Ansible suits teams that want to start automating quickly, with YAML playbooks pushed over SSH and nothing to install on the machines you manage. Puppet suits teams that want a declarative, agent-based system where a Puppet server and an agent on each node keep configuration in the desired state. Both have open source roots and commercial editions, Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform and Perforce's Puppet Core and Puppet Enterprise.
Puppet's packaging has changed since many guides were written, so I went back to the source. I read Ansible's community docs and Red Hat's platform page, and Puppet's overview docs plus its Core and Enterprise pages.
Ansible and Puppet side by side
| Ansible | Puppet | |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Desired state in YAML playbooks | Declarative desired state management |
| On each machine | No agent, uses SSH | puppet-agent, with Facter and Hiera |
| Central server | Not needed | puppetserver, with optional puppetdb |
| Reusable content | Playbooks you write and share | Modules on Puppet Forge |
| Commercial edition | Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform | Puppet Core and Puppet Enterprise |
| Company behind it | Red Hat | Perforce |
What changed with Puppet Core
If you last looked at Puppet a few years ago, this is the update to know. Perforce now sells Puppet Core as hardened, vendor-tested builds with vendor-supported releases and guaranteed SLAs, and its page pitches it as a way to avoid the overhead of building, maintaining and certifying open source Puppet builds yourself. Puppet's documentation still describes the software foundation for Puppet Core, Puppet Enterprise and open source Puppet, so the open project hasn't vanished, but the supported route now runs through Perforce.
How Puppet runs
Puppet's overview describes a tool that manages and automates server configuration through declarative, desired state management, with consistency and automation as the main benefits. The platform is made of packages: puppetserver, puppetdb if you want it, and puppet-agent, which includes Facter and Hiera. Puppet Forge holds existing modules and code examples, and Puppet Enterprise adds an IT operations platform with compliance, vulnerability remediation, impact analysis and self-service.
How Ansible runs
Ansible keeps the moving parts to a minimum. Its docs say it's agentless, so there's no extra software to install across your infrastructure, and it connects over SSH using existing operating system credentials. Playbooks are written in plain YAML, and Ansible is idempotent, so running a playbook against a server that already matches changes nothing. Red Hat's Ansible Automation Platform adds Event-Driven Ansible, an automation coding assistant and a product trial for teams that outgrow the command line.
Both projects lean on shared content, so you don't start from a blank page. Puppet Forge has modules and code examples for common automation, and Ansible's docs say its modular design supports a large range of operating systems, cloud platforms and network devices. Red Hat also offers learning paths and free, interactive labs for Ansible Automation Platform, which helps if you're training someone new to automation.
Five questions for your team
- Can you install and update an agent on every server you manage?
- Do you want changes pushed on demand or enforced continuously?
- Does anyone on the team already write Puppet or Ansible code?
- Do you need vendor-supported builds for compliance?
- Are there existing modules or playbooks for your main software?
If automation skills are thin on your team, read my notes on finding DevOps talent, and keep these productivity tools for developers in mind for the people who'll own it.
My advice on Ansible or Puppet
For most small and midsize teams, Ansible is the faster start: install it on one machine, write a playbook and run it over SSH the same afternoon. Puppet makes more sense when you have a large, stable estate where an agent enforcing configuration continuously is worth the extra setup, or when you want Perforce's supported builds for compliance. Pick the one your team can maintain, because a half-finished automation project is worse than none.
Do you make configuration management tools? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Puppet still open source?
Puppet's documentation covers open source Puppet alongside Puppet Core and Puppet Enterprise. Perforce sells Puppet Core as hardened, vendor-supported builds.
Does Ansible need agents?
No. Ansible's docs describe an agentless design that connects over SSH with existing operating system credentials.
What does Puppet install on each server?
Puppet's overview lists puppet-agent, which includes Facter and Hiera, alongside puppetserver and the optional puppetdb on the server side.
Who owns Puppet?
Puppet's site is branded Perforce Puppet, and Perforce backs Puppet Core.
Is Ansible owned by Red Hat?
Red Hat sells the enterprise edition, Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform, while the Ansible community project publishes the open source docs.
Where can I find ready-made Puppet code?
Puppet Forge holds existing modules and code examples for common automation tasks.
