Greenbone OpenVAS vs Qualys VMDR

Greenbone OpenVAS and Qualys VMDR are both open source vulnerability scanner solutions. Greenbone OpenVAS the most widely used open-source vulnerability scanner with 100,000+ network vulnerability tests, while Qualys VMDR cloud-native vulnerability management platform with integrated detection, prioritization, and patch management. 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 Qualys VMDR if fully cloud-native architecture with no on-prem infrastructure required matters most and organizations wanting an all-in-one cloud-based VM platform with integrated patching and asset inventory.

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 pricing is opaque and can escalate at enterprise scale
  • You want to avoid agent deployment required for authenticated internal scanning

Choose Qualys VMDR if:

  • You value fully cloud-native architecture with no on-prem infrastructure required
  • You value integrated patch management eliminates tool-switching for remediation
  • You value truRisk scoring provides actionable risk-based prioritization
  • 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 OpenVASQualys VMDR
PricingFree (open source) / Greenbone Enterprise appliances from $5,000/yearCustom pricing based on asset count / Typically from $3,000/year for small environments
Pricing ModelOpen source with commercial appliance optionsPer-asset (annual subscription)
Open SourceYesNo
DeploymentSelf-HostedCloud
Best ForSecurity teams wanting a free, open-source vulnerability scanner with no licensing costs and full customization controlOrganizations wanting an all-in-one cloud-based VM platform with integrated patching and asset inventory
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 AlternativesQualys VMDR AlternativesGreenbone OpenVAS OverviewQualys VMDR Overview