Invicti
Pentera
Cobalt
HackerOne Pentest
JupiterOne
What is Tenable Nessus?
Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Tenable serves more than 40,000 customers worldwide. Nessus is its widely deployed vulnerability assessment product for scanning infrastructure, devices, applications and configurations.
Tenable Nessus is a vulnerability assessment scanner that examines operating systems, devices, applications and configurations for software flaws, missing patches and misconfigurations. Security teams run unlimited assessments, then use CVSS v4, EPSS and VPR scoring to prioritize findings. Pre-built policies support configuration, compliance and security audits, while configurable reports and remediation guidance help IT and security teams move from discovery to corrective action.
The product covers core IT vulnerability scanning, real-time vulnerability updates, compliance and configuration checks, risk scoring, reporting and flexible deployment. Nessus Expert adds web application scanning for five FQDNs and external attack surface discovery for five domains, with options to add more. It is a focused scanner rather than a complete exposure-management or security-information platform, so broader programs may need adjacent Tenable products and workflow tools.
Nessus is aimed at security professionals, vulnerability-management teams, consultants and organizations that need repeatable infrastructure assessments. Professional costs $4,790 for a one-year license, while Expert costs $6,790 for one year; multi-year licenses are also available. Both editions offer free trials, and Expert users can upgrade from Professional for seven days at no charge. Advanced support and training are optional paid add-ons.
Key features
Vulnerability scanning
Identifies software flaws, missing patches and misconfigurations across operating systems, devices and applications.
Risk prioritization
Scores findings with CVSS v4, EPSS and VPR signals to help teams focus on the most consequential vulnerabilities.
Compliance auditing
Provides pre-built policies and checks for configuration, compliance and security audits.
Web application scanning
Nessus Expert scans five web application FQDNs, with the option to add more.
Attack surface discovery
Nessus Expert scans five external domains to discover externally exposed attack-surface assets.
Configurable reporting
Produces configurable reports that communicate findings and support remediation planning.
Flexible deployment
Supports use anywhere through flexible deployment options and unlimited vulnerability assessments.
Tenable Nessus pricing
Nessus Professional costs $4,790 for one year and Nessus Expert costs $6,790 for one year. Multi-year licenses are available at $9,330.95 for Professional for two years and $13,637.54 for three years; Expert costs $13,208.13 for two years and $19,304.19 for three years. Advanced Support and on-demand training are optional paid add-ons.
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Nessus Professional | $4,790/yearOne-year license | Real-time vulnerability updates, unlimited vulnerability scanning, pre-built configuration and compliance policies, vulnerability scoring, configurable reports and flexible deployment. |
| Nessus Expert | $6,790/yearOne-year license | Everything in Professional, plus web application scanning for 5 FQDNs and external attack surface discovery scanning for 5 domains. |
Free trial: Free trial available; Nessus Expert offers a seven-day free upgrade from Professional.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Unlimited assessments are included in both paid license tiers.
- CVSS v4, EPSS and VPR scoring supports practical prioritization.
- Pre-built compliance and configuration policies speed audit work.
- Expert extends core scanning with web application and external-domain discovery.
Cons
- The annual license is a substantial cost for small security teams.
- Web application and external-domain scanning are limited to five targets initially in Expert.
- Advanced support and training cost extra.
- Broader exposure-management workflows may require additional Tenable products.
Who is Tenable Nessus best for?
- Security teams running recurring infrastructure vulnerability assessments.
- Consultants conducting repeatable client security scans.
- Organizations needing compliance and configuration audit checks.
- Teams that want risk-scored findings and configurable remediation reports.
Audit areas
Integrations
Frequently asked questions
How much does Tenable Nessus cost?
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Nessus Professional costs $4,790 for a one-year license, and Nessus Expert costs $6,790 per year. Multi-year licenses are offered at discounted total prices, while advanced support and training are optional add-ons.
How does Nessus work and how long does deployment take?
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Nessus runs vulnerability assessments against selected systems, devices, applications or domains and reports prioritized findings. Deployment time depends on network scope, credentials and policy design; the product supports flexible deployment and unlimited assessments rather than a fixed scan quota.
How does Nessus compare with Invicti?
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Nessus is centered on infrastructure vulnerability assessment, configuration and compliance auditing, with Expert adding limited web application and external attack-surface scans. Invicti is more specifically focused on web and API application security, so the better choice depends on whether infrastructure or application testing is the primary requirement.
What does Nessus integrate with?
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Nessus exports configurable reports for use in security assessment and remediation workflows. Broader ServiceNow, Jira and SIEM integrations are associated with the Tenable platform and should not be treated as native capabilities of every standalone Nessus license.
Who should buy Tenable Nessus?
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Nessus suits security professionals, vulnerability-management teams, consultants and organizations performing recurring infrastructure assessments. Professional covers core scanning and audit work, while Expert is intended for teams that also need web application and external attack-surface discovery.
How accurate are Nessus results?
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Tenable states that Nessus has a 0.32-defects-per-million-scans false-positive rate and describes this as six-sigma accuracy. Findings still require analyst validation and remediation context, particularly in complex or highly customized environments.
Sources
Facts and pricing verified on October 19, 2026. Vendors change pricing often, so confirm with Tenable Nessus before buying. How we research
