Nessus vs Metasploit

Struggling to choose between Nessus and Metasploit? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Nessus is a Security & Privacy solution with tags like vulnerability-scanning, network-security, penetration-testing.

It boasts features such as Vulnerability scanning, Compliance auditing, Web application scanning, Malware detection, Configuration auditing and pros including Wide range of vulnerability checks, User-friendly interface, Regular plugin updates, Integrates with other Tenable products, Can customize scans and policies.

On the other hand, Metasploit is a Security & Privacy product tagged with exploitation, vulnerability-testing, offensive-security.

Its standout features include Exploit database, Payload database, Auxiliary modules, Evasion modules, Post-exploitation modules, Scripting engine, and it shines with pros like Comprehensive and frequently updated exploit database, Large collection of payloads, Modular architecture, Built-in evasion techniques, Powerful CLI and scripting capabilities, Active community support.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Nessus

Nessus

Nessus is a vulnerability scanner used to scan networks and systems for security vulnerabilities. It is one of the most popular vulnerability assessment tools.

Categories:
vulnerability-scanning network-security penetration-testing

Nessus Features

  1. Vulnerability scanning
  2. Compliance auditing
  3. Web application scanning
  4. Malware detection
  5. Configuration auditing

Pricing

  • Subscription-Based

Pros

Wide range of vulnerability checks

User-friendly interface

Regular plugin updates

Integrates with other Tenable products

Can customize scans and policies

Cons

Limited mobile device scanning

No built-in remediation capabilities

Some advanced features require additional purchase


Metasploit

Metasploit

Metasploit is an open source penetration testing framework that helps security professionals find, exploit, and validate vulnerabilities. It includes a database of known exploits and payloads that can be used to simulate attacks against systems to test their security.

Categories:
exploitation vulnerability-testing offensive-security

Metasploit Features

  1. Exploit database
  2. Payload database
  3. Auxiliary modules
  4. Evasion modules
  5. Post-exploitation modules
  6. Scripting engine

Pricing

  • Open Source
  • Free

Pros

Comprehensive and frequently updated exploit database

Large collection of payloads

Modular architecture

Built-in evasion techniques

Powerful CLI and scripting capabilities

Active community support

Cons

Can be complex for beginners

Requires familiarity with penetration testing concepts

Exploits can be unreliable and may crash targets

Legal and ethical concerns around offensive security testing