Chef InSpec vs CIS-CAT Pro Assessor
Chef InSpec
docs.chef.io
CIS-CAT Pro Assessor
cisecurity.orgSide by side
| Figure | Chef InSpec | CIS-CAT Pro Assessor |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $4.92/mo | $200/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 8 | 12 |
| Spec score · Security Configuration Management Software | 9.4 (#1) | 9.4 (#2) |
| Spec score · Infrastructure Testing Tools | 9.4 (#1) | 9.3 (#2) |
| Purpose | Chef InSpec tests and audits applications and infrastructure by comparing their actual state with a desired state expressed in InSpec code. | CIS-CAT Pro Assessor scans systems and reports their compliance with CIS Benchmarks. |
| Self-hosting | InSpec runs locally or against remote targets and can be installed as a native package, Habitat package or Ruby-based source distribution. | The assessor is maintained at a location controlled by each member organization and can run on local, virtual, cloud or in-network machines. |
| Support | The licensing page lists community Slack support for Free and Trial tiers and contract support for Commercial licenses. | CIS SecureSuite membership includes technical product support, and the product page says dedicated Member Success Managers and enhanced technical support are available. |
| What it does | Chef InSpec is a framework and rule language that tests applications and infrastructure against desired security, compliance and policy states, reporting violations for users to remediate. | CIS-CAT Pro Assessor scans local and remote systems against CIS Benchmark configuration recommendations and reports compliance. |
Plans
Chef InSpec
- FreeFree
- FreeFree
- TrialFree
- TrialFree
- Business$59 a year
- Enterprise$189 a year
- CommercialPriced on request
- Enterprise PlusPriced on request
CIS-CAT Pro Assessor
- CIS-CAT LiteFree
- CIS SecureSuite End User Membership (up to 99 employees)$2,400 a year
- CIS SecureSuite End User (up to 99 employees)$2,400 a year
- CIS SecureSuite Controls Membership$3,600 a year
- CIS SecureSuite End User (100–499 employees)$5,500 a year
- CIS SecureSuite End User Membership (100–499 employees)$5,500 a year
- CIS SecureSuite End User (500–999 employees)$7,900 a year
- CIS SecureSuite End User Membership (500–999 employees)$7,900 a year
- CIS SecureSuite End User Membership (1,000–4,999 employees)$10,900 a year
- CIS SecureSuite End User Membership (5,000–24,999 employees)$12,800 a year
In their own words
Chef InSpec
Chef InSpec tests and audits applications and infrastructure against a desired state described in InSpec code. Its runtime framework and rule language express compliance, security and policy requirements. Reusable profiles group controls and can include versioning, platform requirements and dependencies. Resources support testing AWS, Azure, AliCloud and GCP infrastructure, and users can create custom resources. Tests can run locally or against cloud services and infrastructure such as Linux in Docker containers. Results can be exported as JSON, HTML or plain text, or sent to Chef Automate. The kitchen-inspec verifier also runs profiles through Test Kitchen. Chef offers premium CIS- and STIG-based profiles for compliance scanning. The free tier is for non-production workloads and personal, non-commercial use; the 30-day trial is for product evaluation under non-production conditions. Commercial licensing covers production and non-production workloads, with entitlements based on purchase order. Chef InSpec 7 requires EULA acceptance, and license-key requirements depend on the distribution source. Telemetry is enabled for free and trial tiers, but not commercial users.
CIS-CAT Pro Assessor
CIS-CAT Pro Assessor has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.