Chef Infra
Configuration management tool that keeps servers and laptops in a defined state using Ruby-based code.
- Verified facts
- 5 of 5
- Alternatives ranked
- 3
- Approved reviews
- 0
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- 0
About Chef Infra
Chef Infra, usually just called Chef, describes how machines should be configured in code ('recipes' and 'cookbooks' written in a Ruby-based language) and then enforces it. An agent on each node checks in, compares the system to the desired state and corrects any drift, so packages, files, users and services stay the way policy says. It manages Windows, Linux and macOS machines across data centres, clouds and edge devices, and pairs with Chef Workstation for writing and testing policies and Chef Automate for reporting. The core client is open source under the Apache 2.0 licence, but Progress Software, which owns Chef, requires a commercial licence for most business use of its official builds, and sells the wider Chef 360 platform with compliance, job orchestration and agentless automation. It suits operations teams with large fleets who want continuous enforcement rather than one-off provisioning. Compared with Ansible, it has a steeper learning curve because of its agent model and Ruby DSL.
Best for: Ops teams enforcing consistent configuration across large fleets of servers and devices.
Pros and cons
What works
- Continuously detects and corrects configuration drift
- Manages Windows, Linux and macOS with the same policies
- Mature ecosystem of community cookbooks
- Core client is open source under Apache 2.0
Why people leave
- Ruby-based DSL and agent model are harder to learn than Ansible's YAML
- Official builds need a commercial licence for most business use
- Pricing is only available through sales
Top Chef Infra alternatives
See all 3- 1
Ansible66.5Agentless and written in YAML, so it's quicker to learn and needs nothing installed on managed hosts.
- 2
Terraform62.6Better fit when the job is provisioning cloud resources rather than configuring what runs inside servers.
- 3
Pulumi59.6Infrastructure as code in general-purpose languages like Python or TypeScript instead of a Ruby DSL.
Why people left Chef Infra
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Chef Infra: common questions
Is Chef Infra free?
No, Chef Infra is a paid product.
Is Chef Infra open source?
Yes. The source code is on GitHub at chef/chef. You can also run it on your own server.
What platforms does Chef Infra run on?
Chef Infra is available for Windows, macOS, Linux and Self-hosted.
What are the best alternatives to Chef Infra?
The highest-ranked Chef Infra alternatives right now are Ansible, Terraform and Pulumi. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.