OpenTofu
Open SourceSelf-hostableTruly open infrastructure as code, forever.
4.829K starsAlternative to Terraform
Overview
OpenTofu is a free, open-source tool and a self-hostable alternative to Terraform. It's licensed under MPL 2.0 and written in Go.
OpenTofu is the Linux Foundation's open-source fork of Terraform, created after HashiCorp moved Terraform to the non-open-source BUSL license. It's a drop-in replacement that speaks the same HCL, follows the same init/plan/apply workflow, reads your existing Terraform state, and stays fully provider- and module-compatible via its own registry.
Why pick OpenTofu over Terraform
- Own your data instead of trusting Terraform's servers
- No per-seat pricing — grow without ballooning costs
- OpenTofu is open source: audit it, fork it, extend it
- Self-host for full privacy and compliance control
Key features
- Drop-in Terraform replacement — same HCL, same init/plan/apply workflow
- Built-in state and plan encryption (PBKDF2, AWS/GCP KMS, Azure Key Vault)
- Early evaluation of variables in backend and module configs
- Provider for_each and the -exclude flag (inverse of -target)
- Full provider and module compatibility via registry.opentofu.org
Pros & cons
Screenshots
Installation
Install with Homebrew
brew install opentofuInitialize your project
tofu initFrequently asked questions
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