OpenVAS vs Nessus Professional: side-by-side comparison (2026)
OpenVAS is a free vulnerability assessment solution. Nessus Professional is a commercial vulnerability assessment solution by Tenable. Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.
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OpenVAS is an open-source vulnerability scanner that provides extensive testing capabilities for identifying security weaknesses in networks and systems.
Vulnerability scanner for assessing networks, systems, and apps for security flaws.
Side-by-side comparison
Feature
OpenVAS
Nessus Professional
Pricing model
Free
Commercial
Category
Vulnerability Assessment
Vulnerability Assessment
Deployment and fit
Deployment type
–
On-Premises
Company size fit
–
Startup, SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise
Company
Company
–
Tenable
Use cases and capabilities
Open Source
Yes
No
Vulnerability
No
Yes
Security Scanning
No
Yes
CVE
No
Yes
Penetration Testing Framework
No
Yes
NIST
No
Yes
PCI DSS
No
Yes
CIS
No
Yes
Network Scanning
No
Yes
VAPT
No
Yes
Core features
No features listed
10 features listed
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