Atlantis Alternative: Why teams are moving to Terrateam OSS

Atlantis is the open-source Terraform automation tool that most teams start with. It pioneered GitOps workflows for infrastructure and became the default open-source option for teams wanting PR-based Terraform automation.

But many teams eventually search for an Atlantis alternative.

This post explains why teams outgrow Atlantis and how Terrateam OSS fills the gap with the features modern infrastructure teams actually need.

What Atlantis does well

Let's be clear: Atlantis deserves credit for what it brought to the infrastructure community. It's open source, GitOps-friendly, and widely adopted. For small teams just starting with Terraform automation, it works.

Atlantis introduced thousands of teams to the power of PR-based infrastructure workflows. Its simplicity and open-source nature made it the go-to choice for teams wanting to escape manual terraform applies.

But it hasn't kept pace with how teams actually use Terraform today.

Where Atlantis falls short

As teams grow and their infrastructure becomes more complex, Atlantis's limitations become painful constraints. Here are the main issues teams encounter:

Single-threaded execution = scaling bottlenecks

Atlantis processes one plan or apply at a time across your entire organization. When you have multiple teams working on infrastructure, this becomes a massive bottleneck.

Engineers wait in queue while critical changes sit idle.

No RBAC or real security controls

Atlantis has no fine-grained access control. Anyone who can open a PR can run terraform commands on any workspace. For teams with compliance requirements or multiple environments, this is a non-starter.

Drift detection marked "won't fix"

Infrastructure drift is inevitable, but Atlantis explicitly won't add drift detection. Teams resort to cron jobs and custom scripts to detect when their actual infrastructure diverges from code.

High operational overhead & config sprawl

Running Atlantis means managing servers, dealing with workspace locks, configuring webhooks, and maintaining atlantis.yaml files scattered across repositories.

The operational burden grows faster than the value it provides.

PR comment clutter slows code review

Atlantis posts so many comments you'd think it was trying to win a prize. Every plan, every apply, every lock, every unlock - it all gets dumped into PR comments.

Actual code review discussions get buried under automation noise.

Barebones UI, no dashboards or SSO

Atlantis offers no visibility into what's running, what's queued, or what failed. No dashboard to see infrastructure state. No SSO integration. You're flying blind unless you build your own observability layer.

Migration Patterns: Why teams look for an Atlantis alternative

We've observed a clear pattern in how teams evolve their infrastructure automation:

• Small teams (under 20 engineers): Atlantis works fine. The limitations are annoying but manageable.
• Growing teams (20-100 engineers): They hit scaling and security pain. Multiple teams compete for the single execution thread. Compliance requirements expose the lack of access controls.
• Large teams (100+ engineers): Often pushed toward expensive TACOS platforms with opaque "enterprise" pricing that can exceed $500k/year.

The problem isn't team size - it's that Terraform automation has become unnecessarily expensive. Teams of all sizes deserve powerful features without enterprise pricing games.

The Atlantis alternatives landscape

Several tools position themselves as Atlantis alternatives:

Spacelift, env0, Scalr, and Terraform Cloud offer similar features but with opaque "enterprise" pricing that can reach $30k/month. IBM-owned Terraform Cloud alone charges some customers upwards of $500k/year for what is fundamentally a commodity service.

Most alternatives force you to choose: either limited open-source tools or expensive enterprise platforms with hidden pricing. Terraform automation shouldn't require a budget discussion.

Why Terrateam OSS is a modern Atlantis alternative

Terrateam OSS delivers everything Atlantis does, plus the features you've been missing:

1 Open-source core, like Atlantis

Trust and transparency matter. Terrateam OSS is open source, so you can inspect the code, contribute features, and avoid vendor lock-in.

2 GitOps workflows

Manage everything via pull requests, just like your application code. Developers and SREs shouldn't have to leave their PRs to make infrastructure changes. Terrateam brings the same workflow you use for code changes to Terraform.

3 Safe concurrency

Run multiple plans and applies in parallel without corruption or conflicts. Terrateam's architecture handles concurrent changes intelligently.

4 Secrets handling

Native integration with your CI/CD secrets and OIDC for cloud providers. No more storing keys on servers or dealing with manual credential rotation.

5 Drift detection included

Scheduled drift detection runs automatically to detect when your infrastructure diverges from code. Get notified in Slack or create PRs to reconcile drift.

6 Cleaner UI & fewer noisy comments

Terrateam integrates with your version control's native UI elements and consolidates automation output. Your PRs stay readable and focused on code review instead of drowning in bot spam.

Atlantis vs Terrateam OSS: Feature Comparison

See Terrateam in action

Terrateam provides visibility where you need it. Clean, consolidated views in your pull requests for developers who live in their PRs, plus a full reporting UI for managers and teams who need to track infrastructure changes across the organization.

The dashboard shows:

• Parallel execution timeline - See multiple plans and applies running simultaneously
• Real-time status updates - Know instantly when runs complete or fail
• Execution history - Track all changes across repositories and teams
• Resource details - Drill down into specific infrastructure changes
• Cost impact - See estimated costs before applying changes

Migrating from Atlantis to Terrateam

The best migrations are reversible. Terrateam makes it easy to try without commitment:

1 Install Terrateam alongside Atlantis

Run both tools in parallel. Terrateam can operate in shadow mode, running plans without applying changes.

2 Compare outputs

Verify that Terrateam produces the same plans as Atlantis. Test your workflows, access controls, and integrations.

3 Gradual migration

Move one repository or workspace at a time. Start with non-critical infrastructure to build confidence.

4 Switch when ready

Once you're comfortable, disable Atlantis and rely fully on Terrateam. The entire migration takes about 30 minutes for most teams.

Conclusion

If you're searching for an Atlantis alternative, you're not alone. Thousands of teams have hit the same scaling, security, and operational challenges.

Terrateam OSS is Atlantis, but with everything you've been missing. Modern architecture, comprehensive features, and a painless migration path make it the natural evolution for teams that have outgrown Atlantis.

Ready to modernize your Terraform automation? Get started with Terrateam or explore the open-source repository to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Atlantis alternative?

Terrateam OSS is widely considered the best Atlantis alternative for teams that need modern features while staying open source. It provides parallel execution, RBAC, drift detection, and cost estimation - all the features Atlantis lacks - while maintaining the simplicity and transparency of open-source software.

Why should I migrate from Atlantis to Terrateam?

Teams migrate from Atlantis to Terrateam for several reasons:

• Performance: Parallel execution eliminates queueing bottlenecks
• Security: Built-in RBAC and access controls
• Visibility: Modern dashboard instead of PR comment spam
• Features: Drift detection, cost estimation, and policy enforcement included
• Simplicity: No servers to manage, runs in GitHub Actions

How long does it take to migrate from Atlantis?

Most teams complete the migration in about 30 minutes. You can run both tools in parallel during the transition, and if anything goes wrong, you can revert to Atlantis in under 5 minutes.

Is Terrateam OSS really open source?

Yes, Terrateam OSS is open source. You can inspect the code, contribute features, and self-host if needed. There's also a cloud version with additional enterprise features for teams that prefer managed solutions.

What makes Terrateam different from other Atlantis alternatives?

Unlike traditional TACOS platforms (with their $30k/month pricing), Terrateam OSS provides comprehensive features in our open-source core. We believe Terraform automation is a commodity worth paying for, but at a fair price - not as a major budget line item.

Can I use Terrateam with GitLab or Bitbucket?

Yes! Terrateam supports GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket.

Related Resources

Learn More:

• GitOps Best Practices - Master infrastructure automation workflows
• Technical Architecture - Deep dive into Terrateam's design
• Infrastructure Governance - Implement compliance and controls
• Drift Detection Guide - Keep infrastructure in sync

Get Started:

• Documentation - Complete setup and configuration guides
• GitHub Repository - Explore the source code
• Community Slack - Join discussions with other teams