CDKTF is Officially Deprecated
The Deprecation Announcement
Well, it finally happened.
HashiCorp (now owned by IBM) officially deprecated the Cloud Development Kit for Terraform (CDKTF) on December 10, 2025. The repository is archived. No more features. No more fixes. If you chose CDKTF to write infrastructure code in TypeScript, Python, or Go instead of HCL, you’re now being told to go back to the very thing you tried to avoid.
Impact on Existing Users
The repository is archived with no more features or fixes, leaving users who adopted CDKTF in an uncertain position.
Why HashiCorp Killed CDKTF
Business Decision Factors
Why did this happen?
According to HashiCorp, CDKTF “did not find product-market fit at scale.” Translation: not enough enterprise customers using it to justify the investment. This is what happens when tools are owned by a single vendor focused on enterprise priorities over community needs.
Market Dynamics
The decision reflects HashiCorp’s focus on enterprise customers over community-driven development tools.
Migration Options After CDKTF Deprecation
Understanding Your Choices
What are your options?
You’ve got two paths forward:
Option 1: Go back to HCL (with OpenTofu)
HashiCorp suggests using cdktf synth --hcl to convert your code to raw HCL. But here’s the thing you don’t have to use HashiCorp’s Terraform. OpenTofu is the truly open-source, Linux Foundation-backed alternative that won’t change licenses on you or sunset tools you depend on.
Converting Existing Code
Use cdktf synth --hcl to convert your CDKTF code to raw HCL format.
OpenTofu as Alternative
Consider OpenTofu as the truly open-source, Linux Foundation-backed alternative that provides stability without vendor lock-in.
Option 2: Switch to Pulumi
If you picked CDKTF because you wanted real programming languages with loops, variables, and proper abstractions, Pulumi is your best bet. Unlike CDKTF (which was always a translation layer), Pulumi is native infrastructure-as-software. You keep the power of TypeScript/Python/Go without the deprecation risk.
Pulumi Advantages
Pulumi offers native infrastructure-as-software without the translation layer limitations of CDKTF.
Language Power Retained
Keep the power of TypeScript/Python/Go with loops, variables, and proper abstractions without deprecation concerns.
The Real Lesson: Avoid Vendor Lock-in
Understanding Vendor Risk
The bigger lesson here?
This isn’t just about CDKTF. It’s a wake-up call about vendor lock-in. When you rely on a single company’s ecosystem, you’re vulnerable. Today it’s CDKTF. Tomorrow it could be another tool you depend on.
Long-term Strategy
Consider the risks of depending on single-vendor ecosystems and plan for technology diversification.
Plan Your Migration Now
Immediate Action Required
Your move:
If you’re using CDKTF in production, start planning your migration now. Whether you go with OpenTofu for stability or Pulumi for programming power, don’t wait until support runs out completely.
Migration Timeline
Begin planning your migration immediately to avoid being caught off-guard when support completely ends.
Risk Assessment
Evaluate your current CDKTF usage and prioritize critical infrastructure for migration.
Community Discussion
Share Your Experience
What do you think?
Have you been using CDKTF? What’s your migration plan? Drop your thoughts below!
Lessons Learned
Discuss what this deprecation teaches about technology choices and vendor relationships in infrastructure tooling.