Overview
Vulnerability scanners are essential tools for identifying security weaknesses. Choosing between open source and commercial solutions depends on your organization's needs, resources, and expertise.
Open Source Solutions
Popular examples: OpenVAS, Nikto, Nuclei, OWASP ZAP
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Free to use | Requires technical expertise |
| Customizable | Limited support |
| Community-driven updates | May lack enterprise features |
| Transparency in code | Manual maintenance required |
Commercial Solutions
Popular examples: Qualys, Tenable, Rapid7, Nexpose
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Vendor support | Licensing costs |
| Enterprise integrations | Vendor lock-in |
| Regular updates | Less customizable |
| Compliance reporting | May be overkill for small teams |
Decision Factors
- Budget: Open source is free but requires staff time; commercial requires licensing
- Expertise: Commercial solutions are more user-friendly; OSS requires technical skills
- Scale: Commercial solutions scale better for large enterprises
- Compliance: Commercial solutions often have built-in compliance reporting
Beyond Scanning
While vulnerability scanners identify potential issues, they produce many false positives. Scapien validates vulnerabilities to ensure you focus on real, exploitable risks rather than theoretical ones.