Chef vs Salt:Which is more popular by branded search?
In August 2026, Salt had more branded searches than Chef among configuration management platforms worldwide. Salt was estimated to have 2.9K branded searches compared to Chef’s 320, and held a 2.3% Share of Search versus Chef’s 0.25%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, Chef or Salt?
Compare the tools that automate server configuration. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for Salt, Chef. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Ansible | Rundeck | Salt | Chef | Puppet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 87.4% | 9.6% | 2.3% | 0.31% | 0.31% |
| Nov 2025 | 86.1% | 9.4% | 3.4% | 0.56% | 0.46% |
| Dec 2025 | 87.3% | 9.6% | 2.3% | 0.38% | 0.38% |
| Jan 2026 | 85.2% | 11.4% | 2.8% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 85.2% | 11.4% | 2.8% | 0.37% | 0.25% |
| Mar 2026 | 86.5% | 9.5% | 3.5% | 0.31% | 0.25% |
| Apr 2026 | 84.1% | 11.3% | 4.1% | 0.24% | 0.24% |
| May 2026 | 87.1% | 9.5% | 2.8% | 0.25% | 0.25% |
| Jun 2026 | 86% | 9.4% | 4.2% | 0.17% | 0.25% |
| Jul 2026 | 84.8% | 11.4% | 3.4% | 0.2% | 0.25% |
| Aug 2026 | 85.7% | 11.5% | 2.3% | 0.25% | 0.25% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the Chef and Salt comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Salt was ahead of Chef in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Chef’s estimated Share of Search among configuration management platforms worldwide moved from 0.31% to 0.25%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 590 to 320.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Salt’s estimated Share of Search among configuration management platforms worldwide held steady at 2.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.4K to 2.9K.
How did search popularity change for configuration management platforms worldwide in August 2026?
2 changes
In August 2026, Salt lost estimated Share of Search among configuration management platforms worldwide, from 3.4% to 2.3%.
In August 2026, Chef rose from 5th to 4th among configuration management platforms worldwide.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Chef’s and Salt’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.
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.