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IBM QRadar vs Nessus

IBM QRadar logo

IBM QRadar

Software

Intelligent security analytics for real-time visibility

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nessus logo

Nessus

Software

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: IBM QRadar listed on UK G-Cloud at £639 per unit, submitted directly by IBM United Kingdom Limited for IBM Security QRadar on Cloud SIEM (unit basis not further defined in the listing); Nessus nessus Professional is $4,790 for one year, with no free or low cost commercial tier
  • They diverge on capability: IBM QRadar covers AI-powered detection, Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which IBM QRadar and Nessus actually diverge.

Attributes where IBM QRadar and Nessus differ
AttributeIBM QRadarNessus
Starting priceOn requestFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, ApiDesktop, Api
Founded19112002

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 IBM QRadar

  • AI-powered detection
  • User behavior analytics
  • Network insights
  • Offense management
  • IBM X-Force threat intelligence
  • Federated search
  • Case management
  • Compliance templates

Only in Nessus

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

Both cover

  • AWS
  • Azure
  • Splunk
  • ServiceNow

What people use each for

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

IBM QRadar

  • Siemnot Nessus
  • Security Analyticsnot Nessus
  • Threat Intelligencenot Nessus

Nessus

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

Where each one falls short

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

IBM QRadar

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud at £639 per unit, submitted directly by IBM United Kingdom Limited for IBM Security QRadar on Cloud SIEM (unit basis not further defined in the listing)

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

IBM QRadar

On request
  • QRadar SIEMFree
    • Event and flow processing
    • Offense management
    • Threat intelligence
  • QRadar CloudFree
    • Cloud-native deployment
    • Elastic scaling
    • Managed infrastructure
  • QRadar SuiteFree
    • SIEM + SOAR + XDR
    • Unified analyst experience
    • Federated search

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 IBM QRadar if

  • You need ai-powered detection.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want user behavior analytics.
IBM QRadar 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 IBM QRadar or Nessus better?
Neither clearly leads. IBM QRadar starts at On request and Nessus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IBM QRadar or Nessus?
Nessus has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for IBM QRadar and Free for Nessus.
Does IBM QRadar or Nessus run on more platforms?
IBM QRadar runs on Web, Api. Nessus runs on Desktop, Api.
Can I use Nessus for free?
Yes. Nessus has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. IBM QRadar starts at On request.
What is IBM QRadar best used for?
IBM QRadar is most often used for siem, security analytics, threat intelligence. Of those, siem and security analytics are not what Nessus is typically brought in for.
What can IBM QRadar do that Nessus cannot?
IBM QRadar covers AI-powered detection, User behavior analytics, Network insights, Offense management. Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning, Configuration auditing, Malware detection, Web application scanning. Both handle AWS, Azure, Splunk, ServiceNow.
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