Chef InSpec vs Microsoft Defender for Business
Chef InSpec
docs.chef.ioMicrosoft Defender for Business
microsoft.comSide by side
| Figure | Chef InSpec | Microsoft Defender for Business |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $4.92/mo | $0.25/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 8 | 4 |
| Spec score · Security Configuration Management Software | 9.4 (#1) | 8.5 (#6) |
| Integrations | The kitchen-inspec verifier lets users run InSpec profiles through Test Kitchen. | The product integrates with Microsoft 365 Lighthouse and can work with remote monitoring and management tools and professional services automation software. |
| Purpose | Chef InSpec tests and audits applications and infrastructure by comparing their actual state with a desired state expressed in InSpec code. | Microsoft Defender for Business is an endpoint security solution for small and medium-sized businesses with up to 300 users that helps protect devices from ransomware, malware, phishing, and other threats. |
| Support | The licensing page lists community Slack support for Free and Trial tiers and contract support for Commercial licenses. | Microsoft's Defender for Business documentation provides a guide for getting help or contacting support. |
Plans
Chef InSpec
- FreeFree
- FreeFree
- TrialFree
- TrialFree
- Business$59 a year
- Enterprise$189 a year
- CommercialPriced on request
- Enterprise PlusPriced on request
Microsoft Defender for Business
- Microsoft Defender for Business$3 a month
- Microsoft Entra Internet Access$5 a month
- Microsoft Entra Suite$12 a month
- Microsoft Defender for Business$3 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.
Microsoft Defender for Business
Microsoft Defender for Business has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.