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.
Information security engineer at Cyberisk
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?
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.
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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
Last updated: Nov 26, 2024
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Information Security Analyst at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
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: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Tenable Nessus
April 2025

Learn what your peers think about Tenable Nessus. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2025.
851,823 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Information Security Manager at a transportation company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Comes at a great price, does exactly what you expect it to do, and never lets you down from a stability point of view
Pros and Cons
- "It does exactly what you expect it to do, and its pricing is great. We couldn't really ask for a better deal."
- "The interface is a little bit clunky, and the reporting is not marvelous. There should be better integration of reporting between instances. Currently, the instance stands alone, and it produces a report. Being able to amalgamate those reports with another instance will be useful."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Nessus Pro. Our operational security team is using it at the moment. It is being used in a couple of ways. In one instance, it is being used purely to scan the internal infrastructure. In the second instance, we're using it to scan the entire network range, including all endpoints. In the third instance, we're using it to do PCI DSS compliance scanning.
What is most valuable?
It does exactly what you expect it to do, and its pricing is great. We couldn't really ask for a better deal.
What needs improvement?
The interface is a little bit clunky, and the reporting is not marvelous. There should be better integration of reporting between instances. Currently, the instance stands alone, and it produces a report. Being able to amalgamate those reports with another instance will be useful.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It has never let us down from a stability point of view.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is really scalable. It is great.
We have six people who are actually interacting with the tool itself, but obviously, it has been deployed against thousands of endpoints. There are three different roles of those six users.
How are customer service and support?
They are very good. Their formal support and the wider community support are excellent.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We've used Rapid7 in the past. We switched because of the value for money and the fact that it feeds into the Tenable.io platform, which is where we ultimately want to be.
How was the initial setup?
It was straightforward and fast. It literally took a morning.
What about the implementation team?
It was done in-house. For its deployment and maintenance, there is just one person. He is an information security analyst.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Its pricing is great and can't be improved. It is very cheap. It is less than 2,000 pounds a license, and you can't really ask for more.
It has unlimited IPs and unlimited scans. There are no particular pricing constraints. The only additional cost is the inherent cost of the people to actually review the actual scans.
What other advice do I have?
My advice to people who are looking into implementing this product would be to just go ahead and do it. Don't be frightened about it. It is great. It does exactly what you'd expect it to do. You can use it as a stepping stone to the other Tenable products.
I would rate it a nine out of 10. It is a lovely product. It just does what you need it to do, and lets you get on with your day.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Security Infrastructure Engineer at NP Secure Co.,Ltd
A vulnerability assessment tool with patch management capabilities that offers ease of deployment
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup of Tenable Nessus is very easy."
- "The problems I faced with Tenable Nessus were related to its dashboard's customization capabilities and its ability to provide data to third-party sources."
What is our primary use case?
I use Tenable Nessus for vulnerability assessment so that you can scan for CVEs and existing CVEs. Tenable Nessus will show you the latest update on those vulnerabilities and where it needs patches, so it goes hand in hand with patch management. As soon as you scan, you can see whether it needs patching, and if needed, you can go ahead and deploy patch management to address the current issue.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of the solution are the policy and the active scan. The features are different for Tenable Security Center since it is more on an on-premises model. The solution also has features like Tenable.io and Tenable Web App Scanning.
What needs improvement?
I wouldn't want to change anything about Tenable Nessus since I haven't found or run into any issues in Tenable Nessus.
I like Tenable since I find everything related to the solution simplified and easy to use. You can approach the online community of Tenable when you run into a problem, and there is a bunch of information available there that you can gather and use for troubleshooting purposes.
I faced some problems with Tenable Nessus when dealing with some of our company's customers in China. The problems I faced with Tenable Nessus were related to its dashboard's customization capabilities and its ability to provide data to third-party sources. The solution should offer simplified data-sharing capabilities. Though we have the dashboards and can customize them, the options for customization are available in the templates provided by Tenable Nessus. It might not be possible with Tenable Nessus to add every component a person wants to a single dashboard since they can only choose whatever is available on the templates provided by Tenable Nessus. The aforementioned areas can be considered for improvement in the solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Tenable Nessus for two months. My company operates as a reseller of the product while also having a partnership with the solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Around 90 percent of our company's customers work with Tenable Nessus.
How are customer service and support?
For the solution's technical support, our company directly seeks help from the solution's vendor in Vietnam or Singapore, who are very responsive. I rate the technical support an eight out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Tenable Nessus is very easy. You can get the application's installation file and implement it faster than ManageEngine, making it a simple process. I rate the initial setup of Tenable Nessus a nine out of ten.
The solution is deployed on an on-premises model.
With Tenable Nessus, you have a file, and you just need to install it. In the on-premises model of the solution, you have a dashboard or console that you go to, which is like an internal website that you have set up so that you can get access to the on-premises version of the product.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the product's price seven or eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price.
What other advice do I have?
Tenable Nessus is a great tool. I believe everyone should be using Tenable Nessus since it is a tool that can be used for vulnerability assessment when companies face some vulnerabilities to find security holes or threats.
I rate the overall solution a 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:
Chief Executive Officer at a outsourcing company with 11-50 employees
User-friendly, easy to install, has good functionality, and technical support
Pros and Cons
- "The results are not that bad, but the key selling point is that it is an affordable tool set."
- "They have added a new Tenable Nessus Expert. That is their new product, which caters to the cloud and everything else. I am assuming that the new features and product enhancements are based on that tool set, but we haven't reviewed it yet."
What is our primary use case?
We use Tenable Nessus for vulnerability scanning.
What is most valuable?
The results are not that bad, but the key selling point is that it is an affordable tool set.
It is a very easy tool to use.
We are happy with the existing features.
We are happy with the functionality, and what we get from the tool.
What needs improvement?
I am not sure. I see they have released new products that we haven't yet evaluated. I believe the new products are the opportunity for improvement that they are bringing to market. But for the time being,
They have added a new Tenable Nessus Expert. That is their new product, which caters to the cloud and everything else.
I am assuming that the new features and product enhancements are based on that tool set, but we haven't reviewed it yet.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Tenable Nessus for 10 years.
It's a proper toolkit, it goes a long way with us.
We are working with the latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Tenable Nessus is very stable.
I would rate the stability of this solution a five out of five.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Tenable Nessus is a scalable solution, I would rate the scalability a five out of five.
It is based on the number of endpoints. We have 1,500 endpoints in our company.
How are customer service and support?
We can contact technical support using their web console. We can log a support ticket as end users, although we seldom use this feature.
I would rate their technical support a five out of five.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are also working with Rapid7 InsightVM.
It is not as good as Rapid7 from our perspective, but it is part of our toolbox arsenal. As a result, we have it on board and solely use it internally.
How was the initial setup?
It is very easy to deploy.
This solution was deployed in 30 minutes, or less. It is very easy. It is straightforward, and out of the box.
What about the implementation team?
The deployment was completed in-house. We did it ourselves.
We only need one engineer to deploy and maintain this solution.
What was our ROI?
I would rate the return on investment a five out of five.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Cost-wise, it's an affordable tool.
Licensing fees are paid annually.
I would rate the licensing cost a five out of five.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Tenable Nessus a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Consultant at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Simple implementation, beneficial vulnerability assessments, and helpful support
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Tenable Nessus is vulnerability assessments. There are a lot of threats around the world and this solution is the first to come out with detection rules."
- "Tenable Nessus could improve the reporting by adding some dashboards. The reports are a hassle at this time. Tenable.io has more detailed reports. Having a better dashboard that can show where the vulnerabilities are and be categorized would be helpful. We then could present them to upper management for a deep overview of our network posture which they do not see."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Tenable Nessus for vulnerability management. Not exactly the management, but we perform vulnerability assessments mostly for internal networks. Additionally, we use Acunetix and it comes into play for the web application.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Tenable Nessus is vulnerability assessments. There are a lot of threats around the world and this solution is the first to come out with detection rules.
What needs improvement?
Tenable Nessus could improve the reporting by adding some dashboards. The reports are a hassle at this time. Tenable.io has more detailed reports. Having a better dashboard that can show where the vulnerabilities are and be categorized would be helpful. We then could present them to upper management for a deep overview of our network posture which they do not see.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Tenable Nessus for approximately seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Tenable Nessus is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Tenable Nessus is scalable, it can scale up and down.
We have five or six people using this solution occasionally. We have monthly schedules for scanning, the solution is not used daily.
How are customer service and support?
The support of Tenable Nessus is responsive and helpful.
I rate the support from Tenable Nessus a five out of five.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have previously used Acunetix and they are more focused on web applications instead of vulnerability assessments. Tenable Nessus lacks in this area, they should focus more on the web applications side.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Tenable Nessus is straightforward. There is helpful documentation that is provided.
I rate the setup of Tenable Nessus a five out of five.
What about the implementation team?
We did the implementation of the solution in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
When comparing the price of Tenable Nessus to other similar solutions, such as Acunetix, Tenable Nessus is not as expensive. It is averagely priced in the market. We pay for the solution annually.
What other advice do I have?
My advice to others wanting to implement this solution is they need to understand what will be scanned. For example, if they are using internal servers or something similar, and is it on the cloud, or web applications, this is something they need to know. It's a good idea to evaluate these things on their end before choosing to use the solution. This solution focuses more on the servers or the network security side. Acunetix focuses more on the web application side. This is where the buyer has to evaluate and know their use case.
I rate Tenable Nessus a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Manager Information Security at NCCPL
Anyone can deploy it, even the managers, the technical teams, and the engineers
Pros and Cons
- "With the Tenable Nessus enterprise edition, you have unlimited licenses to scan the device."
- "The reporting feature needs to be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We are using it to find out the vulnerabilities in our critical servers and to patch them.
We are using the latest version.
What is most valuable?
Tenable Nessus is good. It's the best vulnerability solution in the industry. Most organizations are using it.
What needs improvement?
In terms of what could be improved, I would say that the reporting feature needs to be improved.
Additionally, although it has the features, the enterprise edition is very limited. They need to add multiple reporting features in the enterprise edition.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Tenable Nessus for the last two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Tenable Nessus is a vulnerability product. We have two to three users who are running it, but in terms of the end devices, because it's intended for vulnerabilities scanning and you have to scan your end devices, we have around hundred devices who are scanning with it.
It is a scalable solution.
How are customer service and support?
We contacted support for some scenarios, like upgrades, new security patches, and for some customized reports.
We were satisfied with the speed of the answers. It is good support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very easy.
Anyone can deploy it, even the managers, the technical teams, the engineers.
I think it took five minutes.
What about the implementation team?
We installed with the help of a consultant. You can do it one time and then you will learn it very easily.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have an annual subscription.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We also evaluated the Rapid7 Nexpose product, but it has a limitation that it supports 128 users then you have to buy another 128, but with the Tenable Nessus enterprise edition, you have unlimited licenses to scan the device.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Tenable Nessus.
On a scale of one to ten, I would rate it an eight.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Lead Cyber Security engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Easy to understand but is lacking technical support
Pros and Cons
- "A valuable feature of the solution is that it is easy to understand."
- "We feel the solution's technical support to be very bad."
What is our primary use case?
We usually use the solution for infrastructure level and web application scanning, although mostly for the former. This is what we are doing at present. We were using the web application portion of Tenable Nessus for several months before switching to Veracode.
What is most valuable?
A valuable feature of the solution is that it is easy to understand. When it comes to running a scan, the scanning mechanism is also easy, and it is quite fast compared to Veracode and Qualys.
What needs improvement?
The solution should have a more in-depth level of scanning, with features to meet the developers. Other points that should be addressed involve the understanding of issues by the users and the need for improvising the reporting structure. The reports should also be more attractive and user-friendly.
This is how Tenable Nessus occasionally works when drawing up something on the field.
Additional features I wish to see addressed in the next release include customer support and ease of understanding of vulnerabilities and how they can be fixed.
In contrast to Tenable Nessus, we have found Veracode to be more user-friendly, with a greater in-depth understanding of the details and how things can be fixed. Other points in its favor include study cases, customer support, training and e-learning.
The solution is sort of down the mid range, so we are more happy with Veracode.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have made use of Tenable Nessus over the past 12 months, and started doing so a couple of months before we got Veracode.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is reliable and has good stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have been in the web, so we have not tried to expand the solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
We feel the solution's technical support to be very bad.
While we do receive a response upon creating a ticket, it is not like that of Qualys or Veracode. That extensive support is not there.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward.
We deployed under the release plan of 8.11.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We incurred a single cost for a perpetual license, although I cannot comment on the price as this is above my management level.
What other advice do I have?
There are at least ten people in our organization making use of the solution.
Tenable Nessus is an appropriate solution for a small scale company, one with budgeting constraints and no complexities within the organization. It not that user-friendly.
I would rate Tenable Nessus as a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

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