Pulumi¶

Infrastructure as Code using general-purpose languages (TypeScript, Python, Go, C#, Java) — real programming for real infrastructure.

Overview¶

Pulumi is an IaC platform that replaces domain-specific languages with general-purpose programming languages. Instead of HCL, you write infrastructure in TypeScript, Python, Go, C#, Java, or YAML — with full IDE support, unit testing, loops, conditionals, and package management. Pulumi can use Terraform providers under the hood, giving access to the same cloud resources.

Key Facts¶

Attribute	Detail
Repository	github.com/pulumi/pulumi
Stars	~22k+ ⭐
Latest Version	CLI v3.230.0 (April 2026)
Language	Go (engine), TypeScript/Python/Go/C#/Java (SDKs)
License	Apache 2.0 (engine), Proprietary (Cloud)
Company	Pulumi Corp
Config Language	TypeScript, Python, Go, C#, F#, Java, YAML

Evaluation¶

Pros	Cons
Real programming languages — IDE, testing, refactoring	Different paradigm from HCL — learning curve for ops
Reusable component packages (npm, PyPI, NuGet)	Smaller ecosystem than Terraform
Full unit/integration testing	Pulumi Cloud for state is SaaS (lock-in risk)
Pulumi Neo: AI-assisted IaC	DIY backends need more setup
Apache 2.0 engine	State management less mature than Terraform
Can use Terraform providers
Automation API for programmatic infra

Architecture¶

flowchart LR
    subgraph Developer["Developer"]
        Code["TypeScript / Python / Go\nInfra Code"]
    end

    subgraph Engine["Pulumi Engine"]
        CLI_P["Pulumi CLI"]
        SDK["Language SDK\n(runtime)"]
        Providers["Provider Plugins\n(AWS, GCP, K8s, etc.)"]
    end

    subgraph State["State Backend"]
        Cloud["Pulumi Cloud\n(managed)"]
        DIY["DIY Backend\n(S3, GCS, local)"]
    end

    subgraph Targets["Cloud Resources"]
        AWS_T["AWS"]
        GCP_T["GCP"]
        K8s_T["Kubernetes"]
    end

    Code --> CLI_P --> SDK --> Providers
    Providers --> Targets
    CLI_P --> State

    style Engine fill:#8b5cf6,color:#fff

Key Features¶

Feature	Detail
Languages	TypeScript, Python, Go, C#, F#, Java, YAML
Testing	Unit tests with Jest, pytest, Go test, etc.
Automation API	Programmatic infrastructure management
Pulumi Neo	AI-assisted natural language → infra code
Component packages	Shareable via npm, PyPI, NuGet, Go modules
K8s Operator	v2.3+, runs Pulumi programs natively in K8s
Policy as Code	`pulumi policy analyze` against live state
Terraform bridge	Use Terraform providers in Pulumi programs