Best Vulnerability Scanning Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Intruder is ranked #1 of 36 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus and Nmap. The best-ranked option with a free plan is ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Rapid7 InsightVM at $1.62/mo.
Vulnerability scanning software is used to examine systems and other supported targets for potential weaknesses. Compare supported targets and asset limits, then consider authenticated and continuous scanning to understand the stated scope and approach. Intruder, ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus, and Nmap are among the entries to weigh against your requirements. Compliance frameworks and deployment model provide further comparison points, while free-plan availability and paid-from pricing help frame access and cost. The listed criteria can help you assess how each option aligns with the assets and scanning workflow you need.
36 vulnerability scanning software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
11 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IntruderWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 2 | ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager PlusWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | $57.92/mo | 6.6 | |
| 3 | NmapWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $9,980/mo | 6.6 | |
| 4 | NSAuditor AIWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $3.25/mo | 6.6 | |
| 5 | NucleiWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 6 | OpenVASWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | €210.33/mo | 6.6 | |
| 7 | OWASP NettackerWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 8 | Qualys External Attack Surface ManagementWeb · Linux · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | — | 6.5 | |
| 9 | NiktoWindows · Linux · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 10 | Pentest-Tools Port ScannerWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $95/mo | 6.4 | |
| 11 | WPScanMac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 12 | Tanium DeployWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 13 | Ivanti Neurons for Zero Trust AccessWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 14 | N-able Risk IntelligenceWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 15 | NSAuditor AIWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 16 | Outpost24 Attack Surface ManagementWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 17 | Rapid7 InsightVMWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 4 of 6 | $1.62/mo | 5.4 |
| 18 | SiriusWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 19 | ShadowSecurityScannerWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 20 | Sploit.ioWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 21 | Tenable One Attack Surface ManagementWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 22 | Rapid7 Surface CommandWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · API | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 23 | SecAppsWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 24 | VAddyWeb · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | ¥19,800/mo | 5.2 |
| 25 | Vicarius vRxWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · API | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | $4/mo | 5.2 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Deployment model | Supported targets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intruder | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | hybrid | external IP addresses, domains, subdomains, internal Windows/macOS/Linux devices, web applications, APIs, cloud environments, container images |
| 2 | ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus | 6.6 | Free plan | $57.92/mo | Yes | — | hybrid | — |
| 3 | Nmap | 6.6 | Free plan | $9,980/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 4 | NSAuditor AI | 6.6 | Free plan | $3.25/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 5 | Nuclei | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 6 | OpenVAS | 6.6 | Free plan | €210.33/mo | Yes | — | on_premises | network services, servers, applications, endpoints, container images |
| 7 | OWASP Nettacker | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | — | — | on_premises | IPv4 addresses, IPv4 ranges, IPv4 CIDR blocks, domains, HTTP and HTTPS URLs |
| 8 | Qualys External Attack Surface Management | 6.5 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | routers, switches, firewalls, servers, workstations, databases, printers, wireless access devices, cloud assets, containers, mobile devices, OT and IoT assets |
| 9 | Nikto | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | — | — | on_premises | web servers; host URLs |
| 10 | Pentest-Tools Port Scanner | 6.4 | Free plan | $95/mo | Yes | 95 /mo | cloud | network hosts, hostnames, IP addresses, public-facing infrastructure, internal networks, private clouds |
| 11 | WPScan | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | — | — | — | WordPress core, plugins, themes, usernames, media, configuration backups, database exports, TimThumb files, and remote WordPress applications |
| 12 | Tanium Deploy | 5.6 | No | — | — | — | hybrid | — |
| 13 | Ivanti Neurons for Zero Trust Access | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | cloud | — |
| 14 | N-able Risk Intelligence | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | cloud | Windows, macOS, Linux devices, servers, workstations, and mobile devices |
| 15 | NSAuditor AI | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | on_premises | Network hosts, CIDR subnets, AWS, Azure, GCP, TLS, DNS, and OT targets |
| 16 | Outpost24 Attack Surface Management | 5.4 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | network hosts, IP addresses, FQDNs, ports, cloud environments |
| 17 | Rapid7 InsightVM | 5.4 | No | $1.62/mo | — | 1.62 /mo | hybrid | — |
| 18 | Sirius | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | on_premises | network infrastructure, hosts, cloud, agents |
| 19 | ShadowSecurityScanner | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | on_premises | network hosts, servers, web applications, and network appliances |
| 20 | Sploit.io | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | — | web browsers |
| 21 | Tenable One Attack Surface Management | 5.3 | No | — | No | — | cloud | IP addresses, operating systems, network devices, databases, applications, SCADA systems |
| 22 | Rapid7 Surface Command | 5.2 | No | — | — | 1.62 /mo | hybrid | — |
| 23 | SecApps | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | cloud | domains, IP addresses, ports, services, web applications |
| 24 | VAddy | 5.2 | No | ¥19,800/mo | No | — | cloud | Web applications; authenticated applications; multi-FQDN applications; intranet sites; SPAs; API servers; local development servers |
| 25 | Vicarius vRx | 5.2 | No | $4/mo | No | — | hybrid | — |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which vulnerability scanning software is ranked first on Freedom251?
Intruder is ranked #1 of 36 with a score of 6.6. ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus is second and Nmap third.
How many of these have a free plan?
10 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Rapid7 InsightVM has the lowest first paid tier we found: $1.62/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.