Best Vulnerability Scanning Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Intruder is ranked #1 of 31 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus and OpenVAS. The best-ranked option with a free plan is ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus. The lowest first paid tier on this page is NSAuditor AI at $3.25/mo.
Scanning for vulnerabilities involves weighing what a tool can scan and how it fits your operating needs. Compare supported targets and asset limits, then look at authenticated and continuous scanning to understand the scope of the listed capabilities. Compliance frameworks and deployment model provide additional dimensions, while free-plan availability and paid-from pricing help frame access and cost. Intruder, ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus, and OpenVAS are among the entries, alongside Nmap and Nuclei. Use the published criteria to compare options against the assets and scanning approach relevant to your security work.
31 vulnerability scanning software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 Intruder Top pick · 7.9 Free plan · Free
#2 ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus Runner-up · 7.9 Free plan · $57.92/mo
#3 OpenVAS Also great · 7.9 Free plan · €210.33/mo
- Free planFree trial apiLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Supported targets
- external IP addresses, domains, subdomains, internal Windows/macOS/Linux devices, web applications, APIs, cloud environments, container images
- Authenticated scanning
- Yes
- Continuous scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free planFree trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Authenticated scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$57.92/mofirst paid tier About ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager PlusVisit site - Free planFree trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- on_premises
- Supported targets
- network services, servers, applications, endpoints, container images
- Authenticated scanning
- Yes
- Continuous scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms€210.33/mofirst paid tier About OpenVASVisit site - Free planFree trial LinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$9,980/mofirst paid tier About NmapVisit site - Free trial apiLinuxWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Supported targets
- routers, switches, firewalls, servers, workstations, databases, printers, wireless access devices, cloud assets, containers, mobile devices, OT and IoT assets
- Authenticated scanning
- Yes
- Continuous scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free planFree trial apiWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 95 /mo
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Supported targets
- network hosts, hostnames, IP addresses, public-facing infrastructure, internal networks, private clouds
- Authenticated scanning
- Yes
- Continuous scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$95/mofirst paid tier About Pentest-Tools Port ScannerVisit site - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$3.25/mofirst paid tier About NSAuditor AIVisit site - Free plan LinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Deployment model
- on_premises
- Supported targets
- IPv4 addresses, IPv4 ranges, IPv4 CIDR blocks, domains, HTTP and HTTPS URLs
- Authenticated scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free trial apiLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Paid from
- 1.62 /mo
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Authenticated scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Supported targets
- Web applications; authenticated applications; multi-FQDN applications; intranet sites; SPAs; API servers; local development servers
- Authenticated scanning
- Yes
- Continuous scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms¥19,800/mofirst paid tier About VAddyVisit site - Free trial apiLinuxself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Authenticated scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Authenticated scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - AndroidiOSLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Deployment model
- cloud
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - LinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Supported targets
- IP addresses, operating systems, network devices, databases, applications, SCADA systems
- Authenticated scanning
- Yes
- Continuous scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - apiWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Supported targets
- network hosts, IP addresses, FQDNs, ports, cloud environments
- Authenticated scanning
- Yes
- Continuous scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - macOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Supported targets
- networks, endpoints, systems, applications, internet-facing assets
- Authenticated scanning
- Yes
- Continuous scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - LinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Supported targets
- Windows, macOS, Linux devices, servers, workstations, and mobile devices
- Continuous scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WindowsmacOSLinux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- on_premises
- Supported targets
- Network hosts, CIDR subnets, AWS, Azure, GCP, TLS, DNS, and OT targets
- Authenticated scanning
- Yes
- Continuous scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WebWindowsmacOSLinux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- on_premises
- Supported targets
- network infrastructure, hosts, cloud, agents
- Continuous scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Supported targets
- Hostnames, IP addresses, IP ranges, URLs, web applications, APIs, networks, code repositories, containers, Kubernetes clusters, and cloud accounts
- Authenticated scanning
- Yes
- Continuous scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Web
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Supported targets
- domains, IP addresses, ports, services, web applications
- Continuous scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WindowsmacOSLinux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- on_premises
- Supported targets
- network hosts, servers, web applications, and network appliances
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Web
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Supported targets
- interactive web applications and their APIs
- Authenticated scanning
- Yes
- Continuous scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WindowsLinux
- Deployment model
- on_premises
- Supported targets
- web servers; host URLs
- Authenticated scanning
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which vulnerability scanning software is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
Intruder is ranked #1 of 31 with a score of 7.9. ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus is second and OpenVAS third.
How many of these have a free plan?
8 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, NSAuditor AI has the lowest first paid tier we found: $3.25/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.