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Security & Cybersecurity · head to head

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Tenable Nessus

CrowdStrike Falcon logo

CrowdStrike Falcon

Security & Cybersecurity

Stop breaches with AI-native cybersecurity

From
$7.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tenable Nessus logo

Tenable Nessus

Security & Cybersecurity

Network vulnerability scanner

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Tenable 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; 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: CrowdStrike Falcon covers Next-gen antivirus, Tenable Nessus covers Network scanning.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where CrowdStrike Falcon and Tenable Nessus differ
AttributeCrowdStrike FalconTenable Nessus
Starting price$7.99/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows, Linux, Macos, Cloud
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 Tenable Nessus

  • Network scanning
  • Vulnerability detection
  • Configuration assessment
  • Malware detection
  • Compliance checking
  • Cloud security assessment
  • Mobile scanning
  • API access

Both cover

  • Splunk
  • ServiceNow
  • AWS
  • Azure
  • Google Cloud
  • SOC2 Type 2

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 Tenable Nessus
  • Mid-market organisations via Falcon Pro or Enterprise with advanced threat detectionnot Tenable Nessus
  • Organisations requiring custom managed detection and response via Falcon Completenot Tenable Nessus

Tenable Nessus

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

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

CrowdStrike Falcon

$7.99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the CrowdStrike Falcon review.

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 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 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 CrowdStrike Falcon or Tenable Nessus better?
Neither clearly leads. CrowdStrike Falcon starts at $7.99/month and Tenable Nessus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CrowdStrike Falcon or Tenable Nessus?
Tenable Nessus has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $7.99/month for CrowdStrike Falcon and Free for Tenable Nessus.
Does CrowdStrike Falcon or Tenable Nessus run on more platforms?
CrowdStrike Falcon runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. 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. 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 Tenable Nessus is typically brought in for.
What can CrowdStrike Falcon do that Tenable Nessus cannot?
CrowdStrike Falcon covers Next-gen antivirus, Endpoint detection and response, Threat intelligence, IT hygiene. Tenable Nessus covers Network scanning, Vulnerability detection, Configuration assessment, Malware detection. Both handle Splunk, ServiceNow, AWS, Azure.
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