed with simplicity in mind. It offers an intuitive user interface and fast onboarding, making it ideal for teams looking to get up and running quickly. Its infrastructure-from-code feature allows users to automate and manage their infrastructure with minimal configuration, eliminating the need for deep technical expertise.

4. Scalability and Flexibility

• Terraform Cloud: An option for teams that prefer limited infrastructure management responsibilities. It supports collaboration and provides an integrated environment with remote execution and shared workspaces, which may suit teams looking for these features to streamline their workflows.
• Terraform Enterprise: Known for its ability to scale across large, multi-cloud environments, Terraform Enterprise excels at managing complex infrastructure for large organizations. It offers advanced features like state management, access controls, and modular workflows that allow it to scale to enterprise needs.
• StackGen: StackGen scales with teams of all sizes, focusing on automating brownfield app migrations and offering a visual canvas for greenfield apps. Unlike Terraform Enterprise, which emphasizes greenfield state management and custom integrations, StackGen provides out-of-the-box vertical governance (SOC2, PCI, ISO) for a more consumable SaaS experience.

5. Cost

• Terraform Cloud: Offers both a free version with limited features and paid plans based on team size and usage. It may be cost-effective for smaller teams or those with fewer requirements for governance and control.
• Terraform Enterprise: Terraform Enterprise is a paid offering with pricing that scales based on the number of users, features, and deployment size. It's designed for organizations with substantial infrastructure needs and larger budgets.
• StackGen: StackGen is generally more affordable, offering pricing tiers that cater to organizations of various sizes. Its straightforward pricing model makes it more accessible for teams looking for a balance between functionality and cost-efficiency.

6. Community and Support

• Terraform Cloud: HCP Terraform provides comprehensive documentation, a large community, and support for paid plans. Its widespread adoption ensures access to a variety of resources and shared best practices from a diverse user base.
• Terraform Enterprise: As one of the most widely used IaC tools, Terraform has a vast community that shares a wealth of resources, tutorials, and best practices. HashiCorp also provides dedicated support for enterprise customers, making it a strong choice for organizations that require high-touch assistance.
• StackGen: While StackGen is newer, it has already earned the trust of large organizations by consistently delivering valuable features that meet complex needs. Backed by responsive support and an expanding library of documentation, StackGen makes it easier for teams to quickly get up to speed as they adopt the platform.

7. Security

• Terraform Cloud: Suitable for organizations with smaller-scale infrastructure or those that don't require complex governance features. Terraform Cloud offers remote state management, encrypted storage, and fine-grained access controls, which may be appropriate for teams with basic security needs or those seeking a managed experience.
• Terraform Enterprise: Offers robust security features, including advanced access controls, encryption, and policy enforcement. This makes it well-suited for large organizations willing to add custom security and compliance integrations.
• StackGen: While StackGen is built for simplicity, it doesn’t compromise on security. StackGen includes robust security features such as secure cloud provisioning, role-based access controls, and encryption for sensitive data. Additionally, StackGen is designed to seamlessly integrate into your existing security frameworks, ensuring that your infrastructure remains secure while simplifying management for your team.

8. Use Case Suitability

• Terraform Cloud: Designed for teams seeking a managed service to automate their Terraform workflows without the need to manage the underlying infrastructure. It may be suitable for organizations with smaller-scale infrastructure or teams that do not require extensive governance features.
• Terraform Enterprise: Ideal for large organizations or teams with complex, multi-cloud infrastructures that need advanced customization for management, scalability, and compliance features. If you're looking to automate infrastructure at scale with a high degree of customization and control, Terraform Enterprise is the go-to choice.
• StackGen: StackGen excels in offering a simple, accessible approach to running modern cloud environments. It’s an ideal choice for teams that prioritize simplicity, especially when automating cloud migrations and visually architecting their cloud with support for public cloud providers.

Conclusion: Which Tool is Right for You?

Each of these tools—HCP Terraform (Terraform Cloud), Terraform Enterprise, and StackGen—offers unique features suited to different types of teams and infrastructure needs.

• Choose Terraform Cloud if:
  • You need a fully managed service to run Terraform with minimal overhead.
  • Your team values collaboration and easy version control with remote execution.

• Choose Terraform Enterprise if:
  • You have a large team or enterprise infrastructure that requires multi-cloud provisioning, strict governance, and advanced collaboration features.
  • You need strong support, extensive community resources, and a highly customizable solution.
• Choose StackGen if:
  • You want a more accessible, cost-effective solution with rapid deployment and ease of use.
  • You need to scale quickly while keeping complexity to a minimum—ideal for teams that demand both simplicity and enterprise-grade capabilities.

Ultimately, whether you choose HCP Terraform (Terraform Cloud) for its managed service, Terraform Enterprise for its robust, enterprise-level features, or StackGen for its simplicity and scalability, all three tools can optimize your DevOps pipeline and automate infrastructure management effectively.