Skip to Content
InfraSpec Logo

InfraSpec vs LocalStack

Purpose-built infrastructure testing vs. general-purpose AWS emulation

The Right Tool for the Job

LocalStack is a general-purpose AWS emulator designed to replicate the entire AWS cloud locally. It’s powerful but complex—built for developers who need a local AWS environment for all kinds of development work.

InfraSpec is purpose-built for infrastructure testing. It combines a BDD testing framework with a high-fidelity AWS emulator (Virtual Cloud), giving you everything you need to validate infrastructure—and nothing you don’t.

💡 Key Insight: If your goal is testing infrastructure configurations, InfraSpec gets you there faster with less complexity. If you need a full local AWS environment for application development, LocalStack might be the right choice.

Feature Comparison

FeatureInfraSpecLocalStack
Primary PurposeInfrastructure Code TestingGeneral AWS Emulation
Testing Framework✅ Built-in (BDD/Gherkin)❌ Bring your own
Plain English Tests✅ Native support❌ Not supported
Setup Complexity✅ Single CLI command⚠️ Docker + configuration
Managed Cloud Option✅ Virtual Cloud✅ LocalStack Cloud
AWS Parity Tracking✅ CloudMirror (weekly)✅ Weekly
Terraform Integration✅ Native support✅ Supported
Infrastructure Assertions✅ 20+ built-in❌ Write your own
Coverage Transparency✅ Public compatibility page✅ Documentation
Open Source✅ CLI + Framework✅ Core features

Why Teams Switch to InfraSpec

1. Tests in Plain English

With InfraSpec, your infrastructure tests are readable by anyone on the team:

Feature: S3 Bucket Security
 
  Scenario: Production buckets must be encrypted
    Given I have AWS credentials
    When I look up the S3 bucket "prod-data-bucket"
    Then the bucket should have encryption enabled
    And the bucket should have versioning enabled
    And the bucket should block public access

With LocalStack, you write code:

# LocalStack requires custom test code
def test_bucket_encryption():
    s3 = boto3.client('s3', endpoint_url='http://localhost:4566')
    response = s3.get_bucket_encryption(Bucket='prod-data-bucket')
    assert 'ServerSideEncryptionConfiguration' in response
    # ... more assertions

2. Zero Configuration

InfraSpec:

# Install and run
brew install infraspec
infraspec --virtual-cloud features/

LocalStack:

# Install Docker, then LocalStack
docker pull localstack/localstack
docker run -d -p 4566:4566 localstack/localstack
# Configure AWS CLI endpoints
# Set up test framework
# Write test harness
# ...

3. Purpose-Built Assertions

InfraSpec includes assertions designed for infrastructure validation:

  • AssertBucketEncryption - Verify S3 encryption settings
  • AssertDBInstanceMultiAZ - Check RDS high availability
  • AssertTableBillingMode - Validate DynamoDB configuration
  • And many more…

LocalStack provides AWS API emulation, but you build your own testing logic.

Service Coverage Comparison

Both InfraSpec and LocalStack support core AWS services, but with different focus areas:

InfraSpec Virtual Cloud

Focused on infrastructure testing services:

  • ✅ S3 - Buckets, objects, encryption, versioning
  • ✅ RDS - Instances, snapshots, parameter groups
  • ✅ DynamoDB - Tables, items, streams
  • ✅ EC2 - Instances, security groups, AMIs
  • ✅ SSM - Parameter Store
  • 🚧 Lambda, VPC, IAM (coming soon)

View full compatibility →

LocalStack

Broader service coverage:

  • ✅ 80+ AWS services
  • ✅ Deep API coverage
  • ⚠️ Varying fidelity levels
  • ⚠️ Pro tier for advanced features
  • ⚠️ Complex configuration

Best for teams needing broad AWS emulation beyond testing.

Pricing Comparison

PlanInfraSpecLocalStack
Free / Open Source

CLI + Framework


(test against real AWS)

Community Edition


(limited services)
Pro / Team$99/month
5 users, unlimited tests		$39/month/user
Billed Annually
Team of 5$99/month$175/month
Team of 10$199/month$350/month
EnterpriseCustomCustom

* Pricing as of December 2025.

When to Choose Each

Choose InfraSpec if you…

  • ✅ Want to test infrastructure configurations
  • ✅ Prefer plain English test definitions
  • ✅ Need fast CI/CD pipeline integration
  • ✅ Want built-in infrastructure assertions
  • ✅ Value simplicity over breadth
  • ✅ Need transparent AWS parity tracking

Choose LocalStack if you…

  • Need 80+ AWS services locally
  • Building applications (not just testing infra)
  • Want to run Lambda functions locally
  • Need deep API compatibility
  • Have complex multi-service workflows
  • Already have a test framework you prefer

Migration is Easy

Already using LocalStack? Switching to InfraSpec is straightforward:

  1. Keep your infrastructure - InfraSpec works with the same Terraform configs
  2. Rewrite tests in Gherkin - More readable, less code to maintain
  3. Point to Virtual Cloud - Just add --virtual-cloud flag
  4. Remove LocalStack - No more Docker containers to manage

Most teams complete migration in a day.

Ready to Try InfraSpec?

See the difference purpose-built infrastructure testing makes.

Get Started Free →

Learn About Virtual Cloud

Questions? Contact us • View pricing • Read the docs

Last updated on