AWS CDK vs Terraform:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Terraform had more branded searches than AWS CDK among infrastructure as code tools worldwide. Terraform had about 246,000 branded searches, while AWS CDK had 12,100. Terraform made up 51.1% of all infrastructure as code tool searches we track, and AWS CDK accounted for 2.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about infrastructure as code tools, Terraform appeared in all five answers and AWS CDK in four. Terraform was mentioned before AWS CDK in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Terraform, about 20 searches for every 1 for AWS CDK
Who does AI mention more?
Terraform, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Terraform, named ahead of AWS CDK in every answer
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Top infrastructure as code tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Terraform appeared in all five answers. AWS CDK was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Terraform was listed before AWS CDK in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
OpenTofu1st- Terraform2nd
Pulumi3rd
AWS CloudFormation4th- AWS CDK5th
Ansible6th
Crossplane7th
Azure Bicep8th
Puppet9th
Chef10th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Terraform5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- AWS CloudFormation5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- OpenTofu5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Pulumi5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Ansible4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- AWS CDK4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Crossplane2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Azure Bicep2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Chef2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Puppet2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about infrastructure as code tools
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which infrastructure as code tool should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best infrastructure as code tools?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best infrastructure as code tool for automated cloud setup?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“infrastructure as code tools”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“iac tool”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is AWS CDK or Terraform more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for AWS CDK and Terraform by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten infrastructure as code tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Terraform, AWS CDK. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Terraform | Ansible | AWS CloudFormation | OpenTofu | Pulumi | AWS CDK | Crossplane | Azure Bicep | Chef | Puppet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 51.2% | 28.1% | 7.1% | 3.1% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 0.61% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 48.7% | 26.7% | 8.3% | 3.6% | 5.4% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 0.57% | 0.17% | 0.14% |
| Dec 2025 | 50.1% | 27.5% | 7% | 3.7% | 5.5% | 3% | 2.5% | 0.49% | 0.12% | 0.12% |
| Jan 2026 | 49.3% | 27% | 7.8% | 3.6% | 5.4% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 0.58% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 49.5% | 27.2% | 7.9% | 3.6% | 5.5% | 3% | 2.4% | 0.72% | 0.12% | 0.08% |
| Mar 2026 | 50.8% | 27.9% | 6.6% | 3.7% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 0.61% | 0.1% | 0.08% |
| Apr 2026 | 49.5% | 27.2% | 7.9% | 3.6% | 5.5% | 3% | 2.4% | 0.72% | 0.08% | 0.08% |
| May 2026 | 50.3% | 27.6% | 7.6% | 3.7% | 4.5% | 3% | 2.5% | 0.59% | 0.08% | 0.08% |
| Jun 2026 | 50.4% | 27.7% | 6.6% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3% | 2.5% | 0.59% | 0.05% | 0.08% |
| Jul 2026 | 53.5% | 23.9% | 7% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 0.63% | 0.06% | 0.07% |
| Aug 2026 | 48.9% | 26.8% | 7.8% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 0.71% | 0.08% | 0.08% |
| Sep 2026 | 51.1% | 28% | 6.7% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 0.75% | 0.07% | 0.07% |
How has the AWS CDK and Terraform comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Terraform was ahead of AWS CDK in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, AWS CDK’s share of searches among infrastructure as code tools worldwide moved from 3.1% to 2.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 18.1K to 12.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Terraform’s share of searches among infrastructure as code tools worldwide moved from 51.2% to 51.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 301K to 246K.
How did search popularity change for infrastructure as code tools worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Terraform gained share of searches among infrastructure as code tools worldwide, from 48.9% to 51.1%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for AWS CDK worldwide fell 33.1% over 12 measured months, from 18.1K to 12.1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using AWS CDK’s and Terraform’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among infrastructure as code tools
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