https://www.terraformpilot.com/tags/cdk/Recent content in CDK on Terraform PilotHugo -- gohugo.ioen-USMon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.terraformpilot.com/articles/aws-cdk-vs-terraform/Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.terraformpilot.com/articles/aws-cdk-vs-terraform/AWS CDK lets you define infrastructure in TypeScript, Python, Java, or Go. Terraform uses HCL. Both deploy AWS resources — but the approach, ecosystem, and tradeoffs are very different. Quick Comparison Feature AWS CDK Terraform Language TypeScript, Python, Java, Go, C# HCL (declarative) Underlying engine CloudFormation Terraform Core Multi-cloud ❌ AWS only ✅ 3000+ providers State AWS-managed (CloudFormation) Self-managed (S3 + DynamoDB) Abstractions L2/L3 constructs (high-level) Modules (community registry) Testing Jest, pytest (unit tests) terraform test, Terratest IDE support Full (TypeScript autocomplete) Good (HCL plugins) Learning curve Low if you know the language Low (HCL is simple) Rollback ✅ Automatic (CloudFormation) ❌ Manual Drift detection ✅ Built-in ⚠️ terraform plan Community modules Construct Hub Terraform Registry Escape hatch Raw CloudFormation N/A Language: Programming vs Declarative AWS CDK (TypeScript) import * as cdk from 'aws-cdk-lib'; import * as ec2 from 'aws-cdk-lib/aws-ec2'; import * as rds from 'aws-cdk-lib/aws-rds'; export class AppStack extends cdk.