OpenVAS review
A broad open-source scanner with authenticated testing, continuous scans and compliance features.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
OpenVAS is an open-source vulnerability scanner developed and maintained by Greenbone AG. It supports unauthenticated and authenticated testing across network services, servers, applications, endpoints and container images. The product family spans the free OPENVAS Community edition, OPENVAS FREE for private and non-professional environments, and paid offerings for organizations that need enterprise feeds, compliance management, automation, support or distributed scanning. It fits teams seeking on-premises vulnerability coverage across Windows, macOS and Linux environments, with web, API and self-hosted deployment options.
The plan structure moves from community access to commercial scanning capabilities. OPENVAS FREE includes a community feed and virtual appliance for private use and non-professional IT infrastructures. OPENVAS BASIC adds vulnerability scanning, reports and an enterprise feed for networks with fewer than 150 assets. OPENVAS SCAN adds continuous vulnerability scanning, authenticated endpoint scans, compliance management, API integrations and a distributed sensor architecture. A 14-day free trial is listed, and the published plans include an annual price for OPENVAS BASIC while OPENVAS SCAN is quote-based. Teams should choose the tier that matches their asset scope and need for enterprise feeds or continuous operations.
OpenVAS covers a wide range of scanning and workflow needs: scan scheduling, alerts, automated workflows, compliance audits, policy scans, compliance report exports and agent-based scanning. It supports CIS Benchmarks and IT-Grundschutz, and connects with ServiceNow, Splunk, Nagios, Sourcefire and CyberArk. Distributed scanning through sensor appliances can support broader environments, while APIs connect the scanner with security and monitoring tools. Choose OpenVAS if open-source network coverage, on-premises deployment and broad target support matter. Consider another option if private-use restrictions, the fewer-than-150-asset scope of OPENVAS BASIC or quote-based SCAN pricing do not fit your operating model.
OpenVAS pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Authenticated and unauthenticated scans across networks, servers and applications
- Continuous scanning, daily feed updates, agents and container image scanning
- Free asset limit of 150 with scheduling, reports, APIs and distributed scanning
- Where it doesn't
- OPENVAS FREE is for private use and non-professional IT infrastructures
- OPENVAS BASIC is intended for networks with fewer than 150 assets
- OPENVAS SCAN uses quote-based pricing
OpenVAS fact sheet, pricing and score →
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