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Greenbone OpenVAS

The most widely used open-source vulnerability scanner with 100,000+ network vulnerability tests

ToolVulnerability ManagementSelf-hosted, Open source

Pricing: Free and open source; paid tiers on the vendor site.

Reviewed by the Cyber Vendor Guide editorial team against the public sources cited below · Last reviewed February 2026 · How we review listings

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

Things to check

  • Scanning speed significantly slower than commercial alternatives
  • Web interface is functional but less modern 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

Reported in public reviews and vendor documentation. See sources below.

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

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Sources & references

Where the information on this listing comes from. Always verify pricing and capabilities against the vendor before a purchasing decision.

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Key facts

Pricing
Free and open source; paid tiers on the vendor site.
Model
Open source with commercial appliance options
Founded
2008
Cloud
No
Self-hosted
Yes
Open source
Yes
Visit websiteView on GitHub

Greenbone OpenVAS Alternatives

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Where Greenbone OpenVAS appears

Guides

Shortlists

Certifications

ISO 27001