Best Infrastructure Testing Tools in 2026
Updated
In short: Conftest is ranked #1 of 27 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of AWS CloudFormation and Test Kitchen. The best-ranked option with a free plan is AWS CloudFormation. The lowest first paid tier on this page is CIS-CAT Pro Assessor at $200/mo.
Infrastructure testing tools address different checks across infrastructure code and running systems. Compare cloud support and execution model to see where checks can run, then consider deployed checks, config compliance, and provisioning tests for the kinds of conditions you need to assess. IaC support and policy as code add further dimensions, while free-plan availability and paid-from pricing help frame access and cost. Terratest, Test Kitchen, and Checkov lead the entries, followed by Chef InSpec and AWS CloudFormation. The ranking continues with Sonobuoy, KICS, and Cinc Auditor. Use these criteria to weigh infrastructure coverage and testing approaches against the systems and workflows you need to evaluate.
27 infrastructure testing tools ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 Conftest Top pick · 7.2 Free plan · Free
#2 AWS CloudFormation Runner-up · 7.1 Free plan · Free
#3 Test Kitchen Also great · 7.1 Free plan · Free- Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- IaC support
- Chef Infra cookbooks, Ansible, PowerShell DSC, Puppet, Salt
- Config compliance
- Yes
- Provisioning tests
- Yes
- Deployed checks
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- IaC support
- AWS CloudFormation, AWS SAM
- Config compliance
- Yes
- Provisioning tests
- No
- Deployed checks
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free planFree trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Config compliance
- Yes
- Deployed checks
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- IaC support
- Terraform
- Config compliance
- No
- Provisioning tests
- No
- Deployed checks
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatformsFree About KICSVisit site - Free plan LinuxmacOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- IaC support
- Terraform
- Provisioning tests
- Yes
- Deployed checks
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Linux
- IaC support
- Terraform, OpenTofu, Terragrunt, Packer, Helm
- Config compliance
- Yes
- Provisioning tests
- Yes
- Deployed checks
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSself-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOS
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Config compliance
- Yes
- Deployed checks
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$200/mofirst paid tier About CIS-CAT Pro AssessorVisit site - Free plan LinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- IaC support
- Kubernetes manifests
- Config compliance
- No
- Provisioning tests
- No
- Deployed checks
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- IaC support
- Ansible
- Config compliance
- Yes
- Provisioning tests
- Yes
- Deployed checks
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxWindows
- IaC support
- CFEngine, Puppet, Chef, Ansible, Itamae
- Config compliance
- Yes
- Provisioning tests
- No
- Deployed checks
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- IaC support
- AWS CloudFormation
- Config compliance
- No
- Provisioning tests
- Yes
- Deployed checks
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- IaC support
- Terraform
- Provisioning tests
- Yes
- Deployed checks
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebRecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
-
- Free plan
- Yes
- IaC support
- Ansible
- Provisioning tests
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- IaC support
- AWS CloudFormation
- Provisioning tests
- Yes
- Deployed checks
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Deployed checks
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebWindowsmacOSLinuxRecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which infrastructure testing tool is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
Conftest is ranked #1 of 27 with a score of 7.2. AWS CloudFormation is second and Test Kitchen third.
How many of these have a free plan?
14 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, CIS-CAT Pro Assessor has the lowest first paid tier we found: $200/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.