Qualys

Cloud vulnerability management platform with asset inventory, risk scoring and built-in patching.

Free plan + paidPenetration testing tools

Updated Nov 7, 2026 · AppBreakup editorial · Web

Visit Qualys See 6 alternatives

Is Qualys free?

Free plan, plus paid plans

Free plan:: Community Edition

Checked on Qualys's site Nov 8, 2026

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All 6

Tenable Nessus
Essentials Plus price: $199/year
Rapid7
Paid
Intruder
Free plan + paid

Verified facts: 5 of 5
Alternatives ranked: 6
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Qualys

Qualys is one of the longest-running vulnerability management vendors, and its Enterprise TruRisk Platform runs entirely as a cloud service. Its flagship app, VMDR, discovers assets across on-premises networks, endpoints, clouds and containers using cloud agents, virtual scanners and passive sensors, then scores vulnerabilities by real-world risk and lets teams deploy patches from the same console. Other apps on the platform cover web application scanning, policy compliance, PCI scanning, external attack surface management, cloud security and endpoint detection, all sold as separate modules. Large enterprises and government bodies are its core market, and pricing is quote-based. A free Community Edition gives small teams and learners a limited version of the platform to scan a handful of assets and web apps. Qualys is thorough and scales well, but the number of modules and the console's depth take time to learn, and costs rise as you add apps.

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

Qualys pricing (checked Nov 8, 2026)

Each line is quoted from Qualys's own site, with the page it came from.

Plan or term	What it says	Checked	Source
Free plan	Community Edition	Nov 8, 2026	qualys.com

What works

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

Why people leave

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

Qualys vs Tenable Nessus, Rapid7 and Intruder

From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.

Attribute	Qualys	Tenable Nessus	Rapid7	Intruder
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Paid	Paid	Free plan + paid
Verified price	—	$199/year	—	—
Free plan	Community Edition	Yes (Nessus Essentials)	No	Yes
Open source	No	No	No	No
Self-hostable	No	Yes	No	No
Platforms	Web	Windows, macOS, Linux, Web	Web, Self-hosted	Web

Top Qualys alternatives

See all 6

1
Tenable Nessus
The best-known vulnerability scanner, with a self-hosted option and a large plugin library.
68.8
2
Rapid7
Vulnerability management with an on-prem scanner option and an MDR service from the same vendor.
64.8
3
Intruder
Much simpler setup with published plans and a free tier, aimed at smaller teams.
61.8
4
Detectify
Better fit if your main concern is external web apps and attack surface rather than internal hosts.
57.5
5
Acunetix
Focused web application and API vulnerability scanner, a lighter buy if you only need Qualys's WAS side.
55.9

Why people left Qualys

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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Qualys: common questions

What is Qualys?

Qualys: Cloud vulnerability management platform with asset inventory, risk scoring and built-in patching. Best for enterprises that want cloud-based vulnerability scanning, risk scoring and patching in one platform. Available for Web.

Is Qualys free?

Qualys has a free plan and paid plans. Free plan: Community Edition (checked on Qualys's own site).

How much does Qualys cost?

Qualys is free with paid plans. Free plan: Community Edition. Checked on Qualys's own site, November 2026.

Is Qualys open source?

No, Qualys is not open source.

What platforms does Qualys run on?

Qualys is available for Web.

What are the best alternatives to Qualys?

The highest-ranked Qualys alternatives right now are Tenable Nessus, Rapid7 and Intruder. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

Qualys vs Tenable Nessus: what's the difference?

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

See all 6 Qualys alternatives

Qualys facts

5 of 5 verified

Free plan: Community Edition; Checked Nov 8, 2026qualys.com(opens source in a new tab); “Qualys Community Edition is free.”
Deployment: Cloud-based, nothing to install; Checked Nov 8, 2026qualys.com(opens source in a new tab); “And as a cloud-based service, there's no software to download or install.”
Scanners and agents: Unlimited in VMDR; Checked Nov 8, 2026qualys.com(opens source in a new tab); “Unlimited Virtual Scanners, Cloud Agents, Passive Sensors”
PCI ASV scanning: Included in VMDR; Checked Nov 8, 2026qualys.com(opens source in a new tab); “PCI ASV Assessments including PCI 4.0”
Patching: Built in; Checked Nov 8, 2026qualys.com(opens source in a new tab); “Eliminate Risk 60% faster with built-in patching and remediation workflows.”