Government · head to head
Laserfiche vs Tenable Nessus
The short version
- Only Tenable Nessus has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Laserfiche self-hosted deployment requires dedicated IT resources and infrastructure management; 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: Laserfiche covers Document Capture, Tenable Nessus covers Network scanning.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Laserfiche and Tenable Nessus actually diverge.
| Attribute | Laserfiche | Tenable Nessus |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $50/month | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile, Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, Linux, Macos, Cloud |
| Category | Government | Cybersecurity |
| Founded | 1976 | 2002 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Laserfiche
- Document Capture
- Workflow Automation
- Records Management
- Electronic Forms
- Process Automation
- Microsoft Office
- SharePoint
- Salesforce
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.
Laserfiche
- Citizen Servicesnot Tenable Nessus
- Records Managementnot Tenable Nessus
- Public Safetynot Tenable Nessus
- Civic Engagementnot Tenable Nessus
Tenable Nessus
- Vulnerability scanning of servers, network devices and web applicationsnot Laserfiche
- Configuration and compliance auditing against hardening benchmarksnot Laserfiche
- Point in time assessments by consultants and penetration testersnot Laserfiche
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Laserfiche
- Self-hosted deployment requires dedicated IT resources and infrastructure management
- Complex implementation often requires significant upfront customization
- High total cost of ownership for on-premises deployments due to infrastructure needs
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
Laserfiche
$50/month- Cloud$50/month
- Document Management
- Workflow Automation
- Records Management
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 Laserfiche if
- You need document capture.
- You work on Web, Mobile, Windows, macOS, Linux.
- You also want workflow automation.
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 Laserfiche or Tenable Nessus better?
- Neither clearly leads. Laserfiche starts at $50/month and Tenable Nessus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Laserfiche or Tenable Nessus?
- Tenable Nessus has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $50/month for Laserfiche and Free for Tenable Nessus.
- Does Laserfiche or Tenable Nessus run on more platforms?
- Laserfiche runs on Web, Mobile, 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. Laserfiche starts at $50/month.
- What is Laserfiche best used for?
- Laserfiche is most often used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement. Of those, citizen services and records management are not what Tenable Nessus is typically brought in for.
- What can Laserfiche do that Tenable Nessus cannot?
- Laserfiche covers Document Capture, Workflow Automation, Records Management, Electronic Forms. Tenable Nessus covers Network scanning, Vulnerability detection, Configuration assessment, Malware detection.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Laserfiche: Does Laserfiche offer both cloud and self-hosted options?
Yes. Laserfiche Cloud offers three tiers (Starter $53/user/month, Professional $73, Business $93). Laserfiche 12 provides self-hosted deployment for organizations requiring on-premise infrastructure or with strict security and regulatory constraints.
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.
SourceLaserfiche: What does Laserfiche capture from documents?
Laserfiche provides document capture, electronic forms, workflow automation, case management, mobile access, and government-certified records management with automatic filing and retention schedules.
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.
SourceLaserfiche: Can Laserfiche track document workflows automatically?
Yes. Laserfiche includes workflow automation that tracks and fulfills processes like FOIA requests, with access controls, audit trails, and automated recordkeeping for compliance.
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
Other head to heads
- Laserfiche vs DocuWare
- Laserfiche vs OnBase
- Laserfiche vs CivicPlus
- Laserfiche vs Legistar
- Laserfiche vs CKAN
- Laserfiche vs Socrata
- Laserfiche vs IAPro
- Laserfiche vs SAP for Government
- Laserfiche vs Axon Records
- Laserfiche vs NextRequest
- Laserfiche vs VUEWorks
- Laserfiche vs ShotSpotter
- Laserfiche vs Springbrook Software
- Laserfiche vs Vigilant Solutions
- Laserfiche vs Workday Government
- Laserfiche vs Zencity
- Laserfiche vs Granicus
- Laserfiche vs Tyler Brazos
- Laserfiche vs 1Password
- Laserfiche vs Bitdefender Total Security
- Laserfiche vs Norton 360
- Laserfiche vs LastPass
- Laserfiche vs Fortinet FortiGate
- Laserfiche vs Darktrace
- Laserfiche vs Qualys VMDR
- Laserfiche vs Acunetix
- Laserfiche vs Rapid7 InsightVM
- Laserfiche vs Recorded Future
- Laserfiche vs Private Internet Access
- Laserfiche vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Laserfiche vs Unit21
- Laserfiche vs Veracode
- Laserfiche vs Very Good Security
- Laserfiche vs VIVOTEK VAST Security Station
- Laserfiche vs Windscribe
- Laserfiche vs Yoti
- Tenable Nessus vs DocuWare
- Tenable Nessus vs OnBase
- Tenable Nessus vs CivicPlus
- Tenable Nessus vs Legistar
- Tenable Nessus vs CKAN
- Tenable Nessus vs Socrata
- Tenable Nessus vs IAPro
- Tenable Nessus vs SAP for Government
- Tenable Nessus vs Axon Records
- Tenable Nessus vs NextRequest
- Tenable Nessus vs VUEWorks
- Tenable Nessus vs ShotSpotter
- Tenable Nessus vs Springbrook Software
- Tenable Nessus vs Vigilant Solutions
- Tenable Nessus vs Workday Government
- Tenable Nessus vs Zencity
- Tenable Nessus vs Granicus
- Tenable Nessus vs Tyler Brazos
- Tenable Nessus vs 1Password
- Tenable Nessus vs Bitdefender Total Security
- Tenable Nessus vs Norton 360
- Tenable Nessus vs LastPass
- Tenable Nessus vs Fortinet FortiGate
- Tenable Nessus vs Darktrace
- Tenable Nessus vs Qualys VMDR
- Tenable Nessus vs Acunetix
- Tenable Nessus vs Rapid7 InsightVM
- Tenable Nessus vs Recorded Future
- Tenable Nessus vs Private Internet Access
- Tenable Nessus vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Tenable Nessus vs Unit21
- Tenable Nessus vs Veracode
- Tenable Nessus vs Very Good Security
- Tenable Nessus vs VIVOTEK VAST Security Station
- Tenable Nessus vs Windscribe
- Tenable Nessus vs Yoti


