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Cybersecurity · head to head

NordPass vs Tenable Nessus

NordPass logo

NordPass

Cybersecurity

Securely store, manage and autofill passwords

From
Free
Rated
-
Tenable Nessus logo

Tenable Nessus

Cybersecurity

Network vulnerability scanner

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: NordPass business plan pricing is rendered client-side per user per month rather than published as a static figure on the page; Tenable Nessus nessus Professional is $4,790 for one year, sold as an annual licence rather than a per scan or usage based fee
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NordPass and Tenable Nessus actually diverge.

Attributes where NordPass and Tenable Nessus differ
AttributeNordPassTenable Nessus
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsWebWindows, Linux, Macos, Cloud
FoundedUnknown2002

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

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 NordPass

Nothing recorded that Tenable Nessus does not also cover.

Only in Tenable Nessus

  • Network scanning
  • Vulnerability detection
  • Configuration assessment
  • Malware detection
  • Compliance checking
  • Cloud security assessment
  • Mobile scanning
  • API access

What people use each for

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

NordPass

  • Securely storing and managing employee passwords and passkeysnot Tenable Nessus
  • Streamlining employee onboarding with instant account accessnot Tenable Nessus
  • Monitoring credential breaches on the dark webnot Tenable Nessus
  • Enforcing company-wide password security standardsnot Tenable Nessus
  • Tracking user access and supporting audit compliancenot Tenable Nessus

Tenable Nessus

  • Vulnerability scanning of servers, network devices and web applicationsnot NordPass
  • Configuration and compliance auditing against hardening benchmarksnot NordPass
  • Point in time assessments by consultants and penetration testersnot NordPass

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

NordPass

  • Business plan pricing is rendered client-side per user per month rather than published as a static figure on the page
  • Breach monitoring and full credential oversight features are marketed specifically toward business plans rather than confirmed as included in the free individual tier

Tenable Nessus

  • Nessus Professional is $4,790 for one year, sold as an annual licence rather than a per scan or usage based fee
  • Support beyond the base entitlement costs an extra $400 per year for Advanced Support with 24x365 phone and chat access
  • The on demand training course is a separate $275 purchase for a single person for one year
  • Multi year discounts require paying for two or three years up front

Pricing, plan by plan

NordPass

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the NordPass review.

Tenable Nessus

Free
  • Nessus EssentialsFree
    • Up to 16 ips
    • Network scanning
    • Vulnerability assessment
  • Nessus Professional$2600/year
    • Unlimited targets
    • Enterprise features
    • Advanced analytics
  • Nessus Expert$5200/year
    • All Professional features
    • Cloud integration
    • Advanced reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose NordPass if

  • You want to start without paying.

Choose Tenable Nessus if

  • You need network scanning.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Macos, Cloud.
  • You also want vulnerability detection.

Questions people ask

Is NordPass or Tenable Nessus better?
Neither clearly leads. NordPass starts at Free and Tenable Nessus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, NordPass or Tenable Nessus?
NordPass starts at Free and Tenable Nessus at Free.
Does NordPass or Tenable Nessus run on more platforms?
NordPass runs on Web. Tenable Nessus runs on Windows, Linux, Macos, Cloud.
Can I use NordPass for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is NordPass best used for?
NordPass is most often used for securely storing and managing employee passwords and passkeys, streamlining employee onboarding with instant account access, monitoring credential breaches on the dark web, enforcing company-wide password security standards. Of those, securely storing and managing employee passwords and passkeys and streamlining employee onboarding with instant account access are not what Tenable Nessus is typically brought in for.
What can NordPass do that Tenable Nessus cannot?
Tenable Nessus covers Network scanning, Vulnerability detection, Configuration assessment, Malware detection.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

NordPass: Will I be charged when signing up for the free trial?

No credit card is required to start the trial. Payment details are only needed when you purchase a plan, and NordPass will only charge you once your payment process is completed.

Source
Tenable Nessus: What are the three Nessus offerings?

Nessus Essentials is a free introductory offering for educators, students, and career starters, limited to 16 IPs for scanning. Nessus Professional is designed for consultants and SMBs, providing unlimited IT scans across any location. Nessus Expert is the premium offering extending Professional with web application scanning, infrastructure-as-code scanning, and external attack surface assessment up to 5 domains.

Source
NordPass: What is the refund policy for NordPass?

NordPass offers refunds within 14 calendar days of your initial purchase if you are unsatisfied with the service.

Source
Tenable Nessus: What OS platforms does Nessus support?

Nessus runs on Debian/Kali Linux, Fedora, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, Red Hat/CentOS, SUSE Linux, Ubuntu, and various Windows versions including Server 2008, 2012, and Windows 7-10.

Source
NordPass: Can I upgrade or downgrade between NordPass plans?

Yes, you can switch between Teams and Business plans at any time. The system charges the difference between the plans based on the number of users and the remaining duration.

Source
Tenable Nessus: Can I use Nessus to scan third-party networks as a consultant?

Yes, Tenable permits you to use Nessus to scan third-party networks. Nessus Professional is ideal for consultants.

Source
NordPass: Why do different NordPass plans cost different amounts?

NordPass provides tiered pricing so customers only pay for the features they need, and can upgrade at any time as their needs change.

Source
Tenable Nessus: Can Nessus perform PCI external scanning?

Yes, you can use Nessus Professional to perform external network scans as required by the PCI DSS 11.2.2 requirement.

Source
Tenable Nessus: What additional features does Nessus Expert provide?

Web application scanning, which is dynamic application security testing (DAST) providing comprehensive visibility and insight into web application security issues; scanning code repositories for vulnerabilities; and assessing external attack surface with subdomain discovery.

Source
Tenable Nessus: What support options exist for Nessus Professional?

Standard Support includes software upgrades, patches, plugin access, and 24x7 support via chat and community portal. Advanced Support adds 24x7 phone access and committed SLAs: P1 less than 2 hours, P2 less than 4 hours, P3 less than 12 hours, P4 less than 24 hours.

Source
Tenable Nessus: How frequently are Nessus plugins updated?

Nessus plugins are updated daily, based on when vendors and security research sites publish new vulnerabilities.

Source
Tenable Nessus: How does licensing work in virtual machine environments?

Whether you are using Nessus in a physical or a virtual environment, the IP addresses or hosts that you are scanning from must be licensed.

Source
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