Xentinel vs Qualys
Qualys is a powerful enterprise platform — but it requires agents, lengthy deployments, and opaque enterprise pricing. Xentinel delivers comparable external coverage in minutes, with transparent pricing starting at $149/month.
Modern, agentless, fully external. Setup in minutes. Transparent pricing from $149/mo. Includes ASM, CSPM, DAST, API security, SSL/domain monitoring, and WhatsApp alerts. No sales call required.
Enterprise-grade vulnerability management with deep internal scanning via agents. Strong compliance coverage (PCI, FedRAMP). Best for large enterprises with dedicated security teams and IT ops. Expensive and complex to deploy.
| Feature | Xentinel | Qualys |
|---|---|---|
| Agentless / fully external scanning | ||
| Continuous attack surface monitoring | ||
| Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) | ||
| DAST (web application scanning) | ||
| API security testing | ||
| SSL / TLS certificate monitoring | ||
| Domain expiration monitoring | ||
| WhatsApp real-time alerts | ||
| Free scan (no signup) | ||
| Setup time | Minutes | Days/Weeks |
| No sales call required | ||
| Transparent public pricing | ||
| Starting price | $149/mo | $2,000+/yr (est.) |
| Startup/SMB friendly | ||
| Compliance reporting (SOC2, PCI, ISO) |
Last updated June 2025. Qualys pricing estimated from public market data.
The core difference: agents vs. agentless
Qualys requires deploying Cloud Agents or Virtual Scanner Appliances to scan internal assets — a deployment that can take days or weeks and requires IT coordination. Xentinel is fully external and agentless: it scans your digital footprint from the outside, exactly as a threat actor would. No installation, no network access, no agent management. This is not a limitation — it's a philosophy: external exposure is what attackers see and exploit.
Pricing transparency
Qualys does not publish pricing. Contracts are annual, require a sales conversation, and typically start at $2,000+/year for small deployments — scaling to tens of thousands for enterprise. Xentinel publishes all pricing publicly, starts at $149/month, and offers monthly billing with no lock-in. For startups and SMBs, the decision is straightforward.
When Qualys is the right choice
Qualys is best for large enterprises that need deep internal scanning, compliance certifications like FedRAMP, or integration with a SIEM/SOAR stack. Its breadth and depth of internal vulnerability detection is unmatched for organizations with hundreds of internal endpoints.
When Xentinel is the right choice
Xentinel is the right choice for teams that want to see exactly what attackers see — from the outside — without a weeks-long deployment project. If you need external ASM, CSPM, DAST, and API security testing today, with transparent pricing and no sales friction, Xentinel is the faster path to real security visibility.
Xentinel vs Qualys — frequently asked questions
Is Xentinel a good alternative to Qualys?
For external attack surface management, yes. Xentinel is agentless, deploys in minutes, and publishes pricing from $149/month, covering ASM, CSPM, DAST, and API security. Qualys requires Cloud Agents or scanner appliances and uses annual, quote-based enterprise pricing.
What is the core difference between Xentinel and Qualys?
Qualys scans internal assets using agents or virtual scanner appliances, which can take days or weeks to deploy. Xentinel is fully external and agentless — it scans your internet-facing surface exactly as an attacker would, with no installation or internal network access.
When is Qualys the better choice?
Qualys is the better choice for large enterprises that need deep internal scanning, compliance certifications like FedRAMP, and SIEM/SOAR integration across hundreds of internal endpoints. For fast, affordable external visibility, Xentinel is the simpler path.
Get enterprise-grade visibility. No enterprise complexity.
Free scan. No signup. No sales call. Results in minutes.