Tenable Nessus
Tenable Nessus is on-premises vulnerability-scanning software for assessing IP addresses, operating systems, network devices, databases, applications, and SC…
What Tenable Nessus is
Tenable Nessus is on-premises vulnerability-scanning software for assessing IP addresses, operating systems, network devices, databases, applications, and SCADA systems. It supports authenticated scanning and continuous scanning, with compliance coverage for CIS Benchmarks, DISA STIG, and PCI DSS. Nessus runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Nessus Professional costs $4,790 a year for a one-year license and includes unlimited IPs. Nessus Expert costs $6,790 a year for a one-year license and also includes unlimited IPs, plus five web applications and five domains per rolling 90-day period. There is no free plan. The product is associated with Tenable, which was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, United States. Its on-premises deployment model is suited to organizations managing the scanner within their own environment. The listed plans differ in the additional web application and domain allowances provided by Expert, while both plans cover unlimited IPs.
Good
- Broad infrastructure target coverage
- Authenticated scanning
- Continuous scanning
- CIS, DISA STIG, and PCI DSS support
- Runs on three desktop operating systems
Watch out
- No free plan
- On-premises deployment
- Expert limits web apps and domains
Who it suits
Nessus suits organizations scanning varied infrastructure, including networks, databases, applications, and SCADA systems. It is relevant to teams needing authenticated or continuous scans and the listed compliance frameworks.
Verdict
Nessus provides on-premises scanning across many target types with authenticated, continuous, and compliance-focused capabilities. Professional covers unlimited IPs, while Expert adds defined web application and domain allowances for a higher annual price.
Plans and prices
From Tenable Nessus's own pricing page, checked 20 Sep 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Nessus Professional | $4,790 a year | Unlimited IPs · 1 Year license |
| Nessus Professional | Priced on request | Unlimited IPs · 2 Years license |
| Nessus Expert | $6,790 a year | Unlimited IPs · 5 web applications per rolling 90-day period · 5 domains per rolling 90-day period · 1 Year license |
| Nessus Expert | Priced on request | Unlimited IPs · 5 web applications per rolling 90-day period · 5 domains per rolling 90-day period · 2 Years license |
The facts
Each one read from Tenable Nessus's own pages, with the date it was checked.
The company
- Founded
- 2002checked 4 Oct 2026
- Headquarters
- Columbia, Maryland, United Stateschecked 4 Oct 2026
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