Qualys Vulnerability Scanner Review (2025) & Top Alternative

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Updated: January 9th, 2025
6 mins read
qualys vulnerability scanner review

Vulnerability management and detection help organizations identify and resolve unpatched vulnerabilities before they can be exploited and create openings for attackers to access systems, resulting in data breaches and operations disruptions. 

Globally, Qualys is one of the first few choices for vulnerability scanning platforms. Its subscriber base spans 130 countries and 5 different industries. It is a self-updating vulnerability management tool that lets you perform several tasks related to vulnerability scanning, assessment, remediation, and compliance reporting from a single platform. 

This Qualys Vulnerability Scanner review looks at its pros, limitations, and features and analyzes how it compares with alternatives.

Qualys Vulnerability Management, Detection & Response 

  • Price: Starts at $2195/year
  • Application Category: Vulnerability Scanner & Management
  • G2 Rating: 4.4/5

Let’s examine the award-winning Qualys web application scanner (QWAS) more closely and understand its features, pricing, and demonstrated user experience.

Qualys vulnerability scanner review

The Qualys vulnerability management, detection, and response program (VMDR) focus on tackling cyber and business risks. It gives you the right measure of risk associated with a certain vulnerability, helping you prioritize the remediation process.

It can help you with:

  • Risk management
  • Attack prevention
  • Asset detection
  • Vulnerability analysis

The VMDR integrates with configuration management databases (CMDB) and patch management systems to prioritize and remediate vulnerabilities at scale. It is a risk-based vulnerability management solution that helps tie vulnerabilities to business risks, keeping the ROI clear and resource allocation easy.

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What Makes Astra the Best VAPT Solution?

  • We’re the only company that combines automated & manual pentest to create a one-of-a-kind pentest platform.
  • The Astra Vulnerability Scanner runs 10,000+ tests to uncover every single vulnerability
  • Vetted scans ensure zero false positives.
  • Our intelligent vulnerability scanner emulates hacker behavior & evolves with every pentest.
  • Astra’s scanner helps you shift left by integrating with your CI/CD.
  • Our platform helps you uncover, manage & fix vulnerabilities in one place.
  • Trusted by the brands you trust like Agora, Spicejet, Muthoot, Dream11, etc.
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Astra vs. Qualys vs. Intruder

FeatureAstra PentestQualys VMDRIntruder
PlatformSaaSCloud-basedSaaS
Pentest CapabilitiesContinuous scanning (9300+ tests), Manual pentestingContinuous vulnerability scanning, PatchingContinuous vulnerability scanning, Manual pentesting (optional)
AccuracyZero false positives (with vetted scans)Not specifiedReduced false positives
Compliance ScanningOWASP, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, ISO27001, SOC2PCI-DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, SOC 2SOC2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and ISO 27001
Expert Remediation AssistanceYesSupport included in some plansYes
Customizable ReportsYesYesYes
Workflow IntegrationSlack, JIRA, GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins etc.Integrates with ticketing systems and security platformsGitHub, JIRA, Azure DevOps, and more
PricingStarts at $1999/yearStarts at $2195/yearStarts at $1958/ year
FocusComprehensive pentesting with automation & manual testingVulnerability management, patching, and complianceVulnerability scanning, with optional manual pentesting add-on

8 Main Features of the Qualys VMDR 2.0

1. Risk-based Vulnerability Management

Qualys vulnerability scanner has a risk-based vulnerability management unit that covers your rapid remediation needs with no-code workflows. For instance, if the latest superseding patch for a certain vulnerability is already available, the Qualys no-code workflow will implement it automatically without requiring you to update the software.

2. Qualys Cloud Platform

Cloud agents, virtual scanners, and network analysis capabilities power the Qualys cloud platform. It completes the VMDR and helps you manage and orchestrate the vulnerability management efforts from a single, integrated platform. 

The platform also automates many tasks that consume the time of IT security teams, such as vulnerability scanning, patching, and report generation.

3. Asset detection

qualys vulnerability scanner review

Their vulnerability management system helps you inventory all managed and unmanaged assets, including hardware, software, IT, and IoT. It then tags those assets and categorizes the critically vulnerable ones while monitoring all for new vulnerabilities. 

4. Incident response

Qualys has an easy-to-use system for correlating vulnerabilities and patches for specific hosts. Using the Qualys cloud agents, you can reduce incident response time by removing third-party patch deployment solutions from the middle. It also helps you protect and patch containers in container-as-a-service environments.

5. Policy Compliance

The platform provides scanning according to different compliance regulations, such as PCI-DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, and SOC 2, but it doesn’t help you achieve compliance. It offers information based on previous scans that can help you define policies and create reports for stakeholders. It also allows you to specify controls with the help of an interactive editor.

Similar services and resources are available around security configuration assessment, file integrity monitoring, etc.

6. DevOps Security

Qualys emphasizes creating a DevOps-ready security solution where security measures can be integrated with the SDLC process.

With this VMDR platform, you can:

  • Detect coding configuration errors early.
  • Pinpoint critical vulnerabilities right away.
  • Verify that the application code is in line with the internal policies.
  • Identify indicators of intrusion.
  • Automate security checks.

7. Qualys Cloud Agents

They support cloud agents in extending the asset network coverage for easier-to-execute scans. The agents reside within assets, enabling quicker vulnerability detection and less network impact. It also displays a security overview on its dashboard. 

8. Risk Identification

Qualys VMDR helps identify risks through trend analysis and impact predictions. It tracks vulnerabilities over time and records their continual changes. It also predicts which hosts are more susceptible to zero-day attacks.

Qualys Scanner Pros & Limitations

ProsLimitations
Centralized administrative panel for seamless workSubpar technical support and customer service
Automated misconfiguration detectionFrequent technical glitches requiring tickets
Automatic patch deploymentComplex permission management
Automated remediation for DevOps environmentsLack of detailed reporting and documentation
Engaging interface for easy navigation and remediationLearning curve for using out-of-the-box solutions

Astra Pentest: A Qualys Alternative You Cannot Miss

Astra Pentest

Key Features:

  • Platform: SaaS
  • Pentest Capabilities: Continuous automated scans with 9300+ tests and manual pentests 
  • Accuracy: Zero false positives (with vetted scans)
  • Compliance Scanning: OWASP, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, ISO27001, and SOC2
  • Expert Remediation Assistance: Yes
  • Customizable Reports: Yes
  • Publicly Verifiable Pentest Certification: Yes
  • Workflow Integration: Slack, JIRA, GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins, and more
  • Price: Starting at $1999/yr

While Qualys is a useful vulnerability management tool with many different functionalities, it also has some gaps. For instance, it has a pay-per-asset subscription charge, complicated permission management, and slow customer service.

Astra’s Pentest Platform fills these gaps and does a lot more. It has an intelligent vulnerability scanner that is updated weekly to stay ahead of emerging vulnerabilities and a team of expert pentesters. Nevertheless, we’ll quickly review some of Astra’s features that make it a better alternative to Qualys.

While Qualys offers valuable features like risk-based prioritization and automated patching, its limitations include slow customer service, complex permission management, and a lack of in-depth reporting. 

Unlike Qualys’s reported slow service, Astra offers a combination of AI-powered chatbots for quick answers and human experts for complex issues. Our vetted scans also come with a zero false positives promise, ensuring you focus on real vulnerabilities and saving time and resources compared to Qualys’s potential for false positives. 

Astra Pentest is built by the team of experts that helped secure Microsoft, Adobe, Facebook, and Buffer


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Final Thoughts

Qualys VMDR is an end-to-end vulnerability management and response platform with risk-based vulnerability management, asset discovery, incident response, and integration with DevOps processes as its major features. It hosts a core dashboard with many automated features that structure vulnerability management for security teams.

However, customers in some reviews have claimed that it has limitations such as complex permission structures, occasional technical failures, and a lack of deep reporting. Astra Pentest combats these limitations and should be considered an alternative to Qualys.

Our platform provides similar functionality, automated scans, prioritization, and compliance reporting, with a few key differentiators. We combine automated scanning with human expertise to reduce false positives and remediate complex vulnerabilities.

The final choice between Qualys VMDR and Astra Pentest should be based on your needs and priorities. Consider factors such as budget, desired level of automation, and the importance of human expertise in your vulnerability management strategy.

FAQs

What is the cost of a Qualys vulnerability scanner?

The pricing for Qualys vulnerability scanner is determined by your selection of products and measured on a per-asset basis. The exact amount is not mentioned on their website. However, you can take a free trial. 

What are the two critical problems with Qualys vulnerability scanner?

According to a user review of the Qualys vulnerability scanner, the main issues are insufficient technical support and uncomprehensive reports.

Does Qualys come with a manual pentest element? 

No, Qualys does not come with manual pentest capabilities. It is a vulnerability management, detection, and response platform offering automated scanning capabilities.