Softwr

Cybersecurity · head to head

Sophos Intercept X vs Tenable Nessus

Sophos Intercept X logo

Sophos Intercept X

Cybersecurity

Advanced endpoint protection with deep learning

From
$28/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tenable Nessus logo

Tenable Nessus

Cybersecurity

Network vulnerability scanner

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Tenable Nessus has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Sophos Intercept X sophos publishes no price for endpoint protection: the product page names editions but gives no per user rate, no minimum seat count and no contract length, and routes buyers to a sales enquiry; 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: Sophos Intercept X covers Deep learning AI, Tenable Nessus covers Network scanning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Sophos Intercept X and Tenable Nessus actually diverge.

Attributes where Sophos Intercept X and Tenable Nessus differ
AttributeSophos Intercept XTenable Nessus
Starting price$28/yearFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsDesktop, Mobile, ApiWindows, Linux, Macos, Cloud
Founded19852002

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Sophos Intercept X

  • Deep learning AI
  • Anti-ransomware
  • Exploit prevention
  • CryptoGuard
  • WipeGuard
  • Root cause analysis
  • Active adversary mitigation
  • Synchronized security

Only in Tenable Nessus

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

Both cover

  • Splunk
  • ISO 27001
  • GDPR
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

Sophos Intercept X

  • Endpoint protection across Windows, macOS, and Linux devicesnot Tenable Nessus
  • Ransomware detection with CryptoGuard file encryption monitoringnot Tenable Nessus
  • AI-powered zero-day exploit mitigation with 60+ proprietary techniquesnot Tenable Nessus
  • Shadow AI and generative AI tool usage control across the organizationnot Tenable Nessus
  • Mobile device encryption and managed detection and response servicesnot Tenable Nessus

Tenable Nessus

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

Where each one falls short

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

Sophos Intercept X

  • Sophos publishes no price for endpoint protection: the product page names editions but gives no per user rate, no minimum seat count and no contract length, and routes buyers to a sales enquiry
  • Extended detection and response requires the Advanced with XDR edition rather than the base endpoint product
  • 24x7 monitored detection and response is sold as the separate Sophos MDR service on top of the endpoint licence
  • The Intercept X name has been retired in favour of Sophos Endpoint, so older documentation refers to a brand the vendor no longer uses

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

Sophos Intercept X

$28/year
  • Intercept X Essentials$28/year
    • Per user
    • Deep learning
    • Anti-ransomware
  • Intercept X Advanced$44/year
    • All Essentials features
    • Root cause analysis
    • Sophos Central
  • Intercept X with XDR$55/year
    • All Advanced features
    • Extended detection
    • Live Discover

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 Sophos Intercept X if

  • You need deep learning ai.
  • You work on Desktop, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want anti-ransomware.
Sophos Intercept X review

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.
Tenable Nessus review

Questions people ask

Is Sophos Intercept X or Tenable Nessus better?
Neither clearly leads. Sophos Intercept X starts at $28/year and Tenable Nessus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Sophos Intercept X or Tenable Nessus?
Tenable Nessus has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $28/year for Sophos Intercept X and Free for Tenable Nessus.
Does Sophos Intercept X or Tenable Nessus run on more platforms?
Sophos Intercept X runs on Desktop, Mobile, Api. Tenable Nessus runs on Windows, Linux, Macos, Cloud.
Can I use Tenable Nessus for free?
Yes. Tenable Nessus has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sophos Intercept X starts at $28/year.
What is Sophos Intercept X best used for?
Sophos Intercept X is most often used for endpoint protection across windows, macos, and linux devices, ransomware detection with cryptoguard file encryption monitoring, ai-powered zero-day exploit mitigation with 60+ proprietary techniques, shadow ai and generative ai tool usage control across the organization. Of those, endpoint protection across windows, macos, and linux devices and ransomware detection with cryptoguard file encryption monitoring are not what Tenable Nessus is typically brought in for.
What can Sophos Intercept X do that Tenable Nessus cannot?
Sophos Intercept X covers Deep learning AI, Anti-ransomware, Exploit prevention, CryptoGuard. Tenable Nessus covers Network scanning, Vulnerability detection, Configuration assessment, Malware detection. Both handle Splunk, ISO 27001, GDPR, Cloud deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Sophos Intercept X: How much does Sophos Endpoint cost?

Sophos does not publish Endpoint pricing on its website. The vendor directs customers to contact sales or request a quote for pricing.

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
Sophos Intercept X: Does Sophos Endpoint offer a free trial?

Sophos provides a free 30-day trial of Sophos Endpoint for customers with an active Sophos Fusion account. Trial activation does not require payment information.

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
Sophos Intercept X: What support levels are available for Sophos Endpoint?

Sophos Fusion customers receive 8x5 support included with subscriptions. Extended support tiers and costs are not listed on the public website.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Sophos Intercept X

More on Tenable Nessus

Keep looking

Other head to heads