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CIS-CAT Lite vs Microsoft Security Compliance Toolkit: catalog facts
CIS-CAT Lite	Microsoft Security Compliance Toolkit
Freemium Lite is free; CIS-CAT Pro requires a paid CIS SecureSuite membership.	Free Free download from Microsoft.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows
Checks configurations against official CIS Benchmarks Compliance score with remediation steps	Official Microsoft-recommended security baselines Compares baselines against existing configurations
Fewer benchmarks than the paid Pro edition Download requires filling in a registration form	Windows and Microsoft products only Aimed at enterprise administrators with Group Policy experience
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Closed source	Closed source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.