We use Tenable to scan all the workstations in our government environment for vulnerabilities and outdated software. The Tenable agents installed on the PCs enable us to detect any potential security risks or applications that are not up-to-date, malicious, or suspicious. This helps us ensure that all the PCs are secure and are in good posture.
Network Team Lead at Atlas Security
Easy to deploy, stable, and scalable solution for vulnerability scans and assessments but can be very slow
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is the installation of Tenable which is incredibly easy."
- "The accuracy of the vulnerability assessment is not up to par yet, as false alarms and false positives occur often."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the installation of Tenable which is incredibly easy. Even those without extensive technical knowledge can do it. All we need is the license and a few clicks through the installation process which is simple. Once the program is installed on all PCs and servers, we're good to go!
What needs improvement?
The solution can be annoyingly slow.
The pricing is a bit high.
We would like to see the inclusion of penetration testing capabilities if possible.
Tenable has been mostly used in the on-premise environment, so it would be great if they could improve the transition to the cloud.
The accuracy of the vulnerability assessment needs improvement as false alarms and false positives occur often. Applications are often flagged as critical when they are actually benign. To improve user experience, there needs to be an upgrade in the accuracy of the results and a more user-friendly interface.
Sometimes it can be difficult to adjust the policies. When the solution has been previously installed. Making changes to policies requires navigating multiple steps. This process can be time-consuming and potentially confusing. Expert knowledge may be necessary in certain cases.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for four years.
Buyer's Guide
Tenable Nessus
April 2026
Learn what your peers think about Tenable Nessus. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2026.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There has been an improvement over the years and the solution is now extremely stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We can easily scale up our license to support more devices. By increasing our license, we can add more workstations.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is outstanding. We encountered some difficulties during our initial deployment, yet they persisted in helping us all day long. Their support team is very competent.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
The deployment took us two days to install the SoC on all 100 of our workstations.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is expensive. We lost bids to competing companies due to the pricing; there are cheaper alternatives to Tenable such as Rapid7 InsightVM.
What other advice do I have?
I give the solution an eight out of ten.
We have 100 workstations that all use the solution.
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.
Lead IT Security and Remediation at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Reasonably priced, reliable, and flexible
Pros and Cons
- "It gives a holistic view of your entire environment."
- "They should try to create an all-in-one solution."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use the solution for network scanning. I can use it when I want to see network scanning involved with the network devices and servers.
What is most valuable?
I love everything about Nessus. I may be biased in my rating, biased in the sense that I love using Nessus.
The usability is okay. The pricing is okay. The costs are reasonable.
The level they give you is good. It depends on the kind of scan that you want to do. There are different options there. If I want to do a PCI scan, that is available. If I want to do a scan that involves checking to see if the system patching is up to date, that is available. If I want to scan against trending vulnerabilities, I can do that, too. They have so many different options. You can streamline it to what you want, and you do your scan.
Nessus is flexible. It gives a holistic view of your entire environment. I would go for a Nessus any day, anytime.
They have a good reporting system. I love the reporting system. The references they made in terms of recommendations are great. They can give a recommendation on how to get a particular issue fixed.
The setup is straightforward.
It is stable and reliable.
We can scale the product.
What needs improvement?
They should try to create an all-in-one solution. When I say all in one, I mean something that would be cheap, where I can scan a lot in terms of web applications. Right now, this is available. However, it's a bit expensive. If users want to start scanning applications, networking devices, et cetera, they should also try and work on the pricing for those and have everything together. The web application module should be included in Tenable itself.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution over the past 13 years. I've worked with it for a long time.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is fine. There are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution can scale as needed.
How are customer service and support?
I've not escalated anything to technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I'm aware of other solutions.
What makes Nessus outstanding is the different options. There are so many scanning options. They give you the room to be flexible. You can scan your server how you want. Other options may just allow for a general scan of my system. With Nessus, I can streamline and customize my scan.
How was the initial setup?
It is an easy solution to set up. The deployment is not lengthy. Within two hours, I had it up and running.
There is no crazy maintenance needed. Sometimes when there are new updates, it just alerts you the moment you log into your appliance. It just alerts you and gives you room to do the updates. Sometimes it may just set automatically, and it picks the updates. When you log in, it asks for you to reinitialize your system, and you're good to go.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is not bad. We are comfortable with the cost of the solution right now and with what we are paying for what we get in return.
We just pay for the license and do not deal with any other additional fees.
What other advice do I have?
We're using the latest version of the solution.
When you are doing a spot check, and something rescues you a lot from disaster, you really appreciate that service. The product has really worked for me.
I highly recommend the solution.
I'd suggest new users run a POC and exhaust all the functionality and test other solutions as well. At the end of the day, compare them. Don't forget to consider budgets. Ensure that it matches what your company needs and the budget that they have for that particular solution.
Make sure that functionality is taken into account. Some people only look at the budget and go for something cheaper and then do not have the functionality they require.
I'd rate the solution 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.
Buyer's Guide
Tenable Nessus
April 2026
Learn what your peers think about Tenable Nessus. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2026.
893,311 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Security Compliance Officer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Easy to use, and provides good visibility, but the user interface could be improved
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable aspect of this solution is that you receive the entire report, which details the breakdown, especially in terms of critical, high, low, and mediums."
- "The most valuable aspect of this solution is that you receive the entire report, which details the breakdown, especially in terms of critical, high, low, and mediums."
- "To be honest, I haven't used it much to tell you that these are the things that should be improved. But I believe the UI should be enhanced somewhat. For example, there are two ways to find a report, and people are frequently confused as to which is the correct method for locating a full report. Sometimes they go in the opposite direction, so this is an area that may be improved."
- "But I believe the UI should be enhanced somewhat. For example, there are two ways to find a report, and people are frequently confused as to which is the correct method for locating a full report."
What is our primary use case?
Every month, I had this Windows Gold image scan. I would obtain some IP addresses, create some rules, and then run them.
Then there were the automatic automated jobs that I and my colleagues would arrange to execute.
They would run at night so they wouldn't interrupt the systems.
Enter some IP addresses for workstations and servers. Some were in a highly secure zone, while others were in a separate subnet, we enter those IP addresses in and run them, scheduling them to run biweekly or weekly.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable aspect of this solution is that you receive the entire report, which details the breakdown, especially in terms of critical, high, low, and mediums. It also informs you exactly what was wrong with it. Then I believe it copies the CVS's score as well.
What needs improvement?
To be honest, I haven't used it much to tell you that these are the things that should be improved. But I believe the UI should be enhanced somewhat.
For example, there are two ways to find a report, and people are frequently confused as to which is the correct method for locating a full report. Sometimes they go in the opposite direction, so this is an area that may be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Tenable Nessus for quite some time.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Tenable Nessus is pretty stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Tenable Nessus is a scalable product.
How are customer service and support?
I did not deal with technical support at all.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I used Nessus from JSON for a Gold image and vulnerability scans in my previous role.
I'm also seeking the same type of tenant for internal vulnerability scans like Qualys.
We now use Qualys, but we haven't fully utilized its features, but I'm searching for something specialized for our internal vulnerability scan program.
How was the initial setup?
I did not set it up myself, to begin with.
What other advice do I have?
It is a good tool. It's not difficult to understand. It shouldn't be an issue as long as you know what you're doing.
I would rate Tenable Nessus a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Manager at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
Stable, simple and quick setup
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Tenable Nessus is the dashboard. They are convenient to use."
- "The most valuable feature of Tenable Nessus is the dashboard, as they are convenient to use."
- "Tenable Nessus could improve the price."
- "The support from Tenable Nessus is okay. However, they are sometimes slow and can take days to respond."
What is our primary use case?
I am using Tenable Nessus to know where the vulnerabilities are on my website.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Tenable Nessus is the dashboard. They are convenient to use.
What needs improvement?
Tenable Nessus could improve the price.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Tenable Nessus for approximately two months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of Tenable Nessus is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have approximately three people using this solution in my organization. The users are managers and engineers.
How are customer service and support?
The support from Tenable Nessus is okay. However, they are sometimes slow and can take days to respond. Additionally, I would like to be able to ask them more technical questions than I am able to.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Tenable Nessus is simple. It took us approximately one hour to do the process.
What about the implementation team?
We did the initial setup of the solution in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of Tenable Nessus could improve, it is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Tenable Nessus 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.
Works at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Easy to deploy, simple to use, and offers great vulnerability assessments
Pros and Cons
- "It's scalable."
- "The solution can conduct a full vulnerability assessment and also suggest mitigation of vulnerabilities and has a lot of other features."
- "It would be a good idea if they have a simulation of attacks or a use case for finding a new vulnerability or dealing with a zero-day attack."
- "It would be a good idea if they have a simulation of attacks or a use case for finding a new vulnerability or dealing with a zero-day attack."
What is our primary use case?
My company uses Tenable as a vulnerability assessment.
We use it for scanning, for the discovery of vulnerabilities in the components or the software, or on the IT infrastructure of our client.
What is most valuable?
The solution can conduct a full vulnerability assessment and also suggest mitigation of vulnerabilities and has a lot of other features.
It creates a classification of the vulnerability and the likelihood and the impact on other features.
The solution is easy to deploy and simple to use.
It's scalable.
The solution is stable.
What needs improvement?
It would be a good idea if they have a simulation of attacks or a use case for finding a new vulnerability or dealing with a zero-day attack.
Right now, it works based on dealing with a vulnerability that is already detected and reported, and it would be great if they have a combination of a vulnerability that existed and another use case to have a more proactive approach to potential new issues. Therefore, doing a simulation of attacks to find a new or zero-day issue or vulnerability would be helpful.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for more than two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable and reliable. I'd rate it four or five out of five. The performance is good. There are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is very scalable. I'd rate it a four or five out of five in terms of the ease of expansion.
We would use Nessus to conduct a vulnerability assessment. How many people use the solution depends on the client. Maybe five or six people from the engineering side use it in general.
We have a new client coming on, and we will require more users on the product to conduct vulnerability assessments, so we do have plans to increase usage.
How are customer service and support?
I've never had any interaction with customer support. The solution works very well, and we haven't needed help.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very straightforward. It's not overly difficult, or complex.
I cannot recall how long the deployment process took.
What about the implementation team?
Our technical team handled the deployment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Another department handles the licensing. I can't speak to the exact costs. I do know that we pay a yearly licensing fee.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We would like to discover other solutions and do a comparison to see the better solution for our clients. We've, for example, tried to look into Cyber XM.
What other advice do I have?
We are just end-users and customers.
I'm not sure which version of the solution we're using.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Sr. Information Security Engineer at Rewterz
Excellent capabilities, timely technological support replies, with overall satisfaction
Pros and Cons
- "The scanning capabilities are most valuable when compared to Nessus."
- "The setup is straightforward, it takes about five to ten minutes to deploy and it is easy."
- "I think the reporting templates could be improved with Tenable Nessus."
- "I think the reporting templates could be improved with Tenable Nessus."
What is most valuable?
The scanning capabilities are most valuable when compared to Nessus.
What needs improvement?
I think the reporting templates could be improved with Tenable Nessus.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Tenable Nessus for the past year.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Tenable Nessus is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support always replies back on Mondays and it depends on the open support cases.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is straightforward. It takes about five to ten minutes to deploy and it is easy.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Tenable Nessus an eight on a scale of one to 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
CBO at a security firm with 11-50 employees
Scans the network and gives you a report about vulnerability assessment tools and the solution
Pros and Cons
- "It gives you an unlimited IP scan."
- "It gives you an unlimited IP scan, is a cheap solution compared to Rapid7 or Qualys, and is very user-friendly so customers can easily scan their network."
- "I would like to have a management option after the network scanning."
- "I would like to have a management option after the network scanning."
What is our primary use case?
Our customers are using this solution. They scan their network, and they get a report about vulnerability assessment tools and solutions.
It's deployed on-prem.
What is most valuable?
It gives you an unlimited IP scan. It's a cheap solution compared to Rapid7 or Qualys. It's very user-friendly. Customers can easily scan their network.
What needs improvement?
I would like to have a management option after the network scanning.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
The difference between Nessus and Rapid7 is price. Nessus is a very cheap solution compared to Rapid7 and has unlimited IP scanning facilities, but Rapid7 doesn't have this option. It has IP limitations. Rapid7 has some models based on how many IPs the customer wants to scan, and the costs depends on that amount.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost is around $4,300 per year. Use is unlimited. You don't pay more if you want to use it for another IP.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution 8 out of 10.
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.
Security Engineer at a media company with 10,001+ employees
Helpful support, reliable, and effective real-time monitoring
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Tenable Nessus is real-time monitoring."
- "The most valuable feature of Tenable Nessus is real-time monitoring."
- "Tenable Nessus could improve by having more steady updates which will reduce the vulnerabilities."
- "Tenable Nessus could improve by having more steady updates which will reduce the vulnerabilities."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Tenable Nessus real-time monitoring.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Tenable Nessus is real-time monitoring.
What needs improvement?
Tenable Nessus could improve by having more steady updates which will reduce the vulnerabilities.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Tenable Nessus for approximately 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Tenable Nessus is a stable solution, we are fairly satisfied.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the scalability of Tenable Nessus an eight out of ten.
Most of the people using this solution at this time are managers.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support has been very useful. They are helpful.
I rate the technical support from Tenable Nessus a four out of five.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup has been straightforward. However, we are trying to roll out our agents and find all of our devices which we have experienced some challenges. The whole process has taken us approximately three months.
What about the implementation team?
We are doing the implementation in-house.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise others that if this solution fits your use case then I would try it out. Different environments require different solutions.
I rate Tenable Nessus an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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Updated: April 2026
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