Encore Cloud vs Terraform
Comparing two fundamentally different approaches: Encore's framework-defined infrastructure automates DevOps from your application code, while Terraform provides explicit control over cloud resources. Both are powerful; the right choice depends on your team's needs.
Different Approaches, Different Tradeoffs
Key insight: Terraform gives you explicit control over every cloud resource. Encore abstracts infrastructure configuration to focus on application behavior. This isn't about better or worse; it's about whether you want to optimize for deep control of infrastructure configuration details or have them automated based on your code.
Encore Cloud Approach
Application code is the single source of truth; infrastructure derived automatically- Framework enforces best practices for security, IAM, and networking
- Same code runs across local, preview, and cloud environments without modification
- Opinionated with sensible defaults; tune specifics in cloud console when needed
- ⚖️Tradeoff: Less granular control over individual resources in exchange for system-level productivity
Terraform Approach
- Explicit infrastructure definitions with full control over every resource
- Works with any cloud provider and third-party services via extensive provider ecosystem
- Granular control over configuration, versions, and resource properties
- Declarative state management with plan/apply workflow
- ⚖️Tradeoff: Manual maintenance and coordination required between application and infrastructure code
Understanding the fundamental difference
Terraform is an infrastructure-as-code tool for defining cloud resources with precision and control. Encore is a backend development platform with framework-defined infrastructure. The right choice depends on your team's priorities: manual control vs. automated productivity.
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Development Workflow
Encore Cloud
- Local development with production-like infrastructure provisioned automatically
- Add a database or queue in code; infrastructure appears instantly in local and cloud
- Preview environments for every PR with isolated infrastructure
- Built-in observability, tracing, and service catalog generated from code
- Drift eliminated; infrastructure always matches code intent
- AI-assisted development works better with unified context
Terraform
- 📝Infrastructure defined separately from application; requires manual synchronization
- 📝Local development typically uses Docker/mocks; production parity requires additional tools
- 📝Adding infrastructure requires updates in multiple places: app code, Terraform, CI/CD, docs
- 📝Preview environments possible but require additional orchestration tooling
- 📝State drift can occur between infrastructure, Terraform definitions, and manual changes
- AI can help write Terraform, but lacks context on application requirements and permissions
Faster iterations
Integrated development vs. separated concerns
Encore provides an integrated development experience from local to production. With Terraform, infrastructure is managed separately from application code, requiring coordination between teams and tools.
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Control vs. Automation
Best for Encore Cloud
- Backend APIs and microservices with standard infrastructure patterns
- Teams that want to focus on business logic, not DevOps
- Startups and scale-ups shipping fast without dedicated platform teams
- Projects using TypeScript or Go with databases, queues, scheduled jobs
- Organizations wanting consistent practices across teams without policy enforcement overhead
Best for Terraform
- Complex, multi-cloud setups requiring explicit resource configuration
- Organizations with dedicated platform/DevOps teams who want full control
- Projects using services outside AWS/GCP or requiring exotic resource configurations
- Polyglot environments (multiple languages) where a unified framework isn't practical
- Teams that need to hand-tune every cloud resource and manage infrastructure separately
Less time on DevOps
When to choose explicit control, when to choose automation
Terraform is ideal when you need precise control over cloud resources or use services beyond common patterns. Encore optimizes for rapid development within its framework, automating infrastructure for standard backend needs.
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Lock-in Considerations
Encore Cloud
- Framework is open source; you can self-host or generate Docker images
- All infrastructure runs in your own AWS/GCP account using native resources
- No proprietary runtime or control plane in request path
- Your data and databases remain in your cloud account
- 📝Applications use Encore framework packages; requires code changes to leave platform entirely
- 📝To run independently: adopt your own secrets manager and deployment pipeline
Terraform
- Open source tool with portable HCL format
- Infrastructure definitions can be migrated to other IaC tools (Pulumi, OpenTofu, etc.)
- Application code remains independent of infrastructure tooling
- 📝Organizational knowledge locked in Terraform modules, state files, and patterns
- 📝Switching IaC tools requires rewriting infrastructure definitions in new syntax
- 📝Often paired with commercial state management (Terraform Cloud) or custom S3/backend setup
Understanding vendor dependencies
Both approaches involve tradeoffs. Terraform locks you into HCL and state management patterns. Encore's framework provides abstractions but uses standard cloud resources in your account. All infrastructure runs on AWS/GCP with full console access.
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