OpenVAS vs Tenable Nessus

OpenVAS8.9Visit Tenable Nessus8.8Visit

Higher score OpenVAS #5 in Vulnerability Scanner Software 8.9/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 1 of 3 features Visit OpenVAS

vs

Tenable Nessus #6 in Vulnerability Scanner Software 8.8/10 Paid ✓ 1 of 3 features Visit Tenable

• OpenVAS fits best

  Teams wanting free, self-hosted network vulnerability scans

• Tenable Nessus fits best

  Practitioners needing credentialed network and IP scans

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Side by side

Feature	OpenVAS 8.9/10 Visit ↗	Tenable Nessus 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.9	8.8
Ranking	#5 in Vulnerability Scanner Software	#6 in Vulnerability Scanner Software
Best for	Teams wanting free, self-hosted network vulnerability scans	Practitioners needing credentialed network and IP scans
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	—	$4,790/yr
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	14 days	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Self-hosted, Desktop
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Community, Docs	Phone, Email, Live chat, Community, Docs · 24/7
Compliance	GDPR	PCI DSS
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features OpenVAS 1/3 · Tenable Nessus 1/3
Authenticated scans	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Continuous scanning	✓	✓
Report exports	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Scan targets	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Deployment	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Asset limit	150 assets	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Authenticated and unauthenticated scans across broad infrastructure targets Continuous scanning, daily feed updates and scheduled alerts Open-source deployment with API integrations and distributed sensors	Credentialed and scheduled scans cover IP-based assets and network environments. Professional includes compliance checks, configuration auditing, and Live Results. Expert adds web application and Infrastructure as Code scanning.
Cons	The free plan has a 150-asset limit Self-hosted deployment requires infrastructure management Enterprise feeds and advanced automation require paid plans	Professional starts at $4,790 per year, with no permanent free plan. Self-hosted deployment requires installing and operating the software. Professional lacks Expert's web application and Infrastructure as Code scanning.
Our verdict	OpenVAS is an open-source vulnerability scanner from Greenbone for teams assessing network services, servers, applications, endpoints and container images. It supports both unauthenticated and authenticated testing, agent-based scanning,… Read the review →	Tenable Nessus is vulnerability assessment software for security teams, consultants, penetration testers, and organizations that need to assess IP-based assets. Its scans can identify vulnerabilities, missing patches, configuration issues,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• OpenVAS — where it wins

  • Authenticated and unauthenticated scans across broad infrastructure targets
  • Continuous scanning, daily feed updates and scheduled alerts
  • Open-source deployment with API integrations and distributed sensors

  Where it doesn't

  • The free plan has a 150-asset limit
  • Self-hosted deployment requires infrastructure management
  • Enterprise feeds and advanced automation require paid plans

• Tenable Nessus — where it wins

  • Credentialed and scheduled scans cover IP-based assets and network environments.
  • Professional includes compliance checks, configuration auditing, and Live Results.
  • Expert adds web application and Infrastructure as Code scanning.

  Where it doesn't

  • Professional starts at $4,790 per year, with no permanent free plan.
  • Self-hosted deployment requires installing and operating the software.
  • Professional lacks Expert's web application and Infrastructure as Code scanning.

• OpenVAS8.9/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

  A self-hosted scanner with authenticated testing, continuous scans and a free 150-asset tier.

  Visit OpenVASFull verdict →
• Tenable Nessus8.8/10 · Paid

  Credentialed IP scanning and compliance checks, delivered as self-hosted software.

  Visit TenableFull verdict →