Cybersecurity · head to head
Splunk Enterprise Security vs Tenable Nessus
Splunk Enterprise Security
Cybersecurity
The platform for operational intelligence
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Tenable Nessus has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Splunk Enterprise Security splunk Enterprise Security is licensed separately from the Splunk platform, so a SIEM deployment needs both; 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: Splunk Enterprise Security covers Security monitoring, Tenable Nessus covers Network scanning.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Splunk Enterprise Security and Tenable Nessus actually diverge.
| Attribute | Splunk Enterprise Security | Tenable Nessus |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Api | Windows, Linux, Macos, Cloud |
| Founded | 2003 | 2002 |
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 Splunk Enterprise Security
- Security monitoring
- Incident review
- Risk-based alerting
- Threat intelligence
- Investigation workbench
- MITRE ATT&CK mapping
- Automated response
- Compliance reporting
Only in Tenable Nessus
- Network scanning
- Vulnerability detection
- Configuration assessment
- Malware detection
- Compliance checking
- Cloud security assessment
- Mobile scanning
- API access
Both cover
- AWS
- Azure
- Google Cloud
- ServiceNow
- SOC2 Type 2
- ISO 27001
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Splunk Enterprise Security
- Running a security operations centre on Splunk indexed log datanot Tenable Nessus
- Correlation searches, risk based alerting and incident investigationnot Tenable Nessus
- Compliance reporting from pooled security telemetrynot Tenable Nessus
Tenable Nessus
- Vulnerability scanning of servers, network devices and web applicationsnot Splunk Enterprise Security
- Configuration and compliance auditing against hardening benchmarksnot Splunk Enterprise Security
- Point in time assessments by consultants and penetration testersnot Splunk Enterprise Security
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Splunk Enterprise Security
- Splunk Enterprise Security is licensed separately from the Splunk platform, so a SIEM deployment needs both
- Splunk publishes no rate for Enterprise Security and directs buyers to contact a pricing expert
- UEBA, SOAR and automated threat analysis require the Premier edition rather than Essentials
- The platform underneath can be billed by ingest volume, workload or activity, so the total cost depends on a pricing model chosen at contract time rather than a list price
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
Splunk Enterprise Security
On request- Workload PricingFree
- Pay per compute
- Flexible scaling
- All features
- Ingest PricingFree
- Pay per GB ingested
- Predictable costs
- All features
- Entity PricingFree
- Pay per monitored entity
- Security focused
- All features
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 Splunk Enterprise Security if
- You need security monitoring.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want incident 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.
Questions people ask
- Is Splunk Enterprise Security or Tenable Nessus better?
- Neither clearly leads. Splunk Enterprise Security starts at On request and Tenable Nessus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Splunk Enterprise Security or Tenable Nessus?
- Tenable Nessus has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Splunk Enterprise Security and Free for Tenable Nessus.
- Does Splunk Enterprise Security or Tenable Nessus run on more platforms?
- Splunk Enterprise Security runs on Web, 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. Splunk Enterprise Security starts at On request.
- What is Splunk Enterprise Security best used for?
- Splunk Enterprise Security is most often used for running a security operations centre on splunk indexed log data, correlation searches, risk based alerting and incident investigation, compliance reporting from pooled security telemetry. Of those, running a security operations centre on splunk indexed log data and correlation searches, risk based alerting and incident investigation are not what Tenable Nessus is typically brought in for.
- What can Splunk Enterprise Security do that Tenable Nessus cannot?
- Splunk Enterprise Security covers Security monitoring, Incident review, Risk-based alerting, Threat intelligence. Tenable Nessus covers Network scanning, Vulnerability detection, Configuration assessment, Malware detection. Both handle AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, ServiceNow.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Splunk Enterprise Security: How much does Splunk Enterprise Security cost?
Splunk Enterprise Security pricing is not published. The product is available in Essentials Edition with threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities, and Premier Edition with UEBA, SOAR, and Automated Threat Analysis. Customers must contact Splunk sales for pricing quotes on either edition.
SourceTenable 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.
SourceSplunk Enterprise Security: What editions of Splunk Enterprise Security are available?
Splunk Enterprise Security offers Essentials Edition with threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities, and Premier Edition which adds UEBA (User and Entity Behavior Analytics), SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation and Response), and Automated Threat Analysis.
SourceTenable 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.
SourceTenable 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.
SourceTenable 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.
SourceTenable 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.
SourceTenable 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.
SourceTenable Nessus: How frequently are Nessus plugins updated?
Nessus plugins are updated daily, based on when vendors and security research sites publish new vulnerabilities.
SourceTenable 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.
SourceRelated pages
More on Splunk Enterprise Security
More on Tenable Nessus
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