This list is an update to the list I created seven years ago https://alternativeto.net/lists/8013/devops-systems/ which focused on the SRE/DevOps component of infrastructure for web applications. The web and development world has changed a lot since then and rather than re-write history, decided to create a new list based on current patters and shifts in enterprise environments. These details are based on both what I've seen in the professional world as well as for hobbyists and web development enthusiasts who run their own projects. The general pattern for these tools will cover three main points for each function:
I also cover any GUI interfaces available for folks who don't want to interact with these services using a terminal.
In addition to consulting the documentation for each of the tools below, I'd like to shout out the following projects which also played a big part in informing the overall structure of this list:
This is a no-AI zone since I am unfamiliar with these tools. Nor do I wish to change that.
Commonly used languages to perform coding are Python for Automation and Go for building CLI apps and other services. Job requirements for DevOps almost always include one or the other.
Python is an interpreted, interactive, object-oriented, extensible programming language. It provides an extraordinary combination of clarity and versatility, and is free and comprehensively ported.
Open-source programming language with C-style syntax, Google-backed. Features concurrency, automatic memory management, and a robust library for web and CLI apps.
The following tools are specifically items I've seen used frequently in the DevOps and security space. Nearly all of these involves getting comfortable with the Linux terminal.
Bash is the shell, or command language interpreter, that will appear in the GNU operating system. Bash is an sh-compatible shell that incorporates useful features from the Korn shell (ksh) and C shell (csh). It is intended to conform to the IEEE POSIX P1003.2/ISO 9945.
PowerShell (including Windows PowerShell and PowerShell Core) is a task automation and configuration management framework from Microsoft, consisting of a command-line shell and associated scripting language built on the .NET Framework.
Specifically for managing Windows environments.
The xterm program is a terminal emulator for the X Window System. It provides DEC VT102 and Tektronix 4014 compatible terminals for programs that can't use the window system directly.
tmux is a terminal multiplexer: it enables a number of terminals (or windows), each running a separate program, to be created, accessed, and controlled from a single screen. tmux may be detached from a screen and continue running in the background, then later reattached.
Free and open-source terminal emulator supporting SSH, Telnet, and SCP. Portable, lightweight, and works offline to connect to remote systems securely.
The GNU Core Utilities or coreutils is a package of GNU software containing many of the basic tools, such as cat, ls, and rm, needed for Unix-like operating systems. It is a combination of a number of earlier packages, including textutils, shellutils, and fileutils, along with...
Advanced text editor with multiple modes, syntax highlighting, word completion, plugin support, built-in help, command-line tools, cross-platform and open source.
While it isn't as popular as it used to be, I see a lot of enterprise customers who still have "on-prem" data center deployments. Most are either on their way to moving to the cloud, or maintain some services off the cloud for compliance reasons.
Hetzner Online is a professional web hosting provider and experienced data center operator. Since 1997 the company has provided private and business clients with high-performance hosting products as well as the necessary infrastructure for the efficient operation of websites.
A European services provider well known for reliable service and uptime.
Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX) connects businesses with partners and customers around the world through a global platform of high performance data centers, containing dynamic ecosystems and the broadest choice of networks.
The OG in data center server deployments.
Despite the many options for operating systems in the Linux World, I really only see Ubuntu Server and Red Hat Linux used in enterprise. Rocky is a great option for learning how to use RedHat without paying for the software.
The leading platform for scale-out computing, Ubuntu Server helps you make the most of your infrastructure. Whether you want to deploy an OpenStack cloud, a Hadoop cluster or a 50,000-node render farm, Ubuntu Server delivers the best value scale-out performance available.
Red Hat is the leader in development, deployment, and management of Linux and open source solutions for Internet infrastructure - ranging from embedded devices to secure Web servers. Red Hat was founded in 1994 by visionary entrepreneurs Bob Young and Marc Ewing.
Rocky Linux is a community enterprise operating system designed to be 100% bug-for-bug compatible with America's top enterprise Linux distribution now that its downstream partner has shifted direction. It is under intensive development by the community.
A standard in modern infrastructure, multiple machines are expected to host one or more operating systems. I've seen KVM pull ahead of Xen based virtualization recently, but both are still strong in the DevOps world in 2026.
KVM (for Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is a full virtualization solution for Linux on x86 hardware containing virtualization extensions (Intel VT or AMD-V). It consists of a loadable kernel module, kvm.
Proxmox Virtual Environment is a complete and easy to use Open Source virtualization platform for running Virtual Appliances and Virtual Machines. Proxmox VE tightly integrates KVM hypervisor and LXC containers, software-defined storage and networking functionality on a single...
Xen.org, home of the Xen hypervisor, the powerful open source industry standard for virtualization. It is a native (bare-metal) hypervisor providing services that allow multiple computer operating systems to execute on the same computer hardware concurrently.
(formerly XenServer) Citrix Hypervisor is a leading virtualization management platform optimized for application, desktop and server virtualization infrastructures.
Microsoft Hyper-V Server is a free product that delivers enterprise-class virtualization for your datacenter and hybrid cloud.
VMware vSphere Hypervisor ( based on ESXi ) is a free bare-metal hypervisor that virtualizes servers so you can consolidate your applications on less hardware.
Overpriced dumpster-fire since Broadcom took over and made their corporate price-gouging their enterprise strategy. Avoid if you can.
Similar to above, containers keeping applications isolated from each other and ensuring consistency across multiple identical services is a must in 2026. Below are both containers and corresponding management tools for orchestration and deployment.
Docker is an open-source engine that automates the deployment of any application as a lightweight, portable, self-sufficient container that will run virtually anywhere.
Portainer Community Edition is a lightweight service delivery platform for containerized applications that can be used to manage Docker, Swarm, and Kubernetes environments. It is designed to be as simple to deploy as it is to use.
Amazon Elastic Container Service (Amazon ECS) is a fully managed container orchestration service that helps you to more efficiently deploy, manage, and scale containerized applications. It deeply integrates with the AWS environment to provide an easy-to-use solution for running...
Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS) is a managed service that eliminates the need to install, operate, and maintain your own Kubernetes control plane on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Kubernetes is an open-source system that automates the management, scaling, and...
These are commonly used tools for basic network traffic analysis, which I've seen both professionally and in local hobbyist settings.
Foremost network protocol analyzer with multi-platform support, deep protocol inspection, VoIP analysis, and extensive file format compatibility.
Zenmap is the official cross-platform GUI for the Nmap Security Scanner. It is free and runs on Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, etc. Zenmap aims to make Nmap easy for beginners to use while providing advanced features for experienced Nmap users.
These security tools are specifically related to vulnerability scanning for web applications and other services which come into contact with the customer-facing internet.
Rust-based Man in the Middle proxy, an early-stage project aimed at providing visibility into network traffic. Currently, it displays both HTTP and HTTPS requests and responses, but our future goal is to allow for manipulation of the traffic for more advanced use cases.
The Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) is an easy to use integrated penetration testing tool for finding vulnerabilities in web applications.
The Open Vulnerability Assessment System (OpenVAS) is a framework of several services and tools offering a comprehensive and powerful vulnerability scanning and vulnerability management solution.
I see these less often, but usually on-prem sites use server configuration management tools to ensure consistency across server deployments.
Ansible is a radically simple IT automation engine that automates cloud provisioning, configuration management, application deployment, intra-service orchestration, and many other IT needs.
Makes it easy to administer Linux servers via a web browser. It allows you to easily perform simple tasks like storage administration, inspecting journals, starting & stopping services, monitoring & administering several servers at once.
Foreman is an open source project that helps system administrators manage servers throughout their lifecycle, from provisioning and configuration to orchestration and monitoring. Using Puppet or Chef and Foreman's smart proxy architecture, you can easily automate repetitive...
Part 1 of the code building process which revolves around version control and code hosting. Nearly everywhere I've looked has Git instead of perforce or subversion, which used to be a bigger deal a few decades ago.
Git is a free & open source, distributed version control system designed to handle everything from small to very large projects with speed and efficiency.
Web-based Git hosting service facilitating collaboration, with features like issue tracking, social networking, and wikis for project management.
GitHub Desktop is a native Git client for Mac OS X and Windows with a graphical user interface.
AWS CodeCommit is a managed source control repository that makes it easier for teams to securely collaborate on code with contributions encrypted in transit and at rest.
Is there anything I missed? What tools have you seen commonly used in the tech world? Don't forget to like, comment and subscribe!
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