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Cybersecurity · head to head

Nessus vs Workday Government

Nessus logo

Nessus

Cybersecurity

The most trusted vulnerability assessment solution

From
$4790/year
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Workday Government logo

Workday Government

Government

Enterprise HCM and Finance for Government

From
$5000/month
Free plan
No
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; Workday Government workday Government Cloud, Workday's public sector offering, publishes no self-serve pricing; every path on its own government page leads to Contact Us or Contact Sales
  • They diverge on capability: Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning, Workday Government covers Human Capital Management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Nessus and Workday Government actually diverge.

Attributes where Nessus and Workday Government differ
AttributeNessusWorkday Government
Starting price$4790/year$5000/month
PlatformsDesktop, ApiWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment
Founded20022005

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Workday Government

  • Human Capital Management
  • Payroll
  • Benefits Administration
  • Financial Management
  • Analytics
  • SAP
  • Oracle
  • Third-party HR

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Nessus

  • Vulnerability scanning for individual practitionersnot Workday Government
  • Enterprise vulnerability managementnot Workday Government
  • Web application security assessmentsnot Workday Government

Workday Government

  • Citizen Servicesnot Nessus
  • Records Managementnot Nessus
  • Public Safetynot Nessus
  • Civic Engagementnot 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

Workday Government

  • Workday Government Cloud, Workday's public sector offering, publishes no self-serve pricing; every path on its own government page leads to Contact Us or Contact Sales

Pricing, plan by plan

Nessus

$4790/year
  • Nessus Professional$4790/year
    • 1 year license
    • Best for individual security professionals
  • Nessus Professional 2-Year$9330.95/2 years
    • 2 year license with discounted rate vs. annual
  • Nessus Professional 3-Year$13637.54/3 years
    • 3 year license with discounted rate vs. annual
  • Nessus Expert$6790/year
    • 1 year license
    • Enhanced capabilities vs. Professional

Workday Government

$5000/month
  • Government Cloud$5000/month
    • HCM
    • Payroll
    • Financial Management

Which should you pick?

Choose Nessus if

  • You need vulnerability scanning.
  • You work on Desktop, Api.
  • You also want configuration auditing.
Nessus review

Choose Workday Government if

  • You need human capital management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want payroll.
Workday Government review

Questions people ask

Is Nessus or Workday Government better?
Neither clearly leads. Nessus starts at $4790/year and Workday Government at $5000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Nessus or Workday Government?
Nessus starts at $4790/year and Workday Government at $5000/month.
Does Nessus or Workday Government run on more platforms?
Nessus runs on Desktop, Api. Workday Government runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Nessus best used for?
Nessus is most often used for vulnerability scanning for individual practitioners, enterprise vulnerability management, web application security assessments. Of those, vulnerability scanning for individual practitioners and enterprise vulnerability management are not what Workday Government is typically brought in for.
What can Nessus do that Workday Government cannot?
Nessus covers Vulnerability scanning, Configuration auditing, Malware detection, Web application scanning. Workday Government covers Human Capital Management, Payroll, Benefits Administration, Financial Management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Nessus: What is the cheapest Nessus option?

Nessus Professional starts at $4,790 per year for a 1-year license. Multi-year commitments offer discounts, with 2-year licenses at $9,330.95 and 3-year licenses at $13,637.54.

Source
Nessus: What is the difference between Nessus Professional and Expert?

Nessus Expert costs $6,790 per year for a 1-year license (compared to $4,790 for Professional) and includes enhanced capabilities. Multi-year rates are available at discounted prices.

Source
Nessus: Does Nessus offer optional support or training?

Yes, Nessus offers add-on services: Advanced Support at $400/year provides 24x365 access to phone, email, community, and chat support. On-Demand Training costs $275/year for Fundamentals course access or $385/year for both Fundamentals and Advanced courses.

Source
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