Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

BigFix pros and cons

Vendor: HCLSoftware

4.3 out of 5

98 reviews
97% willing to recommend

Pros & Cons summary

BigFix enhances security and efficiency with extensive patch management for multiple operating systems, fast queries for real-time insights, and automated software deployment. It supports third-party applications and provides powerful reporting tools. However, it lacks SLES support on IBM pSeries, requires updates in its EDR feature Detect, and needs improvements in relay selection, network access technologies, and multitenancy options. These challenges may impact its effectiveness in certain network environments.

Buyer's Guide

Get pricing advice, tips, use cases and valuable features from real users of this product.

Prominent pros & cons

PROS

BigFix offers pre-packaged support for numerous third-party applications including Adobe, Google, Mozilla, and others.

The patch management feature is highly valuable, supporting a wide range of operating systems and improving compliance.

BigFix is user-friendly and cost-effective compared to other options, with robust community support.

The architecture ensures accurate reporting and has reduced the workload for IT teams from several people to just one.

BigFix facilitates automation in patching and allows for real-time insight into endpoint compliance.

CONS

IBM has not provided support for patch management on SLES on IBM pSeries, only supporting the Intel platform.

Multi-tenant options need improvement for better scalability and functionality.

Pricing is considered too costly, especially with concerns about sub-capacity licensing challenges.

Compatibility with other platforms, such as Linux, could be improved.

Integration with external vulnerability management solutions, like Qualys or Tenable, is necessary.

BigFix Pros review quotes

Senior Consultant at Wipro Technologies

Nov 1, 2017

Pre-packaged support for many third-party applications such as Adobe, Google, Mozilla, Sun (Java), WinZip, and others.

Read full review

JS

Security Administrator at Dev Information Tech Pvt Ltd

Jun 23, 2023

The technical support for BigFix is really amazing.

Read full review

FD

Security Solutions Architect at Thuthukani Technology Solutions

Oct 26, 2020

The solution is unbelievably scalable.

Read full review

Free Report: BigFix Reviews and More

Learn what your peers think about BigFix. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.

867,445 professionals have used our research since 2012.

PA

Paul Aage Aasheim

Marketing Coordinator and Project Manager at Attend IT AS

Dec 16, 2020

What I like most is that it is a powerful solution.

Read full review

Information Security Systems Specialist at a university with 10,001+ employees

Feb 18, 2019

It's enabled us to have a highly successful endpoint patching program for the past decade. It's been enormously successful there. It's also become a core part of many of our business processes, from compliance monitoring of endpoints, encryption management, key escrow, and local administrator password escrow. It's built into our inventory. It's very much everywhere.

Read full review

Chief Executive Officer at Catnip infotech private limited

Jan 17, 2023

The best feature of BigFix is its multi-platform support.

Read full review

BigFix Admin / Win SysAdmin at Costco Wholesale

Feb 18, 2019

Between the user groups, the community, the AVP support, the direct access via technical route and the PMR support, half the time I don't even need to do a formal PMR because the solutions from the community resolve whatever issues we're having. It's the best community and support based system I've ever used.

Read full review

CEO at Novilis

Aug 12, 2024

We receive the patches automatically, and BigFix spreads them automatically to our endpoints.

Read full review

TG

Tanyalynnette Grimes

CEO/ Chief Strategist at GreenWave Tech Corp

Feb 18, 2019

DOWNLOADING-PATCHES; It has also helped to reduce network traffic when it comes to downloading patches. By only having to download the patch once to the central location and then utilizing the relay structure to then download the patch to a specific site and then everything gathering at local, it greatly reduces the bandwidth of multiple endpoints.

Read full review

reviewer1956723

Automation Architect at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees

Sep 20, 2022

BigFix has always been easier to use when managing servers, especially when you deal with so many servers. We have 7,000. That's a lot of services to manage, and it's convenient to patch them all at once.

Read full review

Show 10 more reviews (out of 75)

BigFix Cons review quotes

Senior Consultant at Wipro Technologies

Nov 1, 2017

IBM has not focused on the Web Reports capabilities.

Read full review

JS

Security Administrator at Dev Information Tech Pvt Ltd

Jun 23, 2023

One aspect that could be improved is the speed of the console. Sometimes it can be slow, which is something that needs to be addressed.

Read full review

FD

Security Solutions Architect at Thuthukani Technology Solutions

Oct 26, 2020

They don't have a proper mobile device management capability. They're working on it, however, that's the one thing that needs improvement so that you can have full unified endpoint management.

Read full review

Free Report: BigFix Reviews and More

Learn what your peers think about BigFix. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.

867,445 professionals have used our research since 2012.

PA

Paul Aage Aasheim

Marketing Coordinator and Project Manager at Attend IT AS

Dec 16, 2020

They need better integration.

Read full review

Information Security Systems Specialist at a university with 10,001+ employees

Feb 18, 2019

Around the scalability concern, I would like to see the ability to run teamed, clustered, or hierarchical root servers, in order to provide a more robust, high availability system. The single monolithic root server model does somewhat bother me.

Read full review

Chief Executive Officer at Catnip infotech private limited

Jan 17, 2023

The solution should have some kind of a local caching methodology, where the patches can be taken locally into a localized relay server, and from there, the patch can be applied, so that there is not much usage of the network required.

Read full review

BigFix Admin / Win SysAdmin at Costco Wholesale

Feb 18, 2019

I'd like to see better integration, with the different applications within BigFix. Instead of sometimes feeling like four or five different applications, they need to be integrated a little better within themselves.

Read full review

CEO at Novilis

Aug 12, 2024

The look and feel of the system are old-fashioned.

Read full review

TG

Tanyalynnette Grimes

CEO/ Chief Strategist at GreenWave Tech Corp

Feb 18, 2019

We're a partner, so we deliver technical support to customers. When we need to talk to the product support, traditionally, with the product over the last five years, I would not say support has been supportive. I hope that changes.

Read full review

reviewer1956723

Automation Architect at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees

Sep 20, 2022

The relevant language takes a little getting used to since it's not used anywhere else in the industry. It's just in the BigFix environment.

Read full review

Show 10 more reviews (out of 74)

Related questions

13

What Is The Biggest Difference Between BigFix And Carbon Black Cb Defense?

95

SCCM vs BigFix: what are pros and cons?

14

What is the biggest difference between BigFix and BMC TrueSight Server Automation?

733

What is the biggest difference between EPP and EDR products?

71

Can Cylance be used with Symantec or Kaspersky endpoint solutions without conflict?

84

When evaluating Endpoint Security, what aspect do you think is the most important to look for?

34

What's the best way to trial endpoint protection solutions?

109

What are the threats associated with using ‘bogus’ cybersecurity tools?

434

Which Endpoint Protection Solution offers Zero Trust (ZTN) as a feature?

94

What to choose: an endpoint antivirus, an EDR solution or both?