Multi-cloud audit: where does Cloud Inspector fit?
Between each cloud’s native console, CSPM/CNAPP platforms and home-made spreadsheets, IT teams struggle to choose. Here is a frank comparison.
Native consoles are great to operate one provider. They remain silos: no cross priority, different jargon, high cognitive load for an SME or MSP.
CSPM/CNAPP often cover a wide surface (runtime, containers, continuous posture). Powerful, but dense, costly, and rarely built for a simple executive report.
Cloud Inspector targets the gap: read-only multi-cloud audit, prioritised findings, clear report for CIOs, FinOps and partners — without claiming certification or a hyperscaler cockpit.
Quick comparison grid
| Native | CSPM | Cloud Inspector | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unified multi-cloud | No (1 console / cloud) | Often yes | Yes (one grid) |
| Readable for leadership | Low | Variable / dense | Product priority |
| FinOps + security + resilience | Separate tools | Security-heavy | Same report |
| Strict read-only | Role-dependent | Variable | Blocks if write |
| Typical complexity / cost | Included / human time | High | Lightweight SME/MSP |
When to choose Cloud Inspector?
When you want actionable multi-cloud coverage before (or beside) a CSPM factory, with a report leadership can read. Not an ISO/NIS2 replacement, not a SIEM: a clear audit to decide.