ShieldGraph vs Tenable Nessus: Modern Alternative for Growing Teams
Tenable Nessus is the industry standard for network vulnerability scanning. ShieldGraph takes a different approach: a cloud-native SaaS platform that combines web, database, and ERP scanning with AI-powered analysis and attack graph visualization. Here is how they compare for modern security teams.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
A straightforward comparison of ShieldGraph and Tenable Nessus across the capabilities that matter most to security teams.
| Feature | ShieldGraph | Tenable Nessus |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $499/mo | $3,390/yr (Nessus Pro) |
| Deployment Model | Cloud SaaS | On-premise / Cloud |
| Setup Time | 5 minutes | Hours to days |
| AI-Powered Analysis | ||
| Attack Graph Visualization | ||
| Web App Scanning | Limited | |
| Database Scanning | ||
| ERP Scanning | ||
| Network Scanning | Via integration | |
| Plugin Library | Growing | 200,000+ |
| Multi-Asset Scanning | ||
| Free Trial | 14 days | 7 days |
| Continuous Monitoring | ||
| API Access |
Why teams choose ShieldGraph
Cloud-native SaaS means no infrastructure to manage, no agents to install, and no updates to maintain. Your team can focus on fixing vulnerabilities instead of managing scanners.
AI-powered analysis translates raw vulnerability data into prioritized, actionable findings with remediation guidance your developers can actually follow.
Unified scanning across web applications, databases, and ERP systems eliminates the need for separate tools and gives you a single view of your attack surface.
Attack graph visualization reveals how vulnerabilities chain together, helping you fix the issues that close the most attack paths first.
Modern SaaS pricing starts at $499/month with no per-IP or per-asset charges that can make Nessus costs unpredictable as you scale.
When to choose Tenable Nessus
Tenable Nessus has earned its reputation as a leading vulnerability scanner. There are situations where it may be the better choice for your team:
Your primary focus is network infrastructure scanning with deep protocol-level vulnerability detection across routers, switches, and firewalls.
You need access to the largest plugin library in the industry with over 200,000 checks covering CVEs, misconfigurations, and compliance benchmarks.
Your organization requires on-premise scanning in air-gapped environments where cloud-based solutions cannot reach.
You need mature agent-based scanning for endpoints and servers that are not externally accessible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to try a modern alternative to Nessus?
Start your 14-day free trial and discover how AI-powered scanning helps your team find and fix vulnerabilities faster.