Cinc Auditor review
A free InSpec-compatible auditor for local, remote, container, cloud, and CI checks.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Cinc Auditor is a free, open-source distribution of Chef InSpec for infrastructure compliance and audit workflows. It is designed for teams that express policy and security requirements as code, then apply reusable compliance profiles to local systems, remote hosts, containers, and supported cloud environments. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, making it suitable for infrastructure teams standardizing audits across mixed operating environments.
There is no paid tier structure: Cinc Auditor is distributed free under Apache 2.0. The project is available through installable packages, Ruby gems, and an official container image, with CI pipeline execution supported through those container images. Its compatibility with upstream InSpec profiles and automation helps teams reuse existing profile-based workflows rather than adopting a separate control model. However, verified integrations are absent, so organizations seeking a broad, formally supported integration ecosystem may need to evaluate alternatives.
The product’s strongest area is compliance testing depth across multiple execution targets. Teams can test local systems, SSH and WinRM hosts, Docker targets, AWS infrastructure, and Azure infrastructure, while organizing controls into reusable, versioned profiles. This gives engineering and security teams a consistent way to encode requirements and run checks locally or in CI. Cinc Auditor is a good fit for organizations comfortable with open-source tooling, InSpec-compatible controls, and community-led support. It is less suitable for buyers that require formal vendor support, warranties, or verified integrations as part of their infrastructure testing program.
Cinc Auditor pros and cons
- Where it wins
- InSpec-compatible profiles and reusable, versioned controls
- Audits local, SSH, WinRM, Docker, AWS, and Azure targets
- Runs across Linux, macOS, Windows, and CI pipelines
- Where it doesn't
- No formal warranties or official support
- Verified integrations are absent
- Requires InSpec DSL and profile-based policy work
Cinc Auditor fact sheet, pricing and score →
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