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Ansible vs Laravel Forge: What are the differences?
Introduction
Ansible is an open-source automation tool that aims to help streamline IT tasks, such as configuration management, application deployment, and orchestration. On the other hand, Laravel Forge is a paid platform as a service (PaaS) that allows developers to easily deploy, manage, and monitor PHP applications on their own servers.
1. Scalability: One key difference between Ansible and Laravel Forge is the scalability they provide. Ansible is more suitable for managing large-scale infrastructures and can handle complex configurations with ease. On the other hand, Laravel Forge is designed to be more user-friendly and streamlined for smaller to medium-sized projects and may not be as efficient for large-scale deployments with intricate requirements.
2. Deployment Flexibility: Ansible offers greater flexibility when it comes to deploying applications across different environments and platforms. It supports a wide range of operating systems and can be easily integrated with other tools in the DevOps ecosystem. In contrast, Laravel Forge is specifically tailored for PHP applications and may not offer the same level of flexibility and compatibility with diverse tech stacks.
3. Learning Curve: Another aspect where Ansible differs from Laravel Forge is the learning curve involved in mastering each tool. Ansible, being a more comprehensive automation solution, requires a deeper understanding of its architecture and modules. On the other hand, Laravel Forge is designed to be more user-friendly and intuitive, making it easier for developers to quickly adapt and start using its features effectively.
4. Cost Structure: The cost structure is a significant difference between Ansible and Laravel Forge. Ansible is an open-source tool, which means it is free to use and doesn't incur any licensing fees. On the contrary, Laravel Forge is a paid service that requires a subscription fee for accessing its advanced features and support options. This distinction in pricing models can influence the decision-making process for organizations with varying budget constraints.
5. Community Support: In terms of community support and resources, Ansible has a larger and more active user base compared to Laravel Forge. This means that developers using Ansible can benefit from a wealth of online documentation, forums, and community-contributed modules to aid in their automation projects. While Laravel Forge does have its own community and support channels, it may not offer the same level of depth and breadth as the Ansible ecosystem.
6. Integration Capabilities: Ansible stands out for its extensive integration capabilities with various tools and technologies in the DevOps landscape. It can easily work with configuration management systems, cloud services, and monitoring tools, providing a seamless workflow for managing infrastructure and applications. On the other hand, Laravel Forge, while focused on PHP deployment, may have limited integration options with other third-party services and platforms.
In Summary, Ansible and Laravel Forge differ in their scalability, deployment flexibility, learning curve, cost structure, community support, and integration capabilities.
I'm just getting started using Vagrant to help automate setting up local VMs to set up a Kubernetes cluster (development and experimentation only). (Yes, I do know about minikube)
I'm looking for a tool to help install software packages, setup users, etc..., on these VMs. I'm also fairly new to Ansible, Chef, and Puppet. What's a good one to start with to learn? I might decide to try all 3 at some point for my own curiosity.
The most important factors for me are simplicity, ease of use, shortest learning curve.
I have been working with Puppet and Ansible. The reason why I prefer ansible is the distribution of it. Ansible is more lightweight and therefore more popular. This leads to situations, where you can get fully packaged applications for ansible (e.g. confluent) supported by the vendor, but only incomplete packages for Puppet.
The only advantage I would see with Puppet if someone wants to use Foreman. This is still better supported with Puppet.
If you are just starting out, might as well learn Kubernetes There's a lot of tools that come with Kube that make it easier to use and most importantly: you become cloud-agnostic. We use Ansible because it's a lot simpler than Chef or Puppet and if you use Docker Compose for your deployments you can re-use them with Kubernetes later when you migrate
Pros of Ansible
- Agentless284
- Great configuration210
- Simple199
- Powerful176
- Easy to learn155
- Flexible69
- Doesn't get in the way of getting s--- done55
- Makes sense35
- Super efficient and flexible30
- Powerful27
- Dynamic Inventory11
- Backed by Red Hat9
- Works with AWS7
- Cloud Oriented6
- Easy to maintain6
- Vagrant provisioner4
- Simple and powerful4
- Multi language4
- Simple4
- Because SSH4
- Procedural or declarative, or both4
- Easy4
- Consistency3
- Well-documented2
- Masterless2
- Debugging is simple2
- Merge hash to get final configuration similar to hiera2
- Fast as hell2
- Manage any OS1
- Work on windows, but difficult to manage1
- Certified Content1
Pros of Laravel Forge
- Simply to use4
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Cons of Ansible
- Dangerous8
- Hard to install5
- Doesn't Run on Windows3
- Bloated3
- Backward compatibility3
- No immutable infrastructure2
Cons of Laravel Forge
- Monthly subscription2
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