Action1 Alternatives: Why No Single Solution Can Replace Action1 in 2026

If you are searching for Action1 alternatives, this usually means one of two things: you’re wondering if there’s something cheaper that actually delivers the same results, or you’re evaluating patch management platforms for the first time and trying to understand which one actually works and is the right one for your company, not just on paper.

Fair enough. The market is full of platforms claiming to automate every step of the process, patch everything, and cost less than anything. Then you pick a particular software, complete the installation, and see for yourself its limits, like Windows-only support, third-party application coverage gaps, VPN requirements for remote workers, or “automation” that needs scripting expertise you or your team don’t have.

That’s not the case with Action1, since it does what it says. It patches Windows, macOS, and Linux systems (Ubuntu and Debian), plus more than 600 third-party applications, without requiring a VPN, constant manual interventions, additional tools, extra hardware, or workarounds.

This article breaks down the top four alternatives to Action1: NinjaOne, ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus, Patch My PC, and PDQ Deploy & Inventory. You’ll see their real capabilities, actual limitations, and, most importantly, why replacing Action1 typically means accepting trade-offs in coverage, features, complexity, or cost.

What Is Action1?

Action1 is a cloud-native, autonomous endpoint management platform that focuses tightly on automating patch management and vulnerability remediation across Windows, macOS, and Linux systems, along with third-party applications.

The platform identifies all known vulnerabilities across your on-premises and remote endpoints, lists missing patches, and allows you to schedule their testing and deployment to remediate these vulnerabilities quickly. Other core features include real-time endpoint visibility, risk-based prioritization, remote access, P2P patch distribution, a private software repository, update rings, RBAC, script automation, and more.

Action1 equips you with powerful software that can be configured in just five minutes, which eliminates routine labor, strengthens endpoint security by preempting ransomware and security risks, and simplifies regulatory compliance by providing over 100 built-in customizable templates that let you generate detailed audit reports in just a few clicks. It requires no VPN and is always free for your first 200 endpoints with no functional limits.

Why Would You Look for Action1 Alternatives?

Businesses of all sizes look for one thing: patch management software that simplifies the process to the point where they can fully automate it and turn it into a set-it-and-forget-it task. That means unified cross-OS support, wide third-party application coverage, and feature-rich capabilities for scheduling deployments, testing patches, creating detailed reports, and, of course, being secure enough to protect their and their clients’ sensitive data.

Such a platform can successfully eliminate manual patching, strengthen the company’s overall security posture, ease regulatory compliance, and, most importantly, minimize unexpected downtime risks.

Simply put, they need a cloud-native platform for managing both on-premises and remote endpoints that fully automates each step of the patching process from vulnerability identification to remediation and report generation. It must be configurable in minutes, scalable from dozens to thousands of endpoints, and offer an intuitive interface. That is the perfect combination allowing them to throw away the set of tools they are currently using and replace them with all-in-one software.

The real-world problem is that many patch management platforms claim these capabilities and promise miracles at low prices, but forget to mention that not all platforms are built the same, nor the fact that their software might perfectly fit business “A” but be inefficient for business “B.”

Moreover, the smallest gap in patch coverage, visibility and automation can leave corporate data vulnerable to ransomware and security breaches. It takes just one endpoint running outdated software to start the domino effect, where first comes the ransom note, then the regulatory penalties, the shaken reputation, the lost clients, and sometimes, the end of the business itself.

Action1 handles these challenges, yet some organizations still explore alternatives, hoping to gain more flexibility, lower costs, or broader coverage. The question is whether those alternatives actually improve the situation or simply shift the complexity elsewhere.

To answer that honestly, we first need to look at the real-world problems Action1 solves and how it handles them in practice. Only then does it make sense to evaluate the four alternatives we selected and understand why there is no true one-to-one replacement.

What Problems Does Action1 Solve?

Action1 solves five core endpoint management problems that organizations of all sizes face daily. By using the software, you get 360-degree endpoint visibility, the ability to update and protect your Windows, macOS, and Linux systems plus hundreds of third-party applications, and automated vulnerability remediation across thousands of endpoints with just a few clicks. You get patch management software that is cloud-native, super lightweight, infinitely scalable, and it just works.

Endpoint Visibility

With Action1, you get complete, real-time visibility into every endpoint across your organization’s environment, no matter whether they’re in the office, working remotely, or temporarily offline. Our software uses agents to maintain a continuous connection to the cloud platform, reporting live data 24/7 about missing patches, vulnerabilities, installed software, hardware configurations, and the current state of the device in a single unified dashboard.

You get a clear picture of all your existing systems, eliminate blind spots and guesswork, which translates into lower security and compliance risk, and have peace of mind knowing you can patch all your endpoints in just a few clicks.

Keep in mind that offline devices don’t get left behind because once they come back online, the agent installed on them immediately catches them up, deploys missed scheduled updates, and provides the latest information about their condition, ensuring there are no weak links across your environment.

Simply put, with Action1’s comprehensive remote monitoring, you know everything about every endpoint, in real-time, from one place.

Unified Cross-OS and Third-Party Patching

Action1 supports Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems, and a long list of third-party applications. The software allows you to schedule the deployment of multiple patches simultaneously across thousands of endpoints. To prevent unexpected patch-related downtime, you can use one of the key features, “update rings,” to install updates through a staged, risk-free, autonomous process that minimizes operational disruptions.

It enables you to create custom patch policies by organizing separate rings (groups of endpoints), starting with a testing ring, then expanding to a ring with a wider range of devices, and finally completing the organization-wide rollout.

When setting up the process itself, you can apply a variety of filters and automatically evaluate key metrics, such as success rates and deployment counts, to decide whether an update should continue to the next stage. Updates that pass the criteria in earlier (or “inner”) rings move forward to the outer rings, while problematic ones don’t, in order to minimize downtime risks and remediate security vulnerabilities as soon as possible.

On top of that, you can use another key feature, “update approval per organization,” which is designed to give your IT team the freedom to differentiate updates, so a particular one can be deployed immediately when critical for security reasons across a specific department, while the same update can be denied or held for extensive testing or for the next scheduled maintenance window in the rest of the departments.

That gives your team the flexibility to keep systems secure without sacrificing productivity due to operational disruptions related to the deployments themselves.

Automated Remediation & Scripting

Patching vulnerabilities in a timely manner is of utmost importance, there’s no denying that, especially for those that are actively exploited. To that end, Action1 automatically identifies all existing vulnerabilities across your endpoints’ operating systems and third-party applications in real-time, prioritizing them based on CVE numbers, CVSS scores, and active exploitation indicators from CISA KEV, to give you a clear idea of where to start first.

Once vulnerabilities are identified, you can proceed to remediation. When patches exist, Action1 allows you to deploy them immediately or on schedule according to your needs. Nonetheless, when no patches are available for one reason or another, you or your IT team can deploy and document compensating controls directly in the platform, with SLA-based tracking of active vulnerabilities and full execution history per endpoint.

But what about security tasks beyond patching? Well, Action1’s Script Library helps you automate routine tasks with pre-validated, ready-to-use PowerShell, Bash, and CMD scripts for different endpoint management operations like disabling USB ports, enabling Windows Firewall, creating restore points, resetting local passwords, and even remotely wiping lost or stolen devices.

To make your life easier, the AEM platform also supports custom scripts for organization-specific needs. Its conditional workflow automation checks system state first and applies remediation only when required.

Cloud-Native, Lightweight Architecture

One of the biggest advantages of Action1 is its cloud-native architecture. The software is agent-based, meaning it’s cost effective for managing remote devices because you don’t need on-premises servers, complex network configurations, VPNs for remote access, and constant infrastructure maintenance. Action1 throws out all that complexity to simplify patching.

Moreover, the agent itself is super lightweight and deploys in minutes, and the best part is that it just works. This platform design enables P2P patch distribution to ensure rapid update deployment without negatively affecting your network or requiring expensive cache servers.

So, when hundreds or thousands of your endpoints on the same network need the exact same update, they share it locally, which reduces external bandwidth consumption by far while speeding up large deployments.

Scaling Endpoint Management Without Additional Headcount

Action1 is infinitely scalable, and you can easily go from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of endpoints with gradually lowering per-endpoint pricing, without adding any infrastructure costs. That’s a major breakthrough, but honestly, scalability alone doesn’t solve the headcount problem.

Fortunately, Action1’s autonomous capabilities actually solve this challenge and make the real difference by allowing a single administrator to manage tens of thousands of endpoints or even more. You don’t have to tie up your entire IT team with deploying patches, since advanced automation handles everything from vulnerability identification to automated patch deployment and remediation, freeing them to focus on strategic initiatives.

The only thing that still requires a human touch is compliance reporting, and even that takes just minutes thanks to the 100+ built-in customizable templates at your fingertips. This means you won’t need to expand your IT team. In fact, it’s the opposite: your team can now redirect their focus from routine patching tasks to strategic initiatives, boosting productivity and at the same time reducing burnout.

• G2 rating: 4.9 out of 5.0 (830+ reviews)
• Capterra rating: 4.9 out of 5.0 (235+ reviews)
• Best fit for: Small, mid-sized, and large organizations and MSPs managing mixed Windows, macOS, and Linux environments across remote and hybrid workforces.

The Top 4 Action1 Alternatives

When evaluating Action1 alternatives, IT teams discover that replacing the platform often means accepting compromises. While NinjaOne, ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus, Patch My PC, and PDQ Deploy & Inventory each bring distinct strengths, none fully replicate Action1’s consolidation of patch management, endpoint visibility, and remediation in a single tool.

Some excel at RMM workflows but require third-party integrations to cover patching gaps. Others offer extensive configuration options but demand significant infrastructure overhead. A few provide excellent patch catalogs yet lack the broader endpoint management capabilities today’s IT teams actually need.

Quick Overview Table of Top Action1 Alternatives

Detailed Comparison of Action1 Alternatives

NinjaOne

NinjaOne is a cloud-based RMM platform that combines unified endpoint management, mobile device management, patch management, backup and disaster recovery, professional service automation, ticketing, and helpdesk capabilities in a single interface.

The things is that scattering your focus across so many directions means slower development for each of the provided tools. In terms of patching, NinjaOne offers cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, and Linux) and third-party application coverage, and it handles update deployments reasonably well.

However, many IT teams quickly discover the limitations of the software, particularly as a patch management solution: no true endpoint-to-endpoint P2P patch distribution like Action1’s, only 14 days of free trial (no free tier, like Action1’s 200 free endpoints), occasional patch deployment failures that can lack detailed diagnostic information, customer support response times that some users report as slower than expected, and reporting lacking depth. In other words, what presents as an all-in-one solution reveals itself as something more fractured in practice.

Prioritizing RMM capabilities over patching depth creates predictable gaps, and many organizations and their IT teams responsible for managing diverse infrastructure needs across varied software ecosystems sooner or later are forced to make a difficult choice.

They either have to accept incomplete patch coverage or layer additional tools onto NinjaOne. In practice, it frequently happens that most teams end up doing both, contradicting the consolidation promise that attracted them initially.

What you need to know: NinjaOne’s patch management works well for teams already invested in RMM workflows and MSP operations. However, organizations specifically seeking dedicated patch management with features like true P2P distribution, longer trial periods, and a free tier for up to 200 endpoints will find Action1’s specialized approach more aligned with security-focused patching requirements.

• G2 rating: 4.7 out of 5.0 (3240+ reviews)

• Capterra rating: 4.7 out of 5.0 (270+ reviews)

• Best fit for: SMBs, MSPs, and enterprise IT teams that operate primarily through RMM-driven workflows.

ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus

ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus is one of the market leaders in the patch management industry that offers a rich feature set, successfully automating update deployments, minimizing manual intervention, and keeping both remote and on-premises endpoints up to date, secure, and compliant. The platform supports patching for Windows, macOS, and Linux systems plus over 850 third-party applications.

The platform is cloud-based, not cloud-native, meaning it provides a hosted management console but still relies heavily on traditional infrastructure components underneath, reliance that becomes more apparent as environments scale. This architectural approach directly affects deployment complexity, database requirements, and long-term operational overhead.

Everything looks impressive on paper, but we have to mention the challenges that long-term users have shared. In some cases, getting ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus running smoothly and fully configured takes longer than expected, sometimes even weeks for larger enterprises. Overall, the process feels more complicated than it should be.

In the first place, if you are managing more than 4,000 endpoints, you must provision SQL Server instances (Standard or Enterprise Edition), which, as you can imagine, turns patch management into a full-scale IT infrastructure project. This introduces substantial database licensing and hardware costs, something that brings frustration to many teams.

The second concern is related to the pricing model. At first, it looks reasonable, but then you discover extra add-ons and additional fees that keep adding up, especially for managed service providers, pushing the total cost well beyond initial expectations.

Third, ManageEngine markets Patch Manager Plus as part of its broader Endpoint Central suite, which creates confusion around licensing, feature boundaries, and upgrade paths. IT teams often lack clarity when trying to determine which capabilities belong where, leading to unexpected gaps in functionality or redundant licensing costs.

Fourth, compared to other platforms, ManageEngine frequently requires more manual effort to manage patching workflows, alerts, and client reporting. Some users also report patch deployment and installation issues, particularly unclear error messages and unexplained failures during the patching process.

Fifth, if your business relies on specialized software that is not included in ManageEngine’s application catalog, updates must be handled manually. Creating custom update rules often means clicking through multiple menus while trying to interpret ManageEngine’s technical terminology.

Last, but not least, when issues arise and support is needed, response times are sometimes slower than expected, which can delay vulnerability remediation and increase security risk.

What you need to know: For security-focused teams, ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus often adds more configuration overhead than practical value. Instead of simplifying patch management, the platform’s complexity can slow down remediation timelines, particularly in environments that prioritize speed, clarity, and minimal infrastructure dependencies.

• G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 (180+ reviews)

• Capterra rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 (350+ reviews)

• Best fit for: Mid-sized and large organizations with in-house IT resources and on-premises or hybrid infrastructures.

Patch My PC

Patch My PC is a patch management platform that successfully automates and simplifies software update deployments for your on-premises and remote endpoints. With it, you can keep Windows, macOS (through its Intune Cloud version), and third-party applications up to date, eliminate manual patching, reduce security risks, and keep all of your devices compliant.

The software works by leveraging its integration capabilities to tightly connect with Microsoft Configuration Manager, Intune, and WSUS. Patch My PC equips you with one of the most important patch management tools, update rings, which minimize unexpected downtime risks by using staged rollouts across pilot, testing, and production groups, along with custom pre-install and post-install scripts for advanced application configurations.

Moreover, you get plenty of other critical features like role-based access controls, CVE mapping for supported updates, real-time notifications via Microsoft Teams and Slack webhooks, and quite good compliance reporting capabilities through its integration with Microsoft tools. It’s definitely a reliable choice for leaving manual patching in the past and improving your company’s security posture within Microsoft-managed environments.

However, there are some limitations that become obvious once you start using the software. For instance, the desktop interface appears outdated and less intuitive than advertised. The cloud platform is still catching up to the on-premises version in terms of features and usability. Despite Patch My PC actively working on closing the gap, the transition is taking longer than expected.

Also, there’s limited built-in reporting directly within Patch My PC itself. While this can be addressed through Intune compliance configurations, it would be far better to have a clear view directly within the platform.

Moreover, the software can’t patch Linux endpoints, which is a significant limitation. Last but not least, the pricing sits on the higher end compared to other third-party patching solutions, which becomes particularly noticeable when scaled across larger environments.

What you need to know: Patch My PC helps you keep your endpoints updated, secured, and compliant, especially in Microsoft-centric environments. It heavily depends on the Microsoft ecosystem, which has its positives and negatives. The lack of Linux support, outdated desktop interface, missing functionalities in the cloud platform, limited native reporting, and higher price tag definitely make it a downgrade compared to Action1 for teams looking for a single, cross-platform patch management solution.

• G2 rating: 4.8 out of 5.0 (710+ reviews)

• Capterra rating: 4.9 out of 5.0 (210+ reviews)

• Best fit for: Organizations standardized on the Microsoft ecosystem, including SMBs and enterprises using Intune or Configuration Manager.

PDQ Deploy & Inventory

PDQ Deploy & Inventory is another reliable patch management platform from our list. It successfully automates software deployment and patch management across Windows systems and third-party applications through two tightly integrated components. PDQ Deploy is responsible for handling updates, custom scripts, and basic system configuration tasks. PDQ Inventory, as its name suggests, scans your network, collects detailed device information, and organizes your on-premises Windows machines for precise deployment targeting.

The software works pretty well for companies with on-premises environments like corporate offices. PDQ Deploy pushes updates rapidly across domain-joined endpoints by using Active Directory integration that automatically synchronizes and imports computer records.

The user-friendly interface of the software is one of its biggest advantages, along with the extensive Package Library with prebuilt deployments for popular applications and automation capabilities like heartbeat scheduling for offline patching that deploys updates when devices come online and Wake-on-LAN for managing offline systems.

We can definitely say that PDQ successfully simplifies patch management and helps companies with stable on-premises infrastructure and consistent network connectivity keep their endpoints up to date, more secure, and aligned with compliance requirements.

However, the software has one critical limitation, it works perfectly until your workforce goes remote. Your remote employees have to use VPN before PDQ can reach their systems, which creates scheduling challenges that create tension between the employees, help desk, and IT teams. In practice, this also delays the deployment of patches and increases security risks, so these organizations have to accept delayed patching and implement complex VPN policies nobody wants.

Another significant limitation is that PDQ Deploy & Inventory lacks cross-platform support. With it, you can’t patch macOS or Linux, meaning that organizations relying on endpoints running various operating systems need a separate tool for that job. The platform also has basic compliance reporting capabilities, which limit visibility into the patch status of endpoints compared to competitors.

What you need to know: PDQ Deploy & Inventory is a reasonable choice for companies with a Windows-centric on-premises environment. For those with a remote workforce using Windows, macOS, and Linux devices, it’s not the right choice. Trading off Action1 for PDQ Deploy & Inventory is therefore a downgrade. You would need at least two separate patching tools to do the same patching job Action1 provides, which translates into higher expenses and additional manual overhead.

• G2 rating: 4.8 out of 5.0 (270+ reviews)

• Capterra rating: 4.8 out of 5.0 (340+ reviews)

• Best fit for: Small and mid-sized organizations with Windows-centric, on-premises environments and limited remote workforce requirements.

FAQs

Who Typically Uses Action1?

Action1 is used by non-profit organizations, SMBs MSPs, and large enterprises. The AEM platform successfully eliminates manual patching by automating each step of the process, from vulnerability identification to remediation, and requires just a few clicks to generate detailed reports after each deployment. Non-profit organizations and SMBs use it not only because of the rich feature set and the advanced level of automation but also because of the 200 free endpoints with no functional limits.

MSPs and large enterprises also benefit from the free tier since they can test the patch management platform in their environments for as long as needed to ensure it meets their requirements and solves the biggest challenges they face before purchasing the product.

Why Action1 Is Often Hard to Replace?

Action1 is hard to replace because it offers everything organizations of all sizes need to fully automate their patch management process and works equally well for office-based and remote employee endpoints, virtual machines, servers, and cloud workloads.

This includes a user-friendly interface, Windows, macOS, and Linux support, 600+ third-party application coverage, enterprise-grade security, no VPN requirements, and 5-minute setup. Action1 also minimizes external bandwidth usage through P2P patch distribution, maintains a privately secured software repository, and scales infinitely without compromising security.

The platform is built for solving organizations’ real-world problems with a customer-focused approach where the community shares ideas and helps shape the product by voting on the company’s roadmap. Additionally, Action1’s tight focus on patch management speeds up product development and guarantees constant improvements.

Can a Single Tool Really Replace Action1 for Patch Management, or Do Most Alternatives Require Multiple Products?

It’s nearly impossible to replace Action1 with a single patch management tool that delivers the same features, capabilities, and results. Most third-party vendors concentrate their efforts on expanding capabilities beyond patch management, which significantly slows their progress and leaves existing gaps unresolved for extended periods. As a result, organizations typically need at least two separate tools to match what Action1 provides.

Action1, on the other hand, maintains aggressive development with regular new features and ongoing improvements to existing functionality. It offers everything organizations need: unified cross-platform support, extensive third-party application coverage, fast setup, an easy-to-use interface, advanced automation, deployment features that minimize downtime risks, robust security features, and responsive customer support.

What Does Action1 Include That Tools Like NinjaOne Don’t Cover Natively?

Action1 patches your entire fleet of endpoints out of the box, without requiring add-ons, separate products, or hidden upgrades. Whether you are using the free tier for up to 200 endpoints or a paid subscription beyond that, you get the same complete feature set from day one, with no functionality locked behind higher tiers.

That includes unified patching for Windows, macOS, Linux, and third-party applications, real-time endpoint visibility, built-in vulnerability management, update rings, P2P patch distribution, a privately maintained secure software repository, and detailed reporting, all delivered through a single unified platform.

NinjaOne, by contrast, bundles patch management inside a broader RMM offering with remote support and helpdesk features. While that may appeal to some teams, many IT organizations don’t need full RMM capabilities and end up paying for features they never use. In addition, NinjaOne’s third-party patch coverage falls short for many environments, which often forces teams to introduce additional tools to close coverage gaps.

Is Action1 an RMM Replacement or Something Fundamentally Different?

No, Action1 is not an RMM replacement. It is an endpoint management solution built to secure your workstations. RMMs are used to monitor devices, run scripts, and support helpdesk workflows, while Action1 focuses on equipping you with a platform that allows you to keep all of your Windows, macOS, and Linux systems, along with their third-party applications, up to date.

Instead of trying to be everything, Action1 does one thing exceptionally well, and that’s keeping your systems patched, compliant, and protected at scale. You can use Action1 alongside an RMM, but not instead of one, because it closes security and patching gaps that RMM platforms can’t.

Which Action1 Alternative Has the Biggest Hidden Operational Costs?

ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus carries the biggest hidden operational costs. It offers a rich feature set, but often requires additional infrastructure, such as SQL Server instances in larger deployments, ongoing administration, and deeper product expertise to manage effectively, especially at scale.

We can’t deny that its cloud and on-premises options add flexibility, but they also introduce complexity around setup, maintenance, and day-to-day operations. Over time, that operational overhead can outweigh the initial licensing cost, especially for small and mid-sized IT teams that are understaffed or lack the resources to manage and tune the platform continuously.

How Do Action1 Alternatives Handle Third-Party Patching At Scale?

They handle third-party patching with trade-offs that become obvious at scale. For instance, while NinjaOne supports patching across Windows, macOS, and Linux, its third-party application catalog has significant gaps, forcing many organizations to introduce extra tools or manual deployments.

ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus is known for its large catalog, but the problem here is related to scaling, as it often requires investments in new infrastructure and all the manual effort associated with it. Patch My PC relies entirely on the Microsoft ecosystem and does not cover Linux at all. And finally, PDQ Deploy & Inventory works well, but only for Windows on-premises environments, and it requires VPNs to update remote endpoints, which creates serious challenges for organizations relying on mixed environments.

Trade-Offs to Consider If You Want to Replace Action1

Replacing Action1 is easier said than done because it means accepting significant compromises across several critical areas. Each of the alternatives covered in this article is undoubtedly among the best on the market. However, the reality is that they solve some problems while falling short on others, and none deliver the unified capabilities that make Action1 so effective and preferred by thousands of companies worldwide.

NinjaOne prioritizes RMM breadth over patching depth. It provides remote control, device management, and PSA-related capabilities alongside patch management, but its third-party application coverage is less comprehensive than security-focused platforms like Action1. In environments with complex or diverse application stacks, teams may need to supplement NinjaOne with additional tools to close patching gaps.

Some users also report limited diagnostic detail when patch deployments fail, which can slow remediation and increase operational overhead. As a result, organizations with higher patching and security demands often end up running multiple tools, leading to fragmented patch coverage.

ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus offers an extensive feature set, but at scale the trade-offs become clear. In larger environments, managing thousands of endpoints typically requires dedicated SQL Server infrastructure, turning patch management into an IT infrastructure project with additional database licensing and maintenance costs.

Setup takes significantly longer compared to Action1. Over time, add-ons accumulate fees, licensing boundaries remain unclear, and manual effort increases across patching, alerting, and reporting. In practice, you trade simplicity for complexity, with little return.

Patch My PC relies heavily on Microsoft integration, which comes with both strengths and limitations. Its architecture depends entirely on Configuration Manager, Microsoft Intune, and WSUS. You can patch Windows and macOS, but not Linux. The desktop interface feels outdated, cloud functionality lags behind the on-premises version, and built-in reporting needs improvement. Combined with higher pricing, these limitations mean sacrificing cross-platform coverage, automation, and usability while paying more.

PDQ Deploy & Inventory works well in Windows-based, on-premises environments, but most organizations increasingly need cross-platform support and strong capabilities for remote endpoints. This is where PDQ falls short. Remote employees require VPN connectivity for patch deployments, which often leads to scheduling conflicts and visibility gaps. The lack of macOS and Linux support, combined with basic reporting, means most teams would need at least two tools to replicate what Action1 delivers in a single platform, increasing cost, effort, and risk.

Action1 is an autonomous endpoint management platform focused on delivering world-class patch management automation. It equips organizations with everything needed to minimize security risk, maximize IT productivity, ease regulatory compliance, and save time and money by patching Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints alongside third-party applications from a single unified platform.

With Action1, patching becomes a fully automated process that feels almost effortless in practice. The free tier for up to 200 endpoints lets SMBs use the platform forever at no cost, while larger enterprises can evaluate it for as long as needed before scaling.

Action1’s vision is a world where vulnerability-driven cyberattacks are eliminated across all devices, operating systems, and applications. By reducing mean time to remediation to an absolute minimum, we remove the advantage from threat actors.

If you’re not using Action1 yet, visit the website and see the platform in action. In just five minutes, you can start patching your endpoints and keep them updated, secure, and compliant.

About Action1

Action1 is an autonomous endpoint management platform trusted by many Fortune 500 companies. Cloud-native, infinitely scalable, highly secure, and configurable in 5 minutes—it just works and is always free for the first 200 endpoints, with no functional limits. By pioneering autonomous OS and third-party patching with peer-to-peer patch distribution and real-time vulnerability assessment without needing a VPN, it eliminates routine labor, preempts ransomware and security risks, and protects the digital employee experience.

In 2025, Action1 was recognized by Inc. 5000 as the fastest-growing private software company in America. The company is founder-led by Alex Vovk and Mike Walters, American entrepreneurs who previously founded Netwrix, a multi-billion-dollar cybersecurity company.