InSpec vs Serverspec: What are the differences?

Introduction

InSpec and Serverspec are tools used for testing and auditing infrastructure, ensuring that it meets the required specifications. While they serve a similar purpose, there are key differences between InSpec and Serverspec that set them apart from each other.

1. Targeted Platform Support: InSpec is a cross-platform testing framework that can be used to write tests for a wide range of platforms including Linux, Windows, and cloud providers like AWS and Azure. This makes it more versatile and suitable for testing heterogeneous environments. On the other hand, Serverspec is more focused on Unix-like operating systems such as Linux and macOS, making it a better choice for environments that predominantly use these platforms.

2. Programming Language: InSpec is written in the Ruby programming language and allows users to write tests using Ruby syntax. This can be advantageous for users who are already familiar with Ruby or prefer its expressive nature. In contrast, Serverspec uses a domain-specific language (DSL) based on Ruby, which may be more accessible for users without extensive Ruby knowledge.

3. Compliance and Security Testing: InSpec has built-in capabilities for writing tests that assess compliance with security and regulatory standards such as CIS benchmarks and GDPR. It provides a wide range of pre-defined compliance profiles that can be easily customized and applied to assess the security posture of infrastructure. Serverspec, however, primarily focuses on general infrastructure testing and does not offer as extensive compliance capabilities out-of-the-box.

4. Integration with Configuration Management Tools: InSpec integrates well with popular configuration management tools like Chef, allowing users to perform tests during the infrastructure provisioning and configuration management process. It can be seamlessly integrated into Chef recipes and playbooks to ensure the desired configuration state is achieved. On the other hand, while Serverspec can also be used alongside configuration management tools, its integration is not as tight as InSpec's, and it may require additional setup and configurations to achieve similar integration.

5. Test Ecosystem and Community Support: InSpec benefits from being part of the wider Chef ecosystem, which includes a large user community and an extensive repository of community-contributed resources and recipes. This means that users can leverage the existing knowledge and resources available to solve common challenges and share best practices. Serverspec, while it has its own community, may have a smaller user base and a more limited set of resources available.

6. Reporting and Workflow Integration: InSpec provides built-in reporting capabilities that generate human-readable reports in various formats, such as HTML and JSON. These reports can be easily integrated into existing workflows and tools. While Serverspec also supports reporting, InSpec's reporting capabilities are more extensive and customizable, providing richer insights into the test results.

In summary, the key differences between InSpec and Serverspec include their platform support, programming language, compliance and security testing capabilities, integration with configuration management tools, test ecosystem and community support, as well as reporting and workflow integration. Ultimately, the choice between the two depends on specific requirements, platform preferences, and the level of compliance and security testing needed.