Reviewed by the Softwares.com Editorial Team · Last updated June 2026 · How we rate
Key facts
- Vendor
- HashiCorp (IBM)
- Pricing
- Open source — Free
- Free tier
- Yes
- Platforms
- Self Hosted, Api
- Best for
- Devops, Platform Engineers
- Editor rating
- 4.4 / 5
- Founded
- 2014
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, USA
What is Consul?
Consul is a development it tool from HashiCorp (IBM). A service networking platform providing service discovery, a service mesh with mTLS, health checking and a distributed key-value store across multi-cloud environments.
Consul uses open source pricing and offers a free tier you can start on without a credit card. Free.
It's best suited to devops, platform engineers and runs on Self Hosted, Api.
Standout strengths include service discovery and mesh, multi-platform, not just k8s, managed hcp option. Worth weighing: bsl license change, operational complexity.
Consul pricing
Pros
- Service discovery and mesh
- Multi-platform, not just k8s
- Managed HCP option
Cons
- BSL license change
- Operational complexity
Consul vs alternatives
Ready to try Consul?
Start free and see if it fits your workflow.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Consul?
A service networking platform providing service discovery, a service mesh with mTLS, health checking and a distributed key-value store across multi-cloud environments.
How much does Consul cost?
Consul is open-source-priced. It has a free tier.
Does Consul have a free trial?
Consul offers a free tier rather than a time-limited trial.
What platforms does Consul support?
Consul is available on Self Hosted, Api.