Cinc Auditor vs kube-score
Cinc Auditor
cinc.shkube-score
kube-score.comSide by side
| Figure | Cinc Auditor | kube-score |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Infrastructure Testing Tools | 7.9 (#11) | 8.2 (#5) |
| CI use | The Auditor container image can run InSpec-compatible profiles in CI or against containers, and is described as suitable for GitLab CI and GitHub Actions. | kube-score can run in CI/CD and can exit with code 1 when it finds a critical error, or on warnings when configured to do so. |
| Install options | Auditor can be installed using scripts, Bundler, RubyGems, or plain packages. | The project provides prebuilt binaries for macOS, Linux, and Windows, plus Docker, Homebrew, and Krew installation options. |
| License | Cinc says its binaries are licensed under Apache 2.0 and have no further EULAs or licensing. | The project is open source under the MIT license. |
| Purpose | Cinc Auditor is a free distribution of Chef InSpec for compliance and audit workflows. | kube-score statically analyzes Kubernetes object definitions and recommends improvements to security and resilience. |
Plans
In their own words
Cinc Auditor
Cinc Auditor is a free distribution of Chef InSpec for compliance and audit workflows on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Its profiles are fully compatible with upstream counterparts, and its tools work with InSpec; an InSpec wrapper redirects to Cinc Auditor so existing automation can keep working. Installation options include scripts, Bundler, RubyGems, and plain packages. Cinc also publishes a Docker Hub image as a drop-in replacement for chef/inspec. It can run InSpec-compatible profiles in CI or against containers, with GitLab CI and GitHub Actions named as examples. Auditor is included in Cinc Workstation. Cinc says its binaries use the Apache 2.0 license without additional EULAs or licensing. The project does not provide formal warranties or support, and it does not currently offer repositories for standard package managers such as yum or apt. The free plan costs nothing. Cinc recommends contacting Progress for warranty or support needs.
kube-score
kube-score statically analyzes Kubernetes object definitions and recommends changes intended to improve application security and resilience. Its checks cover container limits, NetworkPolicy targeting, PodDisruptionBudget, Pod anti-affinity, container probes, security context, and stable APIs. Optional checks include matching resource requests and limits, container ports, and seccomp profile configuration. You can configure tests to be ignored or enabled globally or for individual objects. kube-score works with Helm, Kustomize, static YAML files, Docker, and resources retrieved from a Kubernetes cluster. Its browser demo accepts Kubernetes YAML or JSON and, according to the maker, processes it in the browser without sending data to a server. Local options include prebuilt binaries for Linux, macOS, and Windows, along with Docker, Homebrew, and Kubernetes Krew. Output formats include human-readable, JSON, CI, and SARIF. In CI/CD, critical errors return exit code 1; warnings can also be set as the exit threshold. The free, MIT-licensed project recommends analyzing all applications deployed to the same namespace together. Building from source requires Go 1.21 or later.