Government · head to head
Bang the Table vs Tenable Nessus
The short version
- Only Tenable Nessus has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Bang the Table the Internet Archive's capture of Bang the Table's homepage on 29 December 2020 confirmed its EngagementHQ platform is sold only via demo request, with EngagementIQ support offered as separate 'annual success plan options'; no price figure is published for either.; Tenable Nessus nessus Professional is $4,790 for one year, sold as an annual licence rather than a per scan or usage based fee
- They diverge on capability: Bang the Table covers Online Surveys, Tenable Nessus covers Network scanning.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bang the Table and Tenable Nessus actually diverge.
| Attribute | Bang the Table | Tenable Nessus |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $600/month | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android | Windows, Linux, Macos, Cloud |
| Category | Government | Cybersecurity |
| Founded | 2007 | 2002 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Bang the Table
- Online Surveys
- Discussion Forums
- Interactive Mapping
- Story Telling
- Participation Analytics
- ArcGIS
- Google Maps
- Social Media
Only in Tenable Nessus
- Network scanning
- Vulnerability detection
- Configuration assessment
- Malware detection
- Compliance checking
- Cloud security assessment
- Mobile scanning
- API access
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Bang the Table
- Citizen Servicesnot Tenable Nessus
- Records Managementnot Tenable Nessus
- Public Safetynot Tenable Nessus
- Civic Engagementnot Tenable Nessus
Tenable Nessus
- Vulnerability scanning of servers, network devices and web applicationsnot Bang the Table
- Configuration and compliance auditing against hardening benchmarksnot Bang the Table
- Point in time assessments by consultants and penetration testersnot Bang the Table
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Bang the Table
- The Internet Archive's capture of Bang the Table's homepage on 29 December 2020 confirmed its EngagementHQ platform is sold only via demo request, with EngagementIQ support offered as separate 'annual success plan options'; no price figure is published for either.
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
Bang the Table
$600/month- EngagementHQ$600/month
- Surveys
- Forums
- Mapping Tools
Tenable Nessus
Free- Nessus EssentialsFree
- Up to 16 ips
- Network scanning
- Vulnerability assessment
- Nessus Professional$2600/year
- Unlimited targets
- Enterprise features
- Advanced analytics
- Nessus Expert$5200/year
- All Professional features
- Cloud integration
- Advanced reporting
Which should you pick?
Choose Bang the Table if
- You need online surveys.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want discussion forums.
Choose Tenable Nessus if
- You need network scanning.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Linux, Macos, Cloud.
- You also want vulnerability detection.
Questions people ask
- Is Bang the Table or Tenable Nessus better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bang the Table starts at $600/month and Tenable Nessus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bang the Table or Tenable Nessus?
- Tenable Nessus has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $600/month for Bang the Table and Free for Tenable Nessus.
- Does Bang the Table or Tenable Nessus run on more platforms?
- Bang the Table runs on Web, Ios, Android. Tenable Nessus runs on Windows, Linux, Macos, Cloud.
- Can I use Tenable Nessus for free?
- Yes. Tenable Nessus has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bang the Table starts at $600/month.
- What is Bang the Table best used for?
- Bang the Table is most often used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement. Of those, citizen services and records management are not what Tenable Nessus is typically brought in for.
- What can Bang the Table do that Tenable Nessus cannot?
- Bang the Table covers Online Surveys, Discussion Forums, Interactive Mapping, Story Telling. Tenable Nessus covers Network scanning, Vulnerability detection, Configuration assessment, Malware detection.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Bang the Table: What solutions does Granicus provide?
Granicus offers Service Cloud for frictionless service delivery, Engagement Cloud for growing and activating audiences, Operations Cloud for automating workflows and reducing costs, and Government Experience Agent for 24/7 self-service with digital agents.
SourceTenable 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.
SourceBang the Table: Who does Granicus serve?
Granicus serves local government, state government, education, elected officials, federal government, and special districts. It helps organizations deliver better citizen experiences and improve government efficiency.
SourceTenable 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.
SourceBang the Table: Does Granicus offer AI solutions?
Yes, Granicus AI Hub provides secure, ethical AI solutions built exclusively for the public sector to transform services without compromising public trust.
SourceTenable 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.
SourceTenable 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.
SourceTenable 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.
SourceTenable 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.
SourceTenable Nessus: How frequently are Nessus plugins updated?
Nessus plugins are updated daily, based on when vendors and security research sites publish new vulnerabilities.
SourceTenable 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.
SourceRelated pages
More on Bang the Table
More on Tenable Nessus
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- Tenable Nessus vs DocuWare
- Tenable Nessus vs PublicInput
- Tenable Nessus vs Polco
- Tenable Nessus vs Nextdoor for Government
- Tenable Nessus vs Zencity
- Tenable Nessus vs CitizenLab
- Tenable Nessus vs OpenGov
- Tenable Nessus vs CentralSquare
- Tenable Nessus vs CityView
- Tenable Nessus vs ClearGov
- Tenable Nessus vs Periscope Holdings
- Tenable Nessus vs Ring Neighbors
- Tenable Nessus vs SafeCity
- Tenable Nessus vs SAP for Government
- Tenable Nessus vs SeeClickFix
- Tenable Nessus vs Rock Solid
- Tenable Nessus vs 1Password
- Tenable Nessus vs Bitdefender Total Security
- Tenable Nessus vs Norton 360
- Tenable Nessus vs LastPass
- Tenable Nessus vs Fortinet FortiGate
- Tenable Nessus vs Darktrace
- Tenable Nessus vs Qualys VMDR
- Tenable Nessus vs Acunetix
- Tenable Nessus vs Rapid7 InsightVM
- Tenable Nessus vs Recorded Future
- Tenable Nessus vs Private Internet Access
- Tenable Nessus vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Tenable Nessus vs Unit21
- Tenable Nessus vs Veracode
- Tenable Nessus vs Very Good Security
- Tenable Nessus vs VIVOTEK VAST Security Station
- Tenable Nessus vs Windscribe
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