head to head · open source
ansible vs bolt
ansible has 71,204 GitHub stars, 24,474 forks, 837 open issues and last shipped yesterday. bolt has 558 stars, 224 forks, 101 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. ansible leads on adoption by 12,661% (71,204 vs 558 stars). ansible is written in Python under GPL-3.0; bolt is written in Ruby under Apache-2.0. ansible has attracted 34% as many forks as stars, bolt 40%. ansible was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| ansible | bolt | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 71K | ★ 558 |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Ruby |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-09-11 |
| Forks | ⑂ 24K | ⑂ 224 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick ansible if
- You weight community size — 71K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick bolt if
- You want the bolt feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Ruby
- You evaluated both and bolt fits your workflow better
About ansible
[ ][copying] Ansible Ansible is a radically simple IT automation system. It handles configuration management, application deployment, cloud provisioning, ad hoc task execution, network automation, and multi node orchestration. Ansible makes complex changes like zero downtime rolling updates with load balancers easy. More information on the Ansible website. Design Principles Have an extremely simple setup process with a minimal learning curve. Manage machines quickly and in parallel. Avoid custom agents and additional open ports, be agentless by leveraging the existing SSH daemon. Describe infrastructure in a…
read the full ansible overview →
About bolt
Bolt is an open source orchestration tool that automates the manual work it takes to maintain your infrastructure. Use Bolt to automate tasks that you perform on an as needed basis or as part of a greater orchestration workflow. For example, you can use Bolt to patch and update systems, troubleshoot servers, deploy applications, or stop and restart services. Bolt can be installed on your local workstation and connects directly to remote targets with SSH or WinRM, so you are not required to install any agent software. Bring order to the chaos with orchestration Run simple plans to rid yourself of the headaches of…
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Frequently asked questions
Is ansible or bolt more popular?
ansible has 71,204 GitHub stars and bolt has 558. ansible has the larger community by that measure.
Are ansible and bolt free?
Both are open source. ansible is licensed under GPL-3.0 and bolt under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between ansible and bolt?
ansible is written in Python and bolt in Ruby. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, ansible or bolt?
Choose ansible if you want the larger community (71,204 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose bolt if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.