AWS CloudFormation Reviews

Name: AWS CloudFormation
Brand: Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Rating: 4.2 (36 reviews)

4.2 out of 5

36 reviews
97% willing to recommend

What is AWS CloudFormation?

AWS CloudFormation provides a common language for you to model and provision AWS and third party application resources in your cloud environment. AWS CloudFormation allows you to use programming languages or a simple text file to model and provision, in an automated and secure manner, all the resources needed for your applications across all regions and accounts. This gives you a single source of truth for your AWS and third party resources.

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AWS CloudFormation is the #9 ranked solution in top Configuration Management solutions. PeerSpot users give AWS CloudFormation an average rating of 8.4 out of 10. AWS CloudFormation is most commonly compared to Microsoft Configuration Manager: AWS CloudFormation vs Microsoft Configuration Manager. AWS CloudFormation is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 63% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 23% of all views.

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Featured AWS CloudFormation reviews

Mbula Mboma

AWS Cloud Re-Start Program Specialist at Orange RDC (Congo)

I primarily use AWS CloudFormation for deploying infrastructure efficiently. For instance, if I want to create load balancers with target groups and EC2 instances, I find CloudFormation simplifies the process of deployment and configuration, reducing the possibility of errors AWS CloudFormation…

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Subash Banala

Senior Manager at Capgemini

Our primary use case involves using numerous AWS services, including EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, and all databases. We are focused on migrating our Oracle on-premises systems to AWS cloud to optimize costs. A dditionally, we are leveraging automation infrastructure as code practices using AWS…

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Vishv Gajjar

Global BD & Partner Alliance at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees

I prefer Terraform over AWS CloudFormation because AWS CloudFormation is specific to just AWS. But if I want to use a multi-cloud or hybrid setup, then Terraform works better. It uses a simple language, HCL. So, if you learn HCL, you can manage your infrastructures across different cloud providers. You don't need to be specific to one cloud provider. I prefer Terraform over CloudFormation, so I would rather work with Terraform for deployments. It's easier and simpler to perform deployments with Terraform in my experience.

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AWS CloudFormation mindshare

As of July 2025, the mindshare of AWS CloudFormation in the Configuration Management category stands at 1.3%, down from 1.6% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Configuration Management

PeerResearch reports based on AWS CloudFormation reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Configuration Management	Jul 31, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Jul 31, 2025	Download
Comparison	AWS CloudFormation vs Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform	Jul 31, 2025	Download
Comparison	AWS CloudFormation vs Microsoft Intune	Jul 31, 2025	Download
Comparison	AWS CloudFormation vs Red Hat Satellite	Jul 31, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Microsoft Configuration Manager	4.1	11.9%	90%	82 interviews Add to research
Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform	4.3	16.8%	97%	70 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

AWS CloudFormation’s key features include rapid deployment with predefined templates, simplified infrastructure management, strong integration with AWS, and flexible infrastructure as code using YAML or JSON. Users value its automation, scalability, and reusability, allowing swift setup in multiple regions. The tool's versioning and change management capabilities enhance control, while its straightforward format aids in easy comprehension and troubleshooting. Its graphical interface and template validation further streamline operations, saving time and effort.

"AWS CloudFormation is valuable because it allows me to create resources using YAML files without needing to learn a specific language."
"AWS CloudFormation makes infrastructure deployment easy."
"CloudFormation has helped automate the infrastructure in AWS, making the process more efficient."

Room for Improvement

AWS CloudFormation needs enhanced usability, compatibility with other cloud platforms, and improved customization options. Users find the interface not intuitive and prefer visual design tools. Error handling and documentation require refinement while integration with programming languages like Python would be beneficial. There are challenges with deployments across multiple accounts, and templates should support more conditional and looping capabilities. Users prefer reduced licensing costs and better support for non-AWS environments.

"Splitting CloudFormation into multiple formations results in changes to resources like API gateway URLs and Cognito pools, which causes issues, especially when trying to maintain consistency across resources."
"The Infrastructure Composer is not fully complete, making it necessary to tweak the code manually after generating it, which could be improved."
"The Infrastructure Composer is not fully complete, making it necessary to tweak the code manually after generating it, which could be improved."

ROI

Organizations experienced a significant ROI from AWS CloudFormation. This investment became evident after three years with a complete return noted by users. Companies appreciated its ability to prevent potential financial losses by promptly resolving site disruptions.

Pricing

AWS CloudFormation is free, with costs incurred only for deployed resources, making it cost-effective. Users find it scalable and note that usage costs depend on deployed resources. Many appreciate its affordability compared to other cloud providers. Pricing awareness is generally low, with some users relying on internal teams for cost management. Feedback suggests CloudFormation's pricing strategy is advantageous, focusing on infrastructure rather than additional service fees.

"The tool's pricing depends on the page model."
"In general, pricing within AWS is relatively affordable."
"AWS CloudFormation's pricing is cheaper than that of other cloud providers."

Popular Use Cases

AWS CloudFormation is used for automating cloud deployment and managing infrastructure as code. It aids in creating environments, mapping resources, and provisioning AWS services. Companies utilize it to deploy infrastructure efficiently, configure IAM roles, manage resources like VPCs and EC2 instances, and automate tasks with templates. It supports infrastructure management across multiple AWS services, enabling quick replication, tracking changes, and deployment in various regions. DevOps teams heavily rely on it for its automation capabilities.

Service and Support

AWS CloudFormation customer service and support are generally fast, responsive, and effective. Users appreciate the promptness and quality, though response times vary between environments. Technical support is often rated highly. While support in production is quick, delays can occur in non-production environments. The paid support offers prompt assistance with good communication, though some users find response times too long. Customized support plans improve relationships with AWS, and technical expertise helps avoid some support calls.

Deployment

Users find AWS CloudFormation's initial setup straightforward and quick, typically taking 10-20 minutes. Most appreciate its seamless integration with AWS, requiring no complex configurations or installations. They note ease of use enhanced by AWS's comprehensive templates. Few mention the setup complexity increasing with infrastructure size or lack of experience. Some highlight the straightforward transition from manual to automated processes, although adjustments in specific configurations may demand additional troubleshooting outside standard documentation.

Scalability

AWS CloudFormation enables seamless scalability, handling thousands of deployments and multiple user environments. It integrates well with AWS services, making it suitable for diverse clients. Users appreciate its capability to auto-scale resources while leveraging AWS's infrastructure. However, challenges exist, such as compatibility with other cloud platforms and certain integration limitations. Resource management metrics range from five to ten out of ten, depending on user needs and configurations, highlighting varying experiences with scalability.

Stability

AWS CloudFormation is considered stable by users. Many rate its stability highly, with scores often between eight and ten out of ten. Some mentioned minor issues, particularly with server-level incidents and resource scaling. Despite these, most agree it doesn't fail often, and any initial bugs are well understood. Users appreciate its reliability and performance, even though the learning curve is steep. Concerns are mainly around resource management rather than inherent stability.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our AWS CloudFormation Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.