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Software · head to head

Nessus vs Burp Suite

Nessus logo

Nessus

Software

The most trusted vulnerability assessment solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Burp Suite logo

Burp Suite

Software

The leading toolkit for web security testing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Burp Suite the automated vulnerability scanner is Professional only, at $499; the free Community edition is manual tools
  • They diverge on capability: Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning, Burp Suite covers Web vulnerability scanner.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Nessus and Burp Suite actually diverge.

Attributes where Nessus and Burp Suite differ
AttributeNessusBurp Suite
Founded20022004

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), platforms (Desktop, Api), 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 Burp Suite

  • Web vulnerability scanner
  • Proxy interceptor
  • Intruder
  • Repeater
  • Sequencer
  • Decoder
  • Comparer
  • Logger

Both cover

  • JIRA
  • On-premise deployment
  • 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 Burp Suite
  • Running compliance and configuration audits against a defined scopenot Burp Suite

Burp Suite

  • Manual web application penetration testing through an intercepting proxynot Nessus
  • Automated scanning for web vulnerabilities on the Professional editionnot Nessus
  • Extending testing with community-built BApp extensionsnot Nessus
  • Enterprise-wide dynamic scanning through Burp DASTnot 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

Burp Suite

  • The automated vulnerability scanner is Professional only, at $499; the free Community edition is manual tools
  • BApp Store extensions require the Professional edition
  • DAST and the agentic testing product are separate enterprise offerings with no published price
  • Professional is licensed per user per year rather than perpetually

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

Burp Suite

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Essential manual tools
    • Proxy
    • Repeater
  • Professional$449/year
    • All Community features
    • Burp Scanner
    • Advanced manual tools
  • Enterprise$6995/year
    • CI/CD integration
    • Scheduled scans
    • Role-based access

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.
Nessus review

Choose Burp Suite if

  • You need web vulnerability scanner.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Desktop, Api.
  • You also want proxy interceptor.
Burp Suite review

Questions people ask

Is Nessus or Burp Suite better?
Neither clearly leads. Nessus starts at Free and Burp Suite at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Nessus or Burp Suite?
Nessus starts at Free and Burp Suite at Free.
Does Nessus or Burp Suite run on more platforms?
Both run on Desktop, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Burp Suite is typically brought in for.
What can Nessus do that Burp Suite cannot?
Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning, Configuration auditing, Malware detection, Web application scanning. Burp Suite covers Web vulnerability scanner, Proxy interceptor, Intruder, Repeater. Both handle JIRA, On-premise deployment, Cloud deployment.
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