Best Vulnerability Scanning Tools

Software developers look to vulnerability scanning to detect vulnerabilities, enhance trust with partners, and increase security efficiency. The ideal vulnerability scanning tool should offer a scalable amount to scan for growing and large companies, a price that matches the benefits, and features that cover exactly what the company needs.

In this article, Datamation reviewed the top vulnerability scanning tools and ranked them with detail on primary use cases for each.

See below to learn all about the top software in the vulnerability scanning market:

10 Best Vulnerability Scanning Tools

• Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management: Best Overall Vulnerability Scanning Tool
• SolarWinds Network Vulnerability Detection: Best For Backing Up Network Devices
• ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus: Best For Configuration Audits
• Rapid7 Nexpose: Best For Company Involvement
• IBM X-Force Red Vulnerability Management Services: Best For Using Hacker Expertise
• AWS Amazon Inspector: Best For Discovering And Routing Vulnerabilities
• Digital Defense Frontline VM: Best For Being Easy To Use
• Beyond Security BeSECURE: Best For Three Report Levels
• Tripwire IP360: Best For Agentless And Agent-based Scanning
• Acunetix By Invicti: Best For Automating Regular Scans
• Vulnerability Scanning Tools Pros and Cons

1. Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management: Best Overall Vulnerability Scanning Tool

Based in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft is a leading provider of software, hardware, and cloud solutions. Microsoft noticed the growth in vulnerability scanning, and they have built Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management to help.

Defender Vulnerability Management offers asset visibility, scan assessments, and built-in tools for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and network devices. Leveraging Microsoft threat intelligence, breach likelihood predictions, business contexts, and device assessments, Defender Vulnerability Management prioritizes the biggest vulnerabilities on a business’s critical assets and provides security recommendations.

“Microsoft Defender Endpoint provides a secure and reliable environment across organizations. … Integration and deployment of MDE is simple and takes less time as compared to other endpoints,” says a reviewer at Gartner Peer Insights.

Microsoft Defender Features

• Deep threat monitoring and analysis: Every vulnerability Microsoft Defender detects is analyzed for the best solutions.
• Alert to remediation: When a vulnerability is found, Microsoft Defender immediately alerts the company and fixes the problem.
• Protects mobile devices: Company cell phones, tablets, and laptops are all monitored.
• Always active when security tools go down: In the case other security software goes down, Microsoft Defender will stay active to continue protecting the infrastructure.

Microsoft Defender Differentiators

• Block vulnerable applications: Applications that possibly contain risks will not be able to be downloaded or enter the infrastructure.
• Browser extensions: Microsoft Defense covers more than just Windows 10 and 11, but can be extended to Chrome or Firefox to ensure more of their customers can be protected.
• Security baselines assessment: Microsoft Defender will help a company create profiles to insure that a company has established risk compliance regulations, such as CIS and STIG.

Microsoft Defender Pricing

Microsoft offers a six-month free trial for the Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management tool.

Current user business size(s): Medium to large businesses

2. SolarWinds Network Vulnerability Detection: Best for Backups

Austin, Texas-based SolarWinds is a software company that helps companies monitor and manage their IT services, infrastructures, and applications. Their SolarWinds Network Vulnerability Detection is a network monitoring solution.

SolarWinds Network Vulnerability Detection aims to keep a company’s devices current and ahead of any network vulnerabilities by automating and deploying firmware to update devices. SolarWinds Network Vulnerability Detection can also prevent unauthorized configuration changes and audit network routers and switches for compliance.

“SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager can be used for backing up network device configuration. It helps you be more secure when you have a system failure, you can get the information back,” says Donald Bakels, CEO, Adfontessoftware, a customer of SolarWinds.

SolarWinds Network Vulnerability Detection Features

• Backup automation: A company has the ability to have backups within the network, and alert the company if they detect a change. The backup is continuous if set to be.
• Upgrading devices: The company will upgrade devices as needed, but not upgrade devices if the upgrade is not protected under risk compliance regulations.
• Secure with system failure: If the security system of a network has been compromised or fails, SolarWinds Network Vulnerability Detection will stay active.
• Scalable for company flexibility: For a small business or company that is growing, a company will have the option to use as much or as little space they need to keep their network secured.

SolarWinds Network Vulnerability Detection Differentiators

• Baseline and configuration drift management: SolarWinds Network Vulnerability Detection will help a company avoid any configuration drift by using baseline management.
• Audit configuration for routers and switches: SolarWinds Network Vulnerability Detection allows companies to set specific policy-mandated controls to automatically audit device configurations.
• Multi-vendor network inventory software: The vulnerability scanning tool will keep a company’s inventory up to date to backup and ensure safety throughout the company’s network.

SolarWinds Network Vulnerability Detection Pricing

For pricing, go to the SolarWinds Network Vulnerability pricing page to get a quote.

Current user business size(s): Small, medium, and large businesses

3. ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus: Best For Configuration Audits

De Valle, Texas-based ManageEngine is an IT management software company that works from networks and servers to applications. ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus is a vulnerability scanning and management software that keeps a company’s data secure.

ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus is a vulnerability management and scanner solution. ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus delivers comprehensive coverage, visibility, assessments, and remediation of threats and vulnerabilities, from one console. Whether the company’s local network, a remote location, or software, it can protect against vulnerabilities in a business’s system.

“It is an outstanding product which appropriately fits in our organization to conduct vulnerability assessment and configuration audits. It not only helps us to continuously assess our environment but also remediates the vulnerabilities that are detected,” says a reviewer at Gartner Peer Insights.

ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus Features

• Patch management: ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus offers company’s patch management after detecting vulnerabilities, giving the company more assurance with their security.
• Zero-day vulnerability mitigation: If a patch is not able to fix the vulnerability, the ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus will find a patch or tool that works to keep the network safe.
• Configuration audits: The tool will also help by testing, inspecting, demonstrating, or analyzing a network to ensure the system is safe and regulated.

ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus Differentiators

• Web server hardening: ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus modifies the configuration file to get rid of all server misconfigurations.
• Port audit: Port audits monitor active ports in a company’s network, identifying whether it is a UDP or TCP port.
• Uses only one console: Rather than using multiple consoles to fix vulnerabilities, ManageEngine’s tool only has one to make it easy on businesses.

ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus Pricing

For pricing, go to the bottom of the ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus page and see the different editions.

Current user business size(s): Medium to large businesses

4. Rapid7 Nexpose: Best For Company Involvement

Boston-based Rapid7 is a software company providing technology services and research to advance their technology. Their product, Nexpose, is a vulnerability scanner and management system.

Rapid7 Nexpose is a vulnerability manager and scanner to improve a company’s security. Rapid7 Nexpose works to respond to changes immediately, make sure to validate vulnerabilities, get context for a company’s assets, lets a company pick which vulnerabilities are most valuable to the company, has remediation plans, uses best practice security control, and meets all vulnerability management compliance.

Rapid7 Nexpose Features

• Several reporting, dashboard, and console filter options: Rapid7 Nexpose offers multiple options for a company to keep track of their vulnerabilities.
• Customer involvement: As Rapid7 Nexpose develops, they ensure customer satisfaction to improve their product. Taking the customer feedback and creating a better product can improve business security as well.
• Proprietary risk score: Rapid7 Nexpose also offers a 1 to 1000 score based on how likely it is for an attacker to exploit the vulnerability in a cyberattack.

Rapid7 Nexpose Differentiators

• Integration with Metasploit: With Metasploit, the Rapid7 Nexpose has a tracker that will show the company’s actions with the scanning process.
• Real risk score: Scoring the vulnerabilities will help the company determine the level of the vulnerability, and how it will need to be remediated.
• No passive scanning: Rapid7 Nexpose won’t handle company’s network data without direct interaction, keeping the company informed and always scanning directly.

Rapid7 Nexpose Pricing

For pricing, click the get started link to get a free trial.

Current user business size(s): Small, medium, and large businesses

5. IBM X-Force Red Vulnerability Management Services: Best For Using Hacker Expertise

Armonk, New York-based IBM is a leader in vulnerability and security solutions. They continue to grow and change in their product, IBM X-Force Red Vulnerability Management Services, made for safe vulnerability scanning.

IBM X-Force Red Vulnerability Management Services incorporates a hacker’s expertise to help organizations have proper scanning processes. The result can help save organizations time, resources, and aim to minimize the risk of cyber attacks. IBM X-Force Red Vulnerability Management Services provide the ability to prioritize data, remediate vulnerabilities, and offer protection for a company’s infrastructure.

“The team was feeling hopeless because we couldn’t see a way forward by way of these useless reports. It was overwhelming and a bit scary. With the old model, we were generating monthly reports but weren’t actually controlling the outcome. X-Force Red helped us to take control and drive results,” says a managing director and head of vulnerability management of a global bank, a customer of IBM.

IBM X-Force Red Vulnerability Management Services Features

• Employee labor decrease: Because of the vulnerability prioritization, the company has the opportunity to have less in-house staff and resources.
• Vulnerability confirmation: Vulnerability scans can have false positives causing a company to remediate parts of their network that don’t need it. However, IBM X-Force Red Vulnerability Management Services prides itself on having little to no false positives.
• Creates and tracks remediation efforts: The company will receive tickets in their system to alert IT teams of any vulnerabilities.

IBM X-Force Red Vulnerability Management Services Differentiators

• Ad-hoc scan requests: The requests can be made to catch problems in irregular systems by having a crisis initiated reaction.
• Vulnerability data validation: All data will be verified through their system to ensure safety levels.
• Modular service options: The modular service will provide the services needed throughout a company network’s life cycle.

IBM X-Force Red Vulnerability Management Services Pricing

For pricing, go to the book a consultation page.

Current user business size(s): Small, medium, and large businesses

See more: External vs. Internal Vulnerability Scans: What’s the Difference?

6. AWS Amazon Inspector: Best For Discovering And Routing Vulnerabilities

Seattle-based Amazon Web Services (AWS), part of parent company Amazon, has a large cloud computing and security portfolio. Their product, Amazon Inspector, focuses on vulnerability scanning and management.

The Amazon Inspector automatically discovers and routes vulnerability findings to an IT team so they can take action; finds common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVE) information; support compliance requirements, and best practices for NIST CSF, PCI, and DSS; accelerate mean time to remediate (MTTR) to help identify vulnerabilities quickly.

“We use the Amazon Inspector findings as part of our patch management automation process, saving a lot of time and resources in updating our software and systems,” says Kirtika Dommeti, senior security engineer, HelloSign, a customer of AWS.

AWS Amazon Inspector Features

• AWS Inspector risk score: The Amazon Inspector will rate a vulnerability based on severity and help alert a company on how to remediate their system.
• Easy to configure: The AWS Amazon Inspector helps a company configure the system on their network. Configuration can be difficult otherwise.
• Finds security gaps: While finding vulnerabilities in a company’s network, AWS Amazon Inspector also ensures that there are no security gaps in the company’s network to prevent any damage to the systems.

AWS Amazon Inspector Differentiators

• One-click enabling: With one click, the Amazon Inspector can run to protect a company’s network and data. It also catches any security errors with the company.
• Uses AWS Systems Manager Agent: The assistance of AWS Systems Manager Agent makes it easier for the Amazon Inspector to update, manage, and configure any needed resources.
• Integration with Security Hub and EventBridge: Amazon Inspector uses EventBridge and Security Hub to support the integration of us.

AWS Amazon Inspector Pricing

For pricing, go to AWS Pricing Calculator.

Current user business size(s): Small, medium, and large businesses

7. Digital Defense Frontline VM: Best For Being Easy To Use

San Antonio, Texas-based Digital Defense is a technology company that helps organizations safeguard sensitive data with information security. Their product, Frontline Vulnerability Manager (VM), delivers vulnerability scanning and penetration testing.

Frontline VM is a vulnerability management program along with vulnerability assessment, vulnerability scanners, or patch management. The vulnerability management solutions use an ongoing process that regularly identifies, evaluates, reports, and prioritizes vulnerabilities in network systems and software.

“We can determine and see where our vulnerabilities lie. Knowing what we need to tackle is very helpful and makes tracking everything with our assets easy! The vulnerabilities are all explained clearly, so it’s easy to understand!” says a reviewer at G2.

Digital Defense Frontline VM Features

• Ease of use: Customers consider Digital Defense Frontline VM an easy and helpful tool by allowing customers to customize their own dashboards to keep track of their information as they choose.
• Frontline Threat Landscape and Frontline Network Map: Frontline VM uses Threat Landscape and Network Map to combine real-world threat activity and leverage Frontline’s scanning to visualize a company’s network security posture.
• Demonstrate commitment: The tool demonstrates the company using Frontline VM’s commitment to data security for both a company’s network and customers’ data.

Digital Defense Frontline VM Differentiators

• Provides vital security information in a centralized format: Frontline VM uses comprehensive security assessments to help a company prioritize and track results from vulnerability assessments.
• Customizable Reports: Frontline VM allows companies to create their own format of reports to make it easier for a company to read and process into their IT and networks.
• Role-based access control: A company has the option to choose who they want to have access to in the systems in case of any employees who may not have the best intentions for the data.

Digital Defense Frontline VM Pricing

For pricing, go to Digital Defense’s get a quote for the vulnerability management software page.

Current user business size(s): Small, medium, and large businesses

8. Beyond Security BeSECURE: Best For Three Report Levels

Beyond Security, owned by Digital Defense and based in Roseville, California, is an automated vulnerability scanning and compliance solutions company. They access and manage networks, software, and applications. Their product, beSECURE, is a vulnerability scanning tool made to help the company’s data stay secure.

beSECURE is a vulnerability scanner and management software that can locate and report on security breaches and vulnerabilities. It will list their exact location and recommended solutions. beSECURE uses differential reporting at three levels: a graphic report, a technical report, and a report that shows problems based on the high, medium, and low risks.

“I have been using [beSECURE] for 11 months. It is one of the best products of risk and compliance services,” says a reviewer at Gartner Peer Insights.

Beyond Security BeSECURE Features

• Saves time: Beyond Security BeSECURE can complete the vulnerability scans in around five minutes to ensure a company’s time is not wasted.
• Near zero false positives: Beyond Security BeSECURE guarantees little to no false positives for their customers to ensure safety throughout all vulnerabilities.
• Daily database updates: To keep their business customers updated, Beyond Security BeSECURE updates the vulnerability database every day.

Beyond Security BeSECURE Differentiators

• Cloud-native, SaaS platform: With the vulnerability scanner being a cloud native Software-as-a-Service tool, the tool is composed of several independent services for customers.
• Post-exploitation exercises: The tool also provides an open security system, a post-exploitation system, to assist before and after the scans have been completed.
• Emulate embedded attacker: Similar to penetration test, the Beyond Security BeSECURE will imitate an attacker to ensure the system is safe from vulnerabilities.

Beyond Security BeSECURE Pricing

For pricing, go to the schedule beyond the security demo page.

Current user business size(s): Small and medium businesses

9. Tripwire IP360: Best For Agentless And Agent-based Scanning

Portland, Oregon-based Tripwire is a software development company focusing on cybersecurity solutions to find, monitor, and minimize risk in a company’s digital infrastructure. Their cybersecurity system has a vulnerability scanning software named Tripwire IP360.

Tripwire IP360 is a vulnerability management and scanner that delivers a vulnerability assessment and asset discovery capabilities. Tripwire IP360 offers comprehensive discovery and profiling of a company’s network assets, vulnerability scoring that identifies top risks, prioritized change results when used with Tripwire Enterprise, and agent-based vulnerability management.

“Tripwire IP360 plays an important role in our project as it identifies everything on our network for both on-premises and cloud infrastructure. It helps us manage the huge number of patches and updates issued by system vendors and automatically identify assets on our network and their associated vulnerabilities. It also provides granular risk scores based on the severity of security risk and the age of the vulnerability. This enables us to direct our remediation efforts to the areas of greatest urgency,” says a reviewer at Gartner Peer Insights.

Tripwire IP360 Features

• Scalable architecture: As a business grows, they need more space for data in their network. Tripwire IP360 guarantees that their vulnerability scans will work with any amount of data.
• Open standard system: Tripwire IP360 offers open access to whoever a company would like to give access to. This could be IT teams and company leaders, keeping everyone aware of what is happening in the system.
• See everything on the network: Nothing is hidden from the companies who use Tripwire IP360. From reporting to watching the scan happen, Tripwire IP360 guarantees positive results.

Tripwire IP360 Differentiators

• Offers both agentless and agent-based scans: Whether a company would like to perform the scan themselves or have it automated, Tripwire IP360 offers both to its customers.
• Enable automation: When using the Tripwire IP360, the settings give the option for a company to automate the platform.
• WAF virtual patching: Tripwire IP360 prevents any issues of attack with a known vulnerability in a company’s system.

Tripwire IP360 Pricing

For pricing, go to the Tripwire IP360 page and click request my quote or get my demo.

Current user business size(s): Medium and large businesses

10. Acunetix By Invicti: Best For Automating Regular Scans

Malta-based Acunetix by Invicti is an IT service company that provides automated and manual penetration testing tools and vulnerability scanning to repair detected threats. Acunetix focuses on application security testing for their customers.

Acunetix by Invicti is a vulnerability scanner to help businesses keep their network safe. Acunetix can automatically create a list of the company’s websites, applications, and APIs to ensure it stays safe and updated. Acunetix can also detect over 7,000 vulnerabilities; make it easier for developers to find, fix, and prevent vulnerabilities; and let businesses automate regular scans.

“Acunetix is one of the best tools I have ever seen on the market. It can detect security vulnerabilities very quickly. The error rate is really low. It also makes my work a lot easier thanks to its integration capabilities,” says Murat Kaya, application security engineer, Arkas Holding SA, a customer of Invicti.

Acunetix By Invicti Features

• Supports importing state files: Whether applications, other software, or state files, Acunetix By Invicti offers open ways to import their files.
• Does more than scanning for vulnerabilities: Acunetix By Invicti has tools that offer more cybersecurity help, so a company can improve in multiple ways.
• Complete dashboard: Acunetix By Invicti has a complete dashboard offering results and reports from the vulnerability scans.

Acunetix By Invicti Differentiators

• Connect to CI/CD, issue tracker, WAF, and other tools: Connecting these tools improves the overall health of a network. Most scanners may not include this, but it is a proactive tool to support cybersecurity.
• Vulnerabilities are fixed with WAF virtual patching: Acunetix By Invicti prevents any issues of attack with a known vulnerability in a company’s system by using a WAF patch on the company’s system.
• Coverage with blended DAST and IAST scanning: The Acunetix By Invicti have coverage using both DAST and IAST scanning to ensure full coverage for every web application, network, and all data.

Acunetix By Invicti Pricing

For pricing, go to the Acunetix pricing page.

Current user business size(s): Small, medium, and large businesses

See more: Simple Guide to Vulnerability Scanning Best Practices

Vulnerability Scanning Tools Pros And Cons