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Nessus vs OpenSCAP: catalog facts
Nessus	OpenSCAP
Freemium Nessus Essentials is free for up to sixteen IP addresses. Professional is a paid…	Free Free and open source.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Linux, Command line
Very large and rapidly updated plugin library Configuration and compliance auditing alongside vulnerability scanning	Implements the NIST SCAP standard with 2014 certification Includes community hardening guides and baselines
Free Essentials edition is capped at sixteen IP addresses Closed source, with subscription pricing beyond the free tier	Requires familiarity with SCAP policies and profiles Aimed at administrators rather than home users
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Closed source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.