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Security & Cybersecurity · head to head

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Nessus

CrowdStrike Falcon logo

CrowdStrike Falcon

Security & Cybersecurity

Stop breaches with AI-native cybersecurity

From
$7.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nessus logo

Nessus

Security & Cybersecurity

The most trusted vulnerability assessment solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Nessus has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CrowdStrike Falcon falcon Go tier limited to maximum of 100 devices; Nessus nessus Professional is $4,790 for one year, with no free or low cost commercial tier
  • They diverge on capability: CrowdStrike Falcon covers Next-gen antivirus, Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CrowdStrike Falcon and Nessus actually diverge.

Attributes where CrowdStrike Falcon and Nessus differ
AttributeCrowdStrike FalconNessus
Starting price$7.99/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxDesktop, Api
Founded20112002

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Security & Cybersecurity).

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 CrowdStrike Falcon

  • Next-gen antivirus
  • Endpoint detection and response
  • Threat intelligence
  • IT hygiene
  • USB device control
  • Firewall management
  • Threat graph
  • Real-time response

Only in Nessus

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

Both cover

  • Splunk
  • ServiceNow
  • AWS
  • Azure
  • Google Cloud

What people use each for

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

CrowdStrike Falcon

  • Small endpoint deployments via Falcon Go with per-device pricingnot Nessus
  • Mid-market organisations via Falcon Pro or Enterprise with advanced threat detectionnot Nessus
  • Organisations requiring custom managed detection and response via Falcon Completenot Nessus

Nessus

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

Where each one falls short

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

CrowdStrike Falcon

  • Falcon Go tier limited to maximum of 100 devices
  • Falcon Complete Next-Gen MDR requires custom quote; pricing not published
  • Higher tiers (Enterprise and above) feature gatekeeping for threat hunting and identity protection

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

CrowdStrike Falcon

$7.99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the CrowdStrike Falcon review.

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 CrowdStrike Falcon if

  • You need next-gen antivirus.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want endpoint detection and response.
CrowdStrike Falcon 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 CrowdStrike Falcon or Nessus better?
Neither clearly leads. CrowdStrike Falcon starts at $7.99/month and Nessus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CrowdStrike Falcon or Nessus?
Nessus has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $7.99/month for CrowdStrike Falcon and Free for Nessus.
Does CrowdStrike Falcon or Nessus run on more platforms?
CrowdStrike Falcon runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Nessus runs on Desktop, Api.
Can I use Nessus for free?
Yes. Nessus has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CrowdStrike Falcon starts at $7.99/month.
What is CrowdStrike Falcon best used for?
CrowdStrike Falcon is most often used for small endpoint deployments via falcon go with per-device pricing, mid-market organisations via falcon pro or enterprise with advanced threat detection, organisations requiring custom managed detection and response via falcon complete. Of those, small endpoint deployments via falcon go with per-device pricing and mid-market organisations via falcon pro or enterprise with advanced threat detection are not what Nessus is typically brought in for.
What can CrowdStrike Falcon do that Nessus cannot?
CrowdStrike Falcon covers Next-gen antivirus, Endpoint detection and response, Threat intelligence, IT hygiene. Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning, Configuration auditing, Malware detection, Web application scanning. Both handle Splunk, ServiceNow, AWS, Azure.
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