Best Free Software Configuration Management (SCM) Tools of 2025

Ansible serves as an exceptionally straightforward automation engine, streamlining tasks such as cloud provisioning, configuration management, application deployment, and intra-service orchestration, among various other IT requirements. Over the years, the Ansible Automation Platform has evolved to deliver robust automation solutions tailored for operators, administrators, and IT decision-makers across diverse technology sectors. As a premier enterprise automation offering from Red Hat®, which is backed by a vibrant open source community, it has emerged as the standard technology for IT automation. With this enterprise automation platform, organizations can scale their automation efforts, efficiently manage intricate deployments, and enhance productivity across their entire IT teams. Additionally, Red Hat and its consulting partners provide valuable services that support your comprehensive automation journey, enabling a quicker realization of benefits. This collaborative approach not only accelerates implementation but also fosters innovation in automation practices.

Unity Plastic SCM is a powerful version control and source code management solution designed to enhance collaboration and scalability for teams working with any game engine. It streamlines workflows for both artists and programmers while providing exceptional performance when handling large files and binaries. With a multitude of features, Plastic SCM significantly simplifies the lives of developers. Effective branching and merging are vital for task-oriented development, feature branches, and efficient release management. With Plastic, you can quickly branch even in extensive codebases, facilitating smoother development processes. The tool also allows you to compare refactored code using the integrated semantic diff tool along with the "analyze refactors" feature, which identifies refactored code across various programming languages, including C#/VB.NET, Java, and C. Additionally, the advanced 3-way merge tool, Xdiff/Xmerge, helps users resolve intricate merge conflicts by supporting language-agnostic refactoring. Furthermore, Plastic SCM incorporates the SemanticMerge product, further enhancing its capabilities for developers. This comprehensive toolkit ensures that teams can maintain high productivity and efficiency throughout their project lifecycles.

Puppet is revolutionizing the realm of continuous operations. With our innovative products, you can automate your environment seamlessly to achieve cloud speed and scalability, thanks to their inherently responsive and predictive features. An impressive 90% of the largest companies in the US depend on Puppet’s infrastructure as code, which simplifies the intricate nature of contemporary IT infrastructure. At Puppet, we are transforming the possibilities within continuous operations. We empower IT operations teams to effortlessly automate their infrastructure, which allows them to deliver services at the rapid pace and vast scale associated with cloud technology. Our adaptable approach to infrastructure automation fosters rapid innovation, ensuring that security and compliance are integral components of the process. We are pioneering a transition from reactive problem-solving to proactive, large-scale predictions. Say goodbye to unexpected challenges; we operate at the pace of modern business, providing infrastructure automation solutions that restore valuable time to your teams and offer peace of mind to both them and your organization. By leveraging our tools, your business can focus on growth and innovation without the typical operational hurdles.

CFEngine is a powerful framework for configuration management and automation that enables the secure oversight of essential IT infrastructure. It equips DevSecOps teams with a flexible toolset for automating routine tasks, allowing them to allocate more time to critical business initiatives. No matter the size or intricacy of your operations, CFEngine ensures that your infrastructure remains secure, compliant, and up-to-date. Having pioneered a transformative approach to infrastructure management, CFEngine has adapted to the evolving demands of these environments over the years. It continues to bolster the reliability of the world's most vital infrastructures by enhancing automation and establishing benchmarks for security and compliance. Available in both open-source and commercial versions, CFEngine empowers users to achieve greater control and insight into their infrastructure while facilitating automation, configuration management, and CI/CD integration. By leveraging CFEngine, organizations can streamline their processes and enhance operational efficiency, ultimately leading to improved business outcomes.