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Bitwarden vs Nessus

Bitwarden logo

Bitwarden

All industries

Open source password management for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nessus logo

Nessus

Security & Cybersecurity

The most trusted vulnerability assessment solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bitwarden the integrated TOTP authenticator, encrypted file attachments, vault health reports and Emergency Access are all withheld from the free plan and need Premium at $1.65 per month; Nessus nessus Professional is $4,790 for one year, with no free or low cost commercial tier
  • They diverge on capability: Bitwarden covers Unlimited password storage, Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bitwarden and Nessus actually diverge.

Attributes where Bitwarden and Nessus differ
AttributeBitwardenNessus
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, CliDesktop, Api
CategoryAll industriesSecurity & Cybersecurity
Founded20162002

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), 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 Bitwarden

  • Unlimited password storage
  • Cross-platform sync
  • Secure password sharing
  • Password generator
  • Two-factor authentication
  • Encrypted file attachments
  • Vault health reports
  • Emergency access

Only in Nessus

  • Vulnerability scanning
  • Configuration auditing
  • Malware detection
  • Web application scanning
  • Cloud scanning
  • Compliance checks
  • Patch auditing
  • Pre-built policies

What people use each for

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

Bitwarden

  • Personal password managementnot Nessus
  • Team credential sharingnot Nessus
  • Enterprise securitynot Nessus
  • Compliance requirementsnot Nessus
  • Developer secrets managementnot Nessus

Nessus

  • Scanning hosts and applications for known vulnerabilities and misconfigurationsnot Bitwarden
  • Running compliance and configuration audits against a defined scopenot Bitwarden

Where each one falls short

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

Bitwarden

  • The integrated TOTP authenticator, encrypted file attachments, vault health reports and Emergency Access are all withheld from the free plan and need Premium at $1.65 per month
  • Free accounts can share vault items with one other Bitwarden user and no more
  • File storage is capped at 5 GB on Premium and 5 GB personal plus 5 GB family on the Families plan
  • Two-step login accepts up to 10 hardware security keys per account
  • The Families plan is capped at 6 people, so a seventh member means moving to a Teams subscription at $4 per user per month

Nessus

  • Nessus Professional is $4,790 for one year, with no free or low cost commercial tier
  • Multi year terms are the only discount route, at $9,330.95 for two years and $13,637.54 for three
  • It is a single user scanner, so team workflows mean migrating to another Tenable product
  • Tenable One vulnerability management is priced separately, starting at $3,500 a year for 100 assets

Pricing, plan by plan

Bitwarden

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited passwords
    • 2 users (organizations)
    • Sync all devices
  • Teams$3/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Unlimited users
    • Shared collections
  • Enterprise$6/month
    • Everything in Teams
    • SSO integration
    • Enterprise policies

Nessus

Free
  • Nessus Essentials (Free)Free
    • 16 IP addresses
    • Vulnerability scanning
    • Configuration auditing
  • Nessus Professional$2990/year
    • Unlimited IPs
    • Compliance checks
    • Live results
  • Nessus Expert$5290/year
    • All Pro features
    • External attack surface
    • Cloud infrastructure scanning

Which should you pick?

Choose Bitwarden if

  • You need unlimited password storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, Cli.
  • You also want cross-platform sync.
Bitwarden review

Choose Nessus if

  • You need vulnerability scanning.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Desktop, Api.
  • You also want configuration auditing.
Nessus review

Questions people ask

Is Bitwarden or Nessus better?
Neither clearly leads. Bitwarden starts at Free and Nessus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bitwarden or Nessus?
Bitwarden starts at Free and Nessus at Free.
Does Bitwarden or Nessus run on more platforms?
Bitwarden runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, Cli. Nessus runs on Desktop, Api.
Can I use Bitwarden for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Bitwarden best used for?
Bitwarden is most often used for personal password management, team credential sharing, enterprise security, compliance requirements. Of those, personal password management and team credential sharing are not what Nessus is typically brought in for.
What can Bitwarden do that Nessus cannot?
Bitwarden covers Unlimited password storage, Cross-platform sync, Secure password sharing, Password generator. Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning, Configuration auditing, Malware detection, Web application scanning.
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