AWX vs Rundeck
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted developer tools & git options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
AWX
Web-based automation platform for Ansible
VS
Rundeck
Runbook automation and self-service operations
| Feature | AWX | Rundeck |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Groovy |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | kubernetes, helm | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,513 | ★ 6,255 |
| First released | 2017 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Ansible Tower | Ansible Tower |
Why pick each one
Choose AWX if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 15.5k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Choose Rundeck if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.3k GitHub stars
- Written in Groovy
Frequently asked questions
Is AWX or Rundeck better?
Neither is universally better. AWX has the larger community, while Rundeck is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are AWX and Rundeck free and open-source?
Yes. AWX is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Rundeck under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AWX and Rundeck with Docker?
AWX: check the project docs for container support. Rundeck: yes.