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AWS CloudFormation

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Company health

Employee growth
11% increase in the last year
Web traffic
10% increase in the last quarter

Ratings

G2
4.4/5
(201)
Capterra
4.5/5
(59)
Glassdoor
3.7/5
(206324)

AWS CloudFormation description

AWS CloudFormation lets you set up and manage all your cloud resources in one place. Imagine it as a blueprint for your company's cloud needs. You create a simple text file outlining everything you need, and CloudFormation takes care of building it automatically on AWS. This blueprint can be used to duplicate your setup in different situations or easily update everything at once. CloudFormation makes managing your cloud resources simpler and more efficient.


Who is AWS CloudFormation best for

AWS CloudFormation is a powerful tool for developers, DevOps engineers, and system administrators seeking to automate infrastructure provisioning on AWS. Users praise its automation capabilities and wide range of pre-built templates. However, some find the YAML syntax complex and debugging challenging. CloudFormation simplifies cloud resource management by using templates to define and deploy infrastructure, saving time and ensuring consistency.

  • Ideal for small, medium, and large companies seeking efficient cloud infrastructure management.

  • Well-suited for industries such as Healthcare, Finance, E-commerce, Retail, and Software/IT.


AWS CloudFormation features

Supported

CloudFormation automates infrastructure deployments using templates, including server installations and configurations.

Supported

CloudFormation automates deployments to different environments using templates and integrations with tools like Git.

Supported

CloudFormation supports cloud native deployments within the AWS ecosystem, including containerization, serverless resources, and CI/CD.

Qualities

We evaluate the sentiment that users express about non-functional aspects of the software

Ease of Use

Strongly positive
+0.74

Reliability and Performance

Strongly positive
+1

Ease of Implementation

Rather positive
+0.33

Scalability

Neutral
+0.14

AWS CloudFormation reviews

We've summarised 252 AWS CloudFormation reviews (AWS CloudFormation GetApp reviews, AWS CloudFormation Capterra reviews and AWS CloudFormation G2 reviews) and summarised the main points below.

Pros of AWS CloudFormation
  • Automates infrastructure provisioning, saving time and reducing manual effort.
  • Provides a consistent and repeatable way to deploy infrastructure.
  • Enables infrastructure as code (IaC) for version control and collaboration.
  • Offers a wide range of pre-built templates for common use cases.
  • Supports various AWS services for comprehensive infrastructure management.
Cons of AWS CloudFormation
  • YAML syntax can be complex and error-prone, especially for larger templates.
  • Debugging CloudFormation templates can be challenging due to unclear error messages.
  • Limited support for non-AWS resources, making multi-cloud deployments difficult.
  • Stack updates can be slow, sometimes requiring manual intervention.
  • Manual deletion of resources can lead to inconsistencies with the CloudFormation stack.

AWS CloudFormation pricing

The commentary is based on 13 reviews from AWS CloudFormation Capterra reviews and AWS CloudFormation G2 reviews.

CloudFormation is free to use; you only pay for the AWS resources it creates. Some users mention the cost of those resources can be high, while others appreciate the cost savings from automated deployments and infrastructure management. A few users note pricing as a potential barrier to wider organizational adoption.

Users sentiment

Strongly positive
+1

See the AWS CloudFormation pricing page.


AWS CloudFormation alternatives

  • Logo of Hashicorp Terraform
    Hashicorp Terraform
    Painlessly manage and automate your cloud infrastructure.
    Read more
  • Logo of AWS Control Tower
    AWS Control Tower
    Easily sets up and governs secure, multi-account AWS environments.
    Read more
  • Logo of Azure Automation
    Azure Automation
    Cloud and on-site task automation for effortless management.
    Read more
  • Logo of Azure Resource Manager
    Azure Resource Manager
    Deploy, manage, and organize all your cloud resources together.
    Read more
  • Logo of Render
    Render
    Effortless cloud hosting and deployments for websites and apps.
    Read more
  • Logo of Discovery
    Discovery
    AI-powered product analytics for data-driven decisions and growth.
    Read more

AWS CloudFormation FAQ

  • What is AWS CloudFormation and what does AWS CloudFormation do?

    AWS CloudFormation is a service that helps you model and provision your AWS resources. You create a template that describes your infrastructure, and CloudFormation handles the creation and management of those resources, enabling infrastructure-as-code and simplifying cloud deployments.

  • How does AWS CloudFormation integrate with other tools?

    AWS CloudFormation integrates with other AWS services and third-party tools through its API and various SDKs. It supports infrastructure-as-code deployments using templates and integrates with CI/CD pipelines for automated deployments. This allows for streamlined resource provisioning and management across the AWS ecosystem.

  • What the main competitors of AWS CloudFormation?

    Top AWS CloudFormation competitors include Terraform, Pulumi, and AWS CDK. These alternatives offer similar infrastructure-as-code functionality, with varying approaches to configuration and deployment. Some users prefer these alternatives for multi-cloud deployments or different programming language support.

  • Is AWS CloudFormation legit?

    Yes, AWS CloudFormation is a legitimate service offered by Amazon Web Services. It's a safe and widely used Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) service for automating deployments on AWS, enabling reliable and efficient cloud infrastructure management. It's trusted by many users for automating infrastructure provisioning and deployments.

  • How much does AWS CloudFormation cost?

    AWS CloudFormation itself doesn't have a separate cost. You only pay for the AWS resources that CloudFormation creates, like EC2 instances or S3 storage. There are no additional charges for using this product.

  • Is AWS CloudFormation customer service good?

    Customer reviews on AWS CloudFormation's support are mixed. Some users mention "nice customer support," while others point out the difficulty in understanding error messages and the need for improved documentation, especially for beginners. Several users highlight the seamless experience and readily available resources for troubleshooting.


Reviewed by

MK
Michal Kaczor
CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

TT
Tymon Terlikiewicz
CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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