Spacelift replaces Atlantis and env0 for GitOps automation

Spacelift effectively automates infrastructure workflows

Spacelift effectively automates infrastructure workflows by connecting Git repositories to execution environments. While Atlantis users rely on pull request comments to trigger plans and applies, Spacelift uses a stack-based model to connect Git repositories to infrastructure execution. The platform supports Terraform, OpenTofu, Terragrunt, Pulumi, CloudFormation, Kubernetes, and Ansible. Because Spacelift manages various tools including Pulumi and CloudFormation, platform teams gain a single control-plane to enforce consistent security policies and deployment workflows across diverse infrastructure stacks regardless of which specific orchestration engine handles the actual execution.

Teams migrating from Atlantis often struggle with high pull request counts. One customer at SpotOn reduced their required pull requests from seven down to one after switching. Spacelift also identifies infrastructure drift automatically. Users set the interval for these checks to ensure the live environment matches the code. Such functionality addresses the common problem where manual changes in the cloud console bypass the existing state files. Spacelift also uses dynamic OpenID Connect credentials to manage resources without long-lived cloud keys. This provides better security for AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud integrations.

Spacelift allows teams to run tasks inside containers using custom worker images. You can choose between Spacelift-hosted public workers or private worker pools. Private workers permit execution inside your own network to meet security requirements.

You might wonder if the shift from a remote operations backend to a stack-based model requires a total rewrite of your existing workflows.

Spacelift provides the strict governance needed for complex deployments

Spacelift provides the strict governance needed for complex deployments through policy-as-code. Governance requires strict rules for every deployment. Spacelift uses Open Policy Agent to apply Rego policies at the push, plan, approval, and trigger stages. These policies allow teams to block deployments that exceed cost thresholds or include unauthorized resource types. Automation removes the need for engineers to manually inspect every plan for compliance. The platform also allows for permission-based login policies and notification policies that route alerts to Slack or Microsoft Teams.

Spacelift also includes a private module registry. This feature allows teams to host their own modules and run test cases for multiple Terraform versions on every commit. Each module requires a config.yml file in its directory to provide information and test cases. The registry provides an autogenerated page where users explore module details. Such capability helps maintain consistency across different environments. To add a module, you connect the source code repository and define module availability for specific spaces in your account.

Spacelift also supports stack dependencies and blueprints. Stacks can pass outputs to downstream stacks, and blueprints allow for templated stack creation for self-service.

The Starter tier limits users to ten and excludes drift watching, which means security-conscious teams must buy higher tiers to access governance features.

Spacelift handles scaling through a concurrency model

Spacelift handles scaling through a concurrency model. Pricing relies on concurrency rather than the number of managed resources. Organizations purchase a fixed number of worker slots to handle parallel tasks. This model keeps costs predictable when the cloud footprint expands. However, teams must purchase enough slots to handle peak demand, which leads to idle capacity during quiet periods. This differs from env0, which bases pricing on active environments and successful applies.

Spacelift also provides AI-driven capabilities through Spacelift Intelligence and Intent. Intent provides a no-code deployment model that uses natural language to turn requests into governed actions. This works for low-risk work like proofs of concept or tests. Developers request infrastructure through their LLM using the Spacelift MCP, and Intent turns that request into governed infrastructure actions with the same policies and visibility as their IaC workflows. Spacelift Intelligence allows for architecture guidance and policy writing in plain language.

This pricing model contrasts with Terraform Cloud, which uses resources-under-management. Terraform Cloud charges between $0.10 and $0.99 per resource per month. Spacelift remains the better choice if your organization wants to avoid bills that grow with every new cloud resource.

Can Spacelift’s concurrency model handle a sudden burst of hundreds of simultaneous plan requests during a major migration?

Spacelift remains the best choice for teams requiring multi-tool orchestration and advanced policy control.