Tenable Vulnerability Management vs Qualys VMDR Pricing (2026)

Tenable Vulnerability Management vs Qualys VMDR

Vulnerability Management pricing comparison · 2026

Tenable Vulnerability Management pricing ranges from $290–$1667/user/month, while Qualys VMDR ranges from $50–$1000/user/month. Qualys VMDR is typically 46% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.

Vulnerability Management

Tenable Vulnerability Management

$290–$1667
/user/month
2 plans
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
Vulnerability Management

Qualys VMDR

$50–$1000
/user/month
2 plans
Full pricing breakdown →

Tenable Vulnerability Management and Qualys VMDR both operate in the vulnerability management category. This page compares their list pricing.

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan Tenable Vulnerability Management Qualys VMDR
Vulnerability Management $290 /per year (starting) $50 /per month (estimated)
Enterprise $1.7K /per year (estimated for 500+ assets) $1K /per year (estimated for 500+ assets)

Cost at Scale

Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.

Tenable Vulnerability Management

2 scenarios
$10,000
Small-Medium Business (50-100 assets)
$20,000 annually
$50,000
Mid-Market Enterprise (500+ assets)
$100,000+ annually

Qualys VMDR

1 scenario
$2,000
Starter Kit (2017 pricing - may be outdated)
for scanner + 250 scans; $1,000 for additional 250 scans

Hidden Costs

Beyond the sticker price — what catches buyers off guard.

Tenable Vulnerability Management 3 hidden costs

medium
Reseller markup costs 10-20% of license costs
high
Implementation fees for acquired products $10,000
medium
Per-asset licensing costs can escalate quickly $6-$8/asset/month
See all Tenable Vulnerability Management hidden costs →

Qualys VMDR 4 hidden costs

medium
Patch Management Separate License 15-25% of license costs
medium
TotalCloud QLU-Based Licensing Complexity 10-20% of license costs
medium
Third-Party Integration Fees in ETM 10-15% of license costs
high
Per-Scanner Deployment Costs for MSPs 20-30% of license costs
See all Qualys VMDR hidden costs →

Contract Terms

Term Tenable Vulnerability Management Qualys VMDR
Auto-renewal Yes
Cancellation Not specified - renewal invoice issues can cause service interruption
Minimum commitment 1 year Typically annual
Price escalation 2-16% annual increases reported, depending on negotiation. Initial renewal quotes often include 7-16% uplifts that can be negotiated down to 2-5%. 100% renewal fee reported (though this is from 2014 and may be outdated)