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Head-to-head · Configuration Management Tools

Puppet vs Google Cloud VM Manager

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Puppet #1 in Configuration Management Tools 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Puppet
Google Cloud VM Manager #3 in Configuration Management Tools 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Google Cloud

Puppet leads on 0 checks, Google Cloud VM Manager on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scorePuppet · 9.3/10
  • Free planboth

Puppet scores higher on our rubric for configuration management tools: 9.3 against 9.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #3.

On deployment model, Google Cloud VM Manager gives you Cloud where Puppet offers Self_hosted. On agent model, Puppet gives you Both where Google Cloud VM Manager offers Agent_based.

Puppet is the better fit for mature enterprises needing broad hybrid automation. Google Cloud VM Manager is the better fit for google Cloud VM patch and policy operations.

  • Puppet fits best

    Mature enterprises needing broad hybrid automation

  • Google Cloud VM Manager fits best

    Google Cloud VM patch and policy operations

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Puppet 9.3/10 Visit ↗ Google Cloud VM Manager 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 9.0
Ranking #1 in Configuration Management Tools #3 in Configuration Management Tools
Best for Mature enterprises needing broad hybrid automation Google Cloud VM patch and policy operations
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price — $0.003/device usage-based
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Cloud
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux Web
Support Docs Community, Docs
Integrations 11 integrations 4 integrations
Built for Enterprise Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Puppet 4/4 · Google Cloud VM Manager 4/4
Drift detection ✓ ✓
Patch management ✓ ✓
Policy as code ✓ ✓
Compliance reporting ✓ ✓
Specs
Deployment model Self_hosted Cloud
Agent model Both Agent_based
Supported platforms Debian, Fedora, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Windows Server, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Amazon Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Alma Linux, Rocky Linux, Oracle Linux, Ubuntu Windows Server, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Rocky Linux, CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
Our review
Pros
  • Desired-state enforcement with automatic drift detection and remediation
  • Patch management, vulnerability remediation, and compliance enforcement
  • Agent-based and agentless automation across major infrastructure platforms
  • Patch deployment, compliance dashboards, and vulnerability reporting
  • Declarative OS policies with validation and enforcement modes
  • Terraform, API, CLI, and console management options
Cons
  • Commercial plans use custom pricing and may require sales contact
  • The free Puppet Core Developer plan is limited to fewer than 25 nodes
  • Its broad enterprise feature set may exceed narrow configuration needs
  • Requires the OS Config agent on managed VMs
  • Designed for Compute Engine virtual-machine fleets
  • Supports English-locale operating systems
Our verdict

Puppet is an infrastructure automation and configuration management platform for platform, infrastructure, and DevOps teams. It manages configurations across on-premises, cloud, hybrid, server, network, and edge environments. Its core…

Read the review →

Google Cloud VM Manager is a cloud-based configuration management suite for Windows and Linux virtual machines running on Compute Engine. It is aimed at teams managing operating-system updates, software packages, configuration policies,…

Read the review →
  1. PuppetConfiguration Management Tools 9.3Free plan
  2. Google Cloud VM ManagerConfiguration Management Tools 9.0Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Puppet — where it wins

    • Desired-state enforcement with automatic drift detection and remediation
    • Patch management, vulnerability remediation, and compliance enforcement
    • Agent-based and agentless automation across major infrastructure platforms

    Where it doesn't

    • Commercial plans use custom pricing and may require sales contact
    • The free Puppet Core Developer plan is limited to fewer than 25 nodes
    • Its broad enterprise feature set may exceed narrow configuration needs

  • Google Cloud VM Manager — where it wins

    • Patch deployment, compliance dashboards, and vulnerability reporting
    • Declarative OS policies with validation and enforcement modes
    • Terraform, API, CLI, and console management options

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires the OS Config agent on managed VMs
    • Designed for Compute Engine virtual-machine fleets
    • Supports English-locale operating systems

More comparisons

All configuration management tools comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update