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Bitwarden vs Tenable Nessus

Bitwarden logo

Bitwarden

Software

Open source password management for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tenable Nessus logo

Tenable Nessus

Software

Network vulnerability scanner

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; 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: Bitwarden covers Unlimited password storage, Tenable Nessus covers Network scanning.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bitwarden and Tenable Nessus differ
AttributeBitwardenTenable Nessus
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, CliWindows, Linux, Macos, Cloud
Founded20162002

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 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.

Bitwarden

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

Tenable Nessus

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

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

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

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 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 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.
Tenable Nessus review

Questions people ask

Is Bitwarden or Tenable Nessus better?
Neither clearly leads. Bitwarden 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, Bitwarden or Tenable Nessus?
Bitwarden starts at Free and Tenable Nessus at Free.
Does Bitwarden or Tenable Nessus run on more platforms?
Bitwarden runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, Cli. Tenable Nessus runs on Windows, Linux, Macos, Cloud.
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 Tenable Nessus is typically brought in for.
What can Bitwarden do that Tenable Nessus cannot?
Bitwarden covers Unlimited password storage, Cross-platform sync, Secure password sharing, Password generator. Tenable Nessus covers Network scanning, Vulnerability detection, Configuration assessment, Malware detection.
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