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Matthew Weisler - PeerSpot reviewer
Sole Proprietor at Core-Infosec
Real User
Feb 18, 2023
Unlimited assets for one price and quick, agentless results
Pros and Cons
  • "Quick assessments, compliance scores, and results are provided without having to do agents."
  • "It would be nice for the professional module to include some of the reports available in the expert module."

What is our primary use case?

I implement the solution as a vulnerability management tool for client use cases. It can be used for public factors because it sits right where you have tie in and bleeds over or in between other tools as another piece in the EDR puzzle. The solution identifies vulnerabilities, applies patches, and provides some other EDR results. 

I have also used the solution in environments where customers only want to pay for master's licensing and conduct vulnerability scanning for 100 to 12,000 endpoints. It took 23 days to create a security center from that page with data imports and API plugins. 

It really just depends on what you need, where your money lies, and what you want to get from the solution at the endpoints. 

What is most valuable?

The solution has a single price for unlimited assets. Value wise, the solution is also great for pen testers and consultants. 

The solution is useful for vulnerability and patch management from both the internal and public facing sides. 

Quick assessments, compliance scores, and results are provided without having to do agents. 

What needs improvement?

It would be nice for the professional module to include some of the reports available in the expert module. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for ten years. 

Buyer's Guide
Tenable Nessus
October 2026
Learn what your peers think about Tenable Nessus. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2026.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable so stability is rated a ten out of ten. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is not an issue for the solution itself because it is a software. Scalability really depends on your hardware. 

How are customer service and support?

I have not needed technical support. A colleague reported that a licensing issue took two weeks to resolve. A bigger client was trying to buy five licenses and it took two months. It seems most issues revolve around purchasing or upgrading licenses.  

How was the initial setup?

The setup is straightforward. 

What about the implementation team?

I implement the solution for customers. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution has a single price for unlimited assets and offers both professional and expert modules. The professional module is agentless. The expert module costs around $2,000 and includes agents. 

What other advice do I have?

Be sure you have an appropriate amount of time available if you are not running an agent-based system. Pulling in results for 15,000 endpoints takes time because the solution can only fetch data for eight to ten endpoints at a time. You have to scan or you will have network traffic load issues. 

I rate the solution a nine out of ten. 

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Assistant Director for Computing and Network infrastructure at SRCE
Real User
Mar 14, 2024
Helps to conduct monthly scans and open tickets for developers to address identified vulnerabilities
Pros and Cons
  • "We have around 500 virtual machines. Therefore, we conduct monthly scans and open tickets for our developers to address identified vulnerabilities. These scans cover the servers, other network equipment, and appliances in our infrastructure."
  • "One significant drawback we encounter is the tool's tendency to flag patched packages incorrectly. For instance, if a package is patched by Debian maintainers but not updated to a major or minor version, Nessus may still flag it as vulnerable based on its database. This discrepancy leads to false alarms and requires our developers, system admins, and DevOps teams to address them."

What is our primary use case?

We have around 500 virtual machines. Therefore, we conduct monthly scans and open tickets for our developers to address identified vulnerabilities. These scans cover the servers, other network equipment, and appliances in our infrastructure. 

What needs improvement?

One significant drawback we encounter is the tool's tendency to flag patched packages incorrectly. For instance, if a package is patched by Debian maintainers but not updated to a major or minor version, Nessus may still flag it as vulnerable based on its database. This discrepancy leads to false alarms and requires our developers, system admins, and DevOps teams to address them. 

It would be beneficial if it could handle minor additions to versions similar to how Debian manages its patches. This feature would allow it to differentiate between patched and non-patched versions.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the product for ten years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Tenable Nessus is very stable. We encountered some issues with scanning certain network equipment but resolved them by adjusting the parameters. Our main focus is scanning our servers; we haven't experienced any significant problems with that process.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

My company has three users. 

How are customer service and support?

We haven't contacted Tenable Nessus for assistance or questions because we haven't encountered any serious issues, and we are generally satisfied with the product.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We chose Tenable Nessus because we primarily rely on open-source products as a publicly funded institution. About ten years ago, we conducted research to determine the best option, and at that time, it stood out as the preferred choice.

How was the initial setup?

Tenable Nessus' deployment is straightforward. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The product is free. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate the overall product a nine out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Tenable Nessus
October 2026
Learn what your peers think about Tenable Nessus. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2026.
920,769 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Tharaka Shameera - PeerSpot reviewer
Intent Manager at SLIIT
Real User
Sep 9, 2024
Identifies and addresses vulnerabilities but the dashboard needs improvement
Pros and Cons
    • "It is expensive."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use Tenable Nessus as a vulnerability management tool. It helps identify vulnerabilities in our system, how to address them, and what mitigation steps are required. We can assign high, medium, or low priority levels and schedule scans to run at specific times. The tool generates vulnerability assessment reports, valuable in our organization's environment for continuous security assessment.

    How has it helped my organization?

    We can onboard our organization's access and run scans as needed. We can also share the scan results every year and perform many other tasks with Tenable.

    What is most valuable?

    It’s a strong vulnerability assessment tool for management and serviceability. It is a reliable product that helps us identify vulnerabilities in our system effectively. I use it to scan our environment with SSM and generate vulnerability assessment reports.

    What needs improvement?

    The dashboard could be improved.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Tenable Nessus for two years.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Our team has 10-15 people using this solution. It’s a good tool for vulnerability assessment, and we can identify vulnerabilities in our organization. At this time, we can effectively use it within our organization.

    I rate the solution’s scalability a nine out of ten.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    It is expensive.

    I rate the product’s pricing an eight out of ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive.

    What other advice do I have?

    Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Former Employee of Orange Business Services as Head of Security Engineering at a comms service provider with 5,001-10,000 employees
    Real User
    May 11, 2023
    A simple to use stable solution providing good security but needs improvement in user-management
    Pros and Cons
    • "Security is the key number because it can start to scan with a few clicks instead of credits, which is a bit complicated. So simplicity is the first advantage. Then the generated reports are well done and easy to present to management. The quality of the scan is quite good in detecting the severity. The solution has simplicity. Also, it has frequent updates so that is also a valuable feature."
    • "In Nessus Professional, the main drawback was that we could have a single-user login password. So it could be better in terms of security."

    What is our primary use case?

    The tool was used mainly to do network and security scans in some designated areas. It was part of maintaining the ISO 27k certification for some countries, like Turkey, Egypt, and India. Another usage was that we had regular and yearly scans planned as part of policies on some other network areas that would do network management in the central region and Internet-shared network.

    What is most valuable?

    Security is the key number because it can start to scan with a few clicks compared to Qualys, which is a bit complicated. So simplicity is the first advantage. Then the generated reports are well done and easy to present to management. The quality of the scan is quite good in detecting the severity. The solution has simplicity. Also, it has frequent updates so that is also a valuable feature.

    What needs improvement?

    We've got several versions of Tenable, and the one we use is the professional. It's the only one I know because we did not explore others. It was called Nessus Professional, and it should not be confused with Nessus Enterprise, Tenable, or tenable.sc or tenable.io. In Nessus Professional, the main drawback was that we could have a single-user login password. So it could be better in terms of security. Of course, we could have as many users as we wanted, and we got about fifteen users, but we couldn't distinguish the rules in this solution. If you wanted to allow some people to do a scan of some areas and some other areas, we would have to go through an expensive version. So, with the professional edition, the management of users needed to be improved. We could have a new user-defined.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using the solution since 2003.It has been twenty years.


    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It is a stable solution.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It is a scalable solution. Fifteen users are using the solution.

    How are customer service and support?

    The technical support team is good. But one drawback is that they must give more attention to small customers. We had only ten licenses in the professional mode, one of the cheapest.

    So we found it easy to get attention and always found the solution.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Neutral

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was easy.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    We paid about six thousand dollars per license.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    I evaluated Qualys but the pricing scheme was different so did not go with that. Although Tenable was much more limited than Qualys.

    What other advice do I have?

    People should use it because it is straightforward and simple. I would rate it seven out of ten, for the simplicity of usage and the quality of the security assessment that is done and the reporting.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer2154231 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Information Security Analyst at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
    Real User
    Apr 14, 2023
    You can customize the tool to scan exactly what you want
    Pros and Cons
    • "My favorite part about Nessus is that you can customize the tool to scan exactly what you want. Microsoft releases new patches monthly on Patch Tuesday, and a lot of companies track that date. I set up Nessus for the day after Patch Tuesday to see which devices have already pushed those updates from Microsoft, so we can stay updated."
    • "You can scale Nessus to the extent that you can afford it. You need to have a license for every device you scan. As long as you can afford the increased costs, you won't have a problem scaling it."

    What is our primary use case?

    Tenable Nessus is vulnerability management software. We install Nessus scanners on all our workstations and laptops. It runs scans to check for outdated software and vulnerabilities. At the beginning of each month, I send notes out to the admins about what needs to be updated, and I check at the end of the month to make sure it's done. 

    How has it helped my organization?

    Nessus helps us keep our software up to date to avoid security vulnerabilities. It's a good tool for auditing our vulnerability management. 

    What is most valuable?

    My favorite part about Nessus is that you can customize the tool to scan exactly what you want. Microsoft releases new patches monthly on Patch Tuesday, and a lot of companies track that date. I set up Nessus for the day after Patch Tuesday to see which devices have already pushed those updates from Microsoft, so we can stay updated. 

    Tenable stays on top of new IT trends in vulnerability management because there's constant innovation. They keep up with the industry. In the past few years, everything has shifted to cloud-based servers. It's a long-term trend that COVID accelerated. Tenable came out with a tool for that. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Nessus  is pretty stable if you have a disaster recovery plan in place. We've never had an outage. The stability depends on the servers where it is running. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    You can scale Nessus to the extent that you can afford it. You need to have a license for every device you scan. As long as you can afford the increased costs, you won't have a problem scaling it.

    How are customer service and support?

    I rate Tenable support 10 out of 10. They're top-of-the-line.  It's the best support I've worked with so far. 

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate Tenable Nessus nine out of 10. I recommend creating a Tenable Community account. Tenable uses that for support, but they also have a massive library of training videos that they call Tenable University. You can also access the Tenable Community forums where experts and general users can share information and ask questions. 

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Venugopal Potumudi - PeerSpot reviewer
    Senior Consultant at Tata Consultancy
    Real User
    Nov 15, 2022
    A mature product that's easy to set up and offers reasonable pricing
    Pros and Cons
    • "The solution can scale well."
    • "Nessus is a very stable product, and it has been a pioneer and has been around for a long time."
    • "We'd like to see the solution embrace more user-friendliness."

    What is our primary use case?

    Tenable is for scanning the vulnerabilities on the endpoint. That's the prime use case. It can also be extended for scanning web publications, et cetera. 

    What is most valuable?

    Nessus is a very stable product. And it has been a pioneer and has been around for a long time. Their vulnerability dashboards are very good to use.

    It is easy to set up.

    The solution can scale well. 

    The pricing is reasonable. 

    What needs improvement?

    While the pricing is quite good, any client would, of course, like it to be a bit less. 

    We'd like to see the solution embrace more user-friendliness. That said, currently, we are happy with the product.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've used the solution for a while. it's been a couple of years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It is a stable, reliable product. The performance is good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I have found the product to be scalable. 

    How are customer service and support?

    We generally don't have a lot of requirements for tech support with Tenable. We have been using it for so long, we have received quite a good amount of training from them at this point. Therefore, we don't look for a lot of tech support.

    How was the initial setup?

    The setup is quite straightforward and simple. I wouldn't describe the process as overly complex. 

    The deployment time depends on how the endpoints are distributed. If it is a single one within one country and one region, it is very fast. We can do it in less than three months.

    What about the implementation team?

    We are consultants. We can assist users with the setup process. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    It's not an overly expensive solution. It's pretty affordable. 

    Users pay an annual licensing fee. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I'm a consultant. 

    We can deploy the solution either on-premises or on the cloud. 

    I'd advise potential new users to look at what the landscape is. And based on the landscape, they should be able to fit the product. You need to first consider your strategy and build towards that. We would recommend this solution to others if it seems to fit their needs. 

    I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
    PeerSpot user
    OmkarZarapkar - PeerSpot reviewer
    Manager II at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees
    Real User
    Oct 28, 2022
    User friendly and vast scanning capabilities with built-in, pre-coded configurations
    Pros and Cons
    • "The solution is easy to understand for users because instructions are included on the platform."
    • "Overall, the solution is a better tool than Qualys."
    • "Vulnerability recommendations are outdated and not in line with industry standards."

    What is our primary use case?

    Our company uses the solution for vulnerability scanning. 

    What is most valuable?

    The solution is easy to understand for users because instructions are included on the platform. 

    Scanning capabilities are vast with built-in configurations that are pre-coded for various types of servers. 

    There are very few false positives reported. 

    It is easy to access and share reports. For example, consultants can extract reports, remove columns if needed, and share final copies with clients. 

    What needs improvement?

    Vulnerability recommendations are outdated and not in line with industry standards. 

    The reporting tool should allow fancier customizations such as pivot or formula-based options. 

    Cloud reviews should be a focus because AWS is taking over the market. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using the solution for three years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is very, very stable and is considered the leader in stability. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The solution is very scalable and we have it on every server in our organization with no issues. We only provide user-level access to our security teams. 

    How are customer service and support?

    Technical support is very good and responsive. 

    A few months back, we utilized their assistance for configurations on a custom EMI. They were very helpful and indicated the next upgrade would include a checklist and benchmarking documents for manual completion. 

    How was the initial setup?

    The setup is very straightforward. 

    What about the implementation team?

    The implementation was handled by Tenable. There was a one-time installation cost of $500-$1,000 which was nominal for our large organization. 

    Tenable either connects virtually or comes onsite to deploy the solution across your entire network.  

    Routine maintenance is performed on a local machine with no server needs. This occurs about three times a year by our in-house team. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    Our organization is huge so our license costs $30,000. We are one of the biggest financial sector groups in India, so are charged appropriately. 

    Pricing is rated a seven out of ten because it is reasonable but always could be cheaper.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We use both the solution and Qualys which are leading tools in the industry.

    Qualys is a complicated tool for users because it does not include easy-to-access instructions. It also reports more false positives. 

    The solution is easier to use and includes instructions for running scans. 

    Overall, the solution is a better tool than Qualys. 

    What other advice do I have?

    The solution is a great tool for automation and reducing your team's efforts. If you have the budget and knowledgeable staff, then I recommend you use it. 

    I rate the solution an eight out of ten. 

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    MuhammadMurtaza - PeerSpot reviewer
    Information security engineer at Cyberisk
    Real User
    Top 5
    Nov 26, 2024
    Has individual options available for web servers
    Pros and Cons
    • "The features I personally like include host discovery."
    • "The support has been really cooperative."
    • "Sometimes, the categorization for clients was tricky at first, however, they eventually got used to it."

    What is our primary use case?

    We have clients, and we are a vendor. We have deployed Tenable Nessus users with the help of the Principal on the client's environment. I have experience with the deployment and the scanning.

    What is most valuable?

    The features I personally like include host discovery. For web servers, there are individual options available. There are many options that are useful to us.

    What needs improvement?

    Sometimes, the categorization for clients was tricky at first, however, they eventually got used to it.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I haven't faced any issues as of now. It has been stable with no critical issues, technical issues, or downtimes.

    How are customer service and support?

    The support has been really cooperative. Whenever any issue arises, we contact the support, and they are always there for us. The support is pretty good.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    What about the implementation team?

    The deployment was done by the Tenable team, and I was part of this process.

    What other advice do I have?

    I definitely recommend Tenable Nessus for network scanning and other tasks.

    I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partner
    PeerSpot user
    CLAUDIO SANTOS - PeerSpot reviewer
    Operation Director at GLOBALIP
    Reseller
    Sep 23, 2024
    Automates scanning process, enhancing the ability to monitor the security landscape continuously
    Pros and Cons
    • "It notifies us of vulnerabilities as they arise, allowing us to respond quickly without manual intervention."
    • "The product could have unique features similar to one of its competitors."

    How has it helped my organization?

    The platform is essential for vulnerability management tasks and integrates with various data management applications.

    What needs improvement?

    The product could have unique features similar to Qualys. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have been using Tenable Nessus for about a year to a year and a half. We are using the latest version to ensure access to all the latest features.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    While Tenable offers a robust solution, the main competitor, Qualys, has some unique features. However, Tenable has a larger market share, indicating that it has undergone extensive testing and development based on customer feedback.

    How was the initial setup?

    The complexity of deploying Nessus largely depends on the customer's operational environment. If the environment has diverse systems, implementation may be more complex, while a more uniform system allows for easier setup.

    The timeline for implementation could range from one week to several months based on these factors.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The product pricing is dynamic and varies based on the specific needs of each project and customer.

    Discounts can be offered based on competition and project requirements, making it a relative cost depending on the context.

    What other advice do I have?

    The solution automates vulnerability checks, which is crucial for our customers who cannot dedicate a team to monitor security issues constantly. It notifies us of vulnerabilities as they arise, allowing us to respond quickly without manual intervention.

    It automates the scanning process, allowing us to schedule regular scans, generate reports, and receive notifications about critical vulnerabilities via email. It enhances our ability to monitor the security landscape continuously.

    Overall, I rate it a nine out of ten. 

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Reseller
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer2295975 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Senior cybersecurity engineer at a aerospace/defense firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
    Real User
    Dec 16, 2023
    A scalable and mature solution that has excellent features and provides visibility into vulnerabilities in the environment
    Pros and Cons
    • "It is a mature tool."
    • "The product must be more comprehensive."

    What is our primary use case?

    The solution is used to check vulnerabilities.

    What is most valuable?

    The product has good features. It gives us a view of the vulnerabilities like open ports and different issues with software. It is a mature tool.

    What needs improvement?

    The product must be more comprehensive. It must catch all the issues.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using the solution for a few years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I rate the tool’s stability a nine out of ten. The stability could be improved.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The tool is scalable. We have three users. We need a team to maintain the product.

    What about the implementation team?

    The deployment can be done in-house.

    What other advice do I have?

    I recommend the solution to others. I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
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    Download our free Tenable Nessus Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
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    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Tenable Nessus Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.