Qualys
Cloud-based platform for vulnerability management, detection, and compliance.
Alternatives
Choose Detectify if…
- you need continuous external attack‑surface discovery
- you want AI‑driven dynamic fuzzing for REST and GraphQL APIs
- you rely on crowdsourced ethical‑hacker research for
- you prefer a single tool that combines surface monitoring,
Choose Intruder if…
- you need daily cloud misconfiguration checks alongside
- you want AI‑driven pentest simulations without hiring
- you prefer a single platform for attack‑surface discovery
Choose Tenable Nessus if…
- you need the widest CVE/plugin library (117k+ CVEs, 319k
- you want multiple risk scores (CVSS v4, EPSS, VPR) to
- you prefer a scanner you can deploy on low‑cost hardware or
- you must limit data exposure by keeping scans inside your
Choose SonarQube if…
- you need line‑level issue reporting for over 25 languages
- you want free static analysis with an optional paid upgrade
- you must enforce custom quality gates that can fail a build
- you integrate security scans directly into Jenkins or Azure
Choose UpGuard if…
- you need continuous external asset exposure monitoring
- you must automate security questionnaire collection with
- you rely on API‑driven risk discovery and alerting
- you require real‑time compliance checks on third‑party
How to Decide
Qualys is a cloud‑based platform known for continuous vulnerability management, detection, and compliance, used by enterprises and security teams. The alternatives split into a few clear camps: Tenable Nessus leans on industry‑standard, extensive CVE/plugin coverage with multiple risk‑scoring models; Greenbone (OpenVAS) offers a free, open‑source self‑hosted edition alongside on‑premises appliance options for GDPR‑sensitive environments.
When comparing these solutions, focus on (1) deployment model – Qualys is SaaS‑only, Nessus runs as a desktop app, and Greenbone can be self‑hosted or appliance‑based; (2) pricing transparency – Qualys requires a sales quote, Nessus uses a subscription fee, while Greenbone provides a freemium/open‑source tier; (3) open‑source vs proprietary – Greenbone’s core is open source, whereas Qualys and Nessus are closed‑source products; and (4) vulnerability database depth and risk‑scoring – Nessus boasts 117k+ CVEs with multiple scoring systems, Greenbone offers a large test library, and Qualys provides continuous asset discovery with its own risk prioritization. These factors directly affect cost, integration effort, and how well the tool fits your organization’s security workflow.
All Alternatives
“Qualys delivers cloud‑based vulnerability management and continuous scanning, a broader but still comparable alternative.”
“Intruder offers continuous cloud‑based vulnerability scanning and asset discovery, a close functional alternative to Qualys.”
“Tenable Nessus is a dedicated vulnerability scanner that discovers, prioritises and helps remediate flaws, directly competing with Qualys VM”
“Greenbone (OpenVAS) provides an open‑source vulnerability management platform with asset discovery, matching Qualys' core purpose.”
“Qualys provides continuous vulnerability and asset discovery, a core part of UpGuard's risk posture view.”
About the Product
Is this your tool?
Claim this page to update details, reply to user reviews, and drive more traffic to your product.
Claim this Product →