AWS CloudFormation Reviews

Name: AWS CloudFormation
Brand: Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Rating: 4.2 (36 reviews)

4.2 out of 5

36 reviews
97% willing to recommend

What is AWS CloudFormation?

AWS CloudFormation provides a common language for you to model and provision AWS and third party application resources in your cloud environment. AWS CloudFormation allows you to use programming languages or a simple text file to model and provision, in an automated and secure manner, all the resources needed for your applications across all regions and accounts. This gives you a single source of truth for your AWS and third party resources.

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AWS CloudFormation is the #9 ranked solution in top Configuration Management solutions. PeerSpot users give AWS CloudFormation an average rating of 8.4 out of 10. Based on the analysis of the 36 most recent AWS CloudFormation reviews, the overall sentiment is positive, with a sentiment score of 7.6. (Among the highest in the category). AWS CloudFormation is most commonly compared to Microsoft Configuration Manager: AWS CloudFormation vs Microsoft Configuration Manager. AWS CloudFormation is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 69% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 20% of all views.

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Featured reviews

Subash Banala

Senior Manager at Capgemini

Our primary use case involves using numerous AWS services, including EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, and all databases. We are focused on migrating our Oracle on-premises systems to AWS cloud to optimize costs. A dditionally, we are leveraging automation infrastructure as code practices using AWS…

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Udhay Prakash Pethakamsetty

Data Engineer Manager at Capgemini

Versioning makes our work easy. Everything has a version. If we use a specific version, we can use the features available for that particular version. It is really helpful. We can write it in JSON or YAML. It gives us a lot of flexibility. We can model and provision the third-party resources in the CloudFormation registry. We can also publish them to the AWS Partner Network. We can also work with the SAM templates. It is the most important thing I use when I work with Lambda functions. I can build the serverless application faster with the SAM templates. It’s an open-source framework. We also have a template builder. It is a command line tool. We can generate the templates. We can perform drag-and-drop actions on the builder. We can also create codes automatically.

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Bireshwar Adhikary

Senior Consultant at ATOS

There are three environments or microservices for support. The first is the sandbox which is like a playground where cloud engineers develop or deploy. The second is the UAT which is for clusters and other things. The third is the E2E environment for testing. These levels provide good support and a high level of availability. Support is very good for cloud hardening and resource tagging. In the non-pro environment, support is comparably less. It takes much more time to follow up or solve issues. On the weekends, you cannot get test study or dev team support because they are not working.

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AWS CloudFormation mindshare

As of November 2024, the mindshare of AWS CloudFormation in the Configuration Management category stands at 1.5%, down from 1.6% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Configuration Management

Key learnings from peers

Last updated Nov 18, 2024

Valuable Features

AWS CloudFormation's most valuable features include template creation, infrastructure as code, automation, integration with AWS, and easy deployment. Users appreciate its quick setup, reusability, cost and time savings, nested stacks, resource management, change management, versioning, and graphical interface. It simplifies handling multiple services, supports JSON and YAML, and provides extensive documentation. Flexibility, quick deployment across regions, input assessment, and automation reduce errors and enhance scalability, making infrastructure management efficient.

"AWS CloudFormation makes infrastructure deployment easy."
"CloudFormation has helped automate the infrastructure in AWS, making the process more efficient."
"I love CloudFormation as it's a great tool for infrastructure as code. This makes my job very easy."

Room for Improvement

AWS CloudFormation's complexity and steep learning curve challenge users. Usability can be improved with better graphical interfaces and support for multiple programming languages. It is limited to AWS, lacking multi-cloud capabilities, which leads users to prefer other tools like Terraform. Compatibility with non-coding environments and more robust error handling, as well as enhanced documentation, are desired. Users find the integration with new AWS services delayed and call for broader cloud vendor support.

"The Infrastructure Composer is not fully complete, making it necessary to tweak the code manually after generating it, which could be improved."
"The Infrastructure Composer is not fully complete, making it necessary to tweak the code manually after generating it, which could be improved."
"It's not that easy to use, but I can learn very fast."

ROI

AWS CloudFormation enhances reliability by rapidly restoring operations, reducing potential financial loss from downtime. Companies typically see a hundred percent return on investment within three years of implementation.

Pricing

AWS CloudFormation is free to use, with costs incurred by the resources deployed. Pricing is based on the resources used, not CloudFormation itself. Users find it affordable and scalable compared to other cloud providers. Although the cost varies depending on the instances and services used, many enterprises utilize FinOps teams for cost management, appreciating that AWS offers a free tier, making it cost-effective for infrastructure management.

"The tool's pricing depends on the page model."
"In general, pricing within AWS is relatively affordable."
"AWS CloudFormation's pricing is cheaper than that of other cloud providers."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations use AWS CloudFormation primarily for automating cloud deployment, creating templates to define infrastructure as code, and managing resources like VPCs, EC2s, storage, and IAM configurations. They deploy infrastructure across different AWS services such as Lambda, S3, and RDS. DevOps teams utilize it for repeatable deployments, disaster recovery, and application hosting. It supports infrastructure set-up and migration tasks, enabling the mapping of resources across regions and simplifying the management of AWS environments.

Service and Support

AWS CloudFormation customer service and support are consistently rated positively. Many users find technical support responsive and helpful, often resolving issues promptly. Users note varying response times depending on the environment. Critical environments receive faster attention, while non-production environments may experience delays. Rated service frequently scores high, with some appreciating direct communication through support plans and partnerships. Users praise rapid response to tickets, although experiences vary in availability during weekends and non-production periods.

Deployment

AWS CloudFormation setup is straightforward and doesn't require installation, as it's integrated into AWS services. Deployment time varies based on infrastructure complexity, typically taking 10-20 minutes. For small setups, it's easy and fast, while larger deployments may take longer. Users appreciate provided templates, ease of use, and seamless integration. The process is intuitive, suitable for individuals without coding experience, and benefits from AWS's handling of updates and maintenance.

Scalability

AWS CloudFormation scales well, reflecting AWS capabilities. Users from diverse industries employ it with varying user counts, deploying thousands of components. It integrates indirectly with resources like EC2 for scaling. Most users rate its scalability highly, with scores ranging from eight to ten, appreciating its ability to manage infrastructure efficiently. Security and ease in templating contribute to its popularity, while some note limitations due to its AWS exclusivity compared to multi-cloud solutions.

Stability

AWS CloudFormation is widely recognized for its stability, often rated between eight and ten out of ten. Users note that once configured, it rarely encounters stability issues. Though there are some concerns with learning curves and minimal server-level incidents, crashing is not a common problem. The availability of verification methods adds convenience. Despite occasional changes with new versions, its performance is generally reliable, resonating well with users' expectations. Stability is frequently highlighted as strong.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our AWS CloudFormation Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.