Software · head to head
Nessus vs Avast One
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Nessus nessus Professional is $4,790 for one year, with no free or low cost commercial tier; Avast One ransomware and Wi-Fi vulnerability protection only on paid plans
- They diverge on capability: Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning, Avast One covers Antivirus.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Nessus and Avast One actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Nessus
- Vulnerability scanning
- Configuration auditing
- Malware detection
- Web application scanning
- Cloud scanning
- Compliance checks
- Patch auditing
- Pre-built policies
Only in Avast One
- Antivirus
- Firewall
- VPN
- Data breach monitoring
- Email Guardian
- Webcam Shield
- Ransomware Shield
- Performance optimization
Both cover
- Cloud deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Nessus
- Scanning hosts and applications for known vulnerabilities and misconfigurationsnot Avast One
- Running compliance and configuration audits against a defined scopenot Avast One
Avast One
- Antivirusnot Nessus
- Internet Securitynot Nessus
- Privacy Toolsnot Nessus
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Avast One
- Ransomware and Wi-Fi vulnerability protection only on paid plans
- Free plan VPN is limited, no data breakthrough monitoring
- Rebuilt app in May 2026 may have stability issues
Pricing, plan by plan
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
Avast One
Free- FreeFree
- Antivirus
- Limited VPN
- Privacy tools
- Silver$2.99/month
- Enhanced antivirus
- VPN
- Device cleanup
- Premium$4.19/month
- Full antivirus
- VPN with 55 servers
- Password manager
- Premium Plus$11.67/month
- All Premium features
- 30 devices covered
Which should you pick?
Choose Nessus if
- You need vulnerability scanning.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Desktop, Api.
- You also want configuration auditing.
Choose Avast One if
- You need antivirus.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
- You also want firewall.
Questions people ask
- Is Nessus or Avast One better?
- Neither clearly leads. Nessus starts at Free and Avast One at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Nessus or Avast One?
- Nessus starts at Free and Avast One at Free.
- Does Nessus or Avast One run on more platforms?
- Nessus runs on Desktop, Api. Avast One runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Nessus for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Nessus best used for?
- Nessus is most often used for scanning hosts and applications for known vulnerabilities and misconfigurations, running compliance and configuration audits against a defined scope. Of those, scanning hosts and applications for known vulnerabilities and misconfigurations and running compliance and configuration audits against a defined scope are not what Avast One is typically brought in for.
- What can Nessus do that Avast One cannot?
- Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning, Configuration auditing, Malware detection, Web application scanning. Avast One covers Antivirus, Firewall, VPN, Data breach monitoring. Both handle Cloud deployment.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Avast One: Is Avast One free?
Yes. Avast One offers a free tier with antivirus, VPN (limited), and privacy tools. Paid plans start at $2.99/month for Silver and $4.19/month for Premium covering up to 5 devices.
SourceAvast One: What does Avast One include?
Avast One provides antivirus, VPN, password manager, device cleanup, Wi-Fi security, data breach monitoring, and protection against AI-generated scams and deepfakes.
SourceAvast One: Does Avast One have ransomware protection?
Ransomware protection is available only on paid plans, not the free tier. Free users get antivirus and basic protection only.
Source