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AttackIQ vs Tenable Nessus comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 22, 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

Qualys TotalCloud
Sponsored
Ranking in Vulnerability Management
11th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
39
Ranking in other categories
Container Security (11th), Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP) (7th), Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) (8th), SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) (1st), Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) (6th)
AttackIQ
Ranking in Vulnerability Management
31st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) (4th), Attack Surface Management (ASM) (11th), Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) (4th)
Tenable Nessus
Ranking in Vulnerability Management
3rd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
88
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the Vulnerability Management category, the mindshare of Qualys TotalCloud is 1.1%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of AttackIQ is 0.7%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tenable Nessus is 3.7%, down from 8.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Vulnerability Management Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Tenable Nessus3.7%
Qualys TotalCloud1.1%
AttackIQ0.7%
Other94.5%
Vulnerability Management
 

Featured Reviews

RO
IT Security Expert at Alior Bank S.A.
Unified risk scoring has improved our cloud visibility and simplifies remediation priorities
Qualys TotalCloud provides unified vulnerability and threat assessment across both IAS and SaaS. This solution provides a single prioritized view of risk, which helps reduce the work I would have to do. We are no longer based on CVSS; we are based on Qualys risk scoring, which is based on CVSS plus internal findings made by Qualys, and then assigns its own score. The TruRisk insight feature has found a small number of assets with high vulnerability scores, though I am cautious since some information is classified. Qualys TotalCloud has positively impacted our bank's performance, and we have definitely seen benefits after implementing this solution.
Akash Das Barman - PeerSpot reviewer
Cyber Security Trainee at DataSpace Academy
Continuous validation has improved MITRE-based detection coverage across hybrid environments
Overall, AttackIQ is a strong platform, but there are a few areas where it could improve. One area is the learning curve for new users. Since the platform is deeply tied to MITRE ATT&CK mapping and security validation workflows, beginners may need more guided onboarding and simplified explanations for certain modules. Another improvement could be more customizable dashboards and reporting views for different stakeholders, especially for executive-level summaries versus technical SOC analysis. I also think integrations and automation workflows could be expanded further for multi-vendor environments, making it easier to correlate results across different security tools. From an operational perspective, more built-in recommendations for remediation or detection tuning after simulation would also be valuable, especially for teams that are still maturing their security operations.One additional area for improvement in AttackIQ could be deeper real-time guidance during simulations, especially for less experienced analysts. For example, after identifying a detection gap, the platform could provide more prescriptive recommendations on how to improve SIEM correlation rules or EDR configuration. That would help teams move faster from validation to remediation. I also think improving visualization of attack paths and attack chain relationships would make investigations easier during purple team exercises. Another potential improvement is making some workflows lighter and easier for smaller organizations that may not have a large dedicated SOC team, because BAS platforms can sometimes feel enterprise-focused.
MohammedJaffir - PeerSpot reviewer
Founder at Cipheroot Cybersecurity Solutions
Has enabled me to reduce false positives and perform deep credential auditing with seamless integrations
I mostly use the configuration audit feature for the audit configuration as a scan policy, and I will use it for credential audit, which helps me scan credentials access such as local administrator or root access, performing a deeper and more accurate check of local configuration settings and file systems, making it a highly recommended feature. Regarding integration capabilities, we can integrate Tenable Nessus with SIM tools such as Splunk, IBM QRadar, and Azure Sentinel, as well as with ticketing systems such as ServiceNow, Jira, and Slack. There is no complexity as it is very easy to integrate everything. In terms of the reporting feature, while vulnerability scanning can throw some false positives, Tenable Nessus has very few, achieving a reduction of 75% to 80% false positives with manual analysis needed. We can generate standard Nessus reports that typically include host summaries and vulnerabilities by host and plugin, alongside solutions and remediation recommendations. The main benefits I get from Tenable Nessus are complete asset inventory and comprehensive attack surface management, allowing us to prioritize vulnerabilities based on risk, focusing on true risk and threat path analysis.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Generally, Qualys is very good at detections, whether on cloud or on-prem, and the agent allows deployment on both infrastructures, providing continuous monitoring of your assets, which is a key selling point for us."
"I appreciate Qualys TotalCloud's ability to onboard any type of device with ease, including containers."
"Qualys TotalCloud's most valuable features are its cloud security posture management, Kubernetes, and container security capabilities."
"The best feature would be the ability to create policies. It is easy to control and update policies as required."
"The most valuable feature of Qualys TotalCloud is the visibility it provides."
"Vulnerability and threat detection and assessment of the criticality of the vulnerabilities exposed are most valuable."
"Its dashboards are brilliant. It provides in-depth insights."
"One of the most valuable features of Qualys TotalCloud is FlexScan, which is specifically for internet-facing VMs. We found this feature to be very useful. It was a key differentiator for us."
"AttackIQ is solving a lot of the problems that I had before or that we as an organization had before, even the security team, so it is solving all my issues."
"AttackIQ has had a positive impact on the organization, especially in the areas of continuous security validation, detection improvement, and overall defensive readiness, with highlights including improved visibility into detection gaps, stronger security controls validation, better SOC readiness, and faster detection engineering improvements, which are improvement areas we have implemented in our project using AttackIQ."
"Running in our SOC, it moves the conversation from assumptions and dashboards to measurable proof, which is exactly what makes AttackIQ valuable in day-to-day security operations."
"Overall, I've had a good experience with the product. It's worked well for me."
"After using AttackIQ, it has helped the team and the company improve on false positives and reduce risk, as most people are now capable of identifying how to work on detection, improving fine-tuning and all those things."
"Tenable Nessus streamlines the process of scanning for our organization."
"The setup is straightforward, it takes about five to ten minutes to deploy and it is easy."
"The scanning and reporting features are the most valuable aspects of Tenable Nessus."
"With the Tenable Nessus enterprise edition, you have unlimited licenses to scan the device."
"I like its ease of use. It has the script that is pre-built in it, and you just got to know which ones you're looking for."
"Using Nessus, we are able to scan and locate any potential vulnerabilities that our clients may have and point them out to them."
"Quick assessments, compliance scores, and results are provided without having to do agents."
"The best features of Tenable Nessus include its compatibility with other applications such as SIEM and other apps, allowing Tenable Nessus to work smoothly with them."
 

Cons

"Qualys' customer service provides quality answers, but the response time is long, even though it is within the SLA."
"Qualys's ticketing system can be confusing when assigning tasks to individuals, and support could be improved by offering instant call solutions with engineers in addition to ticket replies."
"Their support could be improved."
"I sometimes have difficulty detecting or uninstalling certain versions of applications, which I have to do manually."
"I would like the ability to disable certain default built-in policies as they can be misleading when creating dashboards. That is the top one."
"We encountered challenges identifying the correct resource category for certain items, such as those in containers or storage."
"Qualys TotalCloud's increasing complexity, due to the development and deployment of multiple solutions, is making the GUI difficult to navigate."
"Regarding technical support from Qualys, they respond, but the response time can be too long. Sometimes we need to wait weeks for solutions to simple questions."
"The initial setup was quite difficult and took a long time."
"The main reasons I would not give it a full perfect score are the learning curve for new users and some opportunities for improvement in reporting, customization, and remediation guidance."
"There is a learning curve at the beginning, especially for teams that are quite new to a BAS or continuous validation solution."
"One area for improvement is the initial configuration complexity, which is very complex in the initial stage to configure the whole thing and integrate with the SOC, presenting a learning curve for organizations that are new to adversary emulation or continuous security validation, particularly concerning the initial setup scenario customization and workflow tuning."
"The initial setup was difficult. It was not straightforward."
"The customer support for AttackIQ is good but can be better."
"The solution could improve security updates."
"The price and scalability of the solution could improve."
"Vulnerability recommendations are outdated and not in line with industry standards."
"The user interface of Tenable Nessus feels outdated and could be more user-friendly."
"The pricing point has increased significantly in recent years. The product's pricing has roughly tripled within the last couple of years, making us reconsider renewing the license for the scanner."
"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."
"The reports should be improved in Tenable Nessus. For example, when you are auditing compliance with CIS standards. It provides very poor reports."
"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."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Qualys TotalCloud offers competitive pricing given its comprehensive suite of features, including integration, assessment, remediation, and detection capabilities, all within a single platform."
"Although Qualys TotalCloud is relatively expensive due to its unique automation features, its cost-effectiveness is rated an eight out of ten, with ten being the most costly."
"The pricing for TotalCloud is attractive and competitive in the market. Given the features, especially the dashboard, I have no concerns regarding pricing."
"Qualys TotalCloud is expensive, but it offers a premier solution with no headaches."
"As a middle management member, I do not have direct pricing knowledge, but based on the knowledge from our meetings, its pricing is competitive."
"The cost is high, but it meets our organizational needs."
"Qualys TotalCloud offers good pricing that is affordable and competitive with the market. Our partnership also provides us with additional benefits."
"Its price seems higher compared to other tools, but it is worth it. If they could adjust the pricing and make it comparable with other tools, that would be great."
Information not available
"The solution is worth the cost. It's a good investment."
"The price of the solution is reasonable."
"The price of Tenable Nessus is much more competitive versus other solutions on the market."
"The pricing is much more manageable versus other products."
"Its price is high for Libya. The companies here in Libya don't have the awareness of and a good budget for cybersecurity services. If you want them to go for a product, you need to provide something different. This differentiation is related to the price. They should give about 40% to 45% discount per person on the current cost."
"Tenable Nessus needs to be licensed. We own a license for the security center and that license is charged by the number of IP addresses that you can scan. You're allowed to have as many scanners as you want and there's no license for the number of scanners. We have a bunch of Nessus scanners out there, and as long as we're comfortable with staying under that IP address limit, that's really all we have to be concerned about."
"Nessus is affordable, but its licensing model could be improved with more flexibility for adding assets."
"There is an annual license required to use this solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Construction Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Government
8%
Construction Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Government
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise29
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business2
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise5
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business40
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise35
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Qualys TotalCloud?
Areas that need improvement in every solution include the remediation part. The remediation steps should be simple en...
What is your primary use case for Qualys TotalCloud?
Our use case involves the assets that we have under cloud, the assets exposed to the internet, and the internal appli...
What needs improvement with AttackIQ?
Overall, AttackIQ is a strong platform, but there are a few areas where it could improve. One area is the learning cu...
What is your primary use case for AttackIQ?
My main use case for AttackIQ has been validating security controls and testing detection coverage against MITRE ATT&...
What advice do you have for others considering AttackIQ?
AttackIQ is very strong in continuous security validation, MITRE ATT&CK alignment, and realistic attack simulatio...
How would you choose between Rapid7 InsightVM and Tenable Nessus?
You have full visibility across cloud, network, virtual, and containerized infrastructures with Rapid7 Insight VM. Yo...
What's the difference between Tenable Nessus and Tenable.io Vulnerability Management?
Tenable Nessus is a vulnerability assessment solution that is both easy to deploy and easy to manage. The design of ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Tenable Nessus?
Based on my experience, the pricing for Tenable Nessus is somewhat higher, but customers still want to pay for it, so...
 

Also Known As

Qualys TotalCloud with FlexScan
DeepSurface
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Information Not Available
Bitbrains, Tesla, Just Eat, Crosskey Banking Solutions, Covenant Health, Youngstown State University
Find out what your peers are saying about AttackIQ vs. Tenable Nessus and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
902,988 professionals have used our research since 2012.