Best Configuration Management Tools in 2026
Updated
In short: CFEngine is ranked #1 of 25 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Rudder and Salt. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Rudder. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Chef Infra at $4.92/mo.
Configuration management tools help define and maintain system settings across infrastructure. To compare them, look at agent model, deployment model and supported platforms, then consider drift detection and patch management for ongoing upkeep. Policy as code and compliance reporting offer further distinctions around governance. CFEngine, Rudder and Salt are among the options shown. Free-plan availability and paid-from prices let you weigh cost alongside the management capabilities relevant to the systems you need to oversee.
25 configuration management tools ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Configuration Management Tools, ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going. 8 of the 25 on this page can be tried for free.
- 1 CFEngineFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 2 RudderFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 3 SaltFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 4 Chef InfraPaid from $4.92/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 5 Puppet
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 6 OpenVoxFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 7 UyuniFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 8 config.XOPaid from €449/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 9 OpenDSC
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 10 Fabric
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 11 Azure Machine ConfigurationPaid from $6/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 12 OpenText Server Automation
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 13 Radmind
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 14 Microsoft Desired State Configuration
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 15 pyinfra
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 16 AWS Systems Manager State Manager
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 17 Google Cloud VM Manager
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 18 cdist
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 19 LCFG
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 20 Quattor
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 21 Rex
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 22 Mgmt Config
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 23 OpenText Dimensions CM
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 24 Microsoft Configuration ManagerPaid from $1,455/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 25 Tripwire Enterprise
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which configuration management tool is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
CFEngine is ranked #1 of 25 with a score of 7.9. Rudder is second and Salt third.
How many of these have a free plan?
6 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Chef Infra has the lowest first paid tier we found: $4.92/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.