Vulnerability assessment scanner
Visit WebsiteThe Bottom Line
Entry price
Paid plans only
Biggest pro
Industry standard scanner
Biggest con
Expensive
TL;DR - Nessus
- Nessus is a vulnerability scanner for identifying security issues
- It scans networks and systems for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and malware
- Nessus Essentials free for 16 IPs, Pro at $3,990/year
What is Nessus?
Available on: Web
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Industry standard scanner
- Good vulnerability detection
- Comprehensive coverage
- Good reporting
- Active development
Cons
- Expensive
- Learning curve
- Resource intensive
- Per-asset pricing
- Better alternatives exist
Ratings Across the Web
Nessus holds an aggregate rating of 4.6 out of 5 from 380 reviews across G2 and Capterra, last checked March 18, 2026.
What people say
“Everything is good, but since they stop nessus manager, I can not find the way to do automation.”via G2
“We love the overall ease of use and the amount of details that scans have along with the findings for quick remediation.”via Capterra
Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more
Key Features
Pricing Plans
Free TrialPricing checked Aug 21, 2026
Essentials (Free)
Free
- Up to 16 IP addresses
- Same scanning engine
- Plugin updates
- Community support
Professional
$2,990/year
- Unlimited assessments
- Standard support
- All vulnerability checks
- Compliance auditing
Expert
$5,890/year
- External attack surface scanning
- Domain monitoring
- IaC scanning
- Cloud scanning
Is Nessus worth the price?
Nessus offers a fair entry point with its free tier, but the Professional tier at $2990/year is quite expensive for basic vulnerability scanning compared to some market alternatives.
The Expert tier at $5890/year adds significant value with advanced cloud and IaC scanning. It's best for organizations prioritizing comprehensive, enterprise-grade vulnerability management.
Hidden Costs & Gotchas
Pricing is per year, no monthly option
Support beyond standard may cost extra
Integration with other tools could be complex
How Nessus Compares to Competitors
Compared to Qualys, which can start around $2000-$3000 annually for similar features, Nessus Professional is competitive. However, open-source alternatives like OpenVAS offer free scanning, though without the same level of support or advanced features found in Nessus Expert.
How Nessus's pricing compares
At $249.17/mo, Nessus is the most premium of its 2 direct competitors.
Entry paid plan, monthly. Pricing checked Aug 21, 2026.
Reviews
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Across 380 verified user reviews on G2, Capterra
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Best Nessus Alternatives
Top alternatives based on features, pricing, and user needs.
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Automated data security, posture management, and threat prevention powered by AI.
Still deciding?
Most buyers shortlist 2 or 3 tools before committing. Pull a side-by-side comparison or browse the full alternatives shortlist below.
Explore More
Nessus FAQ
How does Nessus assist security teams with vulnerability assessment?
What kind of user benefits most from Nessus?
How does Nessus compare to Burp Suite for vulnerability scanning?
What are the primary limitations of using Nessus?
How is Nessus priced?
Can Nessus provide detailed reports on identified vulnerabilities?
Source: tenable.com