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Nikto vs Nessus: catalog facts
Nikto	Nessus
Free The software is free under its open-source licence. Hosting, hardware and external…	Freemium Nessus Essentials is free for up to sixteen IP addresses. Professional is a paid…
macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux
It checks thousands of known-dangerous paths and server configuration issues out of the box, and runs cleanly from…	Very large and rapidly updated plugin library Configuration and compliance auditing alongside vulnerability scanning
The scan is noisy and easily detected, and its checks are signature-based rather than intelligent.	Free Essentials edition is capped at sixteen IP addresses Closed source, with subscription pricing beyond the free tier
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License: GPL-3.0	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is 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 22, 2026

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