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Nuclei vs Nessus: catalog facts
Nuclei	Nessus
Freemium The Nuclei command-line scanner and its templates are free and open source under the MIT…	Freemium Nessus Essentials is free for up to sixteen IP addresses. Professional is a paid…
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux
Checks are readable YAML templates, so you can review and write them yourself Community templates cover trending vulnerabilities within days	Very large and rapidly updated plugin library Configuration and compliance auditing alongside vulnerability scanning
Only legitimate against systems you are authorised to scan Coverage depends on the template library; an untemplated vulnerability is invisible	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: MIT	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

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