Helm vs. Terraform – Key Differences & Comparison

Helm and Terraform are two popular DevOps tools used to manage infrastructure and applications. While they both automate operations, their focus differs. Terraform is a leading IaC tool for automating infrastructure provisioning activities, while Helm is a Kubernetes-specific tool that simplifies app installation in clusters using package manager principles. Terraform uses declarative configuration to define the desired state of infrastructure and automatically creates, modifies, or removes resources as needed. It supports cloud environments, complex infrastructure changes, drift detection, immutable infrastructure, and planning before applying changes. Terraform is suitable for DevOps teams looking for a cloud infrastructure automation tool. Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes that simplifies app installation, updates, and management within clusters. Helm Charts encapsulate all the Kubernetes objects an app requires, along with dependencies. Key features include packaging apps to install in Kubernetes, managing application dependencies, upgrading and rolling back releases, providing variables and customization capabilities, logging chart install history, and easily removing apps from a cluster. Helm is designed for Kubernetes operators and developers who want to bundle their app's Kubernetes resources and make them easily installable with configurable values in any Kubernetes cluster. It manages the entire lifecycle of an app, including updates and rollbacks. While both tools use declarative configuration, modularity, and customization support, they differ in the types of infrastructure managed: Terraform can manage all types of infrastructure using its generic provider and resource model, while Helm is specifically used to deploy apps into existing Kubernetes clusters. Other differences include rollback handling, drift detection, and integrations. Helm and Terraform can be combined to enhance workflows by automating the entire deployment process from an empty cloud provider through to a functioning installation of an app. The Helm Provider allows you to install and configure Helm charts as part of your Terraform plans.