Over the years, I’ve worked with several Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools, and for a long time, Terraform was my go-to. It's a powerful tool, but there are two key pain points I’ve experienced with it:
- Lack of Opinionated Project StructureTerraform doesn’t enforce a standardized project structure. While this flexibility can be beneficial, it often becomes a challenge when scaling or shifting between setups. Depending on the project’s complexity, restructuring can be tedious and time-consuming.
- Custom DSL (Domain-Specific Language)While Terraform's DSL is serviceable, it introduces an extra learning curve. Even simple tasks, like writing loops, can sometimes feel unnecessarily complex. You may not need advanced features, yet you’re stuck navigating its unique syntax.
This is where Pulumi shines. With Pulumi, you define infrastructure using familiar programming languages like Python, eliminating the need to learn a new language. Plus, you get access to the full Python ecosystem—tools like formatters, linters, and type completion integrate seamlessly.
Another aspect I appreciate is Pulumi’s built-in support for managing environments (dev, stage, prod). It simplifies workflows and enforces good practices by design.
Curious: Have you tried Pulumi in a large-scale project? What’s your experience been like?
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Here’s an comparison of both tools: https://www.pulumi.com/docs/iac/concepts/vs/terraform/
