← All website monitoring tools
Nuclei (ProjectDiscovery)
Template-driven fast scanner — community templates cover thousands of CVEs. Free CLI, paid managed cloud.
Free tier: free CLI, paid ProjectDiscovery cloud platform from ~$208/mo
What it does well
- Scans for thousands of CVEs using a large, community-maintained template library.
- Free, open-source command-line tool can be self-hosted and integrated into scripts.
- Template-based engine is fast and highly extensible for custom security checks.
Where it falls short
- Free version is a CLI tool; requires technical skill to install and operate.
- Lacks a native GUI or vulnerability management features in the free version.
- The paid managed cloud platform starts at a relatively high price point.
Alternatives to Nuclei (ProjectDiscovery)
OWASP ZAP
freeMost popular free open-source DAST scanner — active/passive web scanning, intercepting proxy, CI/CD integration.
Nikto
freeLong-running open-source web server scanner — checks 6,700+ dangerous files and outdated software.
Burp Suite
freemiumIndustry-standard pentest proxy — free Community for manual work, Pro $449/yr per user, Enterprise from $6,995/yr.
Pentest-Tools.com
freemiumOnline toolkit of 25+ pentest scanners (web, network, recon) — paid plans from $93/mo with unlimited scans.