Greenbone OpenVAS
The most widely used open-source vulnerability scanner with 100,000+ network vulnerability tests
Open Source Vulnerability ScannerFree (open source) / Greenbone Enterprise appliances from $5,000/yearOpen Source
How we work:This listing is aggregated from Greenbone OpenVAS's official documentation, public pricing pages, community discussions (Reddit, HN, forums), and real user feedback. We do not do hands-on testing. We aggregate and organize what's already out there. Last verified February 2026.
What is Greenbone OpenVAS?
Greenbone OpenVAS (Open Vulnerability Assessment Scanner) is the world's most widely used open-source vulnerability scanner, maintained by Greenbone Networks. OpenVAS provides a comprehensive vulnerability testing framework with over 100,000 network vulnerability tests (NVTs), covering CVEs, misconfigurations, and security policy violations. As the open-source foundation of Greenbone's commercial Enterprise appliances, OpenVAS gives organizations a free, transparent, and community-driven vulnerability scanning engine that can be self-hosted and customized without licensing costs.
Best for: Security teams wanting a free, open-source vulnerability scanner with no licensing costs and full customization control
Pros
- ✓ Completely free with no licensing costs
- ✓ Open-source transparency allows code audit and customization
- ✓ Large community with active development and NVT updates
- ✓ Self-hosted deployment gives full control over scan data
- ✓ Commercial Greenbone appliances available for enterprise support
Cons
- ✗ Scanning speed significantly slower than commercial alternatives
- ✗ Web interface is functional but dated compared to Tenable or Qualys
- ✗ Requires significant Linux administration expertise to deploy and maintain
- ✗ NVT library is smaller and updated less frequently than Nessus plugins
- ✗ No native cloud scanning, container security, or OT/ICS support
Key Features
→100,000+ network vulnerability tests (NVTs)
→Authenticated and unauthenticated scanning
→CVE, CPE, and CVSS-based vulnerability detection
→Compliance checking for CIS and custom policies
→Scheduled and on-demand scan execution
→Greenbone Security Assistant web interface
→SCAP and OVAL content integration
→Report generation in multiple formats
Greenbone OpenVAS Comparisons
Greenbone OpenVAS vs Arctic Wolf→Greenbone OpenVAS vs Rapid7 InsightVM→Greenbone OpenVAS vs Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management→Greenbone OpenVAS vs Nuclei→Greenbone OpenVAS vs Tenable→Greenbone OpenVAS vs Tanium→Greenbone OpenVAS vs Qualys VMDR→Greenbone OpenVAS vs CrowdStrike Falcon Spotlight→
Quick Info
| Pricing | Free (open source) / Greenbone Enterprise appliances from $5,000/year |
| Model | Open source with commercial appliance options |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Cloud | No |
| Self-Hosted | Yes |
| Open Source | Yes |
Last updated: Feb 20, 2026
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