Rapid7 and Tenable both emerged as pioneers in vulnerability management, where agent-based scanning and network-based discovery were the standard approaches to finding security issues. But cloud infrastructure presents fundamentally different security challenges that require new approaches to discovery, assessment, and remediation. While Rapid7 and Tenable have added cloud capabilities to their offerings, many questions remain about their effectiveness in the cloud.
In this comparison article, we’ll examine how these established security vendors have adapted to Kubernetes scanning and the cloud, examining their different approaches.
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What is Rapid7?
Through agent-based and agentless methods (including cloud API integrations), Rapid7 provides visibility into virtual machines, containers, and cloud workloads across AWS, Azure, and GCP environments.
Rapid7 offers a suite of security products, with InsightVM (the cloud-hosted evolution of Nexpose, leveraging the same scan engine with a modern console) as its flagship vulnerability management solution and InsightCloudSec (formerly DivvyCloud) as a separate product for cloud security posture management.
Key features
InsightCloudSec:
Provides configuration monitoring, compliance assessment, and remediation for cloud resources, with event-driven automation (‘bots’) that can take real-time corrective actions across environments
Can detect misconfigurations, compliance violations, and other security risks in cloud infrastructure
Integrates with common CI/CD pipelines (e.g., GitHub Actions, GitLab, Jenkins) for infrastructure-as-code (IaC) scanning; container image assessment is supported via registry and pipeline integrations across the Rapid7 platform.
InsightVM:
Continuous vulnerability assessment with risk prioritization, live dashboards, and customizable reporting
Automated remediation workflows with integrations into ITSM and patch management tools
The Rapid7 platform:
All-in-one dashboard allows security teams to see risks across cloud environments, with customizable reporting for different stakeholders
Patch management integration and automated remediation workflows streamline the vulnerability management process
Use cases
Rapid7 is good for hybrid cloud environments with significant on-premises infrastructure. Organizations that have migrated workloads to the cloud but still have a lot of legacy systems can benefit from Rapid7’s unified view across both environments.
Teams that need flexible, customizable vulnerability management workflows will find Rapid7’s scanning configurations and reporting useful. The platform supports multiple DevSecOps integrations through its API.
For organizations with multiple compliance frameworks, Rapid7 has reporting templates and controls mapping for audit purposes.
Budget-conscious teams can explore free trials of Rapid7’s commercial offerings, such as InsightVM, to evaluate capabilities before committing to a purchase.
Pros and cons
Strengths
Flexible deployment: Rapid7’s deployment models can use agents, network-based scanning, or a combination of both.
Strong customization: You can tailor scanning policies, risk scoring, and remediation workflows to your needs.
Adaptability: The platform has comprehensive reporting and broad third-party integrations, so it’s adaptable to different security ecosystems.
Orchestration and automation: Rapid7’s InsightConnect orchestration allows you to create automated workflows that include both Rapid7 and third-party security tools.
Considerations
Rapid7 has challenges in cloud-native environments:
The setup process is complex for pure cloud deployments.
Agent management can add operational overhead in dynamic cloud environments, and adoption of new cloud services has been gradual given its roots in vulnerability management.
Rapid7’s cloud-native services may require more configuration compared to API-based platforms that were purpose-built for cloud environments. Its adaptation to new cloud services has been gradual, reflecting its heritage in vulnerability management rather than being built cloud-first.
Ratings and reviews
According to Gartner Peer Insights, Rapid7 has a 4.3-star rating with 739 reviews in the vulnerability assessment category. Users like the ease of use and integration. Community feedback notes the flexibility is an asset, but many customers have asked for cloud-native features in recent reviews.
What is Tenable?
Tenable has a security portfolio that includes Nessus for vulnerability scanning, Tenable.io for unified vulnerability management, and Tenable Cloud Security for cloud security posture and identity risk (formerly Tenable.cs, strengthened by the Ermetic acquisition). They’ve combined these into Tenable One, their flagship ‘exposure management’ platform that also includes Tenable Cloud Security, Tenable Identity Exposure, and more.
Key features
A large vulnerability database with over 200 CIS Benchmark checks and 82% coverage of major compliance frameworks
Identity risk coverage through Tenable Cloud Security, offering IAM graphing and least privilege analysis inherited from the Ermetic acquisition”
Supports agentless and agent-based scanning across cloud workloads, containers, and traditional infrastructure
Integrated patch management and workflow automation
Tenable is a PCI DSS Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV), which makes compliance easier for organizations that process payment card data
Use cases
Tenable is great for compliance-heavy industries that require a lot of framework coverage. Organizations in regulated industries like finance, healthcare, and government can use Tenable’s compliance features to simplify audit processes.
Enterprises that need comprehensive vulnerability intelligence can use Tenable’s large vulnerability database and threat feeds.
Organizations that prioritize scanning accuracy and low false positive rates will like Tenable’s reputation for reliable vulnerability detection.
Teams that need integrated patch management and remediation workflows can use Tenable’s end-to-end vulnerability management.
Tenable’s enterprise-grade asset classification and management features will appeal to organizations whose large environments have complex asset management needs.
Pros and cons
Strengths
Compliance coverage across major frameworks
A large vulnerability database with timely updates
Integrated remediation that simplifies the patching process
Enterprise support options are robust, with dedicated technical resources for large deployments
Considerations
Tenable’s dashboard can be complex for new users.
Pricing may be prohibitive for smaller teams with limited security budgets.
Like Rapid7, Tenable continues to evolve their cloud-native capabilities compared to API-first platforms designed for cloud environments.
Tenable delivers established vulnerability management capabilities, with strong compliance coverage and identity insights. Like Rapid7, extending coverage to dynamic, cloud-native environments often requires complementary API-first tools or additional configuration.
Ratings and reviews
There are 1,191 reviews in Gartner’s vulnerability assessment category with a 4.6-star rating. Users love the coverage and accuracy. Enterprise customers like the compliance features. Some new to vulnerability management metrics find it complex.
Rapid7 and Tenable compared
Cloud asset discovery and visibility
Both provide broad asset coverage via scanners and cloud connectors. In highly dynamic environments, completeness depends on enabling the right cloud connectors, permissions, and API scopes.
Both platforms rely on properly configured cloud connectors, permissions, and API scopes. Without these, visibility into ephemeral resources or certain misconfigurations can be incomplete.
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Compliance automation and framework coverage
Tenable leads in compliance automation with 82% coverage of CIS Benchmarks, integrated PCI DSS ASV capabilities, and comprehensive reporting for frameworks like NIST 800-53 and ISO 27001. Rapid7 provides solid compliance reporting but with fewer templates and less comprehensive framework coverage.
Tenable’s workflow engine for automated remediation and integrated patch management is another key differentiator, giving it a significant edge for compliance-focused organizations.
Container and Kubernetes security
Both platforms offer container and Kubernetes scanning through pre-runtime scanning and policy enforcement but lack deep runtime behavioral detection and the eBPF monitoring that’s critical for cloud-native platforms.
Despite investments by both companies, gaps remain in real-time threat detection and Kubernetes-native security controls. Both primarily emphasize pre-runtime scanning and configuration checks. For post-deployment risks like container escapes or kernel-level exploits, teams typically supplement with runtime-aware platforms.
DevSecOps integration and developer experience
Rapid7 offers more flexible integration options with broad CI/CD security and platform support, though setup complexity may be higher. Tenable provides streamlined integrations with lower false-positive rates but may overwhelm smaller teams. Typical scan durations vary widely by mode (agentless or agent-based), scope, and settings; validate expected timelines in a pilot for your environment.
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Risk prioritization and attack path analysis
Both platforms offer risk scoring beyond CVSS (e.g., Rapid7’s VPR, Tenable’s Lumin Exposure View) but place less emphasis on cloud graph–based attack path analysis than modern CNAPPs. Agent-based approaches typically impose more per-host overhead than agentless/API-based models and can increase data movement costs depending on architecture.
Deployment model and performance impact
Both platforms offer agent-based options that add host overhead during scans. Actual CPU and memory utilization varies by policy, frequency, and workload profile; validate in a pilot before broad rollout. Agent-based modes add host overhead during scans; API-based approaches typically avoid that overhead. Validate CPU/memory and any data movement costs in a pilot for your architecture.
Multi-cloud coverage and scalability
Tenable has better coverage across AWS, Azure, and GCP with more cloud service support. Rapid7 has solid multi-cloud capabilities but may have gaps for newer services. Scalability in highly dynamic environments can be challenging for agent-centric deployments. Both vendors also provide cloud connectors and agentless options; effectiveness depends on how fully those are adopted and configured.
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Who wins overall?
Our Rapid7 vs. Tenable comparison shows there’s no one-size-fits-all winner—each platform has its own advantages based on your organization’s priorities and existing infrastructure investments.
If your security team is focused on governance and compliance documentation, Tenable is the clear winner with its broad framework coverage, more accurate vulnerability detection, and structured reporting. Organizations in highly regulated industries like healthcare, finance, and government will benefit from Tenable’s streamlined compliance workflows and built-in controls mapping.
On the other hand, if your security operations prioritize adaptability and customization, Rapid7’s flexibility is more your speed. Its extensible API architecture and diverse integration ecosystem make it well-suited for organizations with complex, heterogeneous environments where bespoke workflows and tailored scanning configurations drive security operations.
The longstanding Nexpose vs. Nessus debate extends to the platforms today. Both platforms remain strong for vulnerability management, but face similar challenges when addressing modern cloud architectures. Addressing ephemeral resources, serverless functions, or other cloud-native services often requires additional tools or careful configuration.
Many mature security organizations are finding that a hybrid approach is the most comprehensive—keeping existing tools for traditional workloads and supplementing them with purpose-built cloud security platforms for modern infrastructure. This way, you leverage your existing investments and address the unique requirements of cloud environments.
The best approach? Start with a clear assessment of your organization’s specific requirements, existing technology stack, and long-term cloud strategy rather than looking for a single “winner” in this comparison.
Strengthen cloud security with Wiz
While Rapid7 and Tenable provide established strength in vulnerability management and compliance, many organizations layer Wiz on top to extend protection into cloud-native environments. Wiz was purpose-built for the cloud, using agentless API connections to map resources, identities, and data, then prioritize real attack paths. This cloud-first approach closes visibility gaps and unifies risk management across modern infrastructure.
This cloud-first approach extends coverage beyond what vulnerability management tools were originally designed for. Here’s a closer look at Wiz’s advantages:
API-first approach: Wiz connects directly to cloud provider APIs, discovering resources and relationships that agent-based tools miss. Wiz is designed to surface cloud-specific risks that traditional vuln-management tools aren’t optimized to handle, such as S3 bucket exposures, IAM privilege escalation risks, and unmanaged internet-facing assets.
Agentless visibility: Wiz delivers real-time visibility across all cloud assets without performance impact or deployment complexity. Our all-in-one platform also maintains comprehensive visibility into ephemeral resources that agent-based tools struggle to monitor.
Unified platform: One place for CSPM, CIEM, DSPM solutions, vulnerability management, Kubernetes and container security, and more – using a shared graph and policy engine.
Democratized security: Wiz empowers developers, security, and operations teams by providing role-based access, intuitive dashboards, and self-service workflows.
True cloud security means moving beyond legacy vulnerability management tools to cloud-native security solutions that understand the unique characteristics of modern cloud environments.
For organizations evaluating this next step, an in-depth Buyer’s Guide provides a clear framework to compare CNAPP offerings and choose the right path forward.
Get cloud-native visibility, contextual prioritization, and unified risk management to secure what matters most. Request a demo today to see how Wiz can help protect everything you build and run in the cloud.
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