# Top Free Configuration Management Tools - Page 3 ## How Many Configuration Management Tools Products Does G2 Track? **Total Products under this Category:** 127 ### Category Stats (Jul 2026) - **Average Rating:** 4.33/5 The average rating of products in this category, based on all submitted ratings - **Top Trending Product:** Progress Chef (+1.31%) - Among all products in this category, Progress Chef recorded the largest rating increase compared to last month _Last updated: July 21, 2026_ ## How Does G2 Rank Configuration Management Tools Products? **Why You Can Trust G2's Software Rankings:** - 30 Analysts and Data Experts - 10,700+ Authentic Reviews - 127+ Products - Unbiased Rankings G2's software rankings are built on verified user reviews, rigorous moderation, and a consistent research methodology maintained by a team of analysts and data experts. Each product is measured using the same transparent criteria, with no paid placement or vendor influence. While reviews reflect real user experiences, which can be subjective, they offer valuable insight into how software performs in the hands of professionals. Together, these inputs power the G2 Score, a standardized way to compare tools within every category. [ IBM DevOps Build ](https://www.g2.com/products/ibm-devops-build/reviews) By [IBM](https://www.g2.com/sellers/ibm) [ 4/5(3) ](https://www.g2.com/products/ibm-devops-build/reviews) Product Description IBM DevOps Build tool is a distributed, multi-platform, enterprise-scale build management solution that uses a template-driven system to configure and run software builds. [ ThreatLocker Zero Trust Platform ](https://www.g2.com/products/threatlocker-zero-trust-platform/reviews) By [Threatlocker Inc](https://www.g2.com/sellers/threatlocker-inc) [ 4.8/5(482) ](https://www.g2.com/products/threatlocker-zero-trust-platform/reviews) What do users say? Users consistently praise the ease of use and robust security features of the ThreatLocker Platform, highlighting its effective application control and zero-trust enforcement that significantly reduce Pros and Cons [ Customer Support (105) ](https://www.g2.com/products/threatlocker-zero-trust-platform/reviews?qs=pros-and-cons)[ Learning Curve (50) ](https://www.g2.com/products/threatlocker-zero-trust-platform/reviews?qs=pros-and-cons) [![G2 Advertising](/assets/my-g2-logo-41632af6f81a240a0a9886638f412b2ac9a29f4001534f8c83be89a58ef9d45d.svg "G2 Advertising")](https://sell.g2.com/case-studies/how-aisdr-uses-g2-ads-to-turn-g2-into-top-5-traffic-source) Sponsored G2 Advertising Get 2x conversion than Google Ads with G2 Advertising! G2 Advertising places your product in premium positions on high-traffic pages and on targeted competitor pages to reach buyers at key comparison moments. [ Learn More ](https://sell.g2.com/case-studies/how-aisdr-uses-g2-ads-to-turn-g2-into-top-5-traffic-source) [ FNT Command Platform ](https://www.g2.com/products/fnt-command-platform/reviews) By [FNT Software](https://www.g2.com/sellers/fnt-software) [ 4.6/5(5) ](https://www.g2.com/products/fnt-command-platform/reviews) Product Description The FNT Command Platform software solution enables efficient management of IT, Telecommunication and Data Center infrastructures as a digital twin – from the physical level (cables, switches, servers, Pros and Cons [ Ease of Use (1) ](https://www.g2.com/products/fnt-command-platform/reviews?qs=pros-and-cons)[ Inadequate Reporting (1) ](https://www.g2.com/products/fnt-command-platform/reviews?qs=pros-and-cons) [ OpsMx Enterprise for Spinnaker ](https://www.g2.com/products/opsmx-enterprise-for-spinnaker/reviews) By [OpsMx](https://www.g2.com/sellers/opsmx) [ 4.5/5(1) ](https://www.g2.com/products/opsmx-enterprise-for-spinnaker/reviews) Product Description OpsMx Enterprise for Spinnaker (OES) is a highly scalable, secure, multi-cloud continuous delivery solution that helps you release software changes with high velocity and confidence. Spinnaker is sca [ BlueCat Infrastructure... ](https://www.g2.com/products/bluecat-infrastructure-assurance-bcia/reviews) By [BlueCat](https://www.g2.com/sellers/bluecat) [ 4.4/5(14) ](https://www.g2.com/products/bluecat-infrastructure-assurance-bcia/reviews) What do users say? Users consistently praise the product for its ease of use and proactive alerts, which help in identifying issues before they escalate. The exceptional customer support further enhances the overall exp [ EXPRESSCLUSTER ](https://www.g2.com/products/expresscluster/reviews) By [NEC Corporation of America (NECAM)](https://www.g2.com/sellers/nec-corporation-of-america-necam) [ 0/5(0) ](https://www.g2.com/products/expresscluster/reviews) Product Description ExpressCluster® is NEC's comprehensive high availability and disaster recovery solution that has helped enterprises worldwide maintain the continuity of their critical application systems that are ess [ Relinx ](https://www.g2.com/products/relinx/reviews) By [Relinx](https://www.g2.com/sellers/relinx) [ 0/5(0) ](https://www.g2.com/products/relinx/reviews) Product Description New kind of IT Asset Management, CMDB with a tree structure, flexible model and validations [ Sysgem Enterprise Manager... ](https://www.g2.com/products/sysgem-enterprise-manager-sem/reviews) By [Sysgem AG](https://www.g2.com/sellers/sysgem-ag) [ 0/5(0) ](https://www.g2.com/products/sysgem-enterprise-manager-sem/reviews) Product Description Sysgem Enterprise Manager enables organizations of any size to efficiently unite, simplify and integrate critical systems, user account and security management functionalities across their multi-platf [![G2 Advertising](/assets/my-g2-logo-41632af6f81a240a0a9886638f412b2ac9a29f4001534f8c83be89a58ef9d45d.svg "G2 Advertising")](https://sell.g2.com/case-studies/how-aisdr-uses-g2-ads-to-turn-g2-into-top-5-traffic-source) Sponsored G2 Advertising Get 2x conversion than Google Ads with G2 Advertising! G2 Advertising places your product in premium positions on high-traffic pages and on targeted competitor pages to reach buyers at key comparison moments. [ Learn More ](https://sell.g2.com/case-studies/how-aisdr-uses-g2-ads-to-turn-g2-into-top-5-traffic-source) - [‹ Prev‹ Prev](/categories/configuration-management/free?order=g2_score&page=2#product-list) - [1](/categories/configuration-management/free?order=g2_score#product-list) - [2](/categories/configuration-management/free?order=g2_score&page=2#product-list) - 3 - Next ›Next › Spotlight Categories [Contact Center Quality Assurance Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/contact-center-quality-assurance) [Retail POS Systems](https://www.g2.com/categories/retail-pos) [CRM Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/crm) [Workforce Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/workforce-management) [Performance Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/performance-management) Similar Categories - [Continuous Delivery](/categories/continuous-delivery-tools) - [Continuous Integration](/categories/continuous-integration) - [Build Automation](/categories/build-automation) - [Other Continuous Delivery](/categories/other-continuous-delivery) - [Cloud Infrastructure Automation](/categories/cloud-infrastructure-automation) [Browse Configuration Management Themes](/categories/configuration-management/themes) ![Adam Crivello](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Adam Crivello") AC Researched and written by [Adam Crivello](https://research.g2.com/insights/author/adam-crivello) Updated October 3, 2024 Configuration management tools track changes to applications and their infrastructure to ensure that configurations are in a known and trusted state, and configuration details don’t rely on tribal knowledge of the development team. Configuration management software provides an accurate historical record of the system state, which is helpful for project management, auditing, and debugging. These tools increase efficiency and stability and visibility into changes that occur in an application and streamline a company’s change control process. These platforms also integrate with version control systems, software testing products, bug-tracking tools, and other software development tools. To qualify for inclusion in the Configuration Management category, a product must: - Record the status and changes to configuration items - Automatically configure systems to their desired state through configuration files - Track defects back to their original source, typically through version control systems - Capture release versions and keep a snapshot of a system’s current state - Be capable of rolling back configurations to previous snapshots Show More * * * ## How Do You Choose the Right Configuration Management Tools? ### What You Should Know About Configuration Management Tools ### What are Configuration Management Tools? In software, configuration management refers to the process of tracking and conducting changes made to applications during the development process. Configuration management tools track changes to applications and their infrastructure to ensure configurations are in a known and trusted state and configuration details don’t rely on DevOps tribal knowledge. These platforms enhance visibility across teams about system states and configuration statuses to empower efficiency and streamline a company’s control process. When desired configurations are determined, this software automatically configures systems to that state via configuration files. Companies use configuration management software’s integrations with [version control systems](https://www.g2.com/categories/version-control-systems), [software testing tools](https://www.g2.com/categories/software-testing), [bug tracking software](https://www.g2.com/categories/bug-tracking), and other software development tools to facilitate internal best practices and productivity. Key Benefits of Configuration Management Tools - Increase efficiency - Define change control processes - Enable visibility and understanding across teams and departments - Automate configuration - Allow quicker restoration in cases of infrastructure failure ### Why Use Configuration Management Tools? Configuration management tools make life easier for DevOps teams and improve process quality by minimizing the risk of both human error and the need for human effort. Team knowledge becomes less ethereal and more concrete thanks to configuration management software’s record-keeping functionality. Configuration files enable this software to automatically configure systems to their desired state. Configuration management software’s maintenance of easily reproducible system states also improves response times when systems and applications fail. **Preserve and share knowledge —** Application and system configuration can involve many intricate, finicky settings and moving parts. DevOps teams often run the risk of relying on tribal knowledge to maintain and adjust infrastructural configuration, which can cause trouble as teams and practices shift. With configuration management software, teams can exchange tribal knowledge for thorough records of change process documentation. This streamlines onboarding processes and preserves comprehensive knowledge in an easily accessible state, enabling a more efficient workflow and better collaboration. Configuration documentation and changes can be constantly adjusted and managed via this software, ensuring processes remain updated and visible. **Efficient configuration —** Configuring applications and system infrastructure is meticulous work, and the configuration of a desired state can be challenging to reproduce. Configuration management software’s comprehensive historical records of system states alleviate this issue by presenting configuration information in an accessible form. Not only is this information readable by users, it also exists in the form of configuration files, allowing this software to automatically configure systems to their desired state. This alleviates workloads and allows DevOps team members to focus on other tasks. **Effective system restoration —** Crashes, bugs, and full-on system failures can be relatively common in any DevOps environment. When applications and their infrastructure fail and systems go down, a DevOps teams’ number one priority is restoring all systems to get things running again as quickly as possible. Sometimes crashes can lead to software configurations being reset, which can make it difficult to restore to its desired state. Thanks to configuration management tools, teams can rest easy knowing configurations are fully recorded in an easily reproducible way. This makes it much easier for developers and IT professionals to restore software and system crashes. ### Who Uses Configuration Management Tools? Developers and IT professionals use configuration management solutions to facilitate shared knowledge and control internal systems and infrastructure. This promotes better DevOps workflows by encouraging software developers and Ops teams to work together in an agile environment. **Software developers —** Software developers use configuration management tools to track and manage application infrastructures. This helps teams collaborate on builds while enhancing visibility and empowering productive responses when build configurations aren’t working. Developers also use configuration management software to maintain functional knowledge of system states in a DevOps environment, allowing them to collaborate with Ops teams more effectively. **IT professionals —** IT professionals use configuration management tools to track and manage system states in a DevOps environment. This helps Ops teams collaborate when tackling infrastructure challenges and improving system architecture. ### Configuration Management Tools Features **Configuration identification —** Configuration management tools have the functionality to individually identify any instance, or version, of a software product or build. Every time a build is reconfigured or structured, configuration management can capture a “snapshot" of the entire state of the software, which is then stored in a comprehensive historical record. Builds can be rolled back to previous configurations if necessary, and teams have full visibility to promote effective collaboration. **Configuration control —** Configuration management solutions formalize internal change processes through configuration control. Users can make changes to their software while ensuring each change is fully authorized and documented. Team leads can set permissions to control access across the team. This feature facilitates software changes by enabling review, authentication, and adherence to internal best practices when managing configuration. **Configuration status monitoring —** Configuration management platforms not only record configuration changes but monitors the status of each instance of an application or system. This ensures the current configuration of each element of the system is always known. Users can react more effectively to issues thanks to the complete view delivered by configuration management software. **Automatic configuration —** Configuration management software can automatically configure applications and systems to the desired state. By capturing and storing software states via configuration files, this software minimizes the manual aspect of software configuration. Users can indicate desired configurations so if a failure occurs, configuration management software can automatically reconfigure the system. ### Trends Related to Configuration Management Tools **DevOps —** DevOps refers to the marriage of development and IT operations management to make unified software development pipelines. Teams have implemented DevOps best practices to build, test, and release software. Configuration management tools promote DevOps workflows by increasing cross-team visibility and facilitating collaboration. **DevSecOps —** Calls for standardized cybersecurity best practices as part of DevOps philosophy, often referred to as DevSecOps, have shifted the onus of responsibility for secure applications onto developers. Better security often requires changes to software states, making configuration management integral to filling the gap between cybersecurity and development. **Continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) —** CI/CD is the current standard in DevOps best practices. Developers use the principles of CI/CD to curate smooth development pipelines. A proper CI/CD pipeline involves constantly planning, building, testing, and deploying software while ensuring compliance with project goals and requirements. Configuration management software aids the CI/CD pipeline by streamlining development and offering agile control over application infrastructure. ### Software and Services Related to Configuration Management Tools [**Version control systems**](https://www.g2.com/categories/version-control-systems) **—** Version control systems help track changes to software development projects and allow team members to change and collaborate on files. This is accomplished using version history, branching, and managed repositories. Configuration management software integrates with version control systems to give development teams better visibility and collaborative control while developing software. [**Software testing tools**](https://www.g2.com/categories/software-testing) **—** Software testing solutions give development teams the methods and tools to determine the quality of their software creation and improvement projects. Development teams use software testing tools to assess whether the software is usable, performs properly, meets development team goals, and meets overall requirements. Configuration management tools integrate with software testing tools to ensure that infrastructure meets the requirements for team goals, performance metrics, and usability. [**Bug tracking software**](https://www.g2.com/categories/bug-tracking) **—** Bug tracking software, or issue tracking software, refers to software used by quality assurance (QA) and software development teams to report software bugs and problems. Thorough bug tracking is essential for good software development. Bug tracking software provides a repository that explains how to reproduce a bug and how widespread an issue is. Additionally, it allows a business to separate, prioritize, sequence, and provide communications about different bugs across many projects or applications. Configuration management tools integrate with bug-tracking software to isolate issues caused by certain system configurations.