Action1
8.8/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- $4/endpoint/mo
- Reviews
- 4.8/5 (~300 G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- Free tier + 15-day full trial
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Best for
- SMB and MSP teams whose #1 job is patching (free up to 200 endpoints)
Best Patch Management Software · 2026
Action1 vs 
PDQ Deploy & Inventory Action1 vs PDQ Deploy & Inventory: on our data-weighted scoring, Action1 edges ahead (8.8 vs 7.9/10). Action1 starts at $4/endpoint/mo and is best for SMB and MSP teams whose #1 job is patching (free up to 200 endpoints); PDQ Deploy & Inventory starts at Custom quote and is best for windows-only shops that want fast, scriptable on-prem deployment. Choose Action1 for the stronger overall track record; consider PDQ Deploy & Inventory if its pricing model or fit matches your environment better. Side-by-side table below.
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PDQ Deploy & Inventory
7.9/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- Custom quote
- Reviews
- 4.7/5 (~60 G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- 14 days
- Deployment
- On-prem
- Best for
- Windows-only shops that want fast, scriptable on-prem deployment
Strengths at a glance
Six criteria, each scored 0–10 on the same scale from real review data, public pricing and feature coverage. See our methodology →
| Criterion | Action1 | PDQ Deploy & Inventory |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| User reviews | 9.6 | 9.4 |
| Adoption | 6.6 | 4.7 |
| Affordability | 9.5 | 5.0 |
| Feature breadth | 6.0 | 5.0 |
| Ease of trial | 10.0 | 6.0 |
Action1 vs PDQ Deploy & Inventory: head-to-head
| Action1 | PDQ Deploy & Inventory | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $4/endpoint/mo | Custom quote |
| Pricing model | per endpoint | per machine |
| Free trial / tier | Free tier + 15-day full trial | 14 days |
| Best for | SMB and MSP teams whose #1 job is patching (free up to 200 endpoints) | Windows-only shops that want fast, scriptable on-prem deployment |
| Deployment | Cloud | On-prem |
| G2 rating | 4.8/5 (300) | 4.7/5 (60) |
| Capterra rating | — | — |
| Our score | 8.8 | 7.9 |
Choose Action1 if…
You need smb and msp teams whose #1 job is patching (free up to 200 endpoints).
✓ Pros
- Genuinely free up to 200 endpoints with no feature gating
- Cloud-native — no on-prem servers
- Strong third-party app catalog
✕ Cons
- Windows-first (limited macOS depth)
- Support is a separate paid add-on on Growth
- Scales by endpoint count
Choose PDQ Deploy & Inventory if…
You need windows-only shops that want fast, scriptable on-prem deployment.
✓ Pros
- Fast and reliable on Windows
- Huge ready-made package library
- Loved by sysadmins
✕ Cons
- Windows-only
- On-prem (agentless on LAN)
- Pricing not fully public
In depth
In Depth
Pricing
Action1 wins decisively on cost accessibility. Its free tier covers up to 200 endpoints with full feature parity—no artificial limits. Paid tiers start at $4/endpoint/month (annual billing) for 201–1,000 machines, with custom Enterprise pricing beyond that. A 15-day full trial lets you validate before committing.
PDQ Deploy & Inventory uses a per-machine annual licensing model, but pricing is not publicly listed; you must request a quote. This opacity makes budget forecasting harder, especially for teams scaling beyond a few hundred Windows machines. A 14-day trial is available.
| Aspect | Action1 | PDQ Deploy & Inventory |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes (200 endpoints, all features) | No |
| Starting cost | $4/endpoint/mo | Custom quote |
| Pricing model | Per-endpoint, transparent | Per-machine, opaque |
| Trial length | 15 days | 14 days |
Verdict: Action1 is dramatically cheaper for small-to-medium deployments and far more transparent. PDQ may become competitive at scale, but hidden pricing is a dealbreaker for budget-conscious buyers.
Features & Deployment
Action1 is a cloud-native SaaS platform. Core strengths include OS + third-party app patching (large app catalog), risk-based CVE prioritization (CVSS/CISA KEV support), peer-to-peer patch distribution for bandwidth efficiency, vulnerability scanning, remote access, and automated remediation. It runs agent-based on Windows and macOS, though macOS depth lags Windows.
PDQ Deploy & Inventory is on-prem and agentless (LAN-based for Windows endpoints). It excels at Windows deployments with a massive pre-built package library, custom scripting, inventory + reporting, and flexible scheduling/targeting. It is Windows-only—no macOS or Linux support.
| Feature | Action1 | PDQ |
|---|---|---|
| Third-party patching | Yes (broad catalog) | No (app deployment only) |
| OS patching | Yes (Windows, macOS, Linux) | Windows only |
| Risk-based prioritization | Yes (CVE/CVSS/CISA KEV) | No |
| Peer-to-peer distribution | Yes | No |
| On-prem/agentless | Cloud only | Yes, agentless on LAN |
| Deployment scripting | Limited | Robust |
Verdict: Action1 is the patch management platform; PDQ is the Windows software deployment engine. Choose Action1 for mixed environments and zero-touch patching. Choose PDQ if your fleet is 100% Windows and you need advanced scripting and on-prem control.
Ratings & Community
Action1 holds a 4.8/5 on G2 (300+ reviews), reflecting strong satisfaction among SMBs and MSPs using its free tier and scaling to paid plans. Our own score: 8.8/10.
PDQ Deploy & Inventory scores 4.7/5 on G2 (60 reviews), with passionate sysadmin advocates who prize its Windows performance and package library. Our score: 7.9/10.
Both are well-regarded in their niches. Action1’s higher review count suggests broader adoption, while PDQ’s reviews are more concentrated among hardcore Windows admins.
Verdict
Choose Action1 if:
- You manage 50–500 mixed-OS endpoints (especially if under 200 and need free, unrestricted access)
- Patching is your primary pain point
- You want cloud simplicity and don’t want to run on-prem infrastructure
- Budget flexibility matters (transparent per-endpoint pricing)
Choose PDQ Deploy & Inventory if:
- Your environment is 100% Windows and you need advanced, scriptable deployment workflows
- You have on-prem infrastructure and prefer LAN-based, agentless control
- You value a mature, battle-tested Windows application library
- You’re comfortable requesting custom pricing and working with salespeople
TL;DR: Action1 is the modern, cloud-first patch manager with the best free tier in its category. PDQ is the legacy Windows deployment king—fast, scriptable, and trusted by sysadmins who’ve standardized on Windows-only estates. They solve different problems; overlap exists only in basic patch distribution.
Frequently asked questions
- Action1 vs PDQ Deploy & Inventory: which is better?
- Action1 vs PDQ Deploy & Inventory: on our data-weighted scoring, Action1 edges ahead (8.8 vs 7.9/10). Action1 starts at $4/endpoint/mo and is best for SMB and MSP teams whose #1 job is patching (free up to 200 endpoints); PDQ Deploy & Inventory starts at Custom quote and is best for windows-only shops that want fast, scriptable on-prem deployment.
- Is Action1 cheaper than PDQ Deploy & Inventory?
- Action1 starts at $4/endpoint/mo and PDQ Deploy & Inventory starts at Custom quote (see the pricing rows for models and limits).
Data as of September 17, 2026. Sources: action1.com, pdq.com. Figures are pulled from public vendor and security data and refreshed automatically.