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Automox vs Microsoft Windows Server Update Services comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Automox
Ranking in Patch Management
14th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
8.1
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
Vulnerability Management (49th), Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (61st), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (18th)
Microsoft Windows Server Up...
Ranking in Patch Management
3rd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
49
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Patch Management category, the mindshare of Automox is 3.5%, down from 3.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is 6.5%, down from 12.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Patch Management
 

Featured Reviews

Jack Leung - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy to use and deploy agents but needs more stability
We just need to deploy the agent to the endpoints. We don't need to set up anything. For a single agent, it takes one or two minutes. However, we deployed globally, and you need to take into consideration the time it will take to deploy across each endpoint. It's very simple to deploy. We had three or four engineers take care of the implementation.
Mashood Atitebi - PeerSpot reviewer
A robust and stable platform for centralized update management enhancing system security
One area for potential improvement involves the administrative portal, where numerous options, including asset management and patch management, are integrated. There's a suggestion that decoupling these integrated tools might be beneficial. This decoupling could involve separating services or options to provide more flexibility and potentially reduce costs, allowing for a more modular approach to the utilization of these tools.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Its flexibility is most valuable."
"Previously, we would run a report, scan it, and compare it. We were spending 15 to 30 minutes a month on each machine on this stuff because you would find stuff that wasn't up to date, then you had to fix it. This solution takes that time down to minutes. Automox saves us easily many hours a month."
"Among the most valuable features are its ease of use and the Worklets. Both of them are time-savers. Worklets enable us to customize things for a given environment. It's something like when Apple lets other people create applications. Other peoples' Worklets can be used in our environment and in our customers' environments. That saves a lot of time, and it's really cool."
"The fact that it's just one product that can patch multiple operating systems is really great."
"Coming from prior solutions that were a lot more effort, Automox's patch management abilities are transformational. When I took over patching at my company, they were using on-premise architecture to patch. As the workforce shifted from being in the office into their home offices, I was able to lift and shift with no effort other than deploying the new agent out into the environment."
"It's easy to deploy agents to endpoints."
"The biggest improvement to our organization involves the reduction in its man hours... We've probably saved hundreds of hours."
"It's super easy to use and we haven't found anything easier."
"Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is highly stable. It is one of the most stable solutions from Microsoft."
"The interface is easy to use."
"The most valuable feature is its ability to identify which updates are needed on a particular machine."
"A valuable feature about this solution is that it enforces an updating and patching process for my applications."
"It's free. Basically, as long as you have licensed Microsoft servers, you should be good to go."
"The most valuable feature is the decreased level of internet usage by my network."
"PowerShell is a valuable feature."
"The most valuable features are that it is included with Windows, and it can be driven by Group Policy Objects (GPOs)."
 

Cons

"The biggest area they need to fix, without a doubt, is the ability to copy and sync profiles and worklets between all of the organizations you manage, and the ability to have top-level user access control across all of the companies that you manage."
"Asset management would be a great feature to add to Automox. We would run easier scripts or more out of the box scripts that would help us in audits. \"
"As concerns the patching concepts, there's a bit of a learning curve in terms of working out how Automox wants you to work within the console, not only splitting up everything into groups, but then having the various policies assigned."
"It should have integrated workstation access. So, there should be a remote desktop feature."
"The stability has come a long way from what it was like when it started and now it's really good."
"We would like to see additional detailed reporting for Service providers like us. We had to build our own reports via their APIs to meet our needs."
"There should be better inventory capabilities. Right now, they only allow you to have insight into software out-of-the-box. It would be nice to also extend that into custom inventory that can be modified and managed by the practitioner."
"The only thing that we've ever truly wanted is an onsite repository. Currently, all updates are provided directly from the internet. So, if you have 1,000 devices, all 1,000 devices go directly out to the internet. We would love the option of being able to put the updates on local storage so that we're not consuming as much bandwidth. That is literally the only thing that we've ever wanted."
"Microsoft Windows Server Update Services needs to improve its reporting feature. The tool's competitor has better reporting capabilities."
"The database could be improved. In large environments, for example, we often get problems with reporting."
"The product must improve its support."
"The product must integrate with third-party applications."
"The solution's stability could be improved because sometimes, there are some problems in communication and sending updates and patches."
"The challenges exist according to the planning. For example, if you plan to implement and apply updates to your infrastructure, including servers and clients, you must provide storage information and have a clear plan for that from start to end."
"Sometimes, I encounter issues with the Windows internal database."
"Could be improved with additional features such as an update alarm."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We are on the premium licensing, which is the one that has the API capability that we use."
"For all these software tools, it is usually a subscription model. There is a monthly charge that we need to pass along to our clients because we are doing all this for their benefit. It is only a couple of bucks a month per computer, and that is a low enough price point where our clients, without exception, have accepted it, and said, "This is great. We will pay that. It sounds like a worthwhile thing.""
"The cost is very reasonable compared to the competition."
"The product is a great value."
"We're doing it annually directly through Automox. It is per endpoint. It is $2 and some change per endpoint, but I believe the cost is right around $28,000. Everything is covered in this fee."
"Its licensing for a year was nine grand. There was no additional fee."
"There are no additional costs in addition to the extended licensing fees with Automox. You get your support and your per endpoint license with what you purchased."
"Automox just charges us a set amount per user, per month, for using the product. That is very important to us. Because it's a cloud-native solution, you're saving on the cost of hosting an on-premises solution on your servers."
"Because it is not open-source, it has to compete with open-source solutions. Relatively it is expensive to open-source."
"I rate the solution's pricing a nine out of ten."
"Microsoft's operating model determines the solution's pricing, and we use it based on our enterprise agreement, which incurs an annual cost."
"Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is not an expensive solution."
"The product is expensive."
"While it might be relatively more expensive for smaller companies, larger enterprises can find it robust and capable of delivering significant value."
"This product comes included with Windows and can be used free of charge."
"The tool could be cheaper."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
14%
Government
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
Earn 20 points
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Windows Server Update Services?
It's a free service. You just buy the Windows Server operating system, and it is an internal feature.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Windows Server Update Services?
Sometimes, I encounter issues with the Windows internal database, which occasionally does not load, leading to the Pandit console stopping. I have to repair the database and perform export and impo...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Windows Server Update Services, Microsoft WSUS, WSUS, Microsoft Software Update Services, Software Update Services, Microsoft SUS, SUS, MS Windows Server Update Services
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Automox vs. Microsoft Windows Server Update Services and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
851,604 professionals have used our research since 2012.