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Nucleus Security vs Qualys Web Application Scanning comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 23, 2026

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Nucleus Security
Ranking in Application Security Tools
26th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
Vulnerability Management (41st), Risk-Based Vulnerability Management (14th), Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) (13th)
Qualys Web Application Scan...
Ranking in Application Security Tools
15th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
40
Ranking in other categories
Static Application Security Testing (SAST) (12th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Application Security Tools category, the mindshare of Nucleus Security is 0.6%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Qualys Web Application Scanning is 1.7%, down from 2.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Security Tools Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Qualys Web Application Scanning1.7%
Nucleus Security0.6%
Other97.7%
Application Security Tools
 

Featured Reviews

BJ
Technical Director at Entrust Software Development India
Centralized security testing has improved vulnerability remediation and compliance reporting
I recommend more enhancements focusing on penetration testing for both SSL over HTTP and non-SSL over HTTP, specifically targeting the RCP Rich Client Platform and Equinox frameworks that allow on-premises desktop applications to be tested simultaneously. I believe those would significantly improve the tool in the future. I choose eight as my rating primarily because of the installer app; it becomes challenging to identify the actual vulnerabilities. Once we build this installer—rather than just working on the codebase—sometimes, we face gaps considering the build parameters and conversions to the installer. Identifying those gaps is an area that could use improvement after the installer or desktop application testing, which would be beneficial. That is the only reason; otherwise, I could easily rate it a ten out of ten given its smooth operational process.
AnkitSharma13 - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Officer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Web scanning needs improvement but offers good vulnerability detection
The downside of Qualys Web Application Scanning is that it cannot crawl automatically. If I provide an IP address and a login form, it does basic testing, but it doesn't go deep as IBM AppScan does. If Qualys Web Application Scanning could improve its crawling capability, it would be more user-friendly. Qualys Web Application Scanning does IP-level testing, requiring direct input of credentials, and can only scan a few pages to provide known generic vulnerabilities, which isn't as beneficial from my point of view. The Vulnerability Management also relies heavily on version numbers and will flag vulnerabilities based on the component version, but it doesn't check if a real fix exists, leading to flags on components that actually have workarounds available.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"I think the best features that Nucleus Security offers are purely the faster remediation to dev tools, which is crucial for managing, prioritizing, and fixing vulnerabilities while helping operational pipelines run these vulnerability management tools."
"We have seen clear compliance and risk control outcomes more than other operational metrics, including fewer process gaps during documentation and safety checks, strong consistency in following protocols for handling, traceability, and staff awareness, better audit readiness, a lower chance of procedure errors, and faster escalation when something appears out of standard, which is very important for us in the healthcare sector."
"It is a good product for website penetration testing to detect vulnerabilities."
"WAS gave us visibility into our externally exposed web applications and showed us vulnerabilities that we were not aware of and did not know how to test for."
"With our vulnerabilities under control, it's putting our services in compliance and minimizing our risk for exposure."
"The most valuable feature of Qualys Web Application Scanning is the effective scanning that can be done."
"The Qualys Web Application Scanning solution offers a single comprehensive console and consolidated reporting, covering all aspects from on-prem to cloud and compliance, etcetera."
"Qualys is perfect, scalability-wise."
"Its most valuable features are patch management, vulnerability management, and PCI compliance."
"Qualys' process of updating signatures is something we really appreciate, and it's way ahead of its industry peers."
 

Cons

"Protocols can be too complex in practice sometimes, and some processes can feel heavy and disconnected from our daily workflow."
"I choose eight as my rating primarily because of the installer app; it becomes challenging to identify the actual vulnerabilities."
"In terms of the Policy Compliance model which they currently have, not all the platforms are being covered. If they could improve on the Policy Compliance model, since there are policies which are benchmarked against it, this will be helpful for us."
"The virus code updates are not frequent enough."
"In certain cases, this product does have false positives, which the company should work on."
"We procured around 110 licenses for Web Application Scanning, but we have issues running concurrent scans."
"The solution needs to adjust its pricing. They should make it more affordable."
"The product's pricing could be better."
"I would like it to be cheaper because it is a bit expensive compared to competitors like Tenable Nessus."
"The support could be faster."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"The product is expensive, at least initially, in comparison to other products in this category."
"Qualys WAS' pricing is competitive."
"The product has a very good licensing model."
"It is an expensive platform."
"We are on an annual license for the solution and the pricing could be more affordable."
"Try the free trial of the product to understand the basic working mechanisms.​"
"Licensing was based on the number of assets that you want to scan on your network. You can also do licensing on subscription. On subscription, it is easier and more flexible. You tell Qualys that you want to move from the 1000 to 2000 band or the 3000 or 5000 band, then they will give you the quotation for it. Once you pay for it, applying the licensing is quite easy and effective."
"The product pricing is fair and reasonably priced."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Healthcare Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise27
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Nucleus Security?
I have a good experience with that, so we don't have much problem dealing with pricing, setup, and licensing.
What needs improvement with Nucleus Security?
I think it can be improved by making it more practical, integrated, and easier for teams to apply in real-world workflow from a healthcare perspective. The main improvements I can see right now are...
What is your primary use case for Nucleus Security?
I have been using Nucleus Security for the past few years in my company, particularly in the healthcare field.I use Nucleus Security especially for understanding radiation safety, nuclear medicine,...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Qualys Web Application Scanning?
Regarding pricing, I think for personal use, it is costly, but if organizations are ready to pay, then it is fine as they are using it.
What needs improvement with Qualys Web Application Scanning?
The downside of Qualys Web Application Scanning is that it cannot crawl automatically. If I provide an IP address and a login form, it does basic testing, but it doesn't go deep as IBM AppScan does...
What is your primary use case for Qualys Web Application Scanning?
I use Qualys Web Application Scanning, and we are using Vulnerability Management. By Vulnerability Management, I mean not TotalCloud; they have some on-premises solutions also. Patch Management and...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Qualys WAS
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
BskyB, Cartagena, ClearPoint Learning Systems, Connect Group, du, Fortrex Technologies, HBOR, HDI, Highlights for Children, The Lithuanian State Enterprise Centre of Registers, City of Miami Beach, Microsoft, MidlandHR, MSCI Inc., Northern Arizona University, Ofgem, Olympus Europa, PhoneFactor, RTL Nederland, ThousandEyes, VGZ Organisatie B.V.
Find out what your peers are saying about Nucleus Security vs. Qualys Web Application Scanning and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
886,719 professionals have used our research since 2012.