Greenbone OpenVAS vs Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management

Greenbone OpenVAS and Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management are both open source vulnerability scanner solutions. Greenbone OpenVAS the most widely used open-source vulnerability scanner with 100,000+ network vulnerability tests, while Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management microsoft's built-in vulnerability management integrated with Defender for Endpoint. The best choice depends on your organization's size, technical requirements, and budget.

Updated Feb 2026
How we compare:This comparison is based on official documentation, public pricing, community discussions, and aggregated user feedback, not hands-on testing by our team. We organize what real users and practitioners are saying across the web.

The Bottom Line

Choose Greenbone OpenVAS if completely free with no licensing costs is your priority and security teams wanting a free, open-source vulnerability scanner with no licensing costs and full customization control. Choose Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management if included with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2 at no additional cost matters most and microsoft-centric organizations wanting vulnerability management bundled with their existing Defender for Endpoint deployment.

Choose Greenbone OpenVAS if:

  • You value completely free with no licensing costs
  • You value open-source transparency allows code audit and customization
  • You value large community with active development and NVT updates
  • You want to avoid limited vulnerability coverage compared to dedicated scanners like Nessus
  • You want to avoid primarily focused on Microsoft OS and browser ecosystems

Choose Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management if:

  • You value included with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2 at no additional cost
  • You value zero deployment effort for existing Microsoft Defender environments
  • You value deep integration with Intune for automated remediation
  • You want to avoid scanning speed significantly slower than commercial alternatives
  • You want to avoid web interface is functional but dated compared to Tenable or Qualys

Feature Comparison

FeatureGreenbone OpenVASMicrosoft Defender Vulnerability Management
PricingFree (open source) / Greenbone Enterprise appliances from $5,000/yearIncluded with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2 / Standalone add-on $3/user/month
Pricing ModelOpen source with commercial appliance optionsPer-user (monthly subscription, bundled with Microsoft 365 E5)
Open SourceYesNo
DeploymentSelf-HostedCloud
Best ForSecurity teams wanting a free, open-source vulnerability scanner with no licensing costs and full customization controlMicrosoft-centric organizations wanting vulnerability management bundled with their existing Defender for Endpoint deployment
100,000+ network vulnerability tests ...SupportedNot available
Authenticated and unauthenticated sca...SupportedNot available
CVE, CPE, and CVSS-based vulnerabilit...SupportedNot available

Sources

Related

Greenbone OpenVAS AlternativesMicrosoft Defender Vulnerability Management AlternativesGreenbone OpenVAS OverviewMicrosoft Defender Vulnerability Management Overview