Terraform Cloud alternative
The Terraform Cloud alternative for OpenTofu.
StackShip is a Terraform Cloud and HCP Terraform alternative built for OpenTofu. It speaks the same cloud protocol, so moving a workspace starts with one new hostname.
Why teams switch
Why teams move from Terraform Cloud to StackShip.
- 01
Same cloud block
Change the hostname to stackship.run. tofu plan and tofu apply work as before.
- 02
Open-source engine
Runs OpenTofu, the open-source fork of Terraform, from 1.6.0 up.
- 03
OPA and approvals
Rego policies on Open Policy Agent, plus approval on every apply.
- 04
Free for every team
SSO, SCIM, policy, and the MCP server included at no cost.
Side by side
StackShip vs Terraform Cloud.
How StackShip and HCP Terraform (formerly Terraform Cloud) handle each part of the workflow.
| Area | StackShip | HCP Terraform |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | OpenTofu 1.6.0 and newer (MPL 2.0, open source) | Terraform (Business Source License since 1.6) |
| CLI workflow | Native cloud block and tofu login stackship.run | Native cloud block and terraform login |
| Remote state | Versioned, locked, encrypted at rest, and downloadable | Versioned and locked |
| Policy as code | Open Policy Agent (Rego): advisory, soft, or hard enforcement | Sentinel or Open Policy Agent |
| Apply approval | Required for every plan with changes, bound to the exact plan | Manual apply or auto-apply, set per workspace |
| Cloud credentials | Short-lived AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure federation | Dynamic provider credentials |
| Private registry | Private modules published from GitHub tags | Private modules and providers |
| Version control | GitHub App | GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Azure DevOps |
| AI agents | Hosted MCP server with OAuth scopes | HashiCorp's open-source Terraform MCP server |
| Price | Free | Paid plans priced per managed resource |
- Engine
- StackShip: OpenTofu 1.6.0 and newer (MPL 2.0, open source)
- HCP Terraform: Terraform (Business Source License since 1.6)
- CLI workflow
- StackShip: Native
cloudblock andtofu login stackship.run - HCP Terraform: Native
cloudblock andterraform login - Remote state
- StackShip: Versioned, locked, encrypted at rest, and downloadable
- HCP Terraform: Versioned and locked
- Policy as code
- StackShip: Open Policy Agent (Rego): advisory, soft, or hard enforcement
- HCP Terraform: Sentinel or Open Policy Agent
- Apply approval
- StackShip: Required for every plan with changes, bound to the exact plan
- HCP Terraform: Manual apply or auto-apply, set per workspace
- Cloud credentials
- StackShip: Short-lived AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure federation
- HCP Terraform: Dynamic provider credentials
- Private registry
- StackShip: Private modules published from GitHub tags
- HCP Terraform: Private modules and providers
- Version control
- StackShip: GitHub App
- HCP Terraform: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Azure DevOps
- AI agents
- StackShip: Hosted MCP server with OAuth scopes
- HCP Terraform: HashiCorp's open-source Terraform MCP server
- Price
- StackShip: Free
- HCP Terraform: Paid plans priced per managed resource
HCP Terraform details are from HashiCorp's public documentation.
Migration
Migrate from Terraform Cloud in three steps.
No import tool. Move state with standard OpenTofu commands, one workspace at a time.
- 01
Create the workspace
Add variables, cloud credentials, and the GitHub source.
- 02
Push your state
Pull from Terraform Cloud, then push to StackShip.
- 03
Plan, then cut over
Confirm a clean plan. Keep one writer per state.
# In the Terraform Cloud workspacetofu state pull > source-state.json # In a clean directory with the StackShip cloud blocktofu login stackship.runtofu init -input=falsetofu state push source-state.json # Verify before any applytofu plan -refresh=falseFAQ
Terraform Cloud alternative questions
What is a Terraform Cloud alternative?
A Terraform Cloud alternative is a service that runs plans and applies remotely, stores state, and gates changes with policy and approvals. StackShip is one built for OpenTofu: it speaks the same cloud protocol as Terraform Cloud (now HCP Terraform), so existing cloud blocks need only a new hostname.
Is StackShip compatible with Terraform Cloud?
Yes, for the OpenTofu CLI. Set hostname = "stackship.run" in your cloud block, run tofu login stackship.run, and tofu init, plan, apply, and state commands work as before.
How do I migrate from Terraform Cloud to StackShip?
One workspace at a time. Pull state from Terraform Cloud with tofu state pull, push it to a StackShip workspace with tofu state push, and confirm a plan with no unexpected changes before you cut over.
What do I set up again after migrating state?
State moves with tofu commands. Set up variables, cloud credentials, the GitHub App, policies, and members in StackShip before your first apply. Sentinel policies are rewritten in Rego.
Can I keep using Terraform?
StackShip runs OpenTofu 1.6.0 and newer, not Terraform binaries. OpenTofu is a fork of Terraform 1.5, so most Terraform configurations, providers, and modules run unchanged.
How does StackShip pricing compare with HCP Terraform?
StackShip is free for every organization. HCP Terraform's paid plans are priced per managed resource.
Get started
Try StackShip on your next workspace.
Move one workspace, run a clean plan, then move the rest.