Qualys Web Application Scanning vs Tenable.io Web Application Scanning comparison

Qualys and Tenable are both solutions in the Application Security Tools category. Qualys is ranked #16 with an average rating of 7.7, while Tenable is ranked #15 with an average rating of 8.5. Qualys holds a 1.7% mindshare in AS, compared to Tenable’s 1.4% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of Qualys users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Tenable users who would recommend it.

Qualys Web Application Scan...

Read 40 Qualys Web Application Scanning reviews

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2,537 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

Tenable.io Web Application ...

Read 18 Tenable.io Web Application Scanning reviews

2,165 Views
1,754 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Qualys Web Application Scan...

Tenable.io Web Application ...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

Qualys Web Application Scanning and Tenable.io Web Application Scanning are prominent solutions in web application security. Based on user feedback, Tenable.io seems to have an advantage due to superior features and integration capabilities, offering good value for its pricing structure.

Features: Qualys Web Application Scanning includes comprehensive security checks, detailed vulnerability reports, and a scalable pricing model adaptable to various business needs. Tenable.io Web Application Scanning is known for its high detection accuracy, robust integration with existing security systems, and advanced feature set.

Room for Improvement: Qualys users seek improved custom reporting, easier handling of complex setups, and more reporting flexibility. Tenable.io users suggest enhancing real-time scanning, providing more detailed documentation, and improving real-time operations.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Qualys provides quick deployment and seamless setup but has mixed customer service feedback. Tenable.io offers a smooth deployment process and is recognized for commendable technical support responsiveness, enhancing the overall experience.

Pricing and ROI: Qualys is valued for its cost-effective solution with significant ROI and a flexible pricing model catering to different business requirements. Tenable.io has higher pricing but users find the advanced feature set justifies the cost, leading to satisfactory ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Qualys Web Application Scanning vs. Tenable.io Web Application Scanning Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Qualys Web Application Scanning vs. Tenable.io Web Application Scanning

February 2026

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Helped 881,515 peers since 2012

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 Web Application Scan...

Ranking in Application Security Tools

16th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Static Application Security Testing (SAST) (13th)

Tenable.io Web Application ...

Ranking in Application Security Tools

15th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Application Security Tools category, the mindshare of Qualys Web Application Scanning is 1.7%, down from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tenable.io Web Application Scanning is 1.4%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Security Tools Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Tenable.io Web Application Scanning	1.4%
Qualys Web Application Scanning	1.7%
Other	96.9%

Application Security Tools

Featured Reviews

AnkitSharma13

Security Officer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

Web scanning needs improvement but offers good vulnerability detection

The downside of Qualys Web Application Scanning is that it cannot crawl automatically. If I provide an IP address and a login form, it does basic testing, but it doesn't go deep as IBM AppScan does. If Qualys Web Application Scanning could improve its crawling capability, it would be more user-friendly. Qualys Web Application Scanning does IP-level testing, requiring direct input of credentials, and can only scan a few pages to provide known generic vulnerabilities, which isn't as beneficial from my point of view. The Vulnerability Management also relies heavily on version numbers and will flag vulnerabilities based on the component version, but it doesn't check if a real fix exists, leading to flags on components that actually have workarounds available.

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Jonathan-Pereira

Cyber Security Architect at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees

Centralized license management transforms asset manipulation based on functions and improves security posture

Now that the license is centralized, it's a significant feature to manipulate assets based on their functions. It provides a centralized view from end-to-end to its assets' identities and vulnerabilities. One of the greatest features is Kubernetes. The automated scanning capability is pretty standard in the market, and Tenable's prioritization engine helps improve the security posture.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Qualys Web Application Scanning has multiple features like threat protection and container security scanning in one box."

"By using QualysGuard, we are able to finish external scans with assured results in half the time."

"It is a very stable solution."

"It is a cloud-based solution, so it is easy to scale."

"Qualys Web Application Scanning is user-friendly, easy to understand, easy to use, and easy to deploy."

"The simplicity of exporting reports and the simplicity and clarity of the reports included with the product are good."

"Qualys' process of updating signatures is something we really appreciate, and it's way ahead of its industry peers."

"The advantage of Qualys Web Application Scanning lies in its user-friendly dashboard and appealing reports, which are useful for presentation to leadership."

More Qualys Web Application Scanning pros

"The solution is stable."

"We can get detailed information about vulnerabilities."

"Tenable provides the end analysis results covering all the published vulnerabilities and information on the market."

"We use the tool for our websites. We have a vulnerable subdomain. The tool helps to scan it for vulnerabilities."

"Now that the license is centralized, it's a significant feature to manipulate assets based on their functions."

"It collects the vulnerabilities on the hostnames and sends them to the Tenable.io cloud. Tenable has its own cloud where Tenable.io is running, but there are many connectors to other cloud solutions. Tenable can do vulnerability scanning for other cloud managers such as Azure, Amazon, and so on."

"Tenable.io Web Application Scanning is very easy to use."

"I think Tenable.io Web Application Scanning is the best option on the market at the moment."

More Tenable.io Web Application Scanning pros

Cons

"There should be better visibility into the application."

"The UI is not user-friendly and you don't have a yearly reporting facility where you can slice and dice in different jobs."

"They should try to include business logic vulnerabilities in the scanner testing."

"The area of false positives could be improved. There are quite a number of false positives as compared to other solutions. They could probably fine tune the algorithm to be able to reduce the number of false positives being detected."

"The scanner reports a lot of false positives, which is something that needs to be improved."

"The virus code updates are not frequent enough."

"It is unclear how to build automation on Qualys. We do some automation, but not fully, because working is difficult."

"In certain cases, this product does have false positives, which the company should work on."

More Qualys Web Application Scanning cons

"The platform's technical support services could be better."

"The market is standard for vulnerability scanning, however, the posture can be improved through Tenable's prioritization engine."

"Sometimes it lags with different cloud environments."

"We have encountered some problems with the technical support from Tenable; I would rate it a five out of ten. It is not efficacious, especially the first-level support."

"The cloud and the on-premises versions have their own controllers, and there is no way to centrally manage controllers."

"The dashboard could be more user-friendly."

"The reporting has a very limited customization capability."

"The technical support needs improvement. Currently, it takes time, which might be due to the free version, but providing some level of support could encourage future purchase decisions."

More Tenable.io Web Application Scanning cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Qualys Web Application Scanning's pricing is a bit expensive compared to other solutions available in the market."

"Try the free trial of the product to understand the basic working mechanisms."

"Pricing was reasonable and competitive. It was not too far above the other products."

"It is best to be an institutional buyer and directly contact the sales team, as they can provide over-the-top discounts for bulk orders."

"The product has a very good licensing model."

"The product is expensive, at least initially, in comparison to other products in this category."

"We normally purchase an annual license."

"Licensing was based on the number of assets that you want to scan on your network. You can also do licensing on subscription. On subscription, it is easier and more flexible. You tell Qualys that you want to move from the 1000 to 2000 band or the 3000 or 5000 band, then they will give you the quotation for it. Once you pay for it, applying the licensing is quite easy and effective."

More Qualys Web Application Scanning pricing and cost advice

"Tenable.io Web Application Scanning is expensive for small businesses."

"The price of the solution is reasonable compared to the competitors. The license cost is based on the number of users and the annual usage."

"I rate the product's pricing a four out of ten."

"It follows the same licensing scheme as Tenable.io and Tenable. sc."

"The application is extremely affordable. There are no additional costs involved with licensing. We switched to Tenable.io Web Application Scanning from other solutions due to pricing."

"The pricing is okay."

"For Tenable.io Web Application Scanning, it comes to around 6,50,000 Indian rupees, plus taxes."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

14%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Computer Software Company

12%

Government

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

10%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	27

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	7

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Qualys Web Application Scanning?

The vulnerability management feature is a strong one. And also the patch management feature.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Qualys Web Application Scanning?

Regarding pricing, I think for personal use, it is costly, but if organizations are ready to pay, then it is fine as they are using it.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Qualys Web Application Scanning?

See all answers

What do you like most about Tenable.io Web Application Scanning?

The most effective feature of the product is the ability to scan the entire environment.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Tenable.io Web Application Scanning?

If there were a solution, I would like to see automation and an integrated remediation solution for vulnerability or patch management.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Tenable.io Web Application Scanning?

I do not understand what API approach means; I do not understand this term. I think Tenable.io Web Application Scanning is the best option on the market at the moment. My review rating for this pro...

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Qualys Web Application Scanning

January 2026

Download Qualys Web Application Scanning product report

Buyer's Guide

Application Security Tools

January 2026

Tenable.io Web Application Scanning report

Download Tenable.io Web Application Scanning product report

Also Known As

Qualys WAS

No data available

Overview

Qualys Web Application Scanning (WAS) is a fully cloud-based web application security scanner. The scanner will automatically crawl periodically and test web applications to discover potential vulnerabilities, including cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection. The consistent testing equips the automated service to generate consistent results, lessen false positives, and offer the ability to scale to protect thousands of websites effortlessly.

Qualys Web Application Scanning is bundled with different scanning technology to carefully scan websites for malware infections and will send notifications to website owners to assist in preventing blacklisting and brand reputation damage. As digital transformation takes place in various organizations, Qualys WAS gives organizations the ability to track and document their web app security status through its interactive reporting capabilities.

Qualys WAS empowers organizations to remediate any web application vulnerabilities quickly. Some of the key tools offered are:

Deep Scanning: All apps and APIs on your internal network and public cloud are covered by Qualys WAS deep scanning to show you any visible vulnerabilities.
DevSec Ops Tool: Detect security issues in your code while still in app development stages and generate comprehensive reports.
Comprehensive Discovery: Discover and catalog new and unknown web apps in your network.
Malware Detection: Scan a website, identify vulnerabilities, and receive alerts to any infections.

Benefits of Qualys Web Application Scanning

Qualys Web Application Scanning offers many benefits, including:

Quick Deployment: Requires no infrastructure or software to upkeep.
Effortless Scalability: Effortlessly launch a deep scan and protect thousands of websites.
Centralized Management: Manage and mend all web app vulnerabilities through a single interface.
Excellent Integration Capabilities: Integrates with Qualys Web App Firewall (WAF) for a single-click virtual patching of found vulnerabilities.
Respond to Threats Immediately: Qualys Continuous Monitoring offers the user a hands-free service by automatically launching scanning and sending notifications of a potential threat.
Cost-effective Solution: Data is analyzed in real time as Qualys WAS is an end-to-end solution; this helps avoid costs associated with managing multiple security vendors.

Reviews from Real Users

Qualys Web Application Scanning stands out among its competitors for a variety of reasons. Two of those reasons are its progressive scan and quick detection of vulnerabilities.

P.K., a senior software developer at a tech vendor, writes, "The feature that I have found most valuable is the progressive scan. It is good. It's done in 24 hours."

Nagaraj S., lead cybersecurity engineer at a tech service company, notes, "I have found the detection of vulnerabilities tool thorough with good results and the graphical display output to be wonderful and full of colors. It allows many types of outputs, such as bar and chart previews."

Qualys

Tenable.io Web Application Scanning safely, accurately and automatically scans your web applications, providing deep visibility into vulnerabilities and valuable context to prioritize remediation.

Tenable

Sample Customers

BskyB, Cartagena, ClearPoint Learning Systems, Connect Group, du, Fortrex Technologies, HBOR, HDI, Highlights for Children, The Lithuanian State Enterprise Centre of Registers, City of Miami Beach, Microsoft, MidlandHR, MSCI Inc., Northern Arizona University, Ofgem, Olympus Europa, PhoneFactor, RTL Nederland, ThousandEyes, VGZ Organisatie B.V.

IMDEX

Buyer's Guide

Qualys Web Application Scanning vs. Tenable.io Web Application Scanning

February 2026

Free Report: Qualys Web Application Scanning vs. Tenable.io Web Application Scanning

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