Chef vs OpenTofu:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, OpenTofu had more branded searches than Chef among infrastructure as code tools worldwide. OpenTofu had about 22,200 branded searches, while Chef had 320. OpenTofu made up 4.6% 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, OpenTofu appeared in all five answers and Chef in two. OpenTofu was mentioned before Chef in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
OpenTofu, about 69 searches for every 1 for Chef
Who does AI mention more?
OpenTofu, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
OpenTofu, named ahead of Chef 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, OpenTofu 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. OpenTofu was listed before Chef 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 Chef or OpenTofu more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Chef and OpenTofu 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 OpenTofu, Chef. 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 Chef and OpenTofu comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- OpenTofu was ahead of Chef in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Chef’s share of searches among infrastructure as code tools worldwide moved from 0.1% to 0.07%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 590 to 320.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OpenTofu’s share of searches among infrastructure as code tools worldwide moved from 3.1% to 4.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 18.1K to 22.2K.
How did search popularity change for infrastructure as code tools worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, OpenTofu lost share of searches among infrastructure as code tools worldwide, from 5.4% to 4.6%.
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?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Chef’s and OpenTofu’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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