Small businesses need patch management that runs on autopilot — automated OS patching, third-party app updates, and compliance reporting without requiring a dedicated patch admin. Action1 and Automox are the strongest fits: cloud-native, fast to deploy, and priced for small teams. Avoid enterprise tools like BigFix and SCCM that require infrastructure your team can't maintain.
6 best for small business highlighted below, plus 4 more in this category.
Per-technician · Cloud · Free trial
Atera earns its place on MSP shortlists primarily through pricing model and PSA consolidation, not feature depth.
Best for: Atera is best for MSPs and internal IT teams where per-technician economics make sense — typically teams managing more than 100 endpoints per technician where per-device alternatives become significan
Usage-based pricing · Cloud · Free trial
NinjaOne is the clearest choice when a team needs cross-OS RMM with fast deployment, strong patch automation, and reliable support without the learning curve of ConnectWise Automate or Kaseya VSA.
Best for: NinjaOne is best for MSPs and internal IT teams that need cross-OS RMM with fast deployment, strong patch automation, and a support organization that holds up under daily use — and whose PSA needs are
Endpoint-based · Cloud · Free trial
Action1 is one of the strongest cloud-native patch management platforms for SMBs and mid-market IT teams that need to close patching gaps fast without deploying on-premises infrastructure.
Best for: Action1 is best for SMB and mid-market IT teams that need cloud-native patch management across Windows, macOS, and Linux without deploying on-premises infrastructure. It is particularly strong for org
Endpoint-based · Cloud · Free trial
Automox is the clearest choice when a team needs cloud-native, cross-OS patch management that deploys in hours rather than weeks and does not require standing up on-premises patch infrastructure.
Best for: Automox is best for internal IT teams and security operations groups managing a distributed, cross-OS workforce that need automated patching without building on-premises patch infrastructure — and who
Endpoint-based · Cloud · Free trial
PDQ Connect is the clearest choice when a team needs fast, simple cloud-based patching for Windows and macOS endpoints without the overhead of a full RMM platform.
Best for: PDQ Connect is best for internal IT teams managing primarily Windows environments that want cloud-based patching, software deployment, and device inventory without the complexity, cost, or learning cu
Endpoint-based · Cloud · Free trial
Pulseway occupies a specific and defensible position in the RMM market: it is the strongest mobile-first option for IT teams and MSPs that genuinely need to manage infrastructure from a phone or tablet.
Best for: Pulseway is best for MSPs and IT departments where mobile-first management is a genuine operational requirement — on-call technicians who need to respond to alerts and resolve issues from a phone, fie
These tools are part of the patch management category but may not match the for small business filter above. Worth reviewing if the primary options don't fit.
Custom quote · Cloud / On-prem
ConnectWise Automate is the strongest choice when a team needs deep, customizable automation with on-premises deployment and native PSA integration through ConnectWise Manage.
Custom quote · Cloud / On-prem · Free trial
ManageEngine Endpoint Central is the strongest option when a team needs on-premises deployment, published pricing, or broad platform coverage that includes MDM for mobile and ChromeOS alongside traditional desktop management.
Custom quote · Cloud / On-prem
N-central is the right choice when an MSP or enterprise IT team needs an RMM platform that scales to thousands of endpoints with deep policy-based automation, flexible deployment options, and multi-tenant architecture that handles complex client environments.
Custom quote · On-prem
SolarWinds Patch Manager is the right tool when a team has already invested in WSUS or SCCM, needs third-party application patching on Windows endpoints, and wants to stay inside the Microsoft patching infrastructure rather than migrate to a cloud-native alternative.
Action1 has the fastest setup (free for 200 endpoints) with cloud-native deployment. Automox is similarly simple at ~$3/endpoint/month. Both handle OS and third-party patching without requiring an on-premises server.
Critical. Browsers, Zoom, Adobe Reader, and Java are patched by OS tools like WSUS. Third-party app vulnerabilities account for 50%+ of exploited CVEs. Any serious patch management must cover third-party applications.
Windows Update handles OS patches but not third-party apps, provides no compliance reporting, and offers limited scheduling control. Once you manage 20+ devices, a dedicated patch tool saves more time than it costs.
