Price checkPer seat
128 hosts (monthly)$596/user/mo256 hosts (monthly)$942/user/mo512 hosts (monthly)$1489/user/mo
See all 6 plans

All Qualys VMDR Plans & Pricing

Plan Monthly Annual Best For
View all features by plan (compare side-by-side)

128 hosts (monthly)

  • Continuous vulnerability scanning across managed hosts
  • Asset discovery and inventory
  • TruRisk-based vulnerability prioritization
  • Threat intelligence integration
  • Web-based dashboard and reporting
  • API access

256 hosts (monthly)

  • Continuous vulnerability scanning across managed hosts
  • Asset discovery and inventory
  • TruRisk-based vulnerability prioritization
  • Threat intelligence integration
  • Web-based dashboard and reporting
  • API access

512 hosts (monthly)

  • Continuous vulnerability scanning across managed hosts
  • Asset discovery and inventory
  • TruRisk-based vulnerability prioritization
  • Automated remediation workflows
  • Compliance reporting
  • API access

1024 hosts (monthly)

  • Continuous vulnerability scanning across managed hosts
  • Asset discovery and inventory
  • TruRisk-based vulnerability prioritization
  • Automated remediation workflows
  • Multi-cloud and hybrid environment support
  • Compliance and audit reporting

2048 hosts (monthly)

  • Continuous vulnerability scanning across managed hosts
  • Asset discovery and inventory
  • TruRisk-based vulnerability prioritization
  • Automated remediation workflows
  • Multi-cloud and hybrid environment support
  • Advanced compliance frameworks

5120 hosts (monthly)

  • Continuous vulnerability scanning across managed hosts
  • Asset discovery and inventory
  • TruRisk-based vulnerability prioritization
  • Automated remediation workflows
  • Multi-cloud and hybrid environment support
  • Advanced compliance and audit frameworks
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What does Qualys VMDR actually cost you?

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Tier
Billing
Your projected cost$15Kper month · $596/seat × 25seats
Year 1 license$179K12 months at this rate
At a glance

List price by tier (annualized, per seat)

Per-seat list price across Qualys VMDR's plans, annualized. Custom-priced tiers show a hatched bar.

128 hosts (monthly)$7.2K/yr
256 hosts (monthly)$11K/yr
512 hosts (monthly)$18K/yr
1024 hosts (monthly)$28K/yr
2048 hosts (monthly)$45K/yr
5120 hosts (monthly)$82K/yr
Real-world benchmark

Buyers actually pay a median of $35K/yr for Qualys VMDR contracts (Vendr deal flow, n=104). That's a contract total — the more seats, the more leverage to negotiate down.

Quick Answer
Last verified:
Medium confidence

Qualys VMDR costs $596 to $6.8K per user/month as of July 2026, with 6 plans available. Plans: 128 hosts (monthly) at $596/user/month, 256 hosts (monthly) at $942/user/month, 512 hosts (monthly) at $1489/user/month, 1024 hosts (monthly) at $2352/user/month, 2048 hosts (monthly) at $3719/user/month, and 5120 hosts (monthly) at $6805/user/month. The median contract is $35,337/year based on 104 verified purchases.

Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.

  • Free tier: No free tier available

Qualys VMDR offers 6 pricing tiers: 128 hosts (monthly), 256 hosts (monthly), 512 hosts (monthly), 1024 hosts (monthly), 2048 hosts (monthly), 5120 hosts (monthly). Paid plans include 128 hosts (monthly) at $596/month, 256 hosts (monthly) at $942/month, 512 hosts (monthly) at $1489/month. The 256 hosts (monthly) plan is growing organizations expanding their managed host footprint to 256 hosts.

Compared to other vulnerability management software, Qualys VMDR is positioned at the premium price point.

  • Median contract: $35,337/yr from 104 purchases Precise
  • Average negotiated discount: 13%
  • 6 documented hidden costs beyond list price
  • Contracts auto-renew
Last verified: | Sources: 1 pricing pages and reviews

How much does Qualys VMDR cost?

Qualys VMDR pricing ranges from $596 to $6805/user/month across 6 plans. Plans include 128 hosts (monthly) at $596/user/month, 256 hosts (monthly) at $942/user/month, 512 hosts (monthly) at $1489/user/month, 1024 hosts (monthly) at $2352/user/month, 2048 hosts (monthly) at $3719/user/month, 5120 hosts (monthly) at $6805/user/month.

Qualys VMDR Pricing Overview

Qualys VMDR has 6 pricing plans ranging from $596 to $6,805/user/month. The 128 hosts (monthly) plan costs $596/user/month, best for small to mid-size organizations with up to 128 managed hosts. The 256 hosts (monthly) plan costs $942/user/month, best for growing organizations expanding their managed host footprint to 256 hosts. The 512 hosts (monthly) plan costs $1,489/user/month, best for mid-size enterprises managing up to 512 hosts across hybrid environments. The 1024 hosts (monthly) plan costs $2,352/user/month, best for larger enterprises requiring coverage for up to 1,024 hosts. The 2048 hosts (monthly) plan costs $3,719/user/month, best for large enterprises with up to 2,048 hosts across complex infrastructures. The 5120 hosts (monthly) plan costs $6,805/user/month, best for large enterprises and mssps managing up to 5,120 hosts at scale.

Qualys VMDR contracts auto-renew, with a Annual minimum commitment.

The median Qualys VMDR customer pays $35,337/year based on 104 verified purchases, with an average 13% discount available through negotiation.

There are at least 6 documented hidden costs beyond Qualys VMDR's list price, including implementation, training, and add-on fees.

This pricing was last verified in June 9, 2026 from 1 independent source.

Start Qualys VMDR Free Trial

Qualys VMDR (Vulnerability Management, Detection, and Response) costs $596–$6,805/month as of 2026, priced by the number of managed hosts rather than per user. Pricing is available publicly via AWS Marketplace, starting at $596/month for 128 hosts and scaling to $6,805/month for 5,120 hosts.

Qualys VMDR is a cloud-based security platform that unifies vulnerability scanning, asset inventory, threat detection, and response in a single subscription. It uses a per-host (per-asset) licensing model — each managed host, device, or IP counts toward your tier.

Annual subscriptions are available directly from Qualys and typically offer savings versus monthly billing. Qualys does not publish direct-purchase prices on its own website; the public host-count tiers listed here are sourced from the AWS Marketplace listing.

How Qualys VMDR Pricing Compares

Compare Qualys VMDR pricing against top alternatives in Vulnerability Management.

CrowdStrike Falcon Spotlight Custom pricing Compare → Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management $2.0-$3.0/user/mo Compare → Rapid7 InsightVM $1.62-$26.25/user/mo Compare →

Compare Qualys VMDR vs Alternatives

Before committing to Qualys VMDR, compare pricing with these 3 alternatives in the same category.

VSCrowdStrike Falcon Spotlight
Custom

Organizations using CrowdStrike Falcon for endpoint protection seeking integrated vulnerability management without traditional scanning overhead

Full comparison
VSMicrosoft Defender Vulnerability Management
From $2.0/user/mo

Organizations new to Microsoft Defender or using Defender for Endpoint P1 or Microsoft 365 E3 seeking comprehensive vulnerability management

Full comparison
VSRapid7 InsightVM
From $1.62/user/mo

Mid-market to enterprise organizations requiring modern, continuous vulnerability management with unlimited scanning and comprehensive asset coverage

Full comparison

All Qualys VMDR alternatives & migration guides

What Companies Actually Pay for Qualys VMDR

The median Qualys VMDR buyer pays $35,337/year based on 104 verified purchase transactions, with an average 13% savings through negotiation.

What companies actually pay $35,337/yr Median across 104 purchases Precise
13% avg. savings
with negotiation
Review scores
Trustpilot 1out of 5 (1)
Third-party review aggregates, as of Jul 2026
Top pricing complaints
Aggressive and relentless sales tacticsAccount managers missing renewal deadlines causing service outagesSlow or no response to pricing and module inquiriesTechnical support quality issues
Source: Vendr buyer database — median calculated from 104 real purchase transactions. Savings figure reflects negotiated discounts reported by buyers.

Qualys VMDR Year 1 Total Cost by Company Size

Real deployment costs including licenses, implementation, training, and admin — not just the sticker price.

Small Enterprise — 128 Hosts $596 Year 1 total
$7,152/year
Total $596

Organization scanning 128 hosts monthly with Qualys VMDR, the minimum publicly listed tier. Suitable for smaller enterprises or initial deployments.

Mid-Market — 512 Hosts $1,489 Year 1 total
$17,868/year
Total $1,489

Mid-sized organization scanning 512 hosts monthly. Represents a common deployment size for organizations with multiple offices or data centers.

Large Enterprise — 2,048 Hosts $3,719 Year 1 total
$44,628/year
Total $3,719

Large enterprise scanning 2,048 hosts monthly. Typical for organizations with significant on-premise infrastructure or large cloud footprints.

Vendr Median Deal $35,337 Year 1 total
13% average savings off list
Total $35,337

The median Qualys deal across 104 Vendr purchases, representing a typical enterprise buyer's negotiated outcome.

Current tier data + Vendr deal flow

How Qualys VMDR Pricing Compares

Software Starting Price Top Price
Qualys VMDR $596/user/month $6805/user/month
CrowdStrike Falcon Spotlight Custom Custom
Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Free $3/user/month
Rapid7 InsightVM $965/user/month $2025/user/month
Tenable Vulnerability Management $308/user/month $308/user/month
Tenable.io Custom Custom

Detailed pricing comparisons:

Browse all Vulnerability Management pricing →

6 Qualys VMDR Hidden Costs Beyond the List Price

Beyond the listed price, Qualys VMDR has at least 6 documented hidden costs that can significantly increase total cost of ownership.

Watch for 6 hidden costs
  • Separate Licensing for Additional Modules 15-40% of base license costs
    high 3 sources
    Reddit "Patch Management is a separately paid for solution. I work with Qualys a lot. I created a breakout of their products showing which are included or requires separate licensing."
    Reddit "If you already have VMDR and CSAM licenses for your assets and only use ETM to aggregate Qualys data (no third-party findings), there would be no additional cost for ETM."
    Reddit "Tenable also doesn't charge for scanners which to me is the killer. I have paid per asset so don't ding me for trying to increase performance by adding scanners. Tenable also gives away compliance where Qualys charges for that too."
  • Complex QLU-Based Cloud Licensing 10-25% of base license costs
    medium 2 sources
    Reddit "where it gets hairy and confusing is their fairly recent shift to QLU-based licensing for TotalCloud that is determined based on resource counts. They don't do flat rate pricing anymore based on connector counts."
    Reddit "A Qualys Unit (QLU) is a new mechanism that allows customers to flexibly reallocate between various modules within TotalCloud. Customers can purchase a set of QLUs, which can be allocated to various modules."
  • Aggressive Sales Tactics and Account Management Issues 5-15% of license costs
    medium 2 sources
    Reddit "Yes, ours dropped the ball after months of talking about our renewal. He never sent the updated invoice, so our Qualys instance went down and it was an emergency. We've asked for pricing on several different modules/ items and never got a response."
    Reddit "I was not long ago looking in to some vulnerability management tools like Tenable, Qualys, etc. Once the Qualys guy figured out I was also demoing other products he became relentless. Called me daily for over a month."
  • Per-Scanner Fees for Additional Scanners 5-20% of base license costs
    medium 2 sources
    Reddit "Tenable also doesn't charge for scanners which to me is the killer. I have paid per asset so don't ding me for trying to increase performance by adding scanners. Tenable also gives away compliance where Qualys charges for that too."
    Reddit "To get around the scanner limit, you either need to have a floating computer / VM that you take onsite or redeploy a VM for every scan."
  • High 100% Renewal Rate 100% of first-year costs annually
    medium 1 source
    Reddit "Qualys is another good scanner and competitive. The downside is it is a SaaS product which may or may no be an issue for people. Plus it's renewal fee is 100% which is just crazy if you ask me."
  • Not MSP-Friendly Billing Structure 5-10% of license costs
    low 2 sources
    Reddit "I've been talking to Qualys and getting pricing and they really don't seem to be setup for MSP's. They expect you to pay per client individually which seams to be a nightmare to manage"
    Reddit "There are other solutions that provide multi-tenant portals but when it comes to pricing/billing, it's still very customer centric as opposed to MSP (then the MSP bills the customer)."
Tip

Ask your Qualys VMDR sales rep about these costs upfront. Getting them in writing before signing can save you from surprise charges later.

Full hidden costs breakdown →

Intelligence sourced from 3 independent sources
Reddit User discussions Vendr Verified buyer transactions Trustpilot Consumer reviews
Key claims include inline source attribution. Data verified against multiple independent sources. 26 source citations total.

Qualys VMDR Contract Terms

Qualys VMDR contracts auto-renew. Changes require advance notice. These terms are sourced from verified buyer experiences.

Contract Terms
Auto-Renewal Yes
Minimum Commitment Annual
Mid-Term Downgrade Not allowed
Payment Terms Annual upfront
Price Escalation 100% renewal rate reported; pricing described as 'strict until they're going to lose'
Based on 3 verified sources

How to Negotiate Qualys VMDR Pricing

Qualys VMDR contracts are negotiable — buyers save an average of 13% off list price. These 10 tactics are sourced from real buyer experiences and procurement specialists.

Negotiation Playbook 10 tactics
Competitive Pressure high success

Qualys pricing is strict until they're about to lose a deal. Get quotes from Tenable and Rapid7 to create competitive pressure, as Qualys sales will become more flexible when facing direct competition.

Reddit: 'They're pricing is really strict until they're going to lose' (2024-05-26)
Leverage Competitive POCs high success

Run a simultaneous proof of concept with Tenable and/or Rapid7 and let Qualys know. Qualys pricing is reported to be 'strict until they're going to lose.' Having a credible alternative in play is the primary lever to unlock discounts beyond standard pricing.

Reddit (r/sales, r/cybersecurity)
Use Security VARs medium success

Work with security Value-Added Resellers (VARs) to get competitive quotes rather than going direct. VARs can often negotiate better pricing through volume relationships.

Reddit: 'Maybe check pricing through a security VAR for a competitive quote' (2020-11-04)
Volume Commitment medium success

Commit to higher asset counts or multi-year terms to unlock volume discounts. Users report getting volume discounts, though specific percentages vary.

Reddit: 'we get volume discount' (2018-08-18)
Compare Total Cost of Ownership medium success

When negotiating, emphasize that competitors like Tenable don't charge for additional scanners or policy compliance modules. Use this to negotiate bundled pricing.

Reddit: 'Tenable also doesn't charge for scanners... Tenable also gives away compliance where Qualys charges for that too' (2021-04-20)
Target Quarter-End Negotiations medium success

Like most enterprise software vendors, Qualys sales reps have quarterly quotas. Initiating or finalizing negotiations at quarter-end increases urgency on their side and likelihood of concessions.

Reddit (general enterprise software negotiation pattern corroborated by Vendr data)
Negotiate via a Security VAR medium success

Multiple users recommend pricing Qualys through a security Value-Added Reseller (VAR) to get competitive quotes. VARs can sometimes unlock better pricing tiers than going direct, especially for mid-market organizations.

Reddit (r/sysadmin, r/cybersecurity)
Bundle Modules Upfront medium success

Qualys offers modular licensing. Negotiating all required modules (VMDR, Patch Management, TotalCloud, etc.) in a single deal rather than adding them piecemeal over time gives more leverage for bundle discounts and avoids paying list price for add-ons later.

Reddit (r/qualys)
Reference Vendr Benchmark Data medium success

Vendr data shows buyers save an average of 13% off list price with a median deal of $35,337/year across 104 purchases. Use this as a floor benchmark when negotiating — if your quote is significantly above $35,337 for a comparable asset count, you have clear evidence to push back.

Vendr (deal flow)
Consider MSP Channel for Multi-Client Deployments medium success

For organizations managing multiple environments, going through an MSSP or managed service partner that resells Qualys may offer better effective per-asset pricing than direct purchase, especially at lower scale.

Reddit (r/msp)
High success Medium Low / difficult

Full negotiation guide →

Qualys VMDR Price History

Pricing changes CostBench has tracked for Qualys VMDR, verified across 2 snapshots going back to 2026Q1.

  1. Qualys VMDR price increase

    Highest tier increased from $1000 to $6805/month

    +580.5%

  2. Qualys VMDR tier restructure

    Changed from 2 to 6 pricing tiers

  3. Qualys VMDR tier renamed

    "VMDR Essentials" renamed to "128 hosts (monthly)"

  4. Qualys VMDR tier renamed

    "VMDR Enterprise" renamed to "256 hosts (monthly)"

View Qualys VMDR's full price history →

Qualys VMDR Pricing FAQ

01 How much does Qualys VMDR cost?

Qualys VMDR starts at $596/month for up to 128 hosts, rising to $6,805/month for up to 5,120 hosts, based on publicly listed AWS Marketplace pricing. Costs scale with the number of managed hosts, not the number of users.

02 What is the cheapest Qualys VMDR plan?

The lowest publicly available tier covers 128 hosts at $596/month. Qualys does not publish per-user pricing — all plans are based on host or asset counts.

03 Does Qualys VMDR have a free plan?

Qualys does not offer a free tier for VMDR. Qualys Community Edition is a separate, limited free product that covers a small number of assets and does not include full VMDR capabilities.

04 How does Qualys VMDR pricing work?

Qualys VMDR uses a per-host (per-asset) model. You select a tier based on the number of hosts you need to manage — 128, 256, 512, 1,024, 2,048, or 5,120 hosts. There is no per-user charge. Add-on modules such as Patch Management are licensed separately.

05 Does Qualys charge per user or per asset?

Per asset (host). Qualys VMDR pricing is not per user. The number of managed hosts determines which pricing tier applies. Users and administrators accessing the platform do not directly affect the license cost.

06 Are there hidden costs with Qualys VMDR?

Yes. Patch Management is sold as a separate add-on and is not included in the base VMDR subscription. If you use Qualys TotalCloud or ingest third-party vulnerability findings (from Tenable, Rapid7, or Microsoft Defender) into Enterprise Threat Management, additional per-asset fees apply.

07 Does Qualys VMDR include patch management?

No. Patch Management is a separately paid module in Qualys. VMDR covers vulnerability detection and response, but automated patching requires an additional license.

08 How does Qualys compare to Tenable on price?

User reports vary. Some report Qualys pricing better than Tenable, particularly for overall platform value; others chose Tenable due to Qualys's per-scanner charges and separate compliance fees. Tenable includes unlimited scanners and compliance scanning in its base price, while Qualys charges for these separately. Vendr data shows median Qualys buyers pay $35,337/year with 13% average savings off list.

09 Is there a free trial for Qualys VMDR?

Qualys does not offer a self-service free trial. POC/demo access is available through their sales team as a managed trial process.

10 Can I negotiate Qualys pricing?

Yes. Vendr reports buyers save an average of 13% off list price. Qualys pricing is described as strict, but discounts become available when a credible competitive alternative (Tenable, Rapid7) is in play. Negotiating through a security VAR can also unlock better rates.

11 What is Qualys ETM and does it cost extra?

Qualys ETM (Enterprise TruRisk Management) is an additional module that aggregates vulnerability data across Qualys and third-party tools (Tenable, Rapid7, Microsoft Defender). For existing VMDR+CSAM customers using ETM only with Qualys-native data, there is no additional cost. Per-asset fees apply when ingesting third-party tool findings. ETM pricing is based on IP counts and resource counts, similar to VMDR and TotalCloud.

Is this pricing incorrect? — we'll verify and update it.