12 best Windows server patch management software for 2024

As new threats emerge daily, keeping your Windows servers up-to-date with the latest patches is crucial. The estimated cost of a data breach in 2024 is $4.88 million, which is a 10% increase from last year and the highest ever. It is clear that maintaining robust cybersecurity measures is increasingly important. 

Effective patch management is one of the best ways to safeguard your organization’s data. Keeping all your systems updated with the latest security patches prevents malicious actors from exploiting critical security flaws.

Patch management software helps to automate and streamline the patching process, ensuring that updates are applied consistently and accurately across all your Windows servers. To help you compare the different Windows server patch management software solutions, we will review the best options on the market.

What is a Windows server patch management software?

Windows server patch management tool is a type of software used to manage, deploy, and monitor updates or patches for Windows servers. The best patching tools help to automate this process by scheduling and executing updates without manual intervention, keeping all systems up-to-date.

Patch management functionality is often part of a more comprehensive IT management solution. For example, Atera’s all-in-one IT management platform offers patch management alongside other crucial features.

Types of Windows server patch management software

The three types of patch management software for Windows servers are automated, open-source, and cloud-based. Let’s examine each in more detail.

1. Automated patch management

Automated patch management software automates the process of identifying, downloading, testing, and deploying patches for Windows servers. These tools work 24/7 to find and fix system loopholes as quickly as possible, preventing them from being exploited.

Maintaining Windows updates manually involves substantial employee resources and is time-consuming and budget-consuming. For this reason, most IT organizations prefer automated patching solutions.

Suitable for:

• IT departments
• Managed service providers (MSPs)
• Small and midsize businesses (SMBs)
• Enterprises

2. Open-source patch management

Open-source patch management solutions often come free of charge and are maintained by a community of contributors. This means they are updated and improved based on user feedback. Compared to traditional software, open-source solutions require more technical know-how to install and maintain.

Even though open-source solutions are more affordable, they have significant downsides, such as inconsistent updates, a lack of customer support, and a vulnerability to security threats. These drawbacks make open-source solutions unsuitable for IT organizations that want to maintain optimal performance and security.

Suitable for:

• IT departments
• SMBs

3. Cloud-based patch management

Cloud-based patch management solutions enable IT administrators to oversee patch management remotely from a centralized cloud-hosted platform. Due to their often advanced features and remote nature, cloud-based solutions offer scalability, making them suitable for organizations of all sizes.

Cloud-based patch management tools usually operate in conjunction with automated patch management systems. For example, Atera’s automated patch management tool is hosted in the cloud.

Suitable for:

• IT departments
• MSPs
• SMBs
• Enterprises

Why do you need a Windows server patch management software?

Next, let’s look at the main reasons why using a Windows patch management tool is beneficial.

1. Enhanced security

Patch management software ensures that an organization’s systems are up-to-date with the latest patches, reducing the risk of breaches and protecting sensitive data. Automated solutions go even one step further and automatically update systems without human intervention.

As a result of effective and timely patch management, your uptime increases, removing one of the most common vulnerabilities targeted by cybercriminals.

2. Industry compliance

Depending on your field, the industry-specific rules and regulations may vary. However, one thing that is consistent is that all industries require servers and software applications to be maintained on a regular basis.

The best patch management solutions help to demonstrate compliance with PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard), GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations, and more.

3. Improved system performance

Timely patching addresses system vulnerabilities and software flaws that could otherwise lead to crashes, slowdowns, or other performance bottlenecks. Consequently, this leads to a smoother and more reliable operation of applications and services hosted on the servers.

4. Consistent patching process

For example, with Atera, you can set up IT automation profiles to automatically deploy patches across all operating systems. Automated patch management reduces the likelihood of human error and ensures that no servers are overlooked.

5. Cost savings

Automated patch management solutions reduce the need for manual intervention, which significantly lowers the labor costs associated with maintaining and updating Windows servers. Additionally, effective patching reduces the risk of security breaches and system downtimes, both of which can be costly.

The 12 best Windows server patch management software in 2024

Next, let’s dive in and explore the best patch management software for Windows servers.

1. Atera

Atera’s all-in-one IT management platform includes comprehensive patch management capabilities. With Atera’s patch management, IT professionals can automatically scan, download, and deploy patches for Windows, Linux, and macOS systems. Atera’s IT automation profiles allow you to set up custom schedules to deploy patches automatically and perform other critical tasks.

Alongside patch management, Atera offers a range of features that are crucial for IT management. The key features include remote monitoring and management (RMM), remote access, network discovery, helpdesk and ticketing, and reporting and analytics. Atera also integrates with third-party tools for extended functionality.

Features and capabilities

Atera’s IT automation and patching features allow you to automate a wide range of crucial support tasks, including patching, installing software bundles, upgrading Windows versions, and managing disk space.

Using Atera’s IT automation profiles, you can schedule these tasks to be performed multiple times, one time, weekly, or monthly.

Atera’s detailed reports and analytics provide insight into your IT environment and help to demonstrate compliance with industry standards.

Atera’s comprehensive feature set is accompanied by ActionAI, which enables IT staff to work 10x more efficiently. Atera’s ActionAI™ improves nearly all aspects of IT management, such as composing ticket replies and troubleshooting issues using real-time AI insights.

Using Atera’s AI tool, Atera Copilot, you can create precise scripts to fix issues such as slow device performance. Diagnosing and resolving such issues is normally time-consuming and difficult.

Additionally, Atera Copilot lets you automatically recap key points from your remote sessions by generating an itemized list of actions performed on the end user’s Windows device.

User interface and usability

Atera is well known for being easy to use, and navigating between the different user interfaces is intuitive. The admin dashboard gives you an overview of your IT environment, and you can perform various IT management tasks from the left sidebar.

You can view the device performance, open a ticket, and remotely connect the devices if needed within the device pages.

Atera’s RMM tool includes threshold-based alerts. When thresholds are exceeded, the system alerts IT professionals immediately, enabling them to resolve potential issues before they escalate.

If you have any questions while using Atera, you can reach out to our 24/7 live chat support team. We also welcome all new users to Atera’s active IT community, where users can troubleshoot problems and discuss common best IT practices.

Pricing and value for money

Atera’s pricing plans for IT departments range from $149 to $199 per month, and the MSP pricing plans range from $129 to $209 per month. Enterprise customers can receive a custom quotation for more tailored offerings.

Atera’s pricing structure is based on pay-per-technician, which differs from most RMM pricing plans. Most RMM solutions use pay-per-endpoint pricing, where the price is determined by the amount of endpoints/devices managed. With Atera, you can add unlimited devices/endpoints and still pay a fixed monthly fee.

Atera G2 rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars (500+ reviews)

What Atera users are saying on G2:

A G2 user mentions using Atera daily for automated patch management, proactive issue identification, and continuous network monitoring. For new users, Atera’s intuitive dashboard reduces the learning curve. Atera has various pre-configured templates and automated workflows that help IT organizations save time. Atera integrates with tools such as Active Director to reduce data silos and simplify workflows.

Atera Capterra rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars (300+ reviews)

What Atera users are saying on Capterra:

A Capterra user mentions dealing with patch management manually, working 14-hour shifts because he couldn’t find a tool that functioned like he wanted. With Atera, he still puts in a few hours here and there, but Atera’s IT automation tools helped him reduce the job from 24 hours to looking for a report for one hour and making sure everything is running smoothly.

Atera pricing:

Atera’s pricing plans for IT departments:

• Professional: $149 per month, per technician
• Expert: $169 per month, per technician
• Master: $199 per month, per technician
• Enterprise: Custom quotation. Contact sales for pricing.

Atera’s pricing plans for MSPs:

• Pro: $129 per month, per technician
• Growth: $179 per month, per technician
• Power: $209 per month, per technician
• Superpower (Enterprise): Custom quotation. Contact sales for pricing.

Get started with Atera on a 30-day free trial with no credit card required.

2. Action1

Action1 is a patch management solution for Windows, Linux, and MacOS servers and third-party applications. It provides real-time visibility into missing Windows updates and helps automatically scan, download, and deploy patches for them. Action1’s inventory management, various security features, and automation capabilities help meet patch compliance requirements.

Action1 is entirely focused on patch management and lacks other IT management tools organizations may need, such as RMM, remote access, IT ticketing, and more. Depending on your needs, this can be a pro or a con. If you need a comprehensive IT management solution, Action1 is not an ideal option.

G2 Rating: 4.9 out of 5.0 (150+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.9 out of 5.0 (80+ reviews)

Action1 Pricing:

• Custom quotation: To get pricing from Action1, you need to request a quote from their website.

3. Syncro

Syncro is an IT management software for MSPs with RMM, remote access, PSA, and patch management functionality. It lets MSPs detect missing Windows patches and install them automatically. You can also see reports on the recently installed patches, as well as rejected and failed patches. Additionally, Syncro has an asset management tool that MSPs can use to locate assets, view their status, and review patch management history.

A drawback of Syncro’s patching tool is its reporting. A few G2 users mention that it’s incomplete, and the improvements are a little slower than users would like. 

G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 (120+ reviews)

Syncro’s Capterra Rating: 4.7 out of 5.0 (70+ reviews)

Syncro Pricing:

• Basic: $139 per month, per user

4. Datto RMM

Datto RMM’s automated patch management tool allows you to control and deploy Windows server patches. To use it, you must first set up a patch management policy where you pre-approve the Windows patches you want to install. Datto provides several patch reports to provide an overview of the patch status.

To extended the functionality, Datto RMM can be integrated with other Datto products. For example, integrating it with Datto PSA gives you access to PSA features. Just using Datto RMM may not be sufficient for comprehensive IT management, which is what most IT organizations do.

G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars (70+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars (20+ reviews)

Datto Pricing:

• Custom pricing available. Contact Datto’s sales team to get the pricing.

5. GoTo Resolve

GoTo Resolve is an IT management platform for IT departments and MSPs. It comes with built-in patch management functionality for Windows servers and third-party applications. Patches can be deployed in batches and scheduled to be applied automatically when users are less active. You can also view a patch history to gain insights into past patches.

GoTo Resolve uses pay-per-technician pricing but also limits the number of devices each plan supports. If you exceed the plan’s device limit, you need to pay extra. This is a disadvantage compared to Atera, which offers similar pricing but allows unlimited devices.

G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5.0 (400+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 (190+ reviews)

GoTo Resolve Pricing:

• Free: Free to use, up to 3 technicians
• Standard: Starting at $57 per month, billed annually
• Premium: Custom pricing, visit their website to contact their sales team

6. Automox

Automox offers a solution for patching Windows, macOS, Linux servers, and 500+ third-party applications. It helps automatically detect missing patches, deploy updates, and enforce compliance across diverse environments with minimal manual intervention. Automox also offers real-time reports that help maintain device visibility and comply with regulations.

For patch management, Automox is proven to be a strong solution. Since it focuses mainly on that, it has to be integrated with third-party solutions if you want more extensive IT management features, such as remote access and RMM. The downside of this can be the increased cost, instead of investing in an all-in-one solution, such as Atera.

G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars (70+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.8 out of 5.0 stars (70+ reviews)

Automox Pricing:

• Patch OS: Starts from $1 per endpoint per month for basic patch management
• Automate Essentials: Custom pricing. To get the pricing, you need to contact the Automox sales team
• Automate Enterprise: Custom pricing is available

7. Pulseway

Pulseway is an RMM and remote access software built for MSPs and IT departments. In addition, it has a patch management tool for Windows, macOS, and Linux servers and various third-party applications. To automate the patching process, Pulseway has different automation capabilities such as custom schedules.

Pulseway includes OS system patching in its standard pricing plans. However, updating third-party applications comes with an extra cost. Most IT management solutions offer third-party patching as part of their standard plans, so this is a slight drawback of Pulseway.

G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 (50+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.7 out of 5.0 (180+ reviews)

Pulseway Pricing:

• Pulseway’s pricing structure is public and transparent. The company bills per end-point/device and offers a calculator on its website that factors in aspects such as length of contract, number of endpoints, number of third-party add-ons, and more. 
• Pulseway charges a one-time fee of $149 for a mandatory ‘Advanced Onboarding and Best Practices’ session.

8. N-able

One of N-able’s products, N-central RM, offers a tool for discovering, maintaining, and deploying Windows patches and third-party app updates automatically. You can set patch policies to control what patches are installed. N-central offers patch reports to keep you up-to-date and to comply with regulations.

Aside from patch management, other key features of N-central RMM include network and device management, RMM, remote access, and different security features. For more features, N-central RMM can be integrated with other N-able products.

G2 Rating: 4.3 out of 5.0 stars (170+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 3.9 out of 5.0 stars (40+ reviews)

N-central Pricing:

• The company does not publicly disclose its pricing; it is based on a custom quotation. To find out the pricing, request a quote from N-able’s website.

9. Kaseya VSA

Kaseya VSA is an IT management solution that includes real-time monitoring and alerting, remote access, asset management, and automated patch management. It allows you to deploy patches for Windows and Mac servers and third-party applications. To automate the process, you can configure patch policies and create a custom schedule for patch deployment.

You also get access to customized reports, which provide insights into patch status and ensure industry compliance. Kaseya is strong in its feature set but has received numerous complaints about its user interface. A G2 user mentions that it’s outdated and clunky, making it less appealing compared to modern IT management tools.

G2 Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0 (250+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.1 out of 5.0 (200+ reviews)

Kaseya VSA Pricing:

• Custom pricing system in place. Visit their website to learn more.

10. ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus

Patch Manager Plus is a product by ManageEngine that lets users deploy patches for Windows, Linux, and macOS servers alongside third-party applications. It automatically scans endpoints for missing patches, and once tested and approved, they can be scheduled for deployment. For patch compliance, ManageEngine offers analytics, audits, and reports.

Patch Manager Plus can be integrated with other ManageEngine products for extended functionality. The downside is the increased cost of relying on multiple products, which can be problematic, especially for IT teams with limited resources.

G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5.0 stars (150+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars (300+ reviews)

ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus Pricing:

• Free plan: Suitable for small-scale patch management
• Professional and Enterprise plans: Custom pricing is available; contact ManageEngine’s sales team to find out more.

11. Naverisk

Naverisk is an IT management platform with RMM, PSA, and patch management tools. Its patch management tool allows you to view the availability and missing Windows and Linux patches. You can then install patches on-demand or schedule them. For MSPs, Naverisk offers client reports to provide them with a summary of their organization’s patching status.

Naverisk also has a service desk system to handle support requests from end users. It comes with basic automation features, such as automatically routing tickets to the right technician. It is lacking in comparison to Atera, which has an AI-powered response summarizer, automatic solution suggestions, and more.

G2 Rating: 4.7 out of 5.0 stars (60+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.8 out of 5.0 stars (90+ reviews)

Naverisk Pricing:

• Based on a custom quote; to receive information, interested prospects must provide their details and wait for a representative to contact them. Prices start at $110 per month.

12. Syxsense

Syxsense is patch management software that automates and streamlines scanning, managing, and deploying Windows, Mac, and Linux server updates. It is also compatible with third-party applications such as Adobe, Chrome, and Java. The patching tool is accompanied by RMM, remote access, reporting, and endpoint management capabilities.

For PSA capabilities, Syxsense needs to be integrated with third-party software, which comes with an additional cost. This is a drawback compared to all-in-one solutions offering PSA built-in.

G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars (70+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars (60+ reviews)

Syxsense Pricing:

• Custom pricing. Request a quotation from Syxsense’s website.

An integrated approach to patching and IT management

By integrating patch management with robust monitoring, alerting, and remote management capabilities, Atera empowers IT professionals to maintain high-performing, secure, and stable systems.

Not only that, Atera’s RMM tool includes AI-powered script generator, which empowers IT professionals to address complex issues with minimal manual intervention. By providing the AI tool with a simple or complex set of instructions, it generates a script that fixes issues such as poor device performance or crashes from concurrent applications.

Additionally, Atera’s AI-powered help desk and ticketing system can automatically generate ticket summarizations and provide response suggestions to end-user support requests.

Atera’s ActionAI™ revolutionizes IT management. If you want to be part of the revolution, sign up to Atera today with a 14-day free trial, or, you can contact our sales team for a custom demo.