Terrateam vs. Atlantis

Atlantis started the GitOps movement for Terraform. Terrateam scales it with native GitHub integration, policy enforcement, and enterprise-ready workflows.

Atlantis Inspired the GitOps Era.

We love Atlantis. It introduced the world to GitOps-style Terraform automation. Terrateam builds on that foundation, offering more scalability, auditability, and control without breaking the pull-request model developers love.

Both tools are open source. Both simplify Terraform operations. But Terrateam is built for today's infrastructure teams, with a GitHub-native design, policy support, and architecture that scales.

Built for Today's Infrastructure Teams

Atlantis introduced GitOps for Terraform. Terrateam builds on that foundation with tighter GitHub integration, a modern UI, and scalable workflows for growing teams.

Terrateam plan with cost estimation

At a Glance

GitHub Integration

Terrateam

GitHub App & Actions, checks, teams

Atlantis

PR comments only

Config-as-Code

Terrateam

Highly expressive, dynamic configuration, centralized repo config

Atlantis

Hard to scale, no reuse, scattered config

Policy Enforcement

Terrateam

Built-in OPA + Apply Requirements + Gatekeeper override

Atlantis

Must build your own

FeatureTerrateamAtlantis
Multi-engine support
Terraform, OpenTofu, Terragrunt, CDKTF, Pulumi, Custom (Any CLI)
Terraform/OpenTofu-only
Architecture
Run many servers backed by PostgreSQL
Single binary, local DB
Self-hosted option
Docker-based deployment
Self-hosted only
Enterprise support
Yes + SLA
Community only
Pricing
Transparent (no usage-based fees)
Free / OSS only

Feature Comparison Grid

CapabilityTerrateamAtlantis
GitHub App Integration
Built-in
Bot-based comments
Approval Workflows
Granular Apply Requirements
Basic Apply Requirements
Config-as-Code
Expressive in-repo YAML
In-repo YAML + server flags
Policy Enforcement
OPA/Conftest + Gatekeeper
No first-class support
Audit Trail
Persistent + queryable
Not supported
Secrets Handling
GitHub Secrets + isolation
No simple secrets solution
Multi-IaC Engines
Terraform, OpenTofu, CDKTF, Terragrunt, Pulumi
Terraform/OpenTofu CLI only
Architecture
Horizontally scalable, DB-backed
Single-node only
Runners
Isolated per environment
Shared execution on server
Cost Estimation, Drift Detection
Native support
Requires external tooling
Role-Based Access Control
GitHub teams, users, roles
Requires external tooling

Persistent Audit Trail

Every plan, apply, and decision is recorded with full visibility. Searchable, filterable, and built for compliance.

Terrateam audit trail UI

Architecture Overview

Terrateam Architecture

GitHub App integration

Persistent PostgreSQL database

Isolated runners (Docker-based)

Declarative YAML config (extremely expressive)

Scales horizontally

Atlantis Architecture

Single Go binary

Local database only

Shared execution per plan

Relies on bot comments and static config

Redis optional for locks

Atlantis is simple to set up but easy to outgrow.

Orchestrated Layered Runs

Every plan, apply, and decision is recorded with full visibility. Searchable, filterable, and built for compliance.

Terrateam plan with layered runs

Pain Points Solved

Atlantis Limitations

Hardcoded workflows

No GitHub team support

Lacks audit trail

No built-in policy enforcement

Terraform/OpenTofu-only

Shared runners

Limited UI

Terrateam Solutions

Highly expressive in-repo configuration file

Native GitHub App with team approvals

Persistent database

OPA + Apply Requirements + Gatekeeper built-in

Terragrunt, OpenTofu, CDKTF, Pulumi, Custom CLI all supported

Isolated, per-operation runners

Checks, statuses, and GitHub-native integration

Use Case Comparison

ScenarioTerrateamAtlantis
Engineering org w/ 20+ modules, multiple teams
Built for this
High maintenance
Team migrating from Atlantis
Smooth transition with hands-on support
Platform team w/ strict audit + policy
Supported
Limited controls, no policy engine
Using Terragrunt, OpenTofu, CDKTF, Pulumi, or Custom CLI
Native
Challenging

Built-in Policy Enforcement

Enforce policies and approvals before infrastructure changes are applied. Terrateam includes native support for OPA, Conftest, and GitHub-based apply requirements and access controls. No extra setup needed.

Terrateam plan access control
"We were hitting the limits of what Atlantis could handle. Terrateam gave us structure, approvals, and policy without rebuilding everything."

Patients Know Best Case Study

Read the Case Study

Atlantis introduced GitOps for Terraform. Terrateam brings it to the enterprise.

If you're hitting the limits of comment bots and static configs, it's time for a GitHub-native alternative built to scale.