FAQ

When should I use Terraform instead of CloudFormation?

In general, if your workloads are primarily based in AWS, AWS CloudFormation provides a level of native support that Terraform can’t match. However, if your workloads include quite a few third-party processes or they’re spread out among multiple cloud providers, Terraform is a tool that you might want to consider.

When should I use the AWS CDK instead of CloudFormation?

When you use the AWS Cloud Development Kit (AWS CDK), you’re also using CloudFormation. The AWS CDK allows you to use a common programming language to generate CloudFormation templates. If you're experienced in any of the programming languages that the AWS CDK supports, the AWS CDK can reduce the time required to generate CloudFormation templates.

Is there a tool like the AWS CDK that generates Terraform configurations?

Compared to the AWS CDK, the CDK for Terraform (CDKTF) uses the same construct library to provision resources and the same jsii engine to support multiple programming languages. You can use it to generate Terraform configurations in the same way that the AWS CDK generates CloudFormation templates.

How do I learn more about Terraform?

For more information about advanced Terraform concepts, see the Terraform documentation. It also describes the components of all major providers and open source modules.