NinjaOne vs WSUS: Why your peers choose NinjaOne over WSUS for patch managemen

Patch management can be time consuming and complex…

Complex competiton

Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) is a software update service from Microsoft for the Windows operating system, as well as other Microsoft products. It allows administrators to approve or decline updates before they are distributed to clients, and to select which updates are applicable to specific groups of computers.

Windows Server Update Service (WSUS) requires significant on-premises infrastructure, workarounds for remote workers, and complex implementations which increase costs and leave vulnerabilities that could be exploited.

… but NinjaOne makes patching fast, easy, and reliable.

Patching Hero

With no complex infrastructure to manage and a modern, intuitive workflow, NinjaOne simplifies patch management, improves patch compliance, reduces time spent on patching, and enables multi-OS patch management from a single console.

Additionally, WSUS patch management does not offer support for operating systems outside of the Windows ecosystem, such as Linux or MacOS unlike NinjaOne.

Why NinjaOne is better than WSUS

WSUS

Infrastructure
Requires on-premises server(s) and network   Checkmark
Ongoing server configuration & maintenance   Checkmark
100% cloud-based Checkmark  
Off-network management without VPN Checkmark  
Patch Management
Windows OS Patching Checkmark Checkmark
Microsoft Application Patching Checkmark Checkmark
Non-Microsoft Windows Application Patching Checkmark  
Mac OS Patching Checkmark  
Native backup capabilities Checkmark  
Linux OS Patching Checkmark  
Endpoint health and performance monitoring and alerting Checkmark  
Push-style patching   Checkmark
Pull-style patching Checkmark  
IT Management
Software deployment Checkmark Checkmark
System health and performance monitoring Checkmark  
Custom notifications and alerts Checkmark  
Remote control Checkmark  
Remote management tools Checkmark  
IT automation Checkmark  
IT process and credential documentation Checkmark  
End-user self-service IT portal Checkmark  
Built-in helpdesk Checkmark  
Cloud backup Checkmark  

WSUS

PRODUCT SUMMARY

Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) is a role within a Windows server that allows IT administrators to download and distribute updates, patches, and drivers from Windows Update. When comparing SCMM and WSUS, WSUS has limited features but is already included with any Windows system. IT teams can deploy multiple WSUS servers which can be useful for businesses with remote endpoint devices. With WSUS Administration Console and PowerShell scripting, users can automate repetitive Windows tasks such as patch approvals, schedule deployments, and clean up files to streamline their processes. 

USE CASES

  • Patch management: WSUS centralizes Windows server patch management into a single administrative console to streamline the distribution of critical patches and hotfixes.  
  • Integration with Windows: As Microsoft’s free, built in patch management solution, WSUS works well for homogenous, Windows-only environments.  
  • Automation: WSUS enables IT administrators to configure triggers to approve or defer updates and patches. 

SHORTCOMINGS

  • Support for non-Windows products: Primarily built for the Microsoft ecosystem, WSUS lacks support for Linux, macOS, and third-party application patch management. Reviews say that widely used applications, such as Adobe and Java, may encounter patching issues. 
  • Vulnerability scanning: According to WSUS reviews, the software focuses mostly on pushing out updates and has no capability to detect missing updates. This makes patching more prone to human error and increases the chance of missing patches.  
  • Limited features: WSUS offers only basic functionality, aimed towards automated Windows patching. Its automation capabilities are also limited to approvals and scheduling. 

NinjaOne

Why your peers choose us over WSUS

WSUS features are limited to downloading, approving, and deploying Windows updates which offer users less control and visibility. In addition, as a built-on Microsoft tool, WSUS requires separate software for IT teams managing multiple operating systems. Ranked #1 on G2 for patch management, NinjaOne makes a great WSUS alternative as it offers full visibility and granular control over update deployment, allowing users to detect missing patches automatically and quickly resolve failed updates. 

Patching with NinjaOne makes these processes 90% faster by simplifying the patching process. The NinjaOne platform consolidates Windows patch management alongside Linux patch management, macOS patch management, and even mobile device update management for Android and Apple thanks to its powerful IT automation tools that can be used to discover critical vulnerabilities and automate system reboots. NinjaOne also makes it easier to remediate any issues with patching thanks to its built-in remote terminal and Windows registry editor.

“Before NinjaOne, we had many tools ranging from PDQ for software deployment to Automox for third-party patching to WSUS for Microsoft updates. Having that many tools stacked atop each other left gaps in our security. In switching to NinjaOne, we eliminated the need for those other tools and enhanced our overall security posture thanks to NinjaOne’s single pane environment.”

Nick Lenius
VP of IT at Great Plains Bank

The best WSUS alternative is NinjaOne according to G2

At NinjaOne, we put our partners first – that’s why our partners rated NinjaOne the top patch management solution for mid-market companies on G2 with a score of 4.8 out of 5.0.
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