cfnctl ☆

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Description:
Brings the Terraform cli experience to AWS Cloudformation

Type: Formula | Latest Version: 0.1.1@0 | Tracked Since: Dec 17, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Devops

Tags: cloudformation aws devops infrastructure-as-code terraform

Install: brew install cfnctl

About:
cfnctl is a command-line interface that standardizes infrastructure provisioning by applying Terraform's workflow to AWS CloudFormation. It enables users to manage stacks using familiar commands like init, plan, and apply, streamlining the deployment process. The tool bridges the gap between CloudFormation's robustness and Terraform's developer-friendly experience.

Key Features:

Terraform-style CLI commands (init, plan, apply, destroy)
State management using S3 backend
Support for CloudFormation templates (YAML/JSON)
Interactive plan approval
Change set visualization

Use Cases:

Migrating existing CloudFormation workflows to a Terraform-like experience
Standardizing infrastructure deployment across teams using AWS
Managing CloudFormation stacks with a unified, predictable CLI

Alternatives:

AWS CLI – AWS CLI is lower-level and requires manual orchestration, while cfnctl provides a streamlined workflow.
Terraform – Terraform uses its own state file and syntax, whereas cfnctl leverages native CloudFormation.
StackSets – StackSets focuses on multi-account/region deployment, while cfnctl focuses on the single-stack developer workflow.

License: Apache-2.0

Bottles available for: arm64_tahoe, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, arm64_linux, x86_64_linux

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Oct 10, 2025 3:01am		0	VERSION_BUMP	075a9f63
Sep 13, 2025 7:19am		0	VERSION_BUMP	30132942