Tenable vs Qualys: 2026 head-to-head
Tenable.io publishes a 100-asset list anchor (~$35/asset/yr). Qualys VMDR remains quote-only with partner-reported figures around $199/asset/yr. Both lead enterprise VM, both ship PCI ASV evidence, and at 10,000 assets both will land in the $150k-$450k range after RFP discount. Pick Tenable for cleaner per-asset transparency, Qualys for tighter PCI evidence packaging.
Tenable vs Qualys in 2026: who wins?
Tenable Vulnerability Management
Per-asset SaaS VM. List example is published at 100 assets; everything above is quote-only.
Qualys VMDR
Cloud-native VMDR with TruRisk scoring. No public list price; quote-only above community-edition caps.
Who should pick which
Tenable.io publishes a 100-asset list anchor (~$35/asset/yr). Qualys VMDR remains quote-only with partner-reported figures around $199/asset/yr. Both lead enterprise VM, both ship PCI ASV evidence, and at 10,000 assets both will land in the $150k-$450k range after RFP discount. Pick Tenable for cleaner per-asset transparency, Qualys for tighter PCI evidence packaging.
FAQ
- Is Tenable vs Qualys a fair comparison on pricing?Often not directly. Tenable Vulnerability Management and Qualys VMDR can anchor on different units (asset vs workload vs developer vs application). Always normalise to your actual asset mix before comparing.
- Which tool is cheaper at 1,000 assets?Per published list, the cheaper option depends heavily on whether the workload model fits. See /pricing-cheatsheet for normalised numbers across all 15 scanners.
- Which produces cleaner SOC 2 evidence?Both produce SOC 2-acceptable CC7.1 evidence packages. The deciding factor is usually how cleanly the tool integrates with your auditor's preferred compliance automation platform (Vanta, Drata, Secureframe).
- Do I need both?Sometimes. Cloud-native estates often run a CNAPP (Wiz / Orca) alongside a traditional VM tool (Tenable / Qualys / Rapid7) for 18-24 months before consolidating. See /types/vm-vs-cspm-vs-ctem/ for the taxonomy.
- How current is the comparison?Verified 2026-06-26 against the vendor pricing pages cited per panel. Re-verified on the changelog cadence at /changelog.