Brandwave

How popular isTerraform?

In September 2026, people searched for Terraform by name about 246,000 times worldwide, an 18.3% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 61% of all global configuration management platform searches, placing Terraform first out of six platforms. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about configuration management platforms, Terraform appeared in four of the five answers and was the fifth most recommended of the six.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Terraform is the most searched of 6 competitors and the fifth most recommended in AI answers.

  1. TerraformShare of searches 61%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  2. AnsibleShare of searches 33.5%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  3. RundeckShare of searches 4.5%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  4. SaltShare of searches 0.89%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  5. ChefShare of searches 0.08%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd

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Top configuration management platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Terraform was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Terraform is the fifth most recommended of the six.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Ansible1st
  2. Puppet2nd
  3. Chef3rd
  4. Salt4th
  5. Terraform5th
  6. Rundeck–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Ansible5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Salt5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Chef5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Puppet5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Terraform4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Rundeck0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about configuration management platforms

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.

Which configuration management platforms compete with Terraform?

Terraform against configuration management platforms worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Terraform, Ansible, Rundeck. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthTerraformAnsibleRundeckSaltChefPuppet
Oct 202561.5%33.7%3.7%0.9%0.12%0.12%
Nov 202561.1%33.5%3.7%1.3%0.22%0.18%
Dec 202561.4%33.7%3.7%0.9%0.15%0.15%
Jan 202660.8%33.4%4.5%1.1%0.12%0.12%
Feb 202660.8%33.4%4.5%1.1%0.15%0.1%
Mar 202661.2%33.6%3.7%1.3%0.12%0.1%
Apr 202660.5%33.2%4.5%1.6%0.1%0.1%
May 202661.3%33.7%3.7%1.1%0.1%0.1%
Jun 202661%33.5%3.7%1.6%0.06%0.1%
Jul 202665.5%29.3%3.9%1.2%0.07%0.09%
Aug 202661%33.4%4.5%0.88%0.1%0.1%
Sep 202661%33.5%4.5%0.89%0.08%0.08%

  1. 1.Terraform

    61%

    Held 1st. 246K estimated branded searches, +22.4% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  2. 2.Ansible

    33.5%

    Held 2nd. 135K estimated branded searches, +22.7% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  3. 3.Rundeck

    4.5%

    Held 3rd. 18.1K estimated branded searches, +22.3% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  4. 4.Salt

    0.89%

    Held 4th. 3.6K estimated branded searches, +24.1% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  5. 5.Chef

    0.08%

    Held 5th. 320 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  6. 6.Puppet

    0.08%

    Held 6th. 320 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between Terraform and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Terraform

13 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Terraform changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Terraform worldwide fell from 301K to 246K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Terraform’s share of searches among configuration management platforms worldwide peaked at 65.5% in July 2026 and was lowest at 60.5% in April 2026.

How did search popularity change for configuration management platforms worldwide in September 2026?

5 changes

  1. Estimated monthly branded searches for Chef worldwide fell 45.8% over 12 measured months, from 590 to 320 in September 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Puppet worldwide fell 45.8% over 12 measured months, from 590 to 320 in September 2026.

  3. Estimated monthly branded searches for Terraform worldwide fell 18.3% over 12 measured months, from 301K to 246K in September 2026.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for Ansible worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 165K to 135K in September 2026.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Salt worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 4.4K to 3.6K in September 2026.

How are Terraform’s branded searches counted?

1 search term

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Terraform’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • terraform

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Who owns Terraform?

Terraform is owned by HashiCorp. Brandwave also tracks HashiCorp Consul, HashiCorp Nomad and Vault, owned by the same company, worldwide.

Do you work for Terraform? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

Where does Terraform compete?

Terraform is ranked in three competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Infrastructure as code tools1st of 1051.1%Show ranking
Configuration management platforms1st of 661%Shown above
Environment management tools1st of 686.1%Show ranking
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