Nessus vs Qualys

A detailed comparison to help you choose between Nessus and Qualys.

Nessus

Nessus

Industry-standard vulnerability scanner.

Qualys

Qualys

Cloud-based vulnerability management and compliance.

Rating4.5 (396 reviews)4.4 (162 reviews)
Pricing Modelfreemiumpaid
Starting PriceFrom $0/moFrom $0/mo
Best ForBest for users seeking privacy and security toolsBest for users seeking privacy and security tools
Free Tier
API Access
Team Features
Open Source
Tags——

Qualys

Pros

  • + Multiple sensor types: scanners, agents, passive sensors
  • + Agent-based continuous scanning workflow
  • + External scanning via Qualys-hosted Internet Scanner option
  • + Authenticated web app scanning with Selenium script replay
  • + Modular platform: VMDR, patch, monitoring apps

Cons

  • - Pricing is quote-based and module-dependent
  • - Not open-source; limited transparency into internals
  • - Setup complexity: sensors, scoping, authentication tuning
  • - Not designed for consumer privacy or anonymity
View full Qualysreview →

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