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Software · head to head

Nessus vs IBM QRadar

Nessus logo

Nessus

Software

The most trusted vulnerability assessment solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
IBM QRadar logo

IBM QRadar

Software

Intelligent security analytics for real-time visibility

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; 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)
  • They diverge on capability: Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning, IBM QRadar covers AI-powered detection.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Nessus and IBM QRadar differ
AttributeNessusIBM QRadar
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsDesktop, ApiWeb, Api
Founded20021911

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 IBM QRadar

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

Both cover

  • ServiceNow
  • Splunk
  • AWS
  • Azure

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 IBM QRadar
  • Running compliance and configuration audits against a defined scopenot IBM QRadar

IBM QRadar

  • Siemnot Nessus
  • Security Analyticsnot Nessus
  • Threat Intelligencenot 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

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)

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

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

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 IBM QRadar if

  • You need ai-powered detection.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want user behavior analytics.
IBM QRadar review

Questions people ask

Is Nessus or IBM QRadar better?
Neither clearly leads. Nessus starts at Free and IBM QRadar at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Nessus or IBM QRadar?
Nessus has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Nessus and On request for IBM QRadar.
Does Nessus or IBM QRadar run on more platforms?
Nessus runs on Desktop, Api. IBM QRadar runs on Web, 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 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 IBM QRadar is typically brought in for.
What can Nessus do that IBM QRadar cannot?
Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning, Configuration auditing, Malware detection, Web application scanning. IBM QRadar covers AI-powered detection, User behavior analytics, Network insights, Offense management. Both handle ServiceNow, Splunk, AWS, Azure.
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