Cybersecurity · head to head
Descope vs Tenable Nessus
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Descope free tier capped at 7,500 MAU; Pro tier at 10,000 MAU, Growth tier at 25,000 MAU, forcing migration to Enterprise for larger organisations; Tenable Nessus nessus Professional is $4,790 for one year, sold as an annual licence rather than a per scan or usage based fee
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Descope and Tenable Nessus actually diverge.
| Attribute | Descope | Tenable Nessus |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, API | Windows, Linux, Macos, Cloud |
| Founded | Unknown | 2002 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (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 Descope
Nothing recorded that Tenable Nessus does not also cover.
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.
Descope
- Organisations seeking rapid identity implementation without custom developmentnot Tenable Nessus
- Companies supporting multiple user types (consumers, partners, AI agents) in single platformnot Tenable Nessus
- Multi-tenant B2B2C SaaS applications requiring per-organisation identity policiesnot Tenable Nessus
- Teams building passwordless-first authentication experiencesnot Tenable Nessus
- Healthcare and regulated industries requiring HIPAA-compliant identity managementnot Tenable Nessus
Tenable Nessus
- Vulnerability scanning of servers, network devices and web applicationsnot Descope
- Configuration and compliance auditing against hardening benchmarksnot Descope
- Point in time assessments by consultants and penetration testersnot Descope
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Descope
- Free tier capped at 7,500 MAU; Pro tier at 10,000 MAU, Growth tier at 25,000 MAU, forcing migration to Enterprise for larger organisations
- HIPAA compliance only available in Growth tier ($799/mo) and above; not included in lower-priced plans
- No-code UI builder provides pre-built flows but still requires custom frontend development for fully-branded authentication experiences
- All paid tiers billed annually; no monthly billing option for commitment-free flexibility
- Bot protection features available only in Growth tier and above
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
Descope
Free- Free ForeverFree
- 7,500 monthly active users
- Basic authentication
- Community support
- Pro$249/month
- 10,000 monthly active users
- Custom domains
- CI/CD integration
- Growth$799/month
- 25,000 monthly active users
- Bot protection
- Fine-grained authorisation
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Unlimited monthly active users
- Tiered discounts
- Premium support with dedicated CS engineer
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 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.
Questions people ask
- Is Descope or Tenable Nessus better?
- Neither clearly leads. Descope 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, Descope or Tenable Nessus?
- Descope starts at Free and Tenable Nessus at Free.
- Does Descope or Tenable Nessus run on more platforms?
- Descope runs on Web, iOS, Android, API. Tenable Nessus runs on Windows, Linux, Macos, Cloud.
- Can I use Descope for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Descope best used for?
- Descope is most often used for organisations seeking rapid identity implementation without custom development, companies supporting multiple user types (consumers, partners, ai agents) in single platform, multi-tenant b2b2c saas applications requiring per-organisation identity policies, teams building passwordless-first authentication experiences. Of those, organisations seeking rapid identity implementation without custom development and companies supporting multiple user types (consumers, partners, ai agents) in single platform are not what Tenable Nessus is typically brought in for.
- What can Descope do that Tenable Nessus cannot?
- Tenable Nessus covers Network scanning, Vulnerability detection, Configuration assessment, Malware detection.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Descope: Can I build custom authentication flows without code?
Yes. Descope's drag-and-drop workflow interface allows you to construct and modify signup, login, MFA and SSO flows without code changes.
SourceTenable Nessus: What are the three Nessus offerings?
Nessus Essentials is a free introductory offering for educators, students, and career starters, limited to 16 IPs for scanning. Nessus Professional is designed for consultants and SMBs, providing unlimited IT scans across any location. Nessus Expert is the premium offering extending Professional with web application scanning, infrastructure-as-code scanning, and external attack surface assessment up to 5 domains.
SourceDescope: Does Descope support AI agent authentication?
Yes. Descope supports building identity journeys for AI agents and MCP servers, including scoped OAuth tokens and delegation chains.
SourceTenable Nessus: What OS platforms does Nessus support?
Nessus runs on Debian/Kali Linux, Fedora, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, Red Hat/CentOS, SUSE Linux, Ubuntu, and various Windows versions including Server 2008, 2012, and Windows 7-10.
SourceDescope: Is Descope HIPAA compliant?
HIPAA compliance is available in Growth tier and above, starting at $799/month.
SourceTenable Nessus: Can I use Nessus to scan third-party networks as a consultant?
Yes, Tenable permits you to use Nessus to scan third-party networks. Nessus Professional is ideal for consultants.
SourceTenable Nessus: Can Nessus perform PCI external scanning?
Yes, you can use Nessus Professional to perform external network scans as required by the PCI DSS 11.2.2 requirement.
SourceTenable Nessus: What additional features does Nessus Expert provide?
Web application scanning, which is dynamic application security testing (DAST) providing comprehensive visibility and insight into web application security issues; scanning code repositories for vulnerabilities; and assessing external attack surface with subdomain discovery.
SourceTenable Nessus: What support options exist for Nessus Professional?
Standard Support includes software upgrades, patches, plugin access, and 24x7 support via chat and community portal. Advanced Support adds 24x7 phone access and committed SLAs: P1 less than 2 hours, P2 less than 4 hours, P3 less than 12 hours, P4 less than 24 hours.
SourceTenable Nessus: How frequently are Nessus plugins updated?
Nessus plugins are updated daily, based on when vendors and security research sites publish new vulnerabilities.
SourceTenable Nessus: How does licensing work in virtual machine environments?
Whether you are using Nessus in a physical or a virtual environment, the IP addresses or hosts that you are scanning from must be licensed.
SourceRelated pages
More on Tenable Nessus
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