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Nessus vs Keygen

Nessus logo

Nessus

Software

The most trusted vulnerability assessment solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
K

Keygen

Software

Open, source-available software licensing API

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; Keygen cloud hosted plans start at $995 per month billed per domain, a floor aimed at established software vendors rather than solo developers

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Nessus and Keygen actually diverge.

Attributes where Nessus and Keygen differ
AttributeNessusKeygen
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsDesktop, ApiWeb
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 Keygen

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

Keygen

No use cases recorded yet. See the Keygen review.

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

Keygen

  • Cloud hosted plans start at $995 per month billed per domain, a floor aimed at established software vendors rather than solo developers

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

Keygen

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Keygen review.

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 Keygen if

Nothing in the data separates Keygen from Nessus on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Keygen review

Questions people ask

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