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Developer Tools · head to head

Nx Cloud vs Tenable Nessus

Nx Cloud logo

Nx Cloud

Developer Tools

Distributed CI and remote caching for monorepo teams

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Tenable Nessus logo

Tenable Nessus

Cybersecurity

Network vulnerability scanner

From
Free
Free plan
Yes

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Nx Cloud requires Nx workspace setup; integration limited to Nx build system; Tenable Nessus nessus Professional is $4,790 for one year, sold as an annual licence rather than a per scan or usage based fee
  • They diverge on capability: Nx Cloud covers Nx Replay, Tenable Nessus covers Network scanning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Nx Cloud and Tenable Nessus actually diverge.

Attributes where Nx Cloud and Tenable Nessus differ
AttributeNx CloudTenable Nessus
Pricing modelcredits-basedsubscription
PlatformsWeb, CI/CD SystemsWindows, Linux, Macos, Cloud
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCybersecurity
FoundedUnknown2002

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Nx Cloud

  • Nx Replay
  • Nx Agents
  • Remote execution
  • Advanced analytics
  • Conformance rules
  • AI-powered recovery
  • Multi-repository visibility

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.

Nx Cloud

  • Accelerating monorepo CI pipelines with distributed task executionnot Tenable Nessus
  • Reducing build times through remote caching and incremental buildsnot Tenable Nessus
  • Scaling development teams across complex multi-package projectsnot Tenable Nessus
  • Enforcing consistency and standards across monorepo workspacesnot Tenable Nessus

Tenable Nessus

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

Where each one falls short

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

Nx Cloud

  • Requires Nx workspace setup; integration limited to Nx build system
  • Free tier restricted to 5 contributors; larger teams require paid plans
  • Credits system adds complexity to cost prediction vs flat-rate competitors
  • Self-hosted Enterprise deployment requires significant operational overhead

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

Nx Cloud

Free
  • HobbyFree
    • 50,000 monthly credits
    • 5 contributors
    • 10 concurrent CI connections
  • Team$29/month
    • Usage-based credits ($29 base plus overage)
    • Unlimited contributors
    • Remote caching
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Complete feature access
    • Conformance rules
    • Cross-repository visibility

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 Nx Cloud if

  • You need nx replay.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CI/CD Systems.
  • You also want nx agents.

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 Nx Cloud or Tenable Nessus better?
Neither clearly leads. Nx Cloud 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, Nx Cloud or Tenable Nessus?
Nx Cloud starts at Free and Tenable Nessus at Free.
Does Nx Cloud or Tenable Nessus run on more platforms?
Nx Cloud runs on Web, CI/CD Systems. Tenable Nessus runs on Windows, Linux, Macos, Cloud.
Can I use Nx Cloud for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Nx Cloud best used for?
Nx Cloud is most often used for accelerating monorepo ci pipelines with distributed task execution, reducing build times through remote caching and incremental builds, scaling development teams across complex multi-package projects, enforcing consistency and standards across monorepo workspaces. Of those, accelerating monorepo ci pipelines with distributed task execution and reducing build times through remote caching and incremental builds are not what Tenable Nessus is typically brought in for.
What can Nx Cloud do that Tenable Nessus cannot?
Nx Cloud covers Nx Replay, Nx Agents, Remote execution, Advanced analytics. Tenable Nessus covers Network scanning, Vulnerability detection, Configuration assessment, Malware detection.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Nx Cloud: What is included in the free Hobby plan?

The Hobby plan includes 50,000 monthly credits, support for 5 contributors, 10 concurrent CI connections, and basic analytics at no cost with no credit card required.

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
Nx Cloud: How are overages charged on the Team plan?

The Team plan starts at $29/month with included credits. Additional credits cost $5.50 per 10,000 credits, extra contributors cost $19 each, and additional CI connections cost $2.25 each.

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
Nx Cloud: Can Nx Cloud be self-hosted?

Yes, Enterprise customers can deploy Nx Cloud on-premises or on managed infrastructure to maintain full control over data and infrastructure.

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
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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