{"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": "2026-10-21T23:28:07Z", "permalink": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/vulnerability-scanning-tools-small-businesses-2026-10-21", "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": "mentioned"}, {"position": 3, "brand": "Nessus", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 4, "brand": "Nessus Essentials", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 5, "brand": "16 IPs", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 6, "brand": "Microsoft", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 7, "brand": "Microsoft Defender", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 8, "brand": "Defender", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 9, "brand": "Microsoft 365", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 10, "brand": "Microsoft 365 Business", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 11, "brand": "Microsoft 365 Business Premium", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 12, "brand": "Greenbone OpenVAS", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 13, "brand": "OpenVAS", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 14, "brand": "Community Edition", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 15, "brand": "Astra Security", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 16, "brand": "Pentest-Tools.com", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 17, "brand": "Snyk", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 18, "brand": "Qualys VMDR", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 19, "brand": "Malwarebytes", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 20, "brand": "Nessus Professional", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 21, "brand": "Tenable Nessus Professional", "label": "mentioned"}], "sources_cited": [{"url": "https://www.g2.com/compare/intruder-vs-tenable-nessus", "domain": "g2.com", "source_type": "review"}, {"url": "https://ethicalhacking.ai/pricing/nessus-professional-pricing", "domain": "ethicalhacking.ai", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://ifeeltech.com/blog/tenable-nessus-review", "domain": "ifeeltech.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.greenbone.net/en/vulnerability-scanner-openvas-vs-nessus/", "domain": "greenbone.net", "source_type": "vendor"}, {"url": "https://www.getastra.com/blog/dast/vulnerability-scanning-for-smbs/", "domain": "getastra.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.g2.com/products/pentest-tools-com/pricing", "domain": "g2.com", "source_type": "review"}, {"url": "https://www.g2.com/categories/vulnerability-scanner/small-business", "domain": "g2.com", "source_type": "review"}, {"url": "https://www.esecurityplanet.com/networks/smb-vulnerability-scanner/", "domain": "esecurityplanet.com", "source_type": "other"}], "answer_text": "## My actual shortlist\n\n**1. Intruder** - my default recommendation for most small businesses. Cloud-based, you point it at your IPs/domains and it scans external perimeter + internal + cloud, with automatic rescans when new CVEs drop. Entry pricing around **$149/month**, and ~59% of its reviewer base is small business, which tells you it's genuinely built for your size rather than down-scaled enterprise. ([G2](https://www.g2.com/compare/intruder-vs-tenable-nessus))\n\n**2. Tenable Nessus** - the industry standard for *internal* network scanning (servers, workstations, network gear). Start with **Nessus Essentials, free for up to 16 IPs** - for a small office that's often enough. Professional is ~$3,990-4,790/year for unlimited IPs, which is a real jump, so only step up when 16 IPs stops cutting it. Caveat: it's a raw scanner, not a managed program - it hands you a long findings list and expects you to triage it. ([ethicalhacking.ai](https://ethicalhacking.ai/pricing/nessus-professional-pricing), [ifeeltech](https://ifeeltech.com/blog/tenable-nessus-review))\n\n**3. Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management** - check this first if you already pay for **Microsoft 365 Business Premium*", "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"}}