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Burp Suite vs Nessus

Burp Suite logo

Burp Suite

Software

The leading toolkit for web security testing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nessus logo

Nessus

Software

The most trusted vulnerability assessment solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Burp Suite the automated vulnerability scanner is Professional only, at $499; the free Community edition is manual tools; Nessus nessus Professional is $4,790 for one year, with no free or low cost commercial tier
  • They diverge on capability: Burp Suite covers Web vulnerability scanner, Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Burp Suite and Nessus actually diverge.

Attributes where Burp Suite and Nessus differ
AttributeBurp SuiteNessus
Founded20042002

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), platforms (Desktop, Api), 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 Burp Suite

  • Web vulnerability scanner
  • Proxy interceptor
  • Intruder
  • Repeater
  • Sequencer
  • Decoder
  • Comparer
  • Logger

Only in Nessus

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

Both cover

  • JIRA
  • On-premise deployment
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

Burp Suite

  • Manual web application penetration testing through an intercepting proxynot Nessus
  • Automated scanning for web vulnerabilities on the Professional editionnot Nessus
  • Extending testing with community-built BApp extensionsnot Nessus
  • Enterprise-wide dynamic scanning through Burp DASTnot Nessus

Nessus

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

Where each one falls short

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

Burp Suite

  • The automated vulnerability scanner is Professional only, at $499; the free Community edition is manual tools
  • BApp Store extensions require the Professional edition
  • DAST and the agentic testing product are separate enterprise offerings with no published price
  • Professional is licensed per user per year rather than perpetually

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

Burp Suite

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Essential manual tools
    • Proxy
    • Repeater
  • Professional$449/year
    • All Community features
    • Burp Scanner
    • Advanced manual tools
  • Enterprise$6995/year
    • CI/CD integration
    • Scheduled scans
    • Role-based access

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 Burp Suite if

  • You need web vulnerability scanner.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Desktop, Api.
  • You also want proxy interceptor.
Burp Suite 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 Burp Suite or Nessus better?
Neither clearly leads. Burp Suite 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, Burp Suite or Nessus?
Burp Suite starts at Free and Nessus at Free.
Does Burp Suite or Nessus run on more platforms?
Both run on Desktop, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Burp Suite for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Burp Suite best used for?
Burp Suite is most often used for manual web application penetration testing through an intercepting proxy, automated scanning for web vulnerabilities on the professional edition, extending testing with community-built bapp extensions, enterprise-wide dynamic scanning through burp dast. Of those, manual web application penetration testing through an intercepting proxy and automated scanning for web vulnerabilities on the professional edition are not what Nessus is typically brought in for.
What can Burp Suite do that Nessus cannot?
Burp Suite covers Web vulnerability scanner, Proxy interceptor, Intruder, Repeater. Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning, Configuration auditing, Malware detection, Web application scanning. Both handle JIRA, On-premise deployment, Cloud deployment.
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