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Software · head to head

Nessus vs Drata

Nessus logo

Nessus

Software

The most trusted vulnerability assessment solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Drata logo

Drata

Software

Agentic trust management with compliance automation.

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Nessus has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Nessus nessus Professional is $4,790 for one year, with no free or low cost commercial tier; Drata no published pricing for any tier; requires contacting sales team for quotes

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Nessus and Drata actually diverge.

Attributes where Nessus and Drata differ
AttributeNessusDrata
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsDesktop, ApiWeb, API
Founded2002Unknown

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 Nessus

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

Only in Drata

Nothing recorded that Nessus does not also cover.

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 Drata
  • Running compliance and configuration audits against a defined scopenot Drata

Drata

  • SaaS companies automating SOC 2 certification for enterprise salesnot Nessus
  • Organisations managing multi-framework compliance simultaneouslynot Nessus
  • Vendor management programmes requiring third-party security assessmentsnot Nessus
  • Enterprises implementing AI governance and monitoring AI systemsnot Nessus
  • Organisations seeking continuous compliance monitoring rather than point-in-time auditsnot 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

Drata

  • No published pricing for any tier; requires contacting sales team for quotes
  • Solution tiers (Startup, Growth, Enterprise) are marketing categories with no corresponding published prices or feature differentiation
  • No transparency on cost per framework, per user, or based on organisational size
  • AI questionnaire automation claims 375+ hours saved annually but does not publish per-questionnaire costs or limits
  • Compared directly with Vanta by customers, but pricing opaque for cost-benefit analysis

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

Drata

On request
  • Startup$null/variable
    • 'Launch Trust Fast' with automated evidence collection
    • SOC 2 and other framework support
    • Basic compliance automation
  • Growth$null/variable
    • 'Accelerate Trust Smoothly' as teams expand
    • Multi-framework compliance
    • Enhanced AI automation
  • Enterprise$null/variable
    • 'Command Trust at Scale' for complex needs
    • Advanced GRC capabilities
    • Dedicated support

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 Drata if

  • You work on Web, API.
Drata review

Questions people ask

Is Nessus or Drata better?
Neither clearly leads. Nessus starts at Free and Drata at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Nessus or Drata?
Nessus has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Nessus and On request for Drata.
Does Nessus or Drata run on more platforms?
Nessus runs on Desktop, Api. Drata runs on Web, API.
Can I use Nessus for free?
Yes. Nessus has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Drata starts at On request.
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 Drata is typically brought in for.
What can Nessus do that Drata cannot?
Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning, Configuration auditing, Malware detection, Web application scanning.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Drata: What compliance frameworks does Drata support?

Drata supports multiple frameworks including SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS and others, with multi-framework management capabilities.

Source
Drata: Does Drata automate questionnaires?

Yes. Drata's AI uses approved content to draft consistent responses, automating questionnaire completion and saving claimed 375+ hours per year.

Source
Drata: How many customers does Drata have?

Drata serves 8,500+ global customers ranging from startups to enterprises, with a 4.8/5.0 rating on G2.

Source
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