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Nessus vs NordVPN

Nessus logo

Nessus

Software

The most trusted vulnerability assessment solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
NordVPN logo

NordVPN

Software

The best online VPN service for speed and security

From
$3.99/month
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; NordVPN the App Store listing states the app is free to download but is non-functional without purchasing a subscription first; no price figure appears anywhere in the listing itself, only the requirement to buy a plan before VPN access works.
  • They diverge on capability: Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning, NordVPN covers Military-grade encryption.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Nessus and NordVPN actually diverge.

Attributes where Nessus and NordVPN differ
AttributeNessusNordVPN
Starting priceFree$3.99/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsDesktop, ApiWeb, Desktop, Mobile, Api
Founded20022012

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 NordVPN

  • Military-grade encryption
  • No-logs policy
  • Kill Switch
  • Split tunneling
  • Double VPN
  • Onion over VPN
  • Threat Protection
  • Meshnet

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

NordVPN

  • Vpnnot Nessus
  • Privacynot Nessus
  • Online Securitynot 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

NordVPN

  • The App Store listing states the app is free to download but is non-functional without purchasing a subscription first; no price figure appears anywhere in the listing itself, only the requirement to buy a plan before VPN access works.

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

NordVPN

$3.99/month
  • Standard$3.99/month
    • 6 devices
    • 5,500+ servers
    • Threat Protection Lite
  • Plus$4.99/month
    • All Standard features
    • Threat Protection Pro
    • NordPass password manager
  • Complete$5.99/month
    • All Plus features
    • NordLocker 1TB encrypted cloud
    • Identity theft protection

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 NordVPN if

  • You need military-grade encryption.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want no-logs policy.
NordVPN review

Questions people ask

Is Nessus or NordVPN better?
Neither clearly leads. Nessus starts at Free and NordVPN at $3.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Nessus or NordVPN?
Nessus has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Nessus and $3.99/month for NordVPN.
Does Nessus or NordVPN run on more platforms?
Nessus runs on Desktop, Api. NordVPN runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Api.
Can I use Nessus for free?
Yes. Nessus has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. NordVPN starts at $3.99/month.
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 NordVPN is typically brought in for.
What can Nessus do that NordVPN cannot?
Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning, Configuration auditing, Malware detection, Web application scanning. NordVPN covers Military-grade encryption, No-logs policy, Kill Switch, Split tunneling. Both handle Cloud deployment.
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