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Qualys VMDR vs Tenable Cloud Security comparison

 

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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.2
Qualys VMDR boosts ROI by enhancing security, improving asset management, reducing cyber risks, and saving time and resources.
Sentiment score
6.4
Tenable Cloud Security is praised for cost-effectiveness, yielding positive ROI and satisfactory financial benefits despite limited specific metrics.
We saw a return on investment through significant savings in time, money, and resources.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.7
Qualys VMDR support is responsive and knowledgeable, but users report slow responses and varying service quality.
Sentiment score
3.9
Tenable Cloud Security support receives mixed reviews, praised for responsiveness but criticized for delays and inconsistency in assistance.
We usually get on calls with tech support, and they are very helpful.
I am satisfied with the support of Qualys VMDR as they are supportive.
The technical support provided by Qualys is pretty good.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Qualys VMDR is praised for scalable, flexible asset management across large networks with efficient deployment and cloud-based architecture.
Sentiment score
6.4
Tenable Cloud Security is praised for its scalability and adaptability, although complex multi-cloud asset management requires improvements.
Scalability depends on the license and the number of assets being monitored.
Qualys VMDR can handle scalability, although increasing the inventory can raise the licensing costs.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Qualys VMDR is highly stable and reliable, with minimal issues and predictable maintenance for smooth operations.
Sentiment score
7.7
Tenable Cloud Security is stable with high user ratings, though some suggest minor improvements despite no major outages.
 

Room For Improvement

Qualys VMDR simplifies UI and reporting but needs better asset management, support, and advanced analytics for IoT and SCADA.
Tenable Cloud Security needs faster operations, improved support, detailed reporting, AI integration, and easier multi-cloud implementation.
It does not automate patching unless the patch management module is purchased separately.
If AI features were integrated, it could enhance the capabilities significantly.
There were some issues later with Qualys VMDR regarding security, specifically with numerous false positive reports.
The only complaint I hear in the market is from resellers that Tenable management team in Brazil doesn't play fair with the channel and resellers.
 

Setup Cost

Qualys VMDR pricing is higher than some competitors but offers value with integrated features and discounts for larger contracts.
Users find Tenable Cloud Security's subscription model reasonably priced and well-suited for enterprises, offering good value compared to competitors.
Qualys offers better pricing and is feature-packed compared to other tools.
I have a notion that Qualys might be more expensive than Rapid7.
I would rate the pricing between seven to eight out of ten.
 

Valuable Features

Qualys VMDR enhances security management with vulnerability insights, real-time threat detection, and customizable dashboards for improved remediation efficiency.
Tenable Cloud Security offers comprehensive vulnerability detection, deep cloud analysis, IAM features, and multi-cloud integration into a single dashboard.
It impacts my workflow overall, with the patch management features as it has the missing patches listed in detail, making it easier to get a comprehensive report and providing some dashboards that offer visual representation.
The prioritization of vulnerabilities has improved our remediation efforts by around thirty to thirty-five percent.
Qualys VMDR offers a one-stop solution for monitoring and reporting.
Perhaps the best functionalities are related to promoting a deeper analysis of the environment where applications are running in terms of creating a double armor of security to block threats that may come in the cloud with Tenable Cloud Security.
The best features Tenable Cloud Security offers in my experience are automatic scanning, frequent scanning, and automatic finding, which I find valuable.
 

Categories and Ranking

Qualys VMDR
Ranking in Container Security
9th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
94
Ranking in other categories
IT Asset Management (6th), Vulnerability Management (2nd), Configuration Management Databases (2nd), Risk-Based Vulnerability Management (1st)
Tenable Cloud Security
Ranking in Container Security
24th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (11th), Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP) (12th), Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) (19th), Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) (14th), Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Container Security category, the mindshare of Qualys VMDR is 2.3%, down from 2.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tenable Cloud Security is 1.4%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Container Security
 

Featured Reviews

Ankesh Raj - PeerSpot reviewer
Real-time responses and reporting streamline vulnerability management
Qualys VMDR provides a real-time response and reporting feature, which is excellent. It allows us to see real-time graphs and reports for every asset, server, and more, which is very user-friendly. Our clients have given good feedback, and they are satisfied with the tool. We use it daily to fix vulnerabilities by connecting with infrastructure to remediate. The feedback from the client side is very good.
Antonio Scola - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers reliable security support and encourages a safe migration to cloud environments while there is room for better reseller collaboration
I really don't know to tell the truth because we sell many solutions and don't sell exclusively Tenable, so I'm not in a condition to give a precise definition of what could be improved. My perception is this: when customer A needs Tenable Cloud Security, we introduce and demonstrate it. They POC, they appreciate it. The solution serves in such use cases ABC. I am very pragmatic and straightforward - as long as they use or want the solution, I am interested. If they don't, my question is what are the main objections? They may discuss pricing, or they may say they thought the solution had certain technical capabilities that they could not find.
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Container Security solutions are best for your needs.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
16%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Government
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Qualys VMDR?
I like that we have many scanners and channels that don't overload. It helps us scan and track easily. Also, the tagging system is good for tagging. We can still use QualysAgent task ID tools even ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Qualys VMDR?
Qualys offers better pricing and is feature-packed compared to other tools.
What needs improvement with Qualys VMDR?
There were some issues later with Qualys VMDR regarding security, specifically with numerous false positive reports.
What do you like most about Tenable Cloud Security?
The solution’s vulnerability management feature has helped us identify and mitigate risks well.
What needs improvement with Tenable Cloud Security?
I think Tenable Cloud Security could be improved with more clear licensing. What I would like to see improved with licensing is how they're used in the product. The calculations of what is consider...
What is your primary use case for Tenable Cloud Security?
My main use case for Tenable Cloud Security is managing our security compliance and security posture. I use Tenable Cloud Security for managing compliance and security posture, and we rely on the c...
 

Also Known As

Qualys VM, QualysGuard VM, Qualys Asset Inventory, Qualys Container Security
Ermetic, Ermetic Identity Governance for AWS
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Agrokor Group, American Specialty Health, American State Bank, Arval, Life:), Axway, Bank of the West, Blueport Commerce, BSkyB, Brinks, CaixaBank, Cartagena, Catholic Health System, CEC Bank, Cegedim, CIGNA, Clickability, Colby-Sawyer College, Commercial Bank of Dubai, University of Utah, eBay Inc., ING Singapore, National Theatre, OTP Bank, Sodexo, WebEx
Tyler Technologies, Bilfinger, BarkBox, MongoDB, airSlate, Adama, Latch, Cloudinary, Riskified, AppsFlyer, IntelyCare, Aidoc, 42Dot, and more.
Find out what your peers are saying about Qualys VMDR vs. Tenable Cloud Security and other solutions. Updated: August 2025.
865,384 professionals have used our research since 2012.