We performed a comparison between Rapid7 InsightVM and Tenable Nessus based on our users’ reviews in four categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.
Comparison Results: Both solutions were considered by our users as easy to deploy but on the expensive side. Rapid7 users were happier with the service and support, but PeerSpot users ranked Tenable Nessus as number one overall at the time this comparison was written.
"The pricing is reasonable."
"The performance is good."
"I have been in contact with technical support and they are not bad."
"I liked the dashboard on it. I could customize my dashboard with different widgets and different heat maps."
"This solution's most useful feature is that it is entirely a single-page application."
"It is stable and scalable."
"I like Rapid7's scan optimization options."
"Using Rapid7, we can install a scan engine, we can do our VPN connections, and we can conduct internal scans of remote sites. We prefer the web application. It's smarter and more accurate from an application perspective."
"The most valuable feature of Tenable Nessus is the dashboard. They are convenient to use."
"Tenable integrates well with other solutions such as SIEM and batch management."
"The solution is easy to understand for users because instructions are included on the platform."
"My favorite part about Nessus is that you can customize the tool to scan exactly what you want. Microsoft releases new patches monthly on Patch Tuesday, and a lot of companies track that date. I set up Nessus for the day after Patch Tuesday to see which devices have already pushed those updates from Microsoft, so we can stay updated."
"It provides multiple recommendations towards the remedy of vulnerabilities."
"The most valuable features are that it's fast, it's easy to use and it provides good reports."
"The solution is very stable."
"The most valuable feature of Tenable Nessus is vulnerability detection."
"There was functionality present previously, however, currently, we can't integrate directly with Jira Service Desk - only the cloud version."
"I would say that it improved our visibility, but it left things open."
"This solution creates false-positives which can cause issues with reporting."
"The solution needs to improve its vulnerability design to include CVC results."
"It would be nice to have an additional feature that would provide reports on who has logged onto the console or who did what on the console."
"There should be containerization within the VM."
"All products have room for increased security and Rapid7 InsightVM is no exception."
"The InsightVM cannot scan if we connect to our customer by the VPN."
"Tenable Nessus is not feasible for a large company."
"We would like to have the option of using the solution for the cloud as well as on-premises with the same license at the same time. That would be very helpful."
"The professional version is not very scalable."
"The interface is a little bit clunky, and the reporting is not marvelous. There should be better integration of reporting between instances. Currently, the instance stands alone, and it produces a report. Being able to amalgamate those reports with another instance will be useful."
"Nessus' reporting could be more user-friendly."
"The price could be reduced."
"The reports should be improved in Tenable Nessus. For example, when you are auditing compliance with CIS standards. It provides very poor reports."
"From my point of view the solution basically is not for the big enterprise."
Rapid7 InsightVM is ranked 4th in Risk-Based Vulnerability Management with 55 reviews while Tenable Nessus is ranked 3rd in Vulnerability Management with 75 reviews. Rapid7 InsightVM is rated 8.0, while Tenable Nessus is rated 8.4. The top reviewer of Rapid7 InsightVM writes "You can scan a network, and receive recommendations to address vulnerabilities with the click of a button". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Tenable Nessus writes "Unlimited assets for one price and quick, agentless results". Rapid7 InsightVM is most compared with Qualys VMDR, Tenable Security Center, Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management, Wiz and Rapid7 InsightIDR, whereas Tenable Nessus is most compared with Qualys VMDR, Tenable Vulnerability Management, Tenable Security Center, Pentera and Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management. See our Rapid7 InsightVM vs. Tenable Nessus report.
We monitor all Risk-Based Vulnerability Management reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.
You have full visibility across cloud, network, virtual, and containerized infrastructures with Rapid7 Insight VM. You can easily prioritize vulnerabilities using attacker analytics. Overall, Rapid7 Insight VM is easy to understand, use, and deploy. This solution supplies many different types of valuable reporting and rarely reports false positives. Rapid7 can easily detect new devices and scan endpoints quickly for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, or missing patches. Rapid7 Insight VM will identify the risk and suggest how to resolve the problem.
We would like to see the reporting improved to offer some of the options other solutions provide. Rapid7 Insight VM can be a very expensive solution - it is really only for larger enterprise accounts. Integration with other solutions would make Rapid7 Insight VM more desirable.
It’s easy to combine local testing with network-based testing using Tenable Nessus, which can easily find vulnerabilities across different platforms and operating systems. Tenable Nessus will identify what nodes you have in place, then provide you with a report identifying each vulnerability found by node. It works quickly and stealthily, and offers clear-cut reporting and the ability to scan for specific vulnerabilities.
We would like to see the reporting process with Tenable Nessus improved. Instead of only PDF reports, one option might be to track with an Excel-based structure to better track vulnerabilities and remediation efforts and build reports from there. An option to use the same license for the cloud and on-premises at the same time would be very useful.
Conclusion
We felt that Tenable Nessus provided better reporting of vulnerabilities per device in a clearer, easier to understand manner. It is a very easy solution to use and makes accountability for tracing and reporting vulnerabilities easy. The flexible scanning options offered by Tenable Nessus are what we found most advantageous.
InsightVM - better functions on granting users different access to different asset groups.
It fits better for our company and is slightly cheaper.