Best Patch Management Software (2026)
Our verdict
The best patch management software in 2026 is NinjaOne — best for msps and it teams wanting a modern, fast, all-in-one rmm. It scores 9.1/10 on our data-weighted ranking (4.7/5 (1600 G2 reviews)) and starts at Custom quote. Action1 is the strongest runner-up. Full comparison table and per-tool breakdown below — all figures stamped with a data-as-of date and linked sources.
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free trial | Rating | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NinjaOne | MSPs and IT teams wanting a modern, fast, all-in-one RMM | Custom quote | 14 days | 4.7/5 (1600 G2 reviews) | 9.1/10 |
| Action1 | SMB and MSP teams whose | $4/endpoint/mo | Free tier + 15-day full trial trial | 4.8/5 (300 G2 reviews) | 9.0/10 |
| PDQ Deploy & Inventory | Windows-only shops that want fast, scriptable on-prem deployment | Custom quote | 14 days | 4.7/5 (60 G2 reviews) | 8.4/10 |
| Automox | Cloud-native cross-OS patch + config automation for lean IT teams | $3/endpoint/mo | 14 days | 4.5/5 (90 G2 reviews) | 8.3/10 |
| Patch My PC | SCCM/Intune shops needing automated third-party app updates | Custom quote | 30 days | 4.7/5 (70 G2 reviews) | 8.2/10 |
| ManageEngine Endpoint Central | Teams wanting unified endpoint management + patching in one console | Free tier available | Free tier + 30 days trial | 4.4/5 (350 G2 reviews) | 8.1/10 |
| PDQ Connect | Teams that want PDQ's deployment power for remote/cloud-managed devices | Custom quote | 14 days | 4.6/5 (40 G2 reviews) | 8.0/10 |
| ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus | Budget-conscious teams wanting on-prem or cloud patching with deep reporting | Free tier available | Free tier + 30 days trial | 4.3/5 (80 G2 reviews) | 7.9/10 |
| Heimdal | MSPs wanting patching bundled with a broader security suite | Custom quote | yes | 4.6/5 (200 G2 reviews) | 7.8/10 |
| Ninite Pro | Small teams wanting dead-simple third-party app patching on a budget | Custom quote | 14 days | 4.8/5 (30 Capterra reviews) | 7.6/10 |
| Tanium | Very large enterprises needing real-time endpoint data at massive scale | Custom quote | — | 4.3/5 (100 G2 reviews) | 7.5/10 |
| Ivanti Neurons | Large enterprises needing risk-based patch prioritization at scale | Custom quote | — | 4.0/5 (50 G2 reviews) | 7.2/10 |
1. NinjaOne 9.1/10
Best for MSPs and IT teams wanting a modern, fast, all-in-one RMM. From Custom quote.
Pros
- Modern fast UI
- Excellent patching built in
- Top-rated support
Cons
- No public pricing (quote only)
- Per-device cost
- Some advanced features cost extra
NinjaOne overview · pricing · review
Affiliate link: NinjaOne may pay us a commission if you sign up through this link. It never affects our data-driven ranking.
2. Action1 9.0/10
Best for SMB and MSP teams whose. From $4/endpoint/mo.
Pros
- Genuinely free up to 200 endpoints with no feature gating
- Cloud-native — no on-prem servers
- Strong third-party app catalog
Cons
- Windows-first (limited macOS depth)
- Support is a separate paid add-on on Growth
- Scales by endpoint count
Action1 overview · pricing · review
Affiliate link: Action1 may pay us a commission if you sign up through this link. It never affects our data-driven ranking.
3. PDQ Deploy & Inventory 8.4/10
Best for Windows-only shops that want fast, scriptable on-prem deployment. From Custom quote.
Pros
- Fast and reliable on Windows
- Huge ready-made package library
- Loved by sysadmins
Cons
- Windows-only
- On-prem (agentless on LAN)
- Pricing not fully public
PDQ Deploy & Inventory overview · pricing · review
Visit PDQ Deploy & Inventory →
Affiliate link: PDQ Deploy & Inventory may pay us a commission if you sign up through this link. It never affects our data-driven ranking.
4. Automox 8.3/10
Best for Cloud-native cross-OS patch + config automation for lean IT teams. From $3/endpoint/mo.
Pros
- True cross-OS parity
- No on-prem infrastructure
- Flexible automation via Worklets
Cons
- No free tier
- Per-endpoint cost adds up
- Reporting depth trails enterprise suites
Automox overview · pricing · review
Affiliate link: Automox may pay us a commission if you sign up through this link. It never affects our data-driven ranking.
5. Patch My PC 8.2/10
Best for SCCM/Intune shops needing automated third-party app updates. From Custom quote.
Pros
- Best-in-class for ConfigMgr/Intune third-party patching
- Huge catalog
- Set-and-forget
Cons
- Complements (not replaces) an MDM
- Windows-focused
- Quote pricing
Patch My PC overview · pricing · review
Affiliate link: Patch My PC may pay us a commission if you sign up through this link. It never affects our data-driven ranking.
6. ManageEngine Endpoint Central 8.1/10
Best for Teams wanting unified endpoint management + patching in one console. From Free tier available.
Pros
- Free up to 25 endpoints
- One console for UEM + patch
- Broad OS + mobile coverage
Cons
- Editions/add-ons get complex
- Quote-based pricing
- Heavier than patch-only tools
ManageEngine Endpoint Central overview · pricing · review
Visit ManageEngine Endpoint Central →
Affiliate link: ManageEngine Endpoint Central may pay us a commission if you sign up through this link. It never affects our data-driven ranking.
7. PDQ Connect 8.0/10
Best for Teams that want PDQ's deployment power for remote/cloud-managed devices. From Custom quote.
Pros
- Cloud version of PDQ's strong deployment engine
- Manages remote devices
- Simple agent
Cons
- Newer than Deploy
- Windows-focused
- Per-device pricing
PDQ Connect overview · pricing · review
Affiliate link: PDQ Connect may pay us a commission if you sign up through this link. It never affects our data-driven ranking.
8. ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus 7.9/10
Best for Budget-conscious teams wanting on-prem or cloud patching with deep reporting. From Free tier available.
Pros
- Free for up to 20 computers
- Very large third-party catalog
- On-prem option for regulated environments
Cons
- Dated UI
- Pricing is bundle/quote-based
- On-prem needs maintenance
ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus overview · pricing · review
Visit ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus →
Affiliate link: ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus may pay us a commission if you sign up through this link. It never affects our data-driven ranking.
9. Heimdal 7.8/10
Best for MSPs wanting patching bundled with a broader security suite. From Custom quote.
Pros
- Unified security + patch platform
- Strong MSP program
- Modular
Cons
- Quote-based pricing
- Best value only when bundled
- Newer EDR
Heimdal overview · pricing · review
Affiliate link: Heimdal may pay us a commission if you sign up through this link. It never affects our data-driven ranking.
10. Ninite Pro 7.6/10
Best for Small teams wanting dead-simple third-party app patching on a budget. From Custom quote.
Pros
- Extremely simple
- Cheap for small fleets
- Trusted app installer
Cons
- App-updating only (not full patch mgmt)
- Limited reporting
- Windows apps
Ninite Pro overview · pricing · review
Affiliate link: Ninite Pro may pay us a commission if you sign up through this link. It never affects our data-driven ranking.
11. Tanium 7.5/10
Best for Very large enterprises needing real-time endpoint data at massive scale. From Custom quote.
Pros
- Unmatched scale and speed
- Real-time visibility
- Converged endpoint platform
Cons
- Enterprise-only pricing
- Overkill for SMB
- Steep learning curve
Tanium overview · pricing · review
Affiliate link: Tanium may pay us a commission if you sign up through this link. It never affects our data-driven ranking.
12. Ivanti Neurons 7.2/10
Best for Large enterprises needing risk-based patch prioritization at scale. From Custom quote.
Pros
- Strong risk prioritization
- Enterprise scale
- Broad platform
Cons
- Enterprise pricing/complexity
- Vendor had notable CVEs
- Quote-only
Ivanti Neurons overview · pricing · review
Affiliate link: Ivanti Neurons may pay us a commission if you sign up through this link. It never affects our data-driven ranking.
How to choose
When choosing patch management software, weigh four things against your environment: pricing model (per-endpoint vs per-technician vs per-user — it changes total cost dramatically at scale), deployment and integration fit with your existing stack, breadth of automation, and independent review scores. The table above ranks every tracked option on the data we hold; use the per-tool notes to match capabilities to your use case.
Buyer's guide
How we ranked the best patch management software
We score every tool on a transparent 0–10 scale weighted from third-party review data (G2/Capterra, adjusted for review volume), published pricing, and verified feature breadth — never opinion alone. All figures were last checked June 2026 and every row links its source.
Pricing models in patch management software
Across the 12 tracked tools, billing runs on per device, per endpoint, per machine, quote models — which changes total cost dramatically at scale, so compare on your endpoint or technician count, not headline price. Automox carries the lowest published entry price at $3/endpoint/mo. Action1, ManageEngine Endpoint Central, ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus offer a genuinely free tier; several others run free trials.
Who each is for
- NinjaOne — MSPs and IT teams wanting a modern, fast, all-in-one RMM. 9.1/10, from Custom quote (4.7/5 (1600 G2 reviews)).
- Action1 — SMB and MSP teams whose. 9.0/10, from $4/endpoint/mo (4.8/5 (300 G2 reviews)).
- PDQ Deploy & Inventory — Windows-only shops that want fast, scriptable on-prem deployment. 8.4/10, from Custom quote (4.7/5 (60 G2 reviews)).
- Automox — Cloud-native cross-OS patch + config automation for lean IT teams. 8.3/10, from $3/endpoint/mo (4.5/5 (90 G2 reviews)).
- Patch My PC — SCCM/Intune shops needing automated third-party app updates. 8.2/10, from Custom quote (4.7/5 (70 G2 reviews)).
- ManageEngine Endpoint Central — Teams wanting unified endpoint management + patching in one console. 8.1/10, from Free tier available (4.4/5 (350 G2 reviews)).
Our pick
On the data we hold, NinjaOne leads at 9.1/10. Consistently the highest-rated RMM; the patching and UX are the standouts. Read the full NinjaOne review or compare it head-to-head below.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best patch management software in 2026?
- NinjaOne ranks first in our data-weighted comparison (9.1/10, 4.7/5 (1600 G2 reviews)), starting at Custom quote.
- What is the cheapest patch management software?
- Among tracked options, Automox has the lowest published starting price at $3/endpoint/mo. Pricing models differ, so compare per-endpoint vs per-technician costs for your fleet size.
- Is there a free patch management software option?
- Action1 offers a free tier. Several others provide free trials — see the pricing column in the table above.