AppBreakup

Intruder alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rankAll penetration testing tools

Top picks

Common reasons people leave Intruder: internal network scanning only on Pro and Enterprise plans, and per-target licences add up for large estates. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Intruder, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Tenable Nessus currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingVerified priceOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Tenable Nessus logoTenable NessusPaid$199/yearNoWindows, macOS, Linux +18 of 868.8
2Qualys logoQualysFree plan + paid—NoWeb5 of 564.8
3Detectify logoDetectifyPaidFrom €2,500 per year (Standard)NoWeb9 of 961.8
4Rapid7 logoRapid7Paid—NoWeb, Self-hosted4 of 457.5
5Acunetix logoAcunetixPaid$500 max per pentestNoWeb7 of 755.9
6Invicti logoInvictiPaid$500 max per pentestNoWeb, Self-hosted5 of 554.5
  1. Tenable Nessus logo

    1. Tenable NessusTop pick

    Best for: Pentesters, consultants and IT teams that need trusted point-in-time vulnerability scans

    PaidSelf-hostableWindows, macOS, Linux, Web

    68.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Intruder

    The scanner Intruder partly builds on, if you want to run and tune it directly.

    Pros

    • Large, frequently updated plugin library
    • Clear severity scoring and remediation guidance
    • Compliance and configuration audits in Professional

    Cons

    • Free licence lasts 30 days and covers only 5 IPs
    • Professional costs thousands per year
    • Cheaper editions are limited to non-commercial use
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Tenable Nessus a good Intruder alternative?

    Verified facts

    8 of 8 verified
    Free licence
    30 days, up to 5 IPs
    Checked Nov 8, 2026tenable.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Essentials Plus price
    $199/year
    Checked Nov 8, 2026tenable.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Nessus Professional price
    $4,790
    Checked Nov 8, 2026tenable.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Commercial use
    Professional only
    Checked Nov 8, 2026tenable.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    Yes (Nessus Essentials)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026tenable.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Essentials Plus plan
    $199 a year (free for verified students)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026tenable.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Nessus Professional plan
    $4,790 a year
    Checked Nov 8, 2026tenable.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Nessus Expert plan
    $6,790 a year
    Checked Nov 8, 2026tenable.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Qualys logo

    2. Qualys

    Best for: Enterprises that want cloud-based vulnerability scanning, risk scoring and patching in one platform

    Free plan + paidWeb

    64.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Intruder

    Deeper enterprise coverage and built-in patching, with a free Community Edition.

    Pros

    • Fully cloud-based, with no scanner server to host
    • Built-in patch deployment alongside vulnerability findings
    • Free Community Edition for small environments
    • Unlimited virtual scanners and cloud agents included in VMDR

    Cons

    • Quote-only pricing, with many features sold as separate apps
    • Console has a steep learning curve
    • Community Edition is limited to a small number of assets
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Qualys a good Intruder alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Free plan
    Community Edition
    Checked Nov 8, 2026qualys.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Deployment
    Cloud-based, nothing to install
    Checked Nov 8, 2026qualys.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Scanners and agents
    Unlimited in VMDR
    Checked Nov 8, 2026qualys.com(opens source in a new tab)
    PCI ASV scanning
    Included in VMDR
    Checked Nov 8, 2026qualys.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Patching
    Built in
    Checked Nov 8, 2026qualys.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Detectify logo

    3. Detectify

    Best for: Product security teams with many domains and web apps exposed to the internet

    PaidWeb

    61.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Intruder

    Stronger on web apps and attack surface, using tests sourced from ethical hackers.

    Pros

    • Tests sourced from a community of ethical hackers
    • Strong subdomain takeover and attack surface discovery
    • No agents needed for external scanning
    • Published plan prices

    Cons

    • Per-domain and per-target charges on top of the platform fee
    • PCI ASV scanning costs extra
    • Focused on external assets rather than internal networks
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Detectify a good Intruder alternative?

    Verified facts

    9 of 9 verified
    Starter platform fee
    €0 per year
    Checked Nov 8, 2026detectify.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Standard plan
    From €2,500 per year
    Checked Nov 8, 2026detectify.com(opens source in a new tab)
    PCI ASV scanning
    €500 per year add-on
    Checked Nov 8, 2026detectify.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Agents
    Not needed for external scanning
    Checked Nov 8, 2026detectify.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Ethical hacker community
    400+
    Checked Nov 8, 2026detectify.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    From €2,500 per year (Standard)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026detectify.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    Yes, Starter from €0, up to 5 users
    Checked Nov 8, 2026detectify.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Professional plan
    From €5,000 per year
    Checked Nov 8, 2026detectify.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise plan
    From €15,000 per year
    Checked Nov 8, 2026detectify.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Rapid7 logo

    4. Rapid7

    Best for: Mid-sized and large teams wanting vulnerability management and MDR from one vendor

    PaidWeb, Self-hosted

    57.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Intruder

    Full vulnerability management plus MDR for larger teams.

    Pros

    • Cloud and on-premises vulnerability scanning options
    • MDR service with unlimited incident response
    • Owns Metasploit, the widely used pentest framework
    • SIEM, exposure and app security on one platform

    Cons

    • Quote-only pricing
    • Frequent product renames and repackaging make plans hard to compare
    • Overkill for small teams that only need a scanner
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Rapid7 a good Intruder alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Vulnerability management
    InsightVM, part of Exposure Command
    Checked Nov 8, 2026rapid7.com(opens source in a new tab)
    On-premises scanner
    Nexpose
    Checked Nov 8, 2026rapid7.com(opens source in a new tab)
    MDR
    24x7, unlimited incident response
    Checked Nov 8, 2026rapid7.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Metasploit
    Rapid7 project
    Checked Nov 8, 2026rapid7.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Acunetix logo

    5. Acunetix

    Best for: Security teams that want automated, low-noise scanning of web apps and APIs

    PaidWeb

    55.9

    score / 100

    Why switch from Intruder

    Dedicated web application scanner with deep crawling of single-page apps, if web apps are your main attack surface.

    Pros

    • Proof-based scanning confirms many findings automatically
    • Tests REST, GraphQL and SOAP APIs
    • CI/CD and issue tracker integrations
    • Large check library covering the OWASP Top 10

    Cons

    • Quote-only pricing per target
    • Rebrand to Invicti Web + API makes the product line confusing
    • Automated scanning only; no manual testing proxy
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.357
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Acunetix a good Intruder alternative?

    Verified facts

    7 of 7 verified
    Current name
    Invicti Web + API
    Checked Nov 8, 2026acunetix.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Checks
    7,000+ issues
    Checked Nov 8, 2026acunetix.com(opens source in a new tab)
    API testing
    REST, GraphQL, SOAP
    Checked Nov 8, 2026acunetix.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Customers
    5,000+ companies
    Checked Nov 8, 2026acunetix.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Agentic Pentest plan
    $500 max per pentest
    Checked Nov 8, 2026acunetix.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Web + API plan
    Quote-based
    Checked Nov 8, 2026acunetix.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    Proof of Concept licence on request
    Checked Nov 8, 2026acunetix.com(opens source in a new tab)
  6. Invicti logo

    6. Invicti

    Best for: AppSec teams in larger companies that want DAST, SAST and SCA results in one place

    PaidWeb, Self-hosted

    54.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Intruder

    Enterprise DAST with proof-based scanning that confirms many vulnerabilities, cutting false-positive triage.

    Pros

    • Proof-based DAST that cuts false positives
    • Adds SAST, SCA, secrets and container scanning in higher tiers
    • On-premises and air-gapped deployment available
    • Agentic pentest option with a published price cap

    Cons

    • Main platform pricing is quote-only
    • On-premises deployment only in the top package
    • More platform than small teams need for basic scanning
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.353
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Invicti a good Intruder alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Agentic pentest price
    $500 max per pentest
    Checked Nov 8, 2026invicti.com(opens source in a new tab)
    On-premises deployment
    AppSec Flex package
    Checked Nov 8, 2026invicti.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Trial
    Proof-of-concept licences
    Checked Nov 8, 2026invicti.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Capabilities
    DAST, SAST, SCA, API security
    Checked Nov 8, 2026invicti.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    Proof-of-concept licences
    Checked Nov 8, 2026invicti.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Intruder alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Tenable Nessus logo

Best Intruder alternative for most people

Tenable Nessus

The scanner Intruder partly builds on, if you want to run and tune it directly.

Qualys logo

Best Intruder alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Qualys

Deeper enterprise coverage and built-in patching, with a free Community Edition.

Tenable Nessus logo

Best Intruder alternative for self-hosting

Tenable Nessus

The scanner Intruder partly builds on, if you want to run and tune it directly.

Tenable Nessus logo

Best Intruder alternative for Mac

Tenable Nessus

The scanner Intruder partly builds on, if you want to run and tune it directly.

Tenable Nessus logo

Best Intruder alternative for Windows

Tenable Nessus

The scanner Intruder partly builds on, if you want to run and tune it directly.

Tenable Nessus logo

Best Intruder alternative for Linux

Tenable Nessus

The scanner Intruder partly builds on, if you want to run and tune it directly.

Detectify logo

Best Intruder alternative for working in the browser

Detectify

Stronger on web apps and attack surface, using tests sourced from ethical hackers.

Intruder alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Intruder?

Tenable Nessus ranks first right now. The scanner Intruder partly builds on, if you want to run and tune it directly. Qualys and Detectify follow it in our ranking.

Intruder vs Tenable Nessus: what's the difference?

Intruder is free with paid plans; Tenable Nessus is a paid product. Only Tenable Nessus runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Is Intruder free?

Intruder is free with paid plans. Free plan: Yes; Free trial: 14 days; AI pentests: From $3,500 per test; AI pentest: From $3,500 per test. Checked on Intruder's own site, November 2026.

How much do Intruder alternatives cost?

Verified prices for the top-ranked Intruder alternatives: Tenable Nessus, $199/year; Detectify, From €2,500 per year (Standard); Acunetix, $500 max per pentest; Invicti, $500 max per pentest. Each price was checked on the app's own site; see each card below for the date and source.

Is there a free alternative to Intruder?

Yes. Qualys (free plan + paid) has a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Intruder?

None of the 6 alternatives in this list is open source.

Which Intruder alternatives work on Linux?

Tenable Nessus runs on Linux.

Why do people switch from Intruder?

The complaints we hear most: internal network scanning only on Pro and Enterprise plans; per-target licences add up for large estates; lighter on internal enterprise networks than Qualys or Tenable.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Intruder, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.