Brandwave

AWS CloudFormation vs Chef:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, AWS CloudFormation had more branded searches than Chef among infrastructure as code tools worldwide. AWS CloudFormation had about 32,100 branded searches, while Chef had 320. AWS CloudFormation made up 6.7% of all infrastructure as code tool searches we track, and Chef accounted for 0.07%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about infrastructure as code tools, AWS CloudFormation appeared in all five answers and Chef in two. AWS CloudFormation was mentioned before Chef in every answer.

Among infrastructure as code tools worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

AWS CloudFormation, about 100 searches for every 1 for Chef

AWS CloudFormation 32.1K searchesChef 320 searches

Who does AI mention more?

AWS CloudFormation, mentioned in every answer we collected

AWS CloudFormation in 5 of 5Chef in 2 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

AWS CloudFormation, named ahead of Chef in every answer

AWS CloudFormation first in 5Chef never first

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Top infrastructure as code tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, AWS CloudFormation appeared in all five answers. Chef was mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. AWS CloudFormation was listed before Chef in every answer.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. OpenTofu1st
  2. Terraform2nd
  3. Pulumi3rd
  4. AWS CloudFormation4th
  5. AWS CDK5th
  6. Ansible6th
  7. Crossplane7th
  8. Azure Bicep8th
  9. Puppet9th
  10. 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

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.

Is AWS CloudFormation or Chef more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for AWS CloudFormation and Chef 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.

AWS CloudFormation and Chef among infrastructure as code tools worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for AWS CloudFormation, Chef. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthTerraformAnsibleAWS CloudFormationOpenTofuPulumiAWS CDKCrossplaneAzure BicepChefPuppet
Oct 202551.2%28.1%7.1%3.1%4.6%3.1%2.1%0.61%0.1%0.1%
Nov 202548.7%26.7%8.3%3.6%5.4%3.6%2.9%0.57%0.17%0.14%
Dec 202550.1%27.5%7%3.7%5.5%3%2.5%0.49%0.12%0.12%
Jan 202649.3%27%7.8%3.6%5.4%3.6%2.4%0.58%0.1%0.1%
Feb 202649.5%27.2%7.9%3.6%5.5%3%2.4%0.72%0.12%0.08%
Mar 202650.8%27.9%6.6%3.7%4.6%3.1%2.5%0.61%0.1%0.08%
Apr 202649.5%27.2%7.9%3.6%5.5%3%2.4%0.72%0.08%0.08%
May 202650.3%27.6%7.6%3.7%4.5%3%2.5%0.59%0.08%0.08%
Jun 202650.4%27.7%6.6%4.5%4.5%3%2.5%0.59%0.05%0.08%
Jul 202653.5%23.9%7%4.8%4.8%2.6%2.6%0.63%0.06%0.07%
Aug 202648.9%26.8%7.8%5.4%4.4%2.9%2.9%0.71%0.08%0.08%
Sep 202651.1%28%6.7%4.6%3.8%2.5%2.5%0.75%0.07%0.07%

How has the AWS CloudFormation and Chef comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

How did search popularity change for infrastructure as code tools worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, AWS CloudFormation lost share of searches among infrastructure as code tools worldwide, from 7.8% to 6.7%.

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

How are branded searches counted?

3 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using AWS CloudFormation’s and Chef’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.

AWS CloudFormation

2 branded search terms

  • aws cloudformation
  • cloudformation

Chef

1 branded search term

  • chef devops

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among infrastructure as code tools

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