We are using Tenable Nessus real-time monitoring.
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."
- "Tenable Nessus could improve by having more steady updates which will reduce the vulnerabilities."
What is our primary use case?
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.
Buyer's Guide
Tenable Nessus
December 2025
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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.
Information Security Manager at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
Tests against cloud providers, database profiles, several types of telecom devices, and other highly customizable scans
Pros and Cons
- "Scanners and reports using CIS templates ("de-facto" standard, easy to fix and to locate correction tips at documentation), tests against cloud providers, database profiles, several types of telecom devices, and others highly customizable scans."
- "Model OS costs (and its segregation schema for individual modules)."
What is our primary use case?
Over 15.000 active assets|inside 10 companies belonging to the group, the biennium recurrent project mapped the real situation, in parallel with photography of IT/Security maturity through three main domains: processes, people, and technology. 5 TOEs: Infrastructure, Databases (SQL and Oracle in deep), AWS Cloud, Connectivity (Routers, Switches, and Firewalls against/based CIS) and Web Application instances (partial tests). Nessus running over a hardened Linux customized with HA (High Availability).
How has it helped my organization?
Nessus has more plugins/add-ons, tests, and templates than previous tools (OpenVas) and it is faster and customizable using CLI/API features. It offers enough resources for an interesting cost-benefit rating (for small and medium companies) and minus false-positive events per type of asset.
It helped us to quickly produce a QuickWin report that guided the VulnerabilityMgmt actions and plans within the company's during the next 3-5 years using the same tool/investment/team for all companies inside the de group.
What is most valuable?
Scanners and reports using CIS templates ("de-facto" standard, easy to fix and to locate correction tips in the documentation), tests against cloud providers, database profiles, several types of telecom devices, and other highly customizable scans. You can scale your environment to gradually increase the quality, depth, and quantity of the tests, enabling you to learn and gradually optimize your vulnerability management platform(s)/instance(s). The possibility of integration with other market tools (Kenna, Archer...) is another differential.
What needs improvement?
- Add the possibility to customize attributes that define the assets critical level based on the company's "business sense".
- Improve integration and tests for OT platforms, OT application, OT hardware, and non-Ethernet protocols.
- Improve the exchange of info/insights/attributes with RM (Risk Management) domain.
- Offer a more flexible strategic and high-level dashboards based on previous comments (minus technical and more business-oriented)
- Model OS costs (and its segregation schema for individual modules).
For how long have I used the solution?
7+ years with Tenable and more than 15y with others.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Excellent. No one problem during operation time and deployment.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Enough (faster than OpenVAS engine).
How are customer service and support?
It SLA/support are enough.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
OpenVAS. We reached the previous level/threshold/maturity using OpenVas (more limited tool when compared with Nessus). I/We believe that, the change to a better tool (in this and in others categories) should be carried out when these indicators are reached.
How was the initial setup?
Very simple and fast.
What about the implementation team?
In-house.
What was our ROI?
Good. Nessus Pro combined with other xLAP solutions to offer a presentation/grouping layer is great. Using SC this curve/point of ROI is slower.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Start small, learn about your problems/fixing time and grow up gradually.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Several. OpenVas, Rapid7, Qualys, CORE* and Retina.
What other advice do I have?
A cost/benefit interesting tool.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Tenable Nessus
December 2025
Learn what your peers think about Tenable Nessus. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2025.
879,310 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Senior Consultant - Cyber Security Services at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
The most dynamic solution on the market
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is the most dynamic one I have seen thus far."
- "EQA's and dashboards should be addressed in the next release."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for our customer vApp, the dynamic application testing using NetWeb application and security and the infra scanning. It allows us to do a weekly scan for our customers.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution was a great help during the pandemic for closing down all those open vulnerabilities. Continuous scanning of the infra was helpful for identification on the web applications level.
What is most valuable?
The solution is the most dynamic one I have seen thus far. It is one of the best available solutions. It is the best vulnerability tool that is available at present.
What needs improvement?
While Tenable Nessus is a good enterprise solution, the high price would likely make it prohibitive to smaller organizations.
We feel the licensing cost to be too high for our customers and us.
EQA's and dashboards should be addressed in the next release.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Tenable Nessus for four or five years. I believe that our practice team is doing so.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is highly reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is not an issue.
How are customer service and support?
Tech support is good. I think we are now partnered with Tenable.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. The solution was very easy to set up and configure.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have a yearly subscription license.
We have a partnership for filling Tenable Nessus as a manager product for our customers.
Though it is a good enterprise solution, it is likely too highly priced for smaller organizations.
We feel the licensing cost to be too high for our customers and us.
What other advice do I have?
We have both on-premises and cloud-based deployment in our organization.
The solution is good.
I rate Tenable Nessus as a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Chief information security officer at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
Anyone can deploy it, even the managers, the technical teams, and the engineers
Pros and Cons
- "With the Tenable Nessus enterprise edition, you have unlimited licenses to scan the device."
- "The reporting feature needs to be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We are using it to find out the vulnerabilities in our critical servers and to patch them.
We are using the latest version.
What is most valuable?
Tenable Nessus is good. It's the best vulnerability solution in the industry. Most organizations are using it.
What needs improvement?
In terms of what could be improved, I would say that the reporting feature needs to be improved.
Additionally, although it has the features, the enterprise edition is very limited. They need to add multiple reporting features in the enterprise edition.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Tenable Nessus for the last two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Tenable Nessus is a vulnerability product. We have two to three users who are running it, but in terms of the end devices, because it's intended for vulnerabilities scanning and you have to scan your end devices, we have around hundred devices who are scanning with it.
It is a scalable solution.
How are customer service and support?
We contacted support for some scenarios, like upgrades, new security patches, and for some customized reports.
We were satisfied with the speed of the answers. It is good support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very easy.
Anyone can deploy it, even the managers, the technical teams, the engineers.
I think it took five minutes.
What about the implementation team?
We installed with the help of a consultant. You can do it one time and then you will learn it very easily.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have an annual subscription.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We also evaluated the Rapid7 Nexpose product, but it has a limitation that it supports 128 users then you have to buy another 128, but with the Tenable Nessus enterprise edition, you have unlimited licenses to scan the device.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Tenable Nessus.
On a scale of one to ten, I would rate it an eight.
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.
Senior Partner
Overall great solution, plenty of features, and free options
Pros and Cons
- "Overall Zoom is a good solution."
- "I have found it is sometimes difficult to control the Zoom meeting sessions. For example, it is difficult to know who is talking and when trying to mute everyone but the speaker you end up muting everyone. When using multiple screens it is laborious to find the control buttons, such as to start a session. Additionally, when a recording is done I have found it difficult to find them, there should be an easier way to retrieve them."
What is our primary use case?
I use Zoom for virtual meetings.
What is most valuable?
Overall Zoom is a good solution.
What needs improvement?
I have found it is sometimes difficult to control the Zoom meeting sessions. For example, it is difficult to know who is talking and when trying to mute everyone but the speaker you end up muting everyone. When using multiple screens it is laborious to find the control buttons, such as to start a session. Additionally, when a recording is done I have found it difficult to find them, there should be an easier way to retrieve them.
In a future release, the recordings should be able to be enhanced. I am not fully sure if it is the speed of the network or what the challenge is but we record our Zoom meetings and then I edit them to make them into a presentation. There are times when people are grainy, or their sound is not the best. Zoom should have an optimization option for those wanting to do recordings to allow them to receive the best experience. Alternatively, they could give tips on the best configuration settings for the highest recording output quality. For example, Is the user using the most current version of Zoom, or have they blocked out the background noise.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Zoom for approximately 10 years.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Teams, ON24, and Citrix.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution has free options.
What other advice do I have?
Zoom is a great solution. I did appreciate during the pandemic they offered it for free for a certain amount of callers. I thought that gesture was really great.
I rate Zoom a ten 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.
Network Security Delivery Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Useful report, responsive technical support, and installation straightforward
Pros and Cons
- "I have found the vulnerability assessment and the reports to be useful."
- "The solution could improve by having better integration with different vendors' IPS solutions. The ACLs and IPS policies signatures should be enabled based on the results of Tenable Nessus automatically, we currently have to do it manually which is very time-consuming. It has done a good job integrating with Fortinet but we would like it to be better integrated with other solutions that we have."
What is our primary use case?
We use Tenable Nessus for vulnerability assessments.
What is most valuable?
I have found the vulnerability assessment and the reports to be useful.
What needs improvement?
The solution could improve by having better integration with different vendors' IPS solutions. The ACLs and IPS policies signatures should be enabled based on the results of Tenable Nessus automatically, we currently have to do it manually which is very time-consuming. It has done a good job integrating with Fortinet but we would like it to be better integrated with other solutions that we have. Additionally, After Tenable Nessus was able to recognize the vulnerability it would be great to have it virtually batch the systems if you are not able to update the different systems.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Tenable Nessus within the last 12 months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
While doing the scans we have not had any issues, the solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Tenable Nessus is scalable.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support was responsive and helpful. We were trying different integrations and needed some assistance.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very easy and straightforward. The VM can be done very quickly and the whole process takes approximately 30 minutes. The installation is quicker than others solutions, such as Qualys.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of the solution is reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Senior Cyber Security Expert at a security firm with 11-50 employees
Easy to install, reliable, helpful support, and has a good assessment tool
Pros and Cons
- "Tenable Nessus is one of the best vulnerability assessment tools, that I know."
- "They need more flexible pricing."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution for information gathering and as an assessment tool.
What is most valuable?
Tenable Nessus is one of the best vulnerability assessment tools, that I know.
What needs improvement?
The price could be improved. They need more flexible pricing.
If they had a very creative idea, maybe they could add a special feature. Even extending functions, or exploring new areas. If they were able to integrate it with the existing solution, that would be fine.
I would like to see more integrations, more ideas or services, and functions offered.
It's about wider functionality and not a question of integration. It's more a question of, creativity. If they have other ideas such as what could be added to the vulnerability management.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Tenable Nessus for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Tenable Nessus is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a scalable solution.
Nessus we either use Nessus for projects for ourselves in many situations, and they also deliver Nessus as a solution for at least five clients. We also have approximately 10 users in our organization.
How are customer service and technical support?
My experience with technical support is very positive.
How was the initial setup?
The installation was easy.
It took approximately six hours to install and deploy.
We need two for the deployment and maintenance, we have two or three people.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In general, it is extremely expensive. If they have a higher price, that's fine, but if there were one or two solutions where you can buy something for a cheaper price then that would make sense for many users.
I understand why it's expensive, but it would be good to have a limited solution with cheaper prices.
There are different solutions for purchasing Nessus, which is not possible with Datadog.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I would rate Tenable Nessus a nine out of ten because it has many dimensions.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Cybersecurity Manager at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Excellent at identifying vulnerabilities and accessing information related to that
Pros and Cons
- "Ease of reviewing scores, identifying vulnerabilities, and getting information on them."
- "Scans aren't done properly and some devices aren't pinged."
What is most valuable?
The valuable feature for me is being able to ping the computers to do the automated scan and to come back and be able to see everything. That's definitely a huge plus, but then there's also the ease of reviewing the scores, identifying vulnerabilities, and getting the information on the vulnerabilities; the ability to review all that within one tool has been phenomenal. When we're reviewing those Nessus scores, the solution works well.
What needs improvement?
I think there's still some things that need to be ironed out to ensure that we can have a one-stop shop to do both ACAS, SCAP automated assessments in. We've been trying to do that and they say you can, the capability is integrated into the system. But in most instances, especially when you're dealing with some systems that are standalone or a network that we built ourselves, we find that some devices aren't pinged and the scans aren't done properly. That also comes down to the hardening of the systems where the password or the privileges weren't taken, so therefore it didn't do the scan properly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for the past six or seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. We haven't run into any issues other than some passwords that don't take, but that's the way we set up the system. If it's set up properly and configured appropriately, there won't be any issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We could definitely make the adjustment to scale it left, right, up and down, depending on what we're using it for and we haven't run into any issues on that. It's pretty flexible.
How was the initial setup?
The setup itself is pretty straightforward. Because these are standalone systems, there are some additional steps that the IT team needs to do, but they pretty much have it down to where they could install the tools pretty easily and have it running reasonably quickly.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend making sure that the solution meets your needs for automated scans and the SCAP. If you're looking for a one-stop shop, I think it's a great tool for that. I would recommend some form of training if you don't have experience with this kind of solution. There's a bit of a learning curve involved in terms of configuring and using Nessus.
I rate this solution an eight out of 10.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Tenable Nessus Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: December 2025
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Authenticated users are a excellent way for you increase the quality and depth of your scanner. You can add/use cloud providers API-keys during tests, local or AD users/credentials with database, telecom devices and other types of digital assets. Normally, the difference between non/authenticated-scans is widely big.