Ansible AWX has been the default open source tool for running Ansible playbooks for many years, providing an API, RBAC, logging and an easy to operate user dashboard. AWX is the upstream code for Ansible Automation Controller, which is part of the Ansible Automation Platform.
Ansible AWX Alternative
With the stall of the Ansible AWX code with no updates since July 2024 a lot of people are looking for alternatives to AWX to provide an API, RBAC and logging for running Ansible playbooks.
Semaphore UI is a solution that provides a community version and paid versions with support with active software updates
Semaphore UI vs AWX
Below are the major differences between AWX and Semaphore UI
Here’s a clear comparison table highlighting the major differences between Ansible AWX and Semaphore UI:
| Feature / Aspect | Ansible AWX (Upstream of Ansible Tower) | Semaphore UI |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Purpose | Full-featured automation platform for Ansible | Lightweight web UI for running Ansible playbooks |
| Target Audience | Enterprise / large-scale environments | Small teams, labs, or simpler automation setups |
| Complexity | High – many features and components | Low – simple and easy to set up |
| Installation | More complex (Kubernetes / Docker / Operator-based) | Very simple (single binary or lightweight deploy) |
| User Interface | Rich, enterprise-grade UI with dashboards | Minimalistic UI focused on job execution |
| Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) | Advanced RBAC with fine-grained permissions | Basic user authentication and permissions |
| Inventory Management | Built-in dynamic inventory with integrations | Basic inventory support |
| Job Scheduling | Advanced scheduling with workflows and dependencies | Simple cron-like scheduling |
| Workflow Automation | Supports complex workflows (multi-step job templates) | Limited or no multi-step workflow orchestration |
| API Availability | Full REST API for integrations | Basic API (less extensive) |
| Logging & Auditing | Detailed logging, auditing, and job history | Basic logs for job runs |
| Scalability | Highly scalable (clusters, distributed execution) | Limited scalability |
| Execution Environment | Supports execution environments (containers, EE images) | Runs directly on host or simple container |
| Secrets Management | Integrated (Vault, credential types, encrypted storage) | Basic secrets handling |
| Multi-Tenancy | Strong support for multi-tenant environments | Limited or none |
| Integration Ecosystem | Extensive integrations (cloud, network, CI/CD tools) | Minimal integrations |
| Use Case Focus | Enterprise automation, compliance, DevOps pipelines | Simple task execution and playbook management |
| Performance Overhead | Higher due to feature richness | Very lightweight |
| Open Source Status | Fully open source (AWX), upstream of Red Hat AAP | Open source |
Quick Summary
- Choose AWX if you need:
- Enterprise-grade automation
- RBAC, auditing, workflows
- Scalability and integrations
- https://github.com/ansible/awx
- Choose Semaphore UI if you need:
- A simple, fast way to run Ansible playbooks
- Minimal overhead and easy setup
- A lightweight alternative for small environments
- https://semaphoreui.com
Frequently asked questions
Is AWX still being actively developed?
AWX development has stalled, with the last update to the AWX code being v24.6. 1 on July 2, 2024. The Red Hat team acknowledged that “the existing application architecture limits the ability to change” and that they’ve reached “the limit of how far it can innovate with the existing system. It is unknown if AWX will ever be updated.
What does AWX stand for in Ansible?
AWX in Ansible AWX stands for Ansible WorX.
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