SIDE BY SIDE · FACTS ONLY

Qualys vs Tenable: asset inventory facts side by side

SHORT ANSWER

Qualys describes 4 of the five approaches on the pages we read and Tenable describes 3; they differ on CAASM aggregation, Agent-based inventory, External attack surface management, CMDB-centred inventory and Exposure management. On collection, Qualys relies on its own agent and Tenable does not describe its collection method on the pages we read. Many estates run two of these approaches together, so the question is often which pair, not which one; we do not score either.

By The Inventory Desk · CAASM Finder · Published 2026-10-11

Desk research from public vendor pages read on 27 September and 11 October 2026. Profiles follow our published method; we did not run the products.

How do their approaches compare?

Top bar: Qualys CSAM
Lower bar, lighter: Tenable One

Full bar: described on the vendor's pages we read
Hatched bar: described with a condition (another product, a higher tier, or part of the approach)
Stub: not in our sources (it may exist; we did not find it)

The bars show what each vendor's own pages describe, or how your answers weigh the five approaches. They are not a measure of how well a product works.

What are the facts, side by side?

From each vendor's own pages. Differs marks rows where the recorded status or check value differs.
Fact	Qualys CSAM	Tenable One
Positioning	Qualys's Cybersecurity Asset Management product, which Qualys describes as one platform and one view of cyber risk for unknown assets across the attack surface.	Tenable's exposure management platform. Tenable Attack Surface Management, part of Tenable One, maps external assets from a map of more than 5 billion assets; Tenable One adds attack path analysis, Hexa AI remediation and connectors for third-party data.
Deployment	Uses the Qualys agent, which can also act as a passive sensor; deployment options are not detailed on the page we read. Source: Qualys Cybersecurity Asset Management · Read 11 Oct 2026	Tenable Attack Surface Management is sold through a demo request, not online. Source: Tenable: buy · Read 27 Sep 2026
CAASM aggregationDiffers	Not in our sources Not described on the pages we read.	With a condition Tenable One Connectors bring third-party data into the platform; a unified asset inventory is not described in detail on the pages we read. Source: Tenable One · Read 27 Sep 2026
Agent-based inventoryDiffers	Described Collects through the Qualys agent, which can also act as a passive sensor. Source: Qualys Cybersecurity Asset Management · Read 11 Oct 2026	Not in our sources Not described on the pages we read.
External attack surface managementDiffers	With a condition The product page links to Qualys EASM; we did not read that page. Source: Qualys Cybersecurity Asset Management · Read 11 Oct 2026	Described Identifies domains related to your inventory from a map of 5 billion+ assets with 200+ metadata fields. Source: Tenable Attack Surface Management · Read 27 Sep 2026
CMDB-centred inventoryDiffers	With a condition Syncs with ServiceNow and BMC ITSM tools rather than acting as a CMDB. Source: Qualys Cybersecurity Asset Management · Read 11 Oct 2026	Not in our sources Not described on the pages we read.
Exposure managementDiffers	With a condition Describes one platform and one view of cyber risk; the detail is not on the page we read. Source: Qualys Cybersecurity Asset Management · Read 11 Oct 2026	Described Tenable One is Tenable's exposure management platform, with attack path analysis across 150+ techniques and Hexa AI automated remediation. Source: Tenable One · Read 27 Sep 2026
Servers and network devicesDiffers	Not in our sources	Partly Tenable One includes vulnerability management alongside external attack surface data. Source: Tenable: buy · Read 27 Sep 2026
Cloud workloads	Not in our sources	Not in our sources
SaaS applications	Not in our sources	Not in our sources
Identities as assets	Not in our sources	Not in our sources
Off-network laptops	Not in our sources	Not in our sources
OT and IoT devices	Not in our sources	Not in our sources
Internet-facing discoveryDiffers	Partly Qualys EASM is linked from the product page; not read. Source: Qualys Cybersecurity Asset Management · Read 11 Oct 2026	Matches A 5 billion+ asset map with 200+ metadata fields. Source: Tenable Attack Surface Management · Read 27 Sep 2026
Offers its own agentDiffers	Matches Qualys agent, usable as a passive sensor. Source: Qualys Cybersecurity Asset Management · Read 11 Oct 2026	Not in our sources
Works without new agents	Not in our sources	Not in our sources
Merges records from several sourcesDiffers	Not in our sources	Partly Tenable One Connectors bring third-party data into the platform. Source: Tenable One · Read 27 Sep 2026
Feeds or updates a CMDBDiffers	Matches Syncs with ServiceNow and BMC ITSM tools. Source: Qualys Cybersecurity Asset Management · Read 11 Oct 2026	Not in our sources
Cross-source queries and reports	Not in our sources	Not in our sources
Workflows, tickets or actionsDiffers	Not in our sources	Partly Hexa AI orchestrates automated remediation in Tenable One. Source: Tenable One · Read 27 Sep 2026
Price or pricing basis publishedDiffers	Not in our sources	Partly Attack Surface Management is not sold online; Tenable publishes adjacent prices, such as Tenable One Vulnerability Management at $3,700 for one year for up to 250 assets. Source: Tenable: buy · Read 27 Sep 2026
Free tier or trialDiffers	Matches Free trial offered. Source: Qualys Cybersecurity Asset Management · Read 11 Oct 2026	Partly Free trials for Tenable One Vulnerability Management and Nessus; the Tenable One platform and its exposure products are demo only. Source: Tenable free trials · Read 11 Oct 2026
Platform it is part of	None	Tenable: External findings sit in Tenable One next to Tenable vulnerability data. Source: Tenable One · Read 27 Sep 2026
Integrations	ServiceNow and BMC ITSM sync; other integrations are not listed on the page we read. Source: Qualys Cybersecurity Asset Management · Read 11 Oct 2026	Tenable One Connectors bring third-party data into the platform. Source: Tenable One · Read 27 Sep 2026
Price	Not published Not published. A free trial is offered. Source: Qualys Cybersecurity Asset Management · Read 11 Oct 2026	Attack Surface Management: demo request only. Adjacent published price: Tenable One Vulnerability Management at $3,700 for one year for up to 250 assets. Source: Tenable: buy · Read 27 Sep 2026

Where do they differ?

CAASM aggregation: Qualys is not in our sources; Tenable describes it with a condition.
Agent-based inventory: Qualys describes it; Tenable is not in our sources.
External attack surface management: Qualys describes it with a condition; Tenable describes it.
CMDB-centred inventory: Qualys describes it with a condition; Tenable is not in our sources.
Exposure management: Qualys describes it with a condition; Tenable describes it.
Servers and network devices: Qualys is not in our sources; Tenable partly matches.
Internet-facing discovery: Qualys partly matches; Tenable matches.
Offers its own agent: Qualys matches; Tenable is not in our sources.
Merges records from several sources: Qualys is not in our sources; Tenable partly matches.
Feeds or updates a CMDB: Qualys matches; Tenable is not in our sources.
Workflows, tickets or actions: Qualys is not in our sources; Tenable partly matches.
Price or pricing basis published: Qualys is not in our sources; Tenable partly matches.
Free tier or trial: Qualys matches; Tenable partly matches.

Can they work together?

Neither vendor's pages we read name the other as an integration. That does not mean they cannot work together; ask both vendors.

Choose Qualys if

You already run the Qualys agent and want asset management from the same data
You need sync with ServiceNow or BMC

Choose Tenable if

You already run Tenable vulnerability management
Your question is which exposures to fix first more than which assets exist

Which limits should you check?

Qualys

No price published.
Which third-party sources it reads, and its SaaS, identity and OT coverage, are not described on the page we read.

Tenable

Attack Surface Management and the Tenable One platform are demo only; free trials cover Vulnerability Management and Nessus.
A unified internal asset inventory, SaaS apps and identities are not described on the pages we read.

Put Qualys and Tenable in the asset census with others Run the finder

Questions people ask

Is Qualys or Tenable better?

Neither is scored on this site. Qualys describes 4 of five approaches and Tenable 3 on the pages we read, and they differ on 13 recorded facts. Which fits depends on where your assets live, whether you can install agents, your CMDB and your tools; the finder checks those.

Do Qualys and Tenable work with a CMDB?

Qualys: Matches. Syncs with ServiceNow and BMC ITSM tools. Tenable: Not in our sources.

Do Qualys or Tenable publish prices?

Qualys: Not published. A free trial is offered. Tenable: Attack Surface Management: demo request only. Adjacent published price: Tenable One Vulnerability Management at $3,700 for one year for up to 250 assets.