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TridentStack Control vs Nessus

Nessus scans network-reachable systems, devices, hypervisors, databases, and web servers, giving teams broad infrastructure coverage. TridentStack Control is a hosted endpoint scanner that continuously detects software vulnerabilities and includes operating system and third-party application patching plus DISA STIG scoring in one price. The first 200 endpoints are free forever for commercial use. Run both when you need network scanning.

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At a glance: TridentStack Control vs Nessus

Capability	TridentStack Control	Nessus
Free offer Nessus Essentials is limited to personal and non-commercial use, lasts 30 days, scans up to 5 IPs, and delays plugin updates by 30 days.	200 endpoints free forever, commercial use allowed	Essentials: 5 IPs, 30 days, non-commercial
Endpoint agent Nessus Agents come with Tenable One Vulnerability Management. Standalone Nessus Essentials, Professional, and Expert scan over the network.	Yes	With Tenable One Vulnerability Management
Network and unauthenticated scanning Nessus supports remote network scans, including unauthenticated and credentialed assessment. TridentStack Control is for managed endpoints.	No	Yes
Network devices and web application scanning Nessus scans network devices and other infrastructure. Nessus Expert adds dedicated web application scanning; TridentStack Control does not scan network devices or web applications.	No	Depends on edition
CVSS / EPSS / CISA KEV prioritization Nessus Professional and Expert rank findings by CVSS, EPSS, and Tenable's VPR score. CISA KEV dates appear in Tenable One Vulnerability Management.	Yes	CVSS, EPSS, VPR
Patch deployment Tenable Patch Management deploys patches and requires a separate active-client license; Tenable One lists it as an add-on.	Yes	Separately licensed
Third-party application patching Tenable Patch Management supports third-party patching. Its macOS support is third-party patching only, not operating system patching.	Yes	Separately licensed
DISA STIG configuration scoring Nessus audit policies support DISA STIGs; Essentials excludes compliance/configuration checks.	Yes	Depends on edition
Hosted, nothing to run Standalone Nessus scanners are customer-installed. Tenable One is hosted but may use customer-managed linked scanners for internal assets.	Yes	Tenable One only
MSP multi-tenancy Tenable's MSSP portal manages multiple customer accounts on Tenable One.	Yes	Tenable One MSSP portal
Published pricing Nessus Professional is $4,790 for a one-year license; Nessus Expert is $6,790. Tenable One Vulnerability Management is priced by asset through Tenable.	Yes	Depends on edition

Where Nessus is genuinely better

Honest about where the competition wins. If your fleet looks like the cases below, Nessus is the right answer.

·Nessus scans network-reachable operating systems, network devices, hypervisors, databases, web servers, and critical infrastructure. TridentStack Control is an endpoint scanner and does not replace that network coverage.
·Nessus Professional publishes a $4,790 one-year license. For a 500-endpoint fleet, TridentStack Control costs $1,500 per month for the 300 endpoints beyond the free 200, so Nessus Professional is less expensive on the published license figures.
·Nessus Professional and Expert are customer-installed scanner software. You can operate scanners where your network requires them, including environments that are not suited to a hosted endpoint service.
·Nessus Professional includes configuration and compliance auditing, and Nessus Expert adds web application scanning and external attack surface discovery.
·Tenable sells endpoint patch deployment through Tenable Patch Management, licensed separately per active client. Tenable One Vulnerability Management also lists Patch Management as an add-on.

Where TridentStack Control is genuinely better

The capabilities that don't exist in Nessus or only exist as separate paid SKUs.

·The first 200 endpoints are free forever for commercial use, with every TridentStack Control feature included. Nessus Essentials is a 30-day, non-commercial offer limited to five IPs, with a 30-day plugin delay and no compliance checks or reporting.
·TridentStack Control continuously detects endpoint vulnerabilities from software inventory instead of relying on scheduled network sweeps.
·Endpoint patch deployment for operating systems and third-party applications is included in the same price as vulnerability detection. Tenable Patch Management is licensed separately per active client.
·DISA STIG scoring for supported Windows, macOS, Ubuntu LTS, and RHEL endpoints is included, along with Microsoft Security Baselines for Windows. STIG results map to NIST 800-53 as a reporting view, not a scored NIST baseline.
·TridentStack Control is hosted, uses outbound agent connections on port 443, includes MSP multi-tenancy, and includes vendor email support on every endpoint, including free endpoints.
·Findings carry CVSS, EPSS, and CISA KEV status and are grouped by the update that fixes them, with exception expiry and an audit trail.

Pricing at your fleet size

Drag the slider to your fleet size. The math is the math.

Endpoints250

TridentStack Control

$250

per month

Nessus

Pricing not directly comparable

Nessus pricing depends on bundles, server licenses, or admin overhead.

How to migrate from Nessus to TridentStack Control

A plain-language sequence. Skip the steps that don't apply to your fleet.

1
Keep Nessus for network and infrastructure coverage
TridentStack Control does not scan network devices, unauthenticated hosts, hypervisors, databases, or web applications. Keep Nessus for those targets, or run both products if you need to add continuous endpoint inventory-based detection.
2
Install the TridentStack Control agent on an endpoint pilot
Choose a small group representing your supported Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints. Keep existing Nessus scans running while the agent reports software inventory and vulnerability findings.
3
Compare findings on the same endpoints
Review endpoint findings from both systems and account for their different methods: TridentStack Control evaluates agent-reported software inventory continuously, while Nessus performs network or credentialed scans on its configured schedule.
4
Move endpoint remediation into deployment rings
Use TridentStack Control's included operating system and third-party application patching for endpoint remediation, with approval rules and deployment rings. Keep Tenable Patch Management if its separately licensed workflow is still needed, and retain Nessus for network scanning.

Frequently asked questions about Nessus and TridentStack Control

Does TridentStack Control replace a network scanner?

No. TridentStack Control detects vulnerabilities on managed endpoints from software inventory. It does not scan networks, unauthenticated hosts, network devices, hypervisors, web applications, containers, or cloud configurations. Keep Nessus for network and infrastructure scanning, or run both and use TridentStack Control for endpoint detection and patch deployment.

How does Nessus Essentials compare with 200 endpoints free forever?

Nessus Essentials is for personal and non-commercial use, lasts 30 days, scans up to five IPs, and receives plugin updates with a 30-day delay. TridentStack Control allows commercial use and includes all features for the first 200 endpoints free forever. The offers have different purposes and coverage models.

Is TridentStack Control cheaper than Nessus Professional?

Not at 500 endpoints based on the published figures. TridentStack Control charges for 300 endpoints after the first 200 free, or $1,500 per month. Nessus Professional lists a $4,790 one-year license. These prices cover different scopes: Nessus scans networks and infrastructure, while TridentStack Control includes hosted endpoint detection, patch deployment, and compliance scoring.

Can Tenable products deploy patches?

Yes. Tenable Patch Management provides patch deployment and is licensed separately per active client. Tenable One Vulnerability Management lists Patch Management as an add-on. TridentStack Control includes endpoint operating system and third-party application patch deployment in its price.

Does TridentStack Control include compliance scoring?

Yes. It includes DISA STIG scoring for supported Windows, macOS, Ubuntu LTS, and RHEL endpoints, plus Microsoft Security Baselines for Windows. STIG results map to NIST 800-53 as a reporting view. It is not a scored NIST baseline.

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Compare TridentStack Control against other tools

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Sources used to verify this comparison

All Nessus pricing, feature, and lifecycle claims on this page were verified against the sources below on 2026-10-21. Vendor pricing and capabilities change; if you spot something out of date, let us know.