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 
Pulseway Action1 vs Pulseway: on our data-weighted scoring, Action1 edges ahead (8.8 vs 7.8/10). Action1 starts at $4/endpoint/mo and is best for SMB and MSP teams whose #1 job is patching (free up to 200 endpoints); Pulseway starts at $1.85/endpoint/mo and is best for IT teams wanting strong mobile-first RMM at a low per-endpoint price. Choose Action1 for the stronger overall track record; consider Pulseway if its pricing model or fit matches your environment better. Side-by-side table below.
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Pulseway
7.8/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- $1.85/endpoint/mo
- Reviews
- 4.6/5 (~150 G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- 14 days
- Deployment
- Cloud + on-prem
- Best for
- IT teams wanting strong mobile-first RMM at a low per-endpoint price
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 | Pulseway |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | 8.8 | 7.8 |
| User reviews | 9.6 | 9.2 |
| Adoption | 6.6 | 5.8 |
| Affordability | 9.5 | 9.2 |
| Feature breadth | 6.0 | 5.0 |
| Ease of trial | 10.0 | 6.0 |
Action1 vs Pulseway: head-to-head
| Action1 | Pulseway | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $4/endpoint/mo | $1.85/endpoint/mo |
| Pricing model | per endpoint | per endpoint |
| 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) | IT teams wanting strong mobile-first RMM at a low per-endpoint price |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud + on-prem |
| G2 rating | 4.8/5 (300) | 4.6/5 (150) |
| Capterra rating | — | — |
| Our score | 8.8 | 7.8 |
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 Pulseway if…
You need it teams wanting strong mobile-first rmm at a low per-endpoint price.
✓ Pros
- Best-in-class mobile app
- Low per-endpoint entry price
- Easy setup
✕ Cons
- Per-endpoint adds up
- Smaller integration catalog
- Reporting basic
In depth
In Depth
Pricing
| Aspect | Action1 | Pulseway |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Per-endpoint | Per-endpoint |
| Free Tier | Yes (200 endpoints, full features) | No |
| Trial | 15 days | 14 days |
| Starting Price | $4/endpoint/mo (Growth tier) | $1.85/endpoint/mo |
| Entry Point | Free plan or $4/mo with annual billing | $1.85/mo with annual billing |
Action1’s free tier is genuinely unmatched—200 full-featured endpoints costs nothing indefinitely, making it unbeatable for small teams or evaluation. Once you outgrow 200 endpoints, Action1 jumps to $4/endpoint annually, while Pulseway starts at $1.85/endpoint, giving Pulseway a cost advantage at scale. However, Action1 charges a support fee separately on Growth tier, partially offsetting the lower per-seat price.
Features & Deployment
Action1 is hyper-focused on patch management with depth:
- OS + third-party app patching (strong catalog)
- Risk-based prioritization using CVE/CVSS/CISA KEV data
- Peer-to-peer patch distribution (bandwidth-efficient)
- Vulnerability scanning, remote access, automated remediation
- Cloud-only deployment
Pulseway is a generalist mobile-first RMM:
- Patch management (present, but not a flagship)
- Mobile-first remote control and monitoring
- Automation workflows
- Basic remote support
- Cloud + on-prem options
Choose Action1 if patching is your primary job. Choose Pulseway if you need a lightweight, mobile-capable RMM across Windows, Mac, and Linux without the patching depth.
Ratings & Community
| Platform | Action1 | Pulseway |
|---|---|---|
| G2 Score | 4.8 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 |
| Reviews | 300 | 150 |
| Our Score | 8.8 | 7.8 |
Action1 edges ahead on both community sentiment and our assessment, driven by user enthusiasm for the free tier and patch-specific features. Pulseway’s lower review count suggests a smaller but satisfied user base, with strength in mobile-first use cases.
Verdict
Action1 wins for SMB/MSP teams serious about patch management or those needing a free option. The 200-endpoint free tier is a genuine market differentiator, and the paid tiers scale logically for growing organizations. Windows-focused deployments will find the third-party app catalog especially valuable.
Pulseway is the better choice if you need a lightweight, budget-conscious RMM with excellent mobile operations and multi-OS support. It sacrifices patch management depth for operational breadth, and the $1.85/endpoint entry point is hard to beat once you’ve outgrown free trials.
Frequently asked questions
- Action1 vs Pulseway: which is better?
- Action1 vs Pulseway: on our data-weighted scoring, Action1 edges ahead (8.8 vs 7.8/10). Action1 starts at $4/endpoint/mo and is best for SMB and MSP teams whose #1 job is patching (free up to 200 endpoints); Pulseway starts at $1.85/endpoint/mo and is best for IT teams wanting strong mobile-first RMM at a low per-endpoint price.
- Is Action1 cheaper than Pulseway?
- Action1 starts at $4/endpoint/mo and Pulseway starts at $1.85/endpoint/mo (see the pricing rows for models and limits).
Data as of September 17, 2026. Sources: action1.com, pulseway.com. Figures are pulled from public vendor and security data and refreshed automatically.