Nmap vs Nuclei
Nmap
nmap.org
Nuclei
nuclei.projectdiscovery.ioSide by side
| Figure | Nmap | Nuclei |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $9,980/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 7 | 1 |
| Spec score · Vulnerability Scanning Software | 8.4 (#7) | 8.4 (#8) |
| Integrations | For OEM integration, the project recommends running Nmap and parsing its XML-formatted output, and also permits other approaches such as parsing normal output or processing its data files. | The project README lists Jira, Splunk, GitHub, Elastic, and GitLab integrations. |
| Purpose | Nmap is a free and open-source utility for network discovery and security auditing. | Nuclei is a vulnerability scanner for probing applications, infrastructure, cloud platforms, and networks using YAML templates. |
| Support | The free version has no warranty and is supported by a community, while active OEM maintenance subscriptions include commercial technical support. | The open-source page says maintainers answer questions in Discord and template requests can be filed as GitHub issues. |
Plans
Nmap
- Nmap free end-user licenseFree
- Nmap OEM Small/Startup Company Redistribution License (quarterly term)$9,980 a month
- Nmap OEM Mid-Sized Company Redistribution License (quarterly term)$13,980 a month
- Nmap OEM Enterprise Redistribution License (quarterly term)$17,980 a month
- Nmap OEM Small/Startup Company Redistribution License (perpetual)$59,980, paid once
- Nmap OEM Mid-Sized Company Redistribution License (perpetual)$89,980, paid once
- Nmap OEM Enterprise Redistribution License (perpetual)$119,980, paid once
In their own words
Nmap
Nmap is a free, open-source utility for discovering networks and auditing security. It uses raw IP packets to identify available hosts, services and versions, operating systems, and packet filters or firewalls. Scanning options include TCP and UDP ports, OS and version detection, and ping sweeps. Network administrators can use it to inventory systems, plan service upgrades, and monitor host or service uptime. The Nmap Scripting Engine runs bundled or user-written scripts in parallel for networking tasks such as discovery and vulnerability checks. The suite also includes Zenmap, a graphical interface and results viewer; Ncat for data transfer and debugging; Ndiff for comparing scan results; and Nping for packet generation and response analysis. Most port-scan types require privileged access to send and receive raw packets, although unprivileged users can run connect and FTP bounce scans. Nmap is not a comprehensive vulnerability scanner. End-user use is free, but redistribution in commercial products requires an OEM license. Quarterly OEM licenses start at $9,980.00 per 3 months for eligible small or startup companies.
Nuclei
Nuclei is a free, open-source vulnerability scanner for applications, infrastructure, cloud platforms, and networks. It uses YAML templates to define checks, drawing on more than 6,500 community-contributed templates; users can also create custom templates. Bulk and parallel scans, multiple target formats, and inclusion and exclusion filters are supported. Modules cover HTTP, DNS, TCP, headless, JavaScript, code, and file scanning, and authentication options include HTTP basic authentication and JWT. Nuclei can run in CI/CD pipelines, including through GitHub Actions, and export SARIF results to GitHub Code Scanning. It is distributed under the MIT License and is primarily a standalone CLI tool, with installation options including Go, Homebrew, Docker, GitHub, downloadable binaries, and Helm. It is actively developed, but has no LTS or stable version, so updates may bring breaking changes. Some templates can fuzz or take actions that risk denial of service; these are tagged and excluded from default scans. The tool is intended for security engineers, analysts, red teams, DevOps teams, bug bounty hunters, and penetration testers.