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Chef Infra
Burlington, Massachusetts, United States
What it is
Chef Infra is configuration management software for defining infrastructure policies as code and maintaining systems in their desired state. It can automatically correct configuration drift and manage Windows, Linux, cloud ARM, and Mac systems across on-premises, cloud, and edge environments. Chef Infra Client includes more than 150 resources for common automation tasks, while the community provides thousands of configuration templates. Chef Workstation bundles the client with Chef InSpec, Chef Habitat, Test Kitchen, Cookstyle, and Chef Upgrade Lab. Teams can test and enforce policies through automated pipelines, with Ruby DSL, CI/CD integration, policy reporting, patch management, drift detection, and compliance reporting. Cookbooks can rotate keys, control SSH and WinRM access, define users and groups, and support alignment with CIS benchmarks. Chef Automate can populate CMDB tools such as ServiceNow and export system data. A free non-commercial community version is available. Paid Business costs $59 per node per year; Enterprise costs $189 per node per year. Enterprise Plus pricing is on request.
For and against
For
- Corrects configuration drift automatically
- Supports Windows, Linux, cloud ARM, and Mac
- Provides more than 150 client resources
- Includes policy testing and CI/CD integration
- Offers a free non-commercial community version
Against
- Community version is non-commercial
- Enterprise Plus pricing requires a quote
- Paid plans bill per node annually
- Older Chef Infra versions are deprecated or end of life
The verdict
Chef Infra provides code-based configuration, drift correction, security controls, and reporting across mixed fleets. Choose between the free community release and paid per-node plans based on support and job requirements.
Who it suits
Chef Infra fits teams managing mixed operating-system fleets across data centers, cloud, and edge environments. It also suits organizations that need policy testing, drift correction, compliance reporting, and pipeline delivery.
Plans and prices
Business
10 pooled monthly job runs per node · 10 concurrent jobs · 30-day data retention · 30-day log retention
Read 4 Oct 2026 · chef.io
Enterprise
10 pooled monthly job runs per node · 10 concurrent jobs · 30-day data retention · 30-day log retention
Read 4 Oct 2026 · chef.io
Enterprise Plus
50 concurrent jobs · 10 pooled monthly job runs per node · 30-day data retention · premium support
Read 4 Oct 2026 · chef.io
On the record
- Configuration resources
- Chef Infra Client ships with more than 150 resources for common automation tasks, and the community provides thousands of configuration templates.chef.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Drift correction
- Chef Infra can automatically correct configuration drift when a system diverges from its defined desired state.chef.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Free community version
- Chef Downloads says open source users can download a free, non-commercial version from the community portal.chef.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Free trial
- Chef Downloads offers a guided Chef 360 trial, and the pricing page offers a trial request for Business.chef.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Integration
- Chef Automate can populate CMDB tools such as ServiceNow and export collected system data to other systems.chef.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Mixed fleets
- The product page says teams can manage Windows and Linux systems, cloud ARM systems, and Mac laptops across on-premises, cloud, and edge environments.chef.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Policy as code
- Chef lets teams define configurations and policies as code that can be tested, enforced, and delivered through automated pipelines.chef.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Chef Infra configuration management software automates infrastructure configuration and aims to keep it consistent and compliant over its lifetime.chef.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Security controls
- Chef says cookbooks can rotate keys, control SSH and WinRM port access, define authorized users and groups, and support alignment with CIS benchmarks and other standards.chef.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Security process
- Progress Chef describes responsible vulnerability disclosure and says its product QA includes software composition analysis, static application security testing, and dynamic application security testing.chef.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Support
- The pricing page lists standard support for Business and Enterprise and premium support for Enterprise Plus.chef.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Version lifecycle
- Chef Infra Client 19.x is listed as the current LTS release; version 18.x is deprecated and versions below 18 are listed as end of life.docs.chef.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Workstation tools
- Chef Workstation includes Chef Infra Client, Chef InSpec, Chef Habitat, Test Kitchen, Cookstyle, and Chef Upgrade Lab.chef.io · read 4 Oct 2026
