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.
Pricing Plans
Free TrialEssentials (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
Hidden Costs & Gotchas
Pricing is per year, no monthly option
Support beyond standard may cost extra
Integration with other tools could be complex
Which Plan Do You Need?
Small teams needing basic scanning
Enterprises requiring deep security insights
Organizations with cloud/IaC infrastructure
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.
Nessus Pricing FAQ
How much does Nessus cost?
Nessus starts at $249.17/month on the Professional plan. It offers 2 paid tiers ranging from $249.17/month up to $490.83/month. A free plan is also available with limited features.
Does Nessus have a free plan?
Yes. Nessus offers a free plan called "Essentials (Free)". It includes: Up to 16 IP addresses, Same scanning engine, Plugin updates.
Does Nessus offer a free trial?
Yes, Nessus offers a free trial. No credit card is typically required to start the trial, though this may vary.
What is the cheapest Nessus paid plan?
The cheapest paid plan for Nessus is "Professional" at $249.17/month. Key features include: Unlimited assessments, Standard support, All vulnerability checks.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Nessus?
Yes. Popular alternatives to Nessus include Burp Suite, Checkmarx, CloudSploit, Veeam. Free alternatives include Veeam. Compare them side-by-side on Toolradar.
Cheaper alternatives to Nessus
1 of 6 direct competitors below offer a free plan. Per-seat pricing varies up to 60% across this set.
