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Cybersecurity · head to head

Auth0 vs Tenable Nessus

Auth0 logo

Auth0

Cybersecurity

Secure access for everyone

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit Auth0Full review
Tenable Nessus logo

Tenable Nessus

Cybersecurity

Network vulnerability scanner

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit Tenable NessusFull review

The short version

  • Auth0 is an identity platform for builders.
  • Free plans on both; paid from $35/mo and $2600/yr.
  • Only Auth0 lists universal login; only Tenable Nessus lists network scanning.
  • Where Auth0 falls short: free tier limited to 25,000 monthly active users, requiring upgrade for growth beyond that.
  • Where Tenable Nessus falls short: nessus Professional is $4,790 for one year, sold as an annual licence rather than a per scan or usage based fee.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Auth0 and Tenable Nessus actually diverge.

Attributes where Auth0 and Tenable Nessus differ
AttributeAuth0Tenable Nessus
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, Linux, macOS, Web
Founded20132002

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), category (Cybersecurity).

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Auth0.

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Auth0

  • Universal login
  • Social login
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Passwordless
  • User management
  • Anomaly detection
  • Extensibility
  • Machine to machine

Only in Tenable Nessus

  • Network scanning
  • Vulnerability detection
  • Configuration assessment
  • Malware detection
  • Compliance checking
  • Cloud security assessment
  • Mobile scanning
  • API access

Both cover

  • Splunk
  • AWS
  • Azure
  • Google Cloud
  • GDPR

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Auth0

  • B2C authenticationnot Tenable Nessus
  • B2B authenticationnot Tenable Nessus
  • B2E authenticationnot Tenable Nessus
  • API securitynot Tenable Nessus
  • Mobile app securitynot Tenable Nessus

Tenable Nessus

  • Vulnerability scanning of servers, network devices and web applicationsnot Auth0
  • Configuration and compliance auditing against hardening benchmarksnot Auth0
  • Point in time assessments by consultants and penetration testersnot Auth0

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Auth0

  • Free tier limited to 25,000 monthly active users, requiring upgrade for growth beyond that
  • Advanced features like MFA and RBAC only available on paid Essentials tier and above
  • Ownership by Okta introduces risk that independent product roadmap may change

Tenable Nessus

  • Nessus Professional is $4,790 for one year, sold as an annual licence rather than a per scan or usage based fee
  • Support beyond the base entitlement costs an extra $400 per year for Advanced Support with 24x365 phone and chat access
  • The on demand training course is a separate $275 purchase for a single person for one year
  • Multi year discounts require paying for two or three years up front

Pricing, plan by plan

Auth0

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 25,000 monthly active users
    • Basic authentication
    • Email/password login
  • Essentials (B2C)$35/mo
    • Unlimited MAUs beyond free tier
    • Multi-Factor Authentication
    • Role-Based Access Control
  • Professional (B2C)$240/mo
    • All Essentials features
    • Advanced security
    • Custom branding

Tenable Nessus

Free
  • Nessus EssentialsFree
    • Up to 16 ips
    • Network scanning
    • Vulnerability assessment
  • Nessus Professional$2,600/yr
    • Unlimited targets
    • Enterprise features
    • Advanced analytics
  • Nessus Expert$5,200/yr
    • All Professional features
    • Cloud integration
    • Advanced reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose Auth0 if

  • You need universal login.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want social login.
Auth0 review

Choose Tenable Nessus if

  • You need network scanning.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, macOS, Web.
  • You also want vulnerability detection.
Tenable Nessus review

Questions people ask

Is Auth0 or Tenable Nessus better?
Neither clearly leads. Auth0 starts at Free and Tenable Nessus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Auth0 or Tenable Nessus?
Auth0 starts at Free and Tenable Nessus at Free.
Does Auth0 or Tenable Nessus run on more platforms?
Auth0 runs on Web, iOS, Android. Tenable Nessus runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, Web.
Can I use Auth0 for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Auth0 best used for?
Auth0 is most often used for b2c authentication, b2b authentication, b2e authentication, api security. Of those, b2c authentication and b2b authentication are not what Tenable Nessus is typically brought in for.
What can Auth0 do that Tenable Nessus cannot?
Auth0 covers Universal login, Social login, Multi-factor authentication, Passwordless. Tenable Nessus covers Network scanning, Vulnerability detection, Configuration assessment, Malware detection. Both handle Splunk, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Auth0: How much does Auth0 cost?

Auth0 has a Free tier for up to 25,000 monthly active users (MAUs). Paid plans start at $35/month (Essentials B2C) and scale to $240/month (Professional B2C) and higher for Enterprise. Pricing scales with MAU usage.

Source
Tenable Nessus: What are the three Nessus offerings?

Nessus Essentials is a free introductory offering for educators, students, and career starters, limited to 16 IPs for scanning. Nessus Professional is designed for consultants and SMBs, providing unlimited IT scans across any location. Nessus Expert is the premium offering extending Professional with web application scanning, infrastructure-as-code scanning, and external attack surface assessment up to 5 domains.

Source
Auth0: Does Auth0 include Multi-Factor Authentication?

No. MFA, RBAC (Role-Based Access Control), and premium support are not included in the free tier and require upgrading to paid Essentials plans or higher.

Source
Tenable Nessus: What OS platforms does Nessus support?

Nessus runs on Debian/Kali Linux, Fedora, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, Red Hat/CentOS, SUSE Linux, Ubuntu, and various Windows versions including Server 2008, 2012, and Windows 7-10.

Source
Auth0: Is Auth0 independent or part of a larger company?

Auth0 was acquired by Okta in May 2021 for $6.5 billion. It now operates as a subsidiary business unit within Okta, but maintains its own brand and operations.

Source
Tenable Nessus: Can I use Nessus to scan third-party networks as a consultant?

Yes, Tenable permits you to use Nessus to scan third-party networks. Nessus Professional is ideal for consultants.

Source
Auth0: Who should use Auth0 vs Okta?

Auth0 is developer-focused and serves customer identity use cases (B2C). Okta serves workforce identity (B2B) and has broader enterprise features. Auth0 now serves both markets post-acquisition but maintains its developer-friendly positioning.

Source
Tenable Nessus: Can Nessus perform PCI external scanning?

Yes, you can use Nessus Professional to perform external network scans as required by the PCI DSS 11.2.2 requirement.

Source
Tenable Nessus: What additional features does Nessus Expert provide?

Web application scanning, which is dynamic application security testing (DAST) providing comprehensive visibility and insight into web application security issues; scanning code repositories for vulnerabilities; and assessing external attack surface with subdomain discovery.

Source
Tenable Nessus: What support options exist for Nessus Professional?

Standard Support includes software upgrades, patches, plugin access, and 24x7 support via chat and community portal. Advanced Support adds 24x7 phone access and committed SLAs: P1 less than 2 hours, P2 less than 4 hours, P3 less than 12 hours, P4 less than 24 hours.

Source
Tenable Nessus: How frequently are Nessus plugins updated?

Nessus plugins are updated daily, based on when vendors and security research sites publish new vulnerabilities.

Source
Tenable Nessus: How does licensing work in virtual machine environments?

Whether you are using Nessus in a physical or a virtual environment, the IP addresses or hosts that you are scanning from must be licensed.

Source
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