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OpenTofu

Open-source Terraform fork — community-driven Infrastructure as Code.

open sourceupdated Aug 16, 2026

OpenTofu is an open-source fork of Terraform created by the Linux Foundation after HashiCorp switched Terraform to the BSL license. Designed to preserve existing Terraform workflows and configurations, it offers state encryption, early variable evaluation, and a community-driven development model. Backed by major cloud providers and companies.

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A detailed review by the aicoolies team — click to read

OpenTofu was created in September 2023 as a direct response to HashiCorp's decision to change Terraform's license from MPL 2.0 to the Business Source License (BSL). Managed by the Linux Foundation, it aims to keep Infrastructure as Code truly open source.

OpenTofu is positioned as a drop-in replacement that preserves existing Terraform workflows and configurations, and its current ecosystem spans 3,900+ providers and 23,600+ modules. It has also introduced unique features not available in Terraform, including state file encryption, early variable and local evaluation, and provider-defined functions.

The project has strong industry backing from companies including Gruntwork, Spacelift, env0, Scalr, and major cloud providers. It's completely free under the MPL 2.0 license.

Pricing

Free and open source (MPL 2.0).

Platforms

CLI on macOS, Windows, Linux. Works with all major cloud providers.

Categories

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Use Cases

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Comparisons

Terraform vs OpenTofu — Established IaC Standard vs Community-Governed Open-Source Fork

Terraform and OpenTofu share the same codebase origin but diverge on licensing and governance. Terraform operates under HashiCorp's Business Source License with the largest IaC ecosystem of 4,800+ providers. OpenTofu is the Linux Foundation-governed fork under the Mozilla Public License 2.0 with 100 percent backward compatibility to Terraform 1.5.x, offering an open-source guarantee that Terraform no longer provides.

TerraformOpenTofu

FAQ

What is OpenTofu?

OpenTofu is an open-source fork of Terraform created by the Linux Foundation after HashiCorp switched Terraform to the BSL license. Designed to preserve existing Terraform workflows and configurations, it offers state encryption, early variable evaluation, and a community-driven development model. Backed by major cloud providers and companies.

Is OpenTofu free?

Yes — OpenTofu is open source and free to use. Free and open source (MPL 2.0).

Is OpenTofu open source?

Yes — OpenTofu is open source.

What are the best OpenTofu alternatives?

The top editor-verified OpenTofu alternatives are Crossplane, Twill AI.

How does OpenTofu score in our review?

Our hands-on review scores OpenTofu 83/100 overall, based on speed, privacy, and developer-experience testing.