Infrastructure as Code Face-Off: Pulumi vs Terraform vs AWS CDK
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
At Ananta Cloud, we help clients architect, deploy, and scale cloud-native systems across AWS, Azure, GCP, and hybrid environments. A core component of our delivery model is Infrastructure as Code (IaC)—the practice of defining and managing cloud infrastructure using code, bringing version control, repeatability, and automation to every engagement.
But when it comes to choosing the right IaC tool, it’s not a one-size-fits-all decision.
In this deep dive, we compare three leading tools:
🔹 Terraform (by HashiCorp)
🔹 Pulumi
🔹 AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK)
Our goal? Help consulting engineers, architects, and DevOps leaders choose the most appropriate tool per engagement, per client, based on project needs, team skillsets, and delivery constraints.
IaC Tools at a Glance
Feature | Terraform | Pulumi | AWS CDK |
Language | HCL (HashiCorp Config Language) | General-purpose languages (TS, Python, Go, .NET) | General-purpose languages |
State Management | Required; manual or Cloud backend | Built-in, encrypted state handling | Managed by CloudFormation |
Cloud Support | Multi-cloud | Multi-cloud + SaaS APIs | AWS-only |
Deployment Engine | Declarative | Imperative, runtime-driven | Transpiles to CloudFormation |
Testing Support | Basic (via plan assertions) | Strong unit & integration testing | Limited (template testing) |
Ecosystem & Maturity | Mature & stable | Rapidly growing | Deep AWS integration |
Ideal For | Broad infrastructure automation | Platform engineering & dev-first IaC | AWS-native environments |
01 - Terraform: The Consulting Workhorse
Strengths
Proven and reliable: Battle-tested across cloud platforms.
Vast module ecosystem: Terraform Registry enables fast composition.
Declarative simplicity: Easy to explain to clients & junior engineers.
Trade-offs
DSL learning curve: Requires teams to learn HCL.
Testing gaps: No native support for mocking or unit tests.
State management: Must be configured securely for every client.
02 - Pulumi: Dev-Friendly & Platform-Ready
Strengths
Use real programming languages: Perfect for dev-heavy teams.
Faster feedback cycles: No need for templating engines or static compilation.
Powerful testing & automation: Mocking, unit tests, CI/CD integration out of the box.
Automation API: Allows building internal developer platforms and embedding infrastructure provisioning into portals or services.
Trade-offs
Less mature than Terraform: Fewer community modules (though rapidly growing).
Steeper onboarding for non-developers: Ops teams must adapt to imperative styles.
03 - AWS CDK: The AWS-Native Approach
Strengths
High-level constructs: Simplifies AWS deployments with reusable patterns.
Native CloudFormation integration: Infrastructure changes are tracked in AWS-native tools.
Supports familiar languages: TypeScript, Python, Java, .NET.
Trade-offs
Tightly coupled to AWS: No multi-cloud support.
Slow deployment loop: Due to CloudFormation packaging and template generation.
Limited testing & policy enforcement: Lacks built-in tools for secrets, policies, or drift detection.
Ananta Cloud’s IaC Consulting Decision Framework
Here’s how we approach tool selection during client engagements:
Ask the following:
Are the client multi-cloud or AWS-only?
Are developers writing infra, or is it managed by DevOps/Infra teams?
Is there a need for testing, automation, or embedding into portals?
How much control does the client want over their infrastructure?
Will we hand over the codebase, or maintain it long-term?
Real-World Use Cases
Case 1: Multi-cloud Fintech Platform
Tool Used: Terraform
Why: Required GCP + AWS deployment; team preferred declarative code; Terraform Registry modules sped up delivery.
Case 2: Enterprise Developer Platform
Tool Used: Pulumi
Why: Required embedding infrastructure provisioning into internal tools. Pulumi’s Automation API allowed us to create a “click-to-deploy” portal.
Case 3: AWS-Only Startup with Serverless Focus
Tool Used: AWS CDK
Why: CDK constructs made Lambda/API Gateway/Step Functions provisioning clean and reusable.
Final Recommendations
Scenario | Best Choice |
Multi-cloud, regulated, ops-heavy | Terraform |
Developer-led, fast iteration, SaaS-heavy | Pulumi |
AWS-only, rapid prototyping, small team | AWS CDK |
Building platform/internal developer portals | Pulumi |
Bonus: What Ananta Cloud Recommends for Consulting Firms
If you're a consulting company like us:
Use Terraform as the default fallback for predictable, conservative engagements.
Invest in Pulumi internally for high-velocity cloud-native projects and building automation tools.
Offer AWS CDK as an option for AWS-only engagements where the client team is already CDK-fluent.
Final Thoughts
At Ananta Cloud, we don't believe in silver bullets—we believe in tooling that fits the mission. Whether we’re helping startups scale or modernizing enterprise infrastructure, the right Infrastructure as Code approach accelerates both delivery and trust.
Need help choosing or implementing the right IaC strategy for your organization?
👉 Contact Ananta Cloud – We’re experts in Terraform, Pulumi, AWS CDK, and everything in between.
Email: hello@anantacloud.com | LinkedIn: @anantacloud | Schedule Meeting