Automation in VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) plays a central role in enabling consistent, repeatable infrastructure and application deployments. As environments evolve toward more modern application architectures, VMware has introduced different automation models to support both traditional virtual machine workloads and modern application stacks.

Two key deployment models in VCF Automation are All-Apps and VM-Apps. Understanding the differences between them helps organizations choose the right model for their workloads today while preparing for future architectural changes.

The Difference Between All-Apps and VM-Apps

VM-Apps and All-Apps represent two different approaches to deploying workloads through VCF Automation.

VM-Apps

VM-Apps represent the traditional automation model used to deploy virtual machine–based applications. A VM-App blueprint typically defines:

• One or more virtual machines
• Networking and storage configuration
• Day-2 lifecycle actions (power operations, scaling, etc.)
• Software components installed inside the VMs

This model is designed around VM-centric infrastructure and is ideal for organizations running classic enterprise applications such as databases, middleware, and legacy business systems.

VM-Apps primarily focuses on provisioning and lifecycle actions, where the deployment is defined and executed but the system does not continuously enforce a desired configuration state.

All-Apps

All-Apps is a modernized automation framework designed to support multiple application types within a single automation model. Instead of focusing only on virtual machines, All-Apps supports:

• Virtual machines
• Kubernetes workloads
• Containers
• Platform services

One of the key architectural differences is that All-Apps uses a desired state model for its resources, including virtual machines.

With this approach, the blueprint defines how the final state of the application should look, rather than only describing the steps required to deploy it. The platform then continuously ensures that the deployed resources match that desired configuration.

This means that:

• Infrastructure and application definitions are declarative
• The platform can detect and reconcile configuration drift
• Updates to the blueprint can automatically trigger controlled updates to deployed environments
• Application environments can be managed consistently throughout their lifecycle

This desired-state approach aligns closely with modern infrastructure-as-code and platform engineering practices, enabling a more automated and reliable way to manage environments.

DevOps-Centered Architecture

Another key aspect of All-Apps is that it is centered around the DevOps operating model.

Traditional infrastructure automation has often been focused primarily on infrastructure teams provisioning resources for application teams. All-Apps shifts this model toward a DevOps-oriented workflow, where development and operations teams collaborate through automation and shared application definitions.

In a DevOps-oriented environment:

• Application definitions can be stored in version-controlled repositories
• Infrastructure and application changes can follow CI/CD pipelines
• Deployments can be automated through GitOps or pipeline-driven workflows
• Development teams can request or deploy environments through self-service platforms

All-Apps supports this model by allowing applications and infrastructure to be described in declarative blueprints, enabling teams to manage environments in the same way they manage application code.

This approach helps organizations:

• Reduce manual infrastructure operations
• Increase deployment consistency
• Improve collaboration between developers and operations teams
• Accelerate the delivery of application environments

Current State of the All-Apps Platform

It is also important to understand that the first version of All-Apps organizations is not yet feature complete.

While the foundation of the platform is already available, VMware is continuing to evolve the functionality. Some if the capabilities that users may know from the VM-Apps model could be expected to arrive gradually in future releases.

Customers adopting All-Apps today should therefore view it as an evolving platform that will gain additional capabilities over time. Upcoming versions are expected to introduce:

• Expanded automation capabilities
• Additional lifecycle management features
• Improved integration with infrastructure and platform services
• Enhanced developer and platform team workflows

Because of this ongoing development, many organizations will operate both All-Apps and VM-Apps side by side during the transition period.

Summary of the Differences

Feature	VM-Apps	All-Apps
Deployment focus	Virtual machines	Multiple workload types
Architecture	VM-centric	Application-centric
State model	Provisioning-based	Desired state (declarative)
Workload types	Traditional enterprise apps	Cloud-native and hybrid apps
Platform maturity	Mature and feature-rich	Early stage, evolving
Future direction	Long-term support	Strategic automation platform

When to Use All-Apps

All-Apps is the preferred model when building modern automation strategies in VMware Cloud Foundation.

Organizations should consider using All-Apps when:

Supporting Cloud-Native Workloads

If your environment includes Kubernetes clusters, containerized applications, or platform services, All-Apps provides the flexibility to automate these alongside traditional infrastructure.

Managing Infrastructure with a Desired State Model

Because All-Apps uses a desired state approach, it is ideal for environments where consistency and configuration management are critical. The platform continuously works to maintain the defined state of the application and its infrastructure.

This makes it particularly useful for:

• Standardized environments
• Platform engineering teams
• Infrastructure-as-code driven operations

Building Platform Engineering Capabilities

Platform teams looking to offer self-service developer platforms benefit from All-Apps because it allows multiple workload types to be delivered through a single automation framework.

Standardizing Automation Across Teams

All-Apps enables organizations to move away from separate tooling for VMs and containers and instead manage them through a consistent application model.

Preparing for Future Automation Models

VMware is positioning All-Apps as the forward-looking automation framework for VCF. Organizations adopting All-Apps now will align with the long-term direction of the platform.

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When to Use VM-Apps

While All-Apps represents the modern approach, VM-Apps remains highly relevant for many environments.

You should use VM-Apps when:

Deploying Traditional VM-Based Applications

Many enterprise workloads still run entirely on virtual machines. VM-Apps is perfectly suited for deploying:

• Databases
• Middleware platforms
• Enterprise ERP systems
• Windows/Linux server stacks

Existing Automation Already Uses VM-Apps

Organizations that already have a library of VM-App blueprints can continue using them without needing to immediately migrate to All-Apps.

Simpler Automation Is Required

If your automation needs only involve VM deployment and configuration, VM-Apps may be simpler and easier to manage.

Operational Stability Is More Important Than New Capabilities

For stable environments with well-understood VM workloads, VM-Apps provides a mature and proven automation framework.

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VM-Apps Is Not Deprecated

A common misconception is that VM-Apps is being phased out immediately in favor of All-Apps. This is not the case.

VM-Apps remains a fully supported deployment model in VCF Automation.

Current expectations indicate that:

• VM-Apps will not be deprecated before VCF version 10
• Version 10 is not expected before late 2028 at the earliest

This means organizations can safely continue using VM-Apps for several years while planning their long-term automation strategy.

Rather than a forced migration, VMware’s direction allows customers to gradually adopt All-Apps where it makes sense while continuing to operate existing VM-Apps deployments.

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Conclusion

Both All-Apps and VM-Apps play important roles in VMware Cloud Foundation automation.

• VM-Apps provides a stable and proven model for automating traditional virtual machine deployments.
• All-Apps introduces a more flexible and modern framework capable of handling hybrid and cloud-native workloads while using a desired state model for infrastructure and applications.

At the same time, the All-Apps platform is still evolving, and additional features will continue to be introduced in upcoming releases.

Because VM-Apps remains supported for the foreseeable future, organizations have the flexibility to evolve their automation strategies at their own pace while continuing to deliver reliable infrastructure services.

For most organizations, the best approach will be a gradual transition—continuing to use VM-Apps where appropriate while adopting All-Apps for new and modern application platforms.