Pulumi vs Terraform

Last Updated on August 15, 2025 by Arnav Sharma

Infrastructure as code has become the backbone of modern cloud operations. But when you’re choosing between tools, the decision often comes down to two heavy hitters: Pulumi and Terraform. Both promise to simplify your infrastructure management, yet they take fundamentally different approaches.

I’ve worked with both tools across various projects, and honestly, the “right” choice depends heavily on your team’s background and project needs. Let me break down what makes each tool tick.

What Sets Pulumi Apart

Pulumi’s biggest selling point? You can write infrastructure code in the same languages your team already knows. Think of it like this: instead of learning a new recipe format, you can cook your infrastructure using the kitchen tools you’re already comfortable with.

Supported Languages:

• JavaScript/TypeScript
• Python
• Go
• .NET
• Java

This means if your team is primarily Python developers, they can define AWS resources using familiar Python syntax. No context switching, no new language to learn.

Here’s what a simple AWS S3 bucket looks like in Pulumi using Python:

import pulumi_aws as aws

bucket = aws.s3.Bucket("my-bucket")

The programmatic approach gives you real programming constructs. Want to create 10 similar resources? Use a loop. Need conditional logic? Standard if/else statements work perfectly.

The Terraform Approach

Terraform takes a different route with its HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL). It’s declarative by design, meaning you describe what you want, not how to get there.

The same S3 bucket in Terraform looks like this:

resource "aws_s3_bucket" "my_bucket" {
  bucket = "my-bucket"
}

HCL might seem like an extra learning curve at first, but it’s actually quite intuitive. Plus, everyone on your team writes infrastructure the same way, regardless of their programming background.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Cloud Provider Support

Both tools support major cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. Terraform has been around longer, so its provider ecosystem is enormous. You’ll find providers for everything from major clouds to niche services.

Pulumi’s provider ecosystem is smaller but growing fast. Most providers are auto-generated from Terraform providers anyway, so compatibility isn’t usually an issue.

Getting Started: Which Path to Take?

Choose Pulumi if:

• Your team consists of experienced developers
• You need complex logic in your infrastructure code
• You’re building infrastructure that requires tight integration with application code
• You prefer modern tooling and don’t mind a smaller community

Choose Terraform if:

• You want the largest community and ecosystem
• Your team includes non-developers who need to read infrastructure code
• You’re managing infrastructure across many different services
• You prefer battle-tested, stable tooling

Real-World Considerations

I’ve seen teams struggle with Terraform’s HCL when they need complex conditional logic. Sure, you can work around it, but sometimes you end up with convoluted configurations that are hard to maintain.

On the flip side, Pulumi’s flexibility can be a double-edged sword. With great power comes the temptation to over-engineer. I’ve seen teams write infrastructure code that’s so clever it becomes unmaintainable.

The Bottom Line

Both tools will get the job done. Terraform’s maturity and ecosystem make it a safe choice for most organizations. Pulumi’s language flexibility and modern approach appeal to developer-heavy teams who want to treat infrastructure like any other code.

The real question isn’t which tool is better in isolation. It’s which one fits your team’s skills, your project’s complexity, and your organization’s long-term infrastructure strategy.

Start with the tool that matches your team’s strengths. You can always migrate later if your needs change, though I’d recommend sticking with your choice long enough to really understand its strengths and limitations.