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Qualys Virtual Scanner Appliance HVM vs Tenable Vulnerability Management comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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) (8th), Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) (8th), SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) (1st), Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) (6th)
Qualys Virtual Scanner Appl...
Ranking in Vulnerability Management
55th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
5.2
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Tenable Vulnerability Manag...
Ranking in Vulnerability Management
9th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
46
Ranking in other categories
Patch Management (14th), Risk-Based Vulnerability Management (5th)
 

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.
Manjunath Kolukula - PeerSpot reviewer
Cyber Security Analyst at Viking Europe
Automated vulnerability scans have reduced maintenance and support strategic security work
I was previously informed about Qualys TotalCloud, Qualys Patch Management, and Qualys Enterprise TruRisk Management. I do not use those products. Qualys Virtual Scanner Appliance HVM provides comprehensive detection capabilities, and the minimal maintenance feature enhances my strategic security initiatives. I assess the benefits of automated reporting and alert mechanisms in the product to be valuable. The product requires minimal maintenance and minimal interference from my side, which benefits my organization as I do not need to maintain it often and it does not require constant interference. I use the seamless integration feature with other security tools. I am a Cyber Security Analyst at Viking Europe. I have given this product an overall rating of ten out of ten.
Chethan Gowda - PeerSpot reviewer
Windows Security Patching Operation III (Cyber Operations) at CBTS
Have maintained accurate vulnerability scans and gained actionable remediation insights across thousands of servers
Tenable Vulnerability Management agents are very lightweight, and the results we get are very accurate. The solutions they provide to us, assuming if one vulnerability exists, there will be a solution. The resolution they give us in wording will be the best solution. The exploit rates and the reports we get provide a lot of information, making it very easy for us to verify.The main benefit of integration with Tenable Vulnerability Management is that there will be no lack of missing vulnerabilities when it comes to the patching environment. That is one of the key aspects of why we have integrated Tenable to our patching tools. It has a vast capacity of pushing the data to our tools due to its capability and compatibility. That is also one of the reasons why we are using Tenable Vulnerability Management.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Its dashboards are brilliant. It provides in-depth insights."
"I would rate Qualys TotalCloud ten out of ten."
"The vulnerability management feature is the one I like the most because it provides a clear picture of all vulnerabilities."
"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 highly recommend Qualys TotalCloud to other users."
"Qualys TotalCloud has helped us view our risk structure, vulnerabilities, and security posture."
"Qualys TotalCloud fulfills all these needs."
"I would definitely recommend it because it is easy to handle any cloud resources."
"Qualys Virtual Scanner Appliance HVM provides comprehensive detection capabilities, and the minimal maintenance feature enhances my strategic security initiatives."
"I would rate Tenable's dashboards and reporting capabilities for illustrating security posture a nine out of ten, with ten being the best."
"The solution's most valuable feature is providing a single pane of visibility on all the infrastructure and its status."
"The ease of use in terms of scanning assets is valuable."
"Tenable Vulnerability Management is the backbone of our vulnerability management and has affected my organization positively."
"By making different resources available for sharing among users and groups, Tenable.io provides endless possibilities for creating customized workflows for vulnerability management programs, regardless of any of the numerous regulatory or compliance drivers that demand keeping your business secure."
"Overall, I am quite happy with Tenable.io."
"It is a very, very user-friendly tool...The setup is easy"
"Tenable.io Vulnerability Management is an easy-to-use product. I"
 

Cons

"Overall, we are satisfied with it. However, the response part of the Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) module can be improved. It is not yet in place according to requirements; it is not completely available even though the module has been released."
"There is room for improvement in vulnerability scanning, particularly for PaaS environments. Currently, Qualys does not have full access to these instances, which limits its effectiveness."
"I sometimes have difficulty detecting or uninstalling certain versions of applications, which I have to do manually."
"The patching process with Qualys Patch Management, which is part of TotalCloud, does not cover installing certain prerequisites on the servers or workstations. This shortcoming means we must rely on SCCM when any service stack updates or additional prerequisites are needed."
"The cloud licensing unit system is unclear, especially since "units" aren't well-defined."
"Qualys TotalCloud needs to enhance its scanning capabilities in the IP domain, as it currently lacks the functionality to resolve IPs to their corresponding domain names."
"There is a lack of data segregation according to criticality or inventory."
"We would like to see Windows-based sensors available in Qualys, as this would make the platform more versatile and support a broader range of environments."
"I have concerns regarding pricing and technical support, which are also areas for improvement."
"Another area of improvement is customer service and support. Tenable needs to include support in the pricing/license. Currently, they push clients to get support from partners or channel distributors, who often charge a lot."
"The one drawback that we have found is the reports. We are still getting reports from Tenable.sc since the maturity levels on the reports are lacking."
"I'm not satisfied with the reporting structure."
"It would be helpful if Tenable could be more clear with regard to everything the solution can and cannot do with the particular license that you have."
"The biggest problem with the solution is that if you're a small company, you're not going to be able to afford it, nor are you going to be able to manage it."
"The initial setup is complex and has room for improvement."
"AI integration for reporting in Tenable would be beneficial."
"Tenable.io Vulnerability Management could be improved with an increased number of dashboards and MSSP integration."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"Qualys TotalCloud offers good pricing that is affordable and competitive with the market. Our partnership also provides us with additional benefits."
"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 cost-efficient and was selected for its value compared to other products."
"The cost is high, but it meets our organizational needs."
"While Qualys TotalCloud's pricing is currently acceptable, it is becoming increasingly expensive and may soon be considered overpriced."
"Qualys TotalCloud offers cost-effective licensing flexibility."
"Qualys TotalCloud is expensive."
Information not available
"Tenable.io Vulnerability Management's pricing solution model isn't great."
"There are additional features that can be licensed for an additional cost."
"On a scale of one to ten, where one is low, and ten is high price, I rate the pricing an eight. So, it is a pretty expensive solution."
"The cost is determined by the number of endpoints, which is approximately one dollar per endpoint."
"The solution is not too expensive."
"Compared to other VM solutions, Tenable.io Vulnerability Management is expensive."
"Tenable.io is not known for being a cheap product."
"Tenable charges around $40 per device."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Construction Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Construction Company
67%
Healthcare Company
5%
Transportation Company
5%
Outsourcing Company
5%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
8%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise29
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business20
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise22
 

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 Qualys Virtual Scanner Appliance HVM?
I have noticed some drawbacks and areas for improvement in Qualys Virtual Scanner Appliance HVM. I would like to see ...
What is your primary use case for Qualys Virtual Scanner Appliance HVM?
Vulnerability scanning is the purpose for which I use Qualys Virtual Scanner Appliance HVM.
What advice do you have for others considering Qualys Virtual Scanner Appliance HVM?
I was previously informed about Qualys TotalCloud, Qualys Patch Management, and Qualys Enterprise TruRisk Management....
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 needs improvement with Tenable.io Vulnerability Management?
I don't think that there is any very specific area where enhancements need to happen in Tenable Vulnerability Managem...
What advice do you have for others considering Tenable.io Vulnerability Management?
I use Tenable Vulnerability Management, and that is the tool that I have primary experience with. Apart from zero-day...
 

Also Known As

Qualys TotalCloud with FlexScan
No data available
Tenable.io
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Information Not Available
Global Payments AU/NZ
Find out what your peers are saying about Wiz, Tenable, Qualys and others in Vulnerability Management. Updated: June 2026.
900,228 professionals have used our research since 2012.