Qualys vs Nessus: features, pricing & security compared

Compare Qualys and Nessus on vulnerability detection accuracy, compliance mapping, and workflow integration depth, with detailed insights into deployment flexibility and pricing models.

Astra vs. Qualys vs. Nessus

Qualys
Nessus
Pricing
$1,999/year
Contact for a quote
$3,390-$4,990/year
Scans behind logins
Pentest by security experts
Continuous automated scanning
Pentest Report
Number of vulnerability scans
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Zero false positives ensured with vetted scans
Cloud security review for AWS/GCP/Azure
Compliance reporting
Publicly verifiable pentest certificate
Collaboration with expert pentesters
Remediation support within 24-hours
Integrations
Continuous compliance scanning
Actionable vulnerability risk scoring
API endpoint mapping and security

Still evaluating? Let us help you make the right call.

Let’s Talk
Pentest

Why choose Astra over Qualys and Nessus

Astra puts your ahead by finding and fixing every single security loopholde
with our hacker-style pentest.

AI-Powered Intelligence

  • Run 15,000+ tailored AI test scenarios to your unique app
  • Contextual remediation advice at your fingertips
  • Continuously improves detection accuracy through context-aware analysis and evolving ML models trained on real-world vulnerability patterns.

Compliance-First Approach

  • Audit-ready reports aligned with ISO, PCI, SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, OWASP, NIST, and more.
  • Expert support to simplify assessments and pass audits faster.
Astra's Pentest for SaaS - Continuous API security platform

DevOps Integration

  • Integrate into CI/CD with GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, Bitbucket, and more.
  • Automate scans, send vulnerability alerts via Slack
  • Create JIRA tickets, all without leaving your pipeline.
 Astra's Pentest for SaaS - Compliance View

End-to-End, Fully Managed Platform

  • Continuous, scheduled scans and pentests for web apps, API, and cloud without manual setup or tuning.
  • Expert-tuned accuracy with optimized scanners to reduce false positives.
  • Vulnerabilities triaged and mapped to real business impact.
  • Auto-generated compliance-grade summaries with remediation guidance and automated rescans for verification.

Pentest Certificate & AI-built Trust Center


  • Publicly verifiable certifications with shareable links.
  • Demonstrate your security commitment.
  • Build client and partner trust.
  • Summarize your security posture for easy sharing with customers and auditors
Win customer’s trust with a unique, publicly verifiable pentest certificate

Not sure about which tool is the best fit for your needs?

Let’s Talk
Georgi Atanasov
review

"Astra identified several moderate and high severity issues that our team never thought existed. We are working in the Mental Health space and data privacy and security are extremely critical to us. That being said, I am thankful for to Astra."

Georgi Atanasov

CTO, Sentur

Richard Ganpatsingh
review

“A key standout during our Astra Pentest was the solid support via Slack, making communication easy and efficient. The platform itself is user-friendly, and the Jira integration greatly streamlined issue resolution for our team, seamlessly fitting into our existing workflow”

Richard Ganpatsingh

CTO, Intelligent Health

Michal Pěkný
review

"Astra's exceptional manual penetration testing and efficient automated tools have provided invaluable insights into our application's security, making them our trusted partner for comprehensive and reliable security measures"

Michal Pěkný

CTO, LutherOne

Ankur Rawal
review

"We are impressed with Astra's dashboard and its amazing ‘automated and scheduled‘ scanning capabilities. Integrating these scans into our CI/CD pipeline was a breeze and saved us a lot of time. The rapid issue resolution and detailed vulnerability …"

Ankur Rawal

CTO, Zenduty

Clinton Skakun
review

"The most impressive part is the certificate they give you. It shows that you actually pentest and don't just say that you do. Customers can be a tad more trusting in your security because it's not just lip service. The dashboard can be a little slow sometimes, but this "

Clinton Skakun

CTO, Dedupely

Award
Award
Award
Award
Award
Award
Award

Find and fix vulnerabilities before attackers do:
start continuous, accurate scanning today.

Get Started

Our pentesters? World class, certified &
contributors to top security projects

CVE Hunters: 20+
vulnerabilities discovered
and counting
We find the bugs before the
bad guys do
Constantly learning, always improving:
Our team stays ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving world of web security
Certifications? We've got them all:
OSCP
CCH
AWS
CCSP
MANY MORE...
Open Source Superheroes:
OWASP Top 10 Reviewers
Contributors to OWASP AI Top 10
Contributors to OWASP Web Security Testing Guide
Because we don’t just follow best practices, we help define them

Experience zero false positives and seamless integrations with Astra Security PTaaS platform.

Book a demo
FAQs

Frequently asked questions

What are the main differences between Qualys and Nessus for vulnerability scanning?

Qualys offers extensive cloud-based vulnerability management with compliance features, while Nessus is known for its flexibility and frequent updates in vulnerability detection. Both are powerful, but their strengths may suit different business needs based on scalability, reporting, and integration requirements.

How does Astra Security compare to Qualys and Nessus?

Astra Security combines automated scanning with expert-led manual penetration tests (over 15,000 tests), ensuring zero false positives and continuous compliance. Unlike Qualys and Nessus, Astra delivers actionable, human-verified results, easy CI/CD integration, and CXO-friendly dashboards for superior clarity and ROI.

Which vulnerability scanner is best for compliance requirements?

Qualys and Nessus both support compliance; however, Astra Security stands out by providing always-on compliance monitoring for PCI-DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, and more. Astra’s compliance-specific scans, expert guidance, and verifiable certificates simplify the audit process and bolster customer trust.

Can Astra Security test behind login screens, unlike Qualys or Nessus?

Yes, Astra’s Chrome extension records logins to scan authenticated areas, detecting hidden issues often missed by traditional scanners. This ensures thorough coverage behind login screens, a feature essential for modern web applications and not always seamless in other solutions.

What kind of support does Astra provide during vulnerability remediation?

Astra Security offers contextual expert support directly via dashboard comments and chat. Their team guides your developers through fixing vulnerabilities, answering questions, and validating patches, making remediation smooth and boosting development confidence, a level of personal assistance often lacking with others.