Action1 vs ManageEngine vs Ivanti: Choosing The Right Endpoint Security Platform

If you are in a hurry – here is a TL;DR & Summary of main key points

• Action1: Cloud-native, autonomous endpoint management with patching + security in one platform
• ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus: Strong patching + large app catalog, but more complex setup
• Ivanti Neurons: Advanced risk-based prioritization and automation, no free tier
• All three: Support Windows, macOS, Linux + third-party patching
• Key difference: Action1 combines patching + endpoint management with real-time remediation
• Best for automation & ease of use: Action1
• Best for patch-focused environments: ManageEngine or Ivanti

Knowing that every endpoint in your network is running up-to-date operating systems and third-party applications gives you peace of mind that cyber risks are brought to a minimum, software bugs are a rarity, and each system is compliant with the strict regulatory standards your company is obligated to follow.

Endpoint security platforms automate more routine processes and tasks than you might think. They give you full control over patching, security configurations, software deployment, and vulnerability remediation, plus complete visibility into your software and hardware inventory across every endpoint in your network.

Simply put, they serve as a remote control for your everyday IT processes, all completed from a single console, without a VPN or on-premises infrastructure dependencies, whether your endpoints are on the next floor or a thousand miles away.

Replacing manual processes with high-level automation saves you time, resources, and headaches, while boosting your productivity. However, choosing the right endpoint security platform is not as simple as picking the highest-rated option, especially when the market is flooded with hundreds of platforms.

That’s why in this article, we’ll compare three market-leading platforms: Action1, ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus, and Ivanti Neurons for Patch Management. We’ll cover everything you need to make a confident and informed decision, including why these platforms matter, the real-world challenges they solve, the key features that set them apart, and which one is the right fit for your organization.

Why Endpoint Security and Patch Management Matter Today?

Endpoint security and patch management are two key pillars of a robust IT security strategy, helping you protect your endpoints from cyberattacks, software vulnerabilities, and regulatory penalties. With ransomware attacks not slowing down and regulatory frameworks getting tighter every year, nailing both of these has never mattered more.

Through the timely deployment of security patches, you remediate software flaws before cybercriminals exploit them, directly minimizing your attack surface. Through unified enforcement of security configurations and conditional access policies across all your endpoints, you set boundaries on what your employees can access, send, receive, or install on company-owned or BYOD devices, which strengthens your overall cyber hygiene.

With full control over script automation, patching, software deployment and uninstallation, and report generation, you decide what happens across your entire network. However, the hard truth is that none of this will make you immune to cyberattacks, data leaks, or costly regulatory fines, but it will bring these risks down to an absolute minimum.

Growing Risks From Unpatched Devices

If you leave your endpoints running with unpatched operating systems or third-party applications, you risk:

• Experiencing a successful cyberattack through unpatched vulnerability exploitation.
• Being fined thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars by regulatory bodies.
• Losing clients who no longer trust your company with their data.
• Lower profits in the following years, since the stain of a cyberattack is not something you can easily shake off.
• Potential business shutdown.
• Lawsuits from affected clients if their sensitive information is leaked.

We don’t mean to scare you, but to point your attention to the very real risks of leaving your endpoints unpatched. Action1’s 2025 Software Vulnerability Ratings Report makes it crystal clear that cyberattacks are skyrocketing year by year:

• Exploited vulnerabilities nearly doubled in 2024, with Chrome and Microsoft Office leading the surge in real-world attacks, showing the critical importance of deploying security updates without delay.
• Critical vulnerabilities increased by 37.1%, driven by sharp rises in flaws across various software categories, such as databases and operating systems.
• Linux and macOS saw unprecedented vulnerability growth, signaling a growing attacker focus on UNIX-based systems.
• Database software vulnerabilities rose by 213%, marking them as emerging high-value targets, with MSSQL driving the sharpest spike.

Things might seem a bit out of control, but the situation is not that bad. The good news is that all of the risks we just covered can be directly addressed by the right endpoint security platform.

Action1 vs ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus vs Ivanti: Platform Overview

Action1, ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus, and Ivanti Neurons for Patch Management are three of the most recognized names in patch management today. They all help you automate patching and protect your endpoints, but there’s one key difference worth knowing before we continue. Action1 is an autonomous endpoint security platform, while the other two are dedicated patch management solutions. With that in mind, let’s see how they compare.

	Action1	ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus	Ivanti Neurons for Patch Management
Platform Type	Autonomous Endpoint Management (AEM).	Automated patch management platform.	Automated patch management solution.
Primary Audience	IT and security teams, SMBs, MSPs, large enterprises, and government organizations.	IT and security teams, SMBs, MSPs.	IT and security teams in mid-sized companies and large enterprises.
Platform Architecture	Cloud-native, agent-based. No VPN, no on-premises infrastructure required.	Cloud-based or on-premises. The on-premises version requires Microsoft SQL Server and a Distribution Server for every 1,000 endpoints.	Cloud-native, agent-based.
OS Support	Windows, macOS, Linux.	Windows, macOS, Linux.	Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Third-Party App Patching	Patch coverage for 630+ software titles, with 99% coverage for typical enterprise environments.	Patch coverage for 1100+ software titles.	Patch coverage for 800+ software titles.
Deployment Time	5-minute setup.	Not publicly specified.	Not publicly specified.
Free Tier	Up to 200 endpoints, fully featured, with no functional limits, never expires.	Up to 25 endpoints and 1 technician only, fully featured, forever.	No free tier.
Core Focus	Autonomous patching, vulnerability remediation, software deployment and uninstallation, script automation, real-time endpoint monitoring, and remote desktop control across all your endpoints.	Automated patching, vulnerability remediation, application management, real-time remote patch management, and compliance reporting.	Automated patching, vulnerability remediation, zero-day response, patch reliability assessment, and real-time patch compliance monitoring.

Patch Management Capabilities

Now it is time to get familiar with the key features and patch management capabilities of each platform. All three automate the patching process end-to-end, but the differences between them go deeper than you might expect. Let’s check them out.

Feature	Action1 Patch Management	ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus	Ivanti Neurons for Patch Management.
Cross-OS Platform Support	✅ Yes. Windows, macOS, and Linux.	✅ Yes. Windows, macOS, and Linux.	✅ Yes. Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Third-Party Patching	✅ Yes. Privately maintained secure repository with 630+ third-party application coverage.	✅ Yes. Catalog covering 1100+ third-party applications.	✅ Yes. Catalog covering 800+ software titles.
P2P Patch Distribution	✅ Yes. It minimizes external bandwidth usage and accelerates large deployments.	❌ Not available. Uses a Distribution Server model for bandwidth optimization across remote offices and WAN environments.	❌/✅ Partial. Peer-to-peer download available for Windows endpoints only via agent policy.
Patching Offline Endpoints Upon Reconnection	✅ Yes. Offline endpoints get patched the moment they come online.	✅ Yes. Offline endpoints are automatically patched the moment they come back online.	✅ Yes. Endpoints get automatically patched the moment they power back on.
Update Rings / Patch Testing	✅ Yes. Update rings enable autonomous, staged rollouts, resulting in fewer downtime risks and timely flaw remediation.	✅ Yes. Patches are tested on a pilot group first and automatically rolled out to the rest of your endpoints.	✅ Yes. Ring deployment with automated and manual patch promotion.
VPN-Free Remote Patching	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.
Vulnerability Management	✅ Yes. Real-time vulnerability identification with built-in remediation options.	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.
Risk-Based Prioritization	✅ Yes. CVE numbers, CVSS scores, CISA KEV exploitation data, and ransomware campaign intelligence.	✅ Yes. Severity-based prioritization using patch criticality ratings and missing patch detection.	✅ Yes. Proprietary VRR scoring using threat intelligence, dark web data, and penetration testing validation.
Scheduling Flexibility & Reboot Management	✅ Yes. Full scheduling control, reboot deadlines, and end-user postponement options.	✅ Yes. Flexible deployment scheduling with configurable reboot policies and end-user postponement options.	✅ Yes. Time, scope, and reboots happen on your terms.

Endpoint Visibility and Asset Management

Without real-time visibility into your endpoints’ installed software, patch status, and compliance state, protecting your network is simply impossible. You must know what’s happening across your network and which OS or third-party application is outdated.

Only then can you take the necessary actions to address the vulnerability, by deploying a patch, uninstalling a vulnerable program, or simply isolating a device from the network to prevent potential exploitation. But can you do that with each of the three platforms we’re comparing today? The answer is in the table below.

	Action1	ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus	Ivanti Neurons for Patch Management
Real-Time Endpoint Visibility	✅ Yes. Patch, compliance, and online/offline device status data.	✅ Yes. Real-time patch compliance dashboard and endpoint health status visibility.	✅ Yes. Real-time visibility into device compliance and patch status.
Software Inventory	✅ Yes. Visibility into all installed software apps on each of your endpoints.	✅ Yes. Visibility into installed software apps and license tracking on each of your endpoints.	✅ Yes. Software inventory visibility across all your endpoints.
Hardware Inventory	✅ Yes. Information including manufacturer, CPU, GPU, RAM, disk, NIC, Wi-Fi, MAC address, IP address, serial number, and OS version.	✅ Yes. Info about computer age, manufacturer, memory size, device type, IP address, MAC address, and more.	✅ Yes. See device name and type, manufacturer and model, CPU details, RAM, disk space, IP address, and MAC address.
Compliance Reporting	✅ Yes. Real-time SLA-based patch compliance dashboard with audit-ready reports generated after each deployment.	✅ Yes. Reports covering patch status, missing patches, and endpoint health across all managed devices.	✅ Yes. Reporting that calculates exposure time for each update individually, aligning reports with your security team’s SLA definitions.
Custom Reporting	✅ Yes. 100+ built-in customizable templates on patching, vulnerabilities, software and hardware inventory.	✅ Yes. Lets you use and customize the built-in templates to fit your needs.	✅ Yes. Detailed and summary views of devices, patches, exposures, vulnerabilities, and deployment history.

Remote Endpoint Access

Being able to manage endpoints located in different places around the world is something you should look for and never compromise on in any endpoint security platform. Whichever one you go with must function without VPN or on-premises dependencies, so the distance between you and your endpoints never gets in the way of protecting them. With that in mind, let’s see how each platform performs in this area and what it actually offers you.

Action1

Action1 is an autonomous endpoint management platform that allows you to control every single device, server, or virtual machine in your network directly from your browser, anytime, anywhere, without a VPN or additional infrastructure, and without ever leaving your chair.

Once the lightweight agent is installed on a particular endpoint, it allows you to remotely deploy patches, handle configuration management tasks, run PowerShell, CMD, or Bash scripts, and generate various reports. You can use the built-in remote desktop capability that gives you the option to view the screen and control the mouse and keyboard of any managed endpoint directly from its user-friendly interface for fast troubleshooting and issue resolution.

It supports multiple monitors and UAC, and you can customize whether the remote user gets prompted before you connect, how long they have to accept or decline, and even brand the connection prompt with your own logo.

If you need to remediate vulnerabilities, you can apply the missing patches to fix the flaws. And when no patch is available, you can simply uninstall the software and document the compensating controls you have taken to prevent potential vulnerability exploitation. With Action1, you can provision endpoints, enforce security policies, remove legacy and unused applications, and take full control over reboot management.

Simply put, with Action1, you can easily spot problems that need attention, then take control over these endpoints for fast resolution with minimal complexity.

ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus

ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus gives you control over your endpoints to keep them updated and protected 24/7, directly from its web-based console. It makes no difference if the endpoint you want to manage is in the office on the next floor or a thousand miles away. You can patch it, run custom pre-deployment and post-deployment scripts, configure flexible deployment policies, and generate audit-ready reports.

All of this happens without a VPN or any on-premises infrastructure required, thanks to its cloud-based architecture. Keep in mind that Patch Manager Plus, particularly the cloud version, does not offer remote desktop capability at all, since it is tightly focused on patching your endpoints.

If you need remote desktop, you have two choices. Opt for the on-premises version, which includes it as a paid add-on, or move to ManageEngine Endpoint Central, which offers it natively as a core feature.

Ivanti Neurons for Patch Management

Ivanti Neurons for Patch Management is a cloud-native solution, and as you can imagine, it uses these “magical” agents to equip you with remote control over your endpoints. It enables you to deploy patches, remediate vulnerabilities, keep an eye on your endpoints’ patch and compliance status, and generate the necessary documentation for proving regulatory compliance or for internal tracking purposes.

However, the thing is that the software does not come with a native built-in remote desktop capability, at least not in the Patch Management module. If you need it, you have to consider switching to Ivanti Neurons for UEM. Last but not least, as we’ve already mentioned earlier in the article, you don’t need a VPN, additional tools, or hardware, thanks to the platform’s cloud-native architecture.

Compliance and Security

To avoid regulatory penalties and keep your company’s name reputable, you need to choose an endpoint security platform that protects your and your clients’ data, gives you control over who has access to what, and offers fast and effortless report generation.

So before checking the feature list and automation level of the platforms, take some time to explore what certifications the platform holds, what regulatory frameworks it complies with, and what security tools it offers you. For your convenience, we’ve listed all that immensely important information below.

Action1

Action1 is known as a highly secure platform and the first patch management vendor to achieve SOC 2 Type II and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certifications. Be sure that we’re fully committed to protecting our customers’ data with the integrity and transparency they deserve and providing them with the best security tools at no extra cost.

Certifications:

• SOC 2 Type II
• ISO/IEC 27001:2022
• TX-RAMP
• CSA STAR Level 1
• HECVAT

CISA Secure by Design Pledge: Action1 has signed CISA’s Secure by Design Pledge, reinforcing its commitment to building security into its platform from the ground up.

Compliance Frameworks:

• GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, NIST, and SOX

Security Features:

• Privately maintained software repository with every patch scanned for malware before reaching your endpoints, eliminating supply chain attack risks.
• Mandatory MFA for all users via email or authenticator apps.
• SSO support for Entra ID, Okta, Google, and Duo.
• Fully customizable RBAC with customer-defined roles and scopes.
• Full audit trail with filtering and SIEM and XDR integration via API.
• Real-time CVE, CVSS, and CISA KEV data for identifying and prioritizing security vulnerabilities accurately based on real-world risk.
• End-to-end encryption using 2048-bit RSA private keys with TLS 1.2 and AES-256 agent protocol.
• IP restrictions and OAuth 2.0 for API access.

ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus

ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus is a platform that not only delivers high-level automation, but also backs it up with strong security standards and compliance capabilities that you need to stay protected from cyberthreats and regulatory fines.

Certifications:

• SOC 2 Type II
• ISO/IEC 27001
• ISO/IEC 27701
• ISO/IEC 27017

Compliance Frameworks:

• HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR, and NIST

Security Features:

• All patches are tested and verified before being added to the repository.
• Two-factor authentication via email or authenticator apps including Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, and Duo.
• SSO via SAML for identity providers including AD FS and Okta.
• Role-based access control that ensures only authorized users can modify deployment policies.

Ivanti Neurons for Patch Management

Ivanti makes no compromises when it comes to security and proves it with the following certifications and protection features:

Certifications:

• SOC 2 Type II
• ISO/IEC 27001
• ISO/IEC 27017
• ISO/IEC 27018

Compliance Frameworks:

• GDPR and HIPAA

Security Features:

• MFA automatically enabled for all users via mobile authenticator apps including Google Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator.
• SSO support via external authentication providers including Entra ID.
• Role-based access control across the Ivanti Neurons platform that gives admins granular control over user privileges.
• Proprietary Vulnerability Risk Rating system pulling insights from 100+ CVE Numbering Authorities, 30+ security scanners, and dark web sources for the most accurate risk assessment available.
• Patch reliability assessment using crowdsourced sentiment data and anonymized deployment telemetry before any patch reaches production.
• Real-time SLA tracking with visibility into devices nearing compliance deadlines, enabling effective cross-functional actions between IT and security teams.

Pricing and Licensing Comparison

Some people check the price before they even look at the feature set, while others wait until they are ready to purchase. But in both cases, what matters most is the value you get for your money at the end of the day.

Vendor	Pricing Model
Action1	Free tier: Free for your first 200 endpoints, fully loaded, forever. No credit card required, no catch, no fine print. Just patching that works for $0.00. Paid Tier: Beyond 200 endpoints, you get a custom quote with pricing per endpoint, billed annually. The more endpoints you manage, the lower the price gets.
ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus	Free tier: Up to 25 endpoints and 1 technician, fully featured, forever. Paid Tier: Professional (50 endpoints / 1 technician): On-premises: $245/year or $735 perpetual / Cloud: $34.50/month or $345/year. Paid Tier: Enterprise (50 endpoints / 1 technician): On-premises: $345/year or $1,185 perpetual / Cloud: $44.50/month or $445/year. Note: All prices shown are for 50 endpoints and 1 technician.
Ivanti Neurons for Patch Management	Free tier: No free tier. Paid tier: Pricing is not publicly listed. You have to contact their sales team directly for a custom quote based on the number of endpoints you want to manage.

Pros and Cons of Each Platform

Action1 – Pros	ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus – Pros	Ivanti Neurons for Patch Management – Pros
Cloud-native architecture. No VPN, local appliances, or hardware required.	Cloud-based architecture. No VPN or additional hardware required.	Cloud-native architecture. No VPN, local appliances, or hardware required.
Easy to deploy and set up in just 5 minutes.	Supports patching for Windows, macOS, Linux, and 1,100+ third-party applications.	Automates OS (Windows, macOS, Linux) and third-party application patching.
Cross-OS platform support: Windows, macOS, and Linux.	Highly automated and reliable platform.	Active threat context that focuses on the most pressing threats.
Autonomous OS and third-party application patch management.	Advanced compliance reporting.	Proprietary Vulnerability Risk Rating that surpasses traditional CVSS scoring methods.
Real-time reporting with 100+ customizable templates for generating audit-ready documentation in minutes.	Secure remote patch management.	Ring deployment for controlled, staged patch rollouts.
Built-in vulnerability management and remediation.	Mobile app for patch management.	Advanced compliance reporting.
Highly secure and infinitely scalable platform.	Self-service portal for end-user patch installation on Windows and Linux.	Strong automation capabilities including deploy by risk and zero-day response.
Automates endpoint management and security.	ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus – Cons	Ivanti Neurons for Patch Management – Cons
Free tier for up to 200 endpoints, no feature limits, forever.	The initial installation and configuration take longer than expected, resulting in a higher learning curve.	The user interface is not as intuitive as advertised.
User-friendly interface.	Patches often fail to install without a clear reason.	No support for custom patch packages outside of Ivanti’s catalog.
Action1- Cons	The interface feels outdated, cluttered, and non-intuitive.	Performance issues that are clearly noticeable in large environments.
No one-click rollback capability.	Limited software uninstallation capabilities.	The agent occasionally has issues with endpoint remote control.
For expanding beyond the free tier, you must get a custom quote.	Access issues and difficulties in managing custom groups and remote offices effectively.	Initial setup is more difficult and time-consuming than expected.

What Makes Action1 Better Than Ivanti Neurons for Patch Management and ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus?

Action1 is clearly better in six key areas. It’s easy to deploy, offers autonomous deployment capabilities, comes with an intuitive interface, distributes patches through native P2P technology that minimizes bandwidth consumption across all your endpoints, maintains a privately tested software repository that eliminates supply chain attack risks, and last but not least, offers a one-of-a-kind free tier for up to 200 endpoints, fully loaded, with no time limits.

It’s safe to say that in many areas, the three platforms offer similar features and capabilities, like cross-OS platform support and a rich third-party application catalog, but Action1’s unified approach to endpoint management and patching makes it the clear winner in these six aspects.

Which Platform Is Easiest to Deploy

Action1 is the easiest platform to deploy across different environments. It is cloud-native, agent-based, and requires no VPN or any local infrastructure. Most importantly, in just 5 minutes, you can create your account, install the agent manually or remotely, and start protecting your endpoints directly from your browser, anytime, anywhere.

G2 recognizes Action1 as the easiest patch management and endpoint security platform to deploy and use on the market. The user interface is intuitive, allowing even non-tech-savvy people to protect their endpoints with ease and without needing technical support to get started.

Best for IT Teams

Action1 is the perfect choice for IT teams that need to keep their endpoints secure and under control, regardless of network size, because it is cloud-native, easy to deploy, and offers a high level of automation, advanced remote access, cross-OS platform support, third-party app patching, bulk software deployment and uninstallation, script automation, and remarkable automation flexibility.

On top of that, the fully featured free tier allows IT teams to test firsthand and prove that the software solves their biggest pain points before purchase, so they do not need to wait for budget approvals. And for those teams managing multiple departments or client networks, they can use Action1’s fully customizable RBAC and multi-tenancy capabilities to make sure every user gets exactly the level of access needed to get their job done, nothing more.

Best for Large Enterprises and Managed Service Providers

Action1 is the best option for large enterprises and MSPs because it is cloud-native, offers cross-OS platform support for Windows, macOS, and Linux, deep third-party application coverage, a privately maintained secure software repository, P2P patch distribution, autonomous and staged patch rollouts, remote access, and real-time reporting on patch status, compliance, and device status. You have full flexibility to decide how patches and updates are going to be deployed, on which endpoints, and when they should reboot.

Add to that the ability to install or uninstall software across each of your endpoints, audit-ready report generation that takes minutes, a free tier for up to 200 endpoints, premium security features built in at no extra cost, and the scalability to grow from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of endpoints without changing platforms, and you get everything you need to protect your endpoints, the data stored on them, and your peace of mind.

Final Thoughts on Action1 vs Ivanti vs ManageEngine

One thing is for sure. SMBs, large enterprises, and MSPs all need endpoint security platforms to protect their assets from cyberattacks, regulatory penalties, and downtime. But not every platform you come across is the right fit for you and your company. So pick one that is cloud-native, agent-based, easy to deploy and use, offers cross-OS platform support, third-party app patching, a high automation level, flexibility, and a rich feature set.

Then double-check if that platform actually solves your biggest pain points and if it automates the tasks that take up most of your time every day. Choose Action1 if you need an autonomous patch management solution with endpoint security capabilities. With it, you turn many processes from time-consuming and overwhelming to fully autonomous.

In this way, you can protect your endpoints by ensuring every piece of software is up to date, thanks to cross-OS platform support and broad third-party patching. Reports are easily generated, and you can keep an eye on your endpoints in real time. The platform is ideal for SMBs, large enterprises, MSPs, and government organizations because it is highly secure, comes with vulnerability management and remediation capabilities, accelerates software deployment with minimal bandwidth usage, and allows you to control your endpoints from anywhere, anytime, directly from your browser.

Choose Ivanti Neurons for Patch Management or ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus if you need to automate patching end-to-end and that is your primary focus. These platforms also deliver cross-OS platform support, third-party patching, scheduling and deployment flexibility, and they make audit-ready report generation easy.

However, adding endpoint management capabilities means upgrading and paying extra, while with Action1, you get the best of both worlds from a single platform with one license.