{"question": "best vulnerability scanning tools for small businesses", "category": "vulnerability-scanning-tools", "category_name": "vulnerability scanning tools", "audience": "small-businesses", "audience_name": "small businesses", "engine": "Claude (Anthropic) with web search", "model": "claude-opus-5", "asked_at": "2026-10-09T00:23:40Z", "permalink": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/vulnerability-scanning-tools-small-businesses-2026-10-09", "question_page": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/q/vulnerability-scanning-tools/small-businesses", "brands_named": [{"position": 1, "brand": "Intruder", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 2, "brand": "Tenable Nessus", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 3, "brand": "Tenable Nessus Professional", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 4, "brand": "Nessus Professional", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 5, "brand": "Greenbone OpenVAS", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 6, "brand": "OpenVAS", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 7, "brand": "Qualys VMDR", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 8, "brand": "Snyk", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 9, "brand": "Astra Security", "label": "recommended"}], "sources_cited": [{"url": "https://www.g2.com/compare/intruder-vs-tenable-nessus", "domain": "g2.com", "source_type": "review"}, {"url": "https://www.intruder.io/blog/the-top-vulnerability-scanning-tools", "domain": "intruder.io", "source_type": "vendor"}, {"url": "https://www.penetrify.cloud/pl/pricing/nessus/", "domain": "penetrify.cloud", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.getastra.com/blog/dast/vulnerability-scanning-for-smbs/", "domain": "getastra.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.g2.com/compare/intruder-vs-qualys-vmdr", "domain": "g2.com", "source_type": "review"}, {"url": "https://www.g2.com/categories/vulnerability-scanner/small-business", "domain": "g2.com", "source_type": "review"}], "answer_text": "Here's what I'd actually recommend, roughly in the order I'd suggest trying them:\n\n**1. Intruder** - My default recommendation for most small businesses. It's built for teams without a security specialist: point it at your domains and IPs, it continuously scans your external attack surface and emails you when something new and exploitable shows up. Starts around $149/month, which is the realistic entry point for a small company. ([g2.com/compare/intruder-vs-tenable-nessus](https://www.g2.com/compare/intruder-vs-tenable-nessus), [intruder.io](https://www.intruder.io/blog/the-top-vulnerability-scanning-tools))\n\n**2. Tenable Nessus Professional** - The industry workhorse for internal network and host scanning, and the tool most IT consultants already know. Deeper and more configurable than Intruder, but it's a raw scanner: it hands you findings, not a prioritized workflow, and someone has to interpret them. ~$3,400-4,400/year for a one-year license. ([penetrify.cloud/pl/pricing/nessus](https://www.penetrify.cloud/pl/pricing/nessus/))\n\n**3. Greenbone OpenVAS** - The free option worth taking seriously. Genuinely capable network scanning at zero license cost, and a good fit if you have a", "answer_truncated": true, "measurement": "One answer from one engine on one date. Not a ranking and not a claim about the world; brands the engine did not name are not recorded.", "limitation": "Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.", "alerts": {"name": "Answer Watch Pro", "price_usd": 79, "period": "month", "gets": "daily change alerts for up to 5 brands in what one AI answer engine says, history, CSV export. Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included", "url": "https://bikoosh.com/answers"}}