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Ivanti Security Controls 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

Ivanti Security Controls
Ranking in Patch Management
14th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Microsoft Windows Server Up...
Ranking in Patch Management
3rd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
51
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Patch Management category, the mindshare of Ivanti Security Controls is 2.6%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is 5.0%, down from 9.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Patch Management Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Windows Server Update Services5.0%
Ivanti Security Controls2.6%
Other92.4%
Patch Management
 

Featured Reviews

Chethan R - PeerSpot reviewer
Has reduced hardware strain through agentless patching and improved asset visibility
This solution does not have capability of managing applications. It is only used for asset management and patch management. Regarding analytics for Ivanti Security Controls, it does not have extensive capabilities. It is a basic tool from Ivanti for scanning and deploying. It does not have analytics features such as EDR or security tools available in the market. It only has capability to check missing patches, find them, and deploy them. When it comes to reports, compliance reports or similar types of reports are not user-friendly. Expertise is required for handling these aspects. The asset management in Ivanti Security Controls needs more visibility. Additionally, it can be improved to handle in-house applications, which currently cannot be installed. It can only handle existing applications, unlike Ivanti's Endpoint Manager. It should have additional features in this area that need improvement.
DilipMishra - PeerSpot reviewer
Manages security and compliance effectively for small to medium organizations
Microsoft Windows Server Update Services should improve its patching solution by providing offline patches because most customers are not willing to provide direct internet access to Microsoft cloud and don't want to expose their workstations through the internet. In those situations, Microsoft has limitations; most patches are totally dependent on internet access and they are not providing offline patches. Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is lacking detailed information such as different patch information, CVSS values, and an approval mechanism; some are giving classification wise, and some are giving product wise. Microsoft Windows Server Update Services does not provide detailed patching information. Individual machine-wise details are available, but for any centralized deployment, that is not available. It is only available on the WSUS server which has its limitations.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Ivanti Security Controls is an agentless tool which means we do not need to install any agent on the server or endpoint, and through agentless capabilities, it can install software, install patches, and control over the server, including asset management."
"Technical support is helpful and responsive."
"Ivanti Security Controls is a better solution than SCCM."
"What has been most valuable is the ability to manage, restore and install upgrades and applications. We scan PCs and server and receive results."
"A valuable feature about this solution is that it enforces an updating and patching process for my applications."
"Instead of leaving each server to download their own updates, with WSUS you have a centralized management tool for all the updates alongside a log for all the servers. By creating and deploying a WSUS server that will download the updates from the internet and dispatch them to the other servers, you can have control over the entire deployment process."
"The reporting capabilities that help maintain compliance and security are good."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is its low cost, as it requires no additional licensing fees."
"The simplicity of the configuration is a valuable feature for me."
"The product provides a valuable Single Sign-On (SSO) integration feature within our IES environment, particularly with the IT directory and server systems."
"I would rate the overall solution a solid eight out of ten."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is easy to use."
 

Cons

"When it comes to reports, compliance reports or similar types of reports are not user-friendly. Expertise is required for handling these aspects."
"It should be more scalable."
"Ivanti Security Controls is a powerful product, but it has quite a steep learning curve."
"For the Windows upgrade, the errors we experience are not clear. We see a time out error but do not know the reason. We would like to know the root cause."
"Job management and control is an area that is in need of improvement."
"The product lacks to offer some of the features offered by some of the open source solutions like Linux and others, making it an area where improvements are required."
"The security could be improved."
"In the next release, I would like to see additional tools added to fix the engine issues on the client's side."
"The product should improve its third-party management."
"Microsoft Windows Server Update Services must include functions for providing updates about inventory."
"The product must improve its support."
"The old backup files created by this solution use up a lot of storage, and this needs to be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"Because it is not open-source, it has to compete with open-source solutions. Relatively it is expensive to open-source."
"Microsoft's operating model determines the solution's pricing, and we use it based on our enterprise agreement, which incurs an annual cost."
"Configuration Manager is less expensive than Microsoft Windows Server Update Services."
"While it might be relatively more expensive for smaller companies, larger enterprises can find it robust and capable of delivering significant value."
"We need one single key for Windows deployments, which is a better option. Buying a license with the same key for all systems, like Windows and Windows Desktop, makes configuring easier. Otherwise, it isn't easy to manage multiple keys for different systems."
"The licensing of WSUS is free of charge because it comes with the Windows Server operating system, included as a feature of the operating system itself. It's simply a role that you enable within Windows Server."
"The solution is expensive, and the licensing costs are yearly."
"The WSUS cost is included in Microsoft Windows, and there are no licensing fees."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
19%
Outsourcing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
13%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business22
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise23
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Ivanti Security Controls?
Ivanti Security Controls is a powerful product, but it has quite a steep learning curve. There is quite a lot to learn, though it proves to be very powerful if you put in the time to learn how to u...
What is your primary use case for Ivanti Security Controls?
We are using Ivanti Security Controls for deploying Windows updates to Windows servers.
What advice do you have for others considering Ivanti Security Controls?
I am currently working with Ivanti Security Controls as a customer. I think Ivanti Security Controls is an effective product for this purpose. I would give tech support for Ivanti Security Controls...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Windows Server Update Services?
Regarding the cost, Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is reasonable.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Windows Server Update Services?
I wouldn't say any of the update services have great features. The only real advantage I have for having Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is if I know or have been informed of a bad update ...
 

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 Ivanti Security Controls vs. Microsoft Windows Server Update Services and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
868,759 professionals have used our research since 2012.