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Qualys VMDR vs Tenable Vulnerability Management comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 5, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.1
Qualys VMDR enhances security by detecting vulnerabilities, improving asset management, reducing breaches, and offering 30% time-cost savings.
Sentiment score
8.1
Tenable Vulnerability Management offers ROI by reducing vulnerabilities and engineering costs, enhancing oversight, despite varied cost saving reports.
We saw a return on investment through significant savings in time, money, and resources.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.7
Qualys VMDR's customer service is responsive and efficient, though some users report delays in response speed and troubleshooting.
Sentiment score
5.9
Tenable Vulnerability Management support receives mixed reviews, with users praising responsiveness but desiring faster responses for complex issues.
The response time takes a while.
When reaching out via email, they reply quickly.
The technical support provided by Qualys is pretty good.
It needs improvement in response time and addressing feature requests promptly.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Qualys VMDR offers scalable, flexible cloud-based architecture, praised for efficiency despite potential cost increases with higher usage.
Sentiment score
7.4
Tenable Vulnerability Management is scalable, adaptable for diverse sectors; licensing and cost impact performance; user ratings range from 7-10.
Scalability depends on the license and the number of assets being monitored.
Qualys VMDR can handle scalability, although increasing the inventory can raise the licensing costs.
They can seamlessly scale the number of endpoints from 100 to 1,000,000 in a day.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Qualys VMDR is praised for stability and reliability, efficiently managing large scans with minor issues quickly resolved.
Sentiment score
8.0
Tenable Vulnerability Management is highly reliable and stable, with smooth performance and minimal crashes, earning top ratings.
I have faced no stability issues with Tenable.
 

Room For Improvement

Qualys VMDR needs better reporting, UI, integration, asset management, reduced false positives, faster support, and enhanced features.
Tenable Vulnerability Management needs interface improvements, better integration, enhanced reporting, and clearer documentation, with pricing concerns for SMBs.
It does not automate patching unless the patch management module is purchased separately.
If AI features were integrated, it could enhance the capabilities significantly.
The response time of technical support takes a while.
They should also accelerate the process of implementing new features upon request.
 

Setup Cost

Qualys VMDR pricing is higher, flexible, and negotiable, with costs based on company size, assets, and features.
Tenable's pricing is seen as costly but manageable, with costs varying by asset number and additional features potentially extra.
I would rate the pricing between seven to eight out of ten.
I have a notion that Qualys might be more expensive than Rapid7.
Tenable charges around $40 per device, while Rapid7 costs $10 to $15 per device.
 

Valuable Features

Qualys VMDR excels in vulnerability management with automatic detection, seamless integration, real-time dashboards, and user-friendly deployment features.
Tenable Vulnerability Management offers a user-friendly interface with robust scanning, integration, comprehensive visibility, and efficient risk prioritization features.
Qualys VMDR offers a one-stop solution for monitoring and reporting.
Qualys VMDR provides a real-time response and reporting feature, which is excellent.
I like the automated report generation and vulnerability report generation.
Tenable enables vulnerability management through potential AI integration that consolidates efforts and resolves multiple vulnerabilities simultaneously.
 

Categories and Ranking

Qualys VMDR
Ranking in Vulnerability Management
2nd
Ranking in Risk-Based Vulnerability Management
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
92
Ranking in other categories
IT Asset Management (4th), Configuration Management Databases (2nd), Container Security (12th)
Tenable Vulnerability Manag...
Ranking in Vulnerability Management
5th
Ranking in Risk-Based Vulnerability Management
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
41
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Vulnerability Management category, the mindshare of Qualys VMDR is 11.1%, down from 13.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tenable Vulnerability Management is 8.4%, down from 10.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Vulnerability Management
 

Featured Reviews

Harold Jensen - PeerSpot reviewer
Good visibility but expensive and needs better support
Support: It's often overseas and often following a script, basically asking us to redo what we opened the case with. Multiple APIs: There seems to be a lack of easy onboarding into Qualys. We had to use manual inputs and some API calls to get items in place. Dashboard: It is very rudimentary with very little customization. The Qualys Scripting Language (QSL) works differently in different Qualys modules, so when you get it working in one area you have to modify the syntax in others. User account management: We often have to give users more rights than needed just to give them what they need. Integration with the various Qualys Modules: You can tell the UI is different based on of the different teams that created them. QSL syntax same in all modules Responsiveness of some of the components: They time out, you get a blank screen, etc. Backend updates between the various modules: You update connectors and information takes a few minutes to show in VMDR or Global Asset View Connectors: Connectors have a throttling issue with AWS which causes them to frequently fail unless you manually run them again.
Mani Bommisetty - PeerSpot reviewer
Streamlines vulnerability management with excellent reporting and potential AI integration
Tenable is user-friendly and excels in reporting. It allows me to easily fetch and schedule reports. The software's discovery feature aids in strengthening our security posture. The single-sensor installation process on various operating systems is smooth, unlike Rapid7, which requires different versions for separate systems. Furthermore, Tenable enables vulnerability management through potential AI integration that consolidates efforts and resolves multiple vulnerabilities simultaneously.
report
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
36%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Educational Organization
32%
Computer Software Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your primary use case for Qualys VM?
Qualys VM is used for vulnerability scans for the internet and applications using application exchange. There are many applications. We also use the solution for asset management per team, and the ...
What do you like most about Qualys VMDR?
I like that we have many scanners and channels that don't overload. It helps us scan and track easily. Also, the tagging system is good for tagging. We can still use QualysAgent task ID tools even ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Qualys VMDR?
For smaller enterprises, the pricing is on the pricier side. However, for larger enterprises, it's considered okay. I would rate the pricing between seven to eight out of ten.
What's the difference between Tenable Nessus and Tenable.io Vulnerability Management?
Tenable Nessus is a vulnerability assessment solution that is both easy to deploy and easy to manage. The design of the program is such that if a company should desire to handle the installation t...
What needs improvement with Tenable.io Vulnerability Management?
AI integration for reporting in Tenable would be beneficial. The response time of Tenable's customer support needs improvement. They should also accelerate the process of implementing new features ...
 

Also Known As

Qualys VM, QualysGuard VM, Qualys Asset Inventory, Qualys Container Security, Qualys Virtual Scanner Appliance
Tenable.io
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Agrokor Group, American Specialty Health, American State Bank, Arval, Life:), Axway, Bank of the West, Blueport Commerce, BSkyB, Brinks, CaixaBank, Cartagena, Catholic Health System, CEC Bank, Cegedim, CIGNA, Clickability, Colby-Sawyer College, Commercial Bank of Dubai, University of Utah, eBay Inc., ING Singapore, National Theatre, OTP Bank, Sodexo, WebEx
Global Payments AU/NZ
Find out what your peers are saying about Qualys VMDR vs. Tenable Vulnerability Management and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.