Microsoft Configuration Manager vs Microsoft Windows Server Update Services comparison

Cancel
You must select at least 2 products to compare!
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Microsoft Configuration Manager and Microsoft Windows Server Update Services based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Patch Management solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Configuration Manager vs. Microsoft Windows Server Update Services Report (Updated: March 2024).
765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager is the availability of being able to manage the Microsoft estate. It handles many areas, such as asset management and tracking.""Valuable features include configurations enforcement, compliance data gathering, and deployment of a standardized OS.""With the SCCM inventory, we found a lot of rogue applications. We were able to identify them, find out who was running them, and either put them on our application list or remove them.""Provides great insight into the functionalities of the data scope.""The solution has a very good set of features.""I like the data collection.""Technical support was helpful and responsive.""Patching is the main feature because SCCM is made to control the entire environment without manually interpreting. So it is good to use for patching."

More Microsoft Configuration Manager Pros →

"Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is an easy-to-use and stable solution.""The interface is easy to use.""It is a scalable solution.""The product provides a valuable Single Sign-On (SSO) integration feature within our IES environment, particularly with the IT directory and server systems.""The solution has great potential and leaves the user with almost limitless possibilities. It is truly a product with a million uses.""The reporting capabilities that help maintain compliance and security are good.""The most valuable feature of Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is the efficiency once configured.""The most valuable feature is Server Update's stability."

More Microsoft Windows Server Update Services Pros →

Cons
"The reports are too busy. They could be simpler. I'm a technician, so I don't care how pretty the reports look. They should be easy to read. I'm designing this for production folks. They need to read the reports quickly when they're patching in the middle of the night.""Based on my experience with SCCM 2016, the main, big issue is not having a good user-friendly environment. It needs much better GUI.""On some hardware, we'd like an easier way to get peripherals attached.""They should improve their anti-malware policies like the SCEP policies. For instance, you can't have different policies for different servers, there is only one policy in all the servers, and everything is covered under that. For example, say you want to scan one group of servers on Saturday, and then you want to scan another group of servers on Sunday, you can't do that. You have to scan all your servers, a regular scan or a full scan, on the same day and at the same time. That's definitely one thing they need to resolve. In the next release, it would actually be nice if they included Apple products. It will also help if you can use Intune again. Their compliance reporting feature could also be better. They can maybe work a bit on that for patching now. It would be better if SCCM came with the functions of Right Click Tools built-in. If SCCM would have all those functions already built-in, we won't have to go and spend $5,000, just as an add-in from another company to get those functions.""SCCM does not scale well, which is one of the reasons we are not going to continue to use it.""The solution could improve the functionality for automating, license management. Additionally, more and better-looking reports are needed.""With Microsoft Premier Support, you get what you pay for. There's Third Tier Support that you pay for. If you pay for that, you get excellent support, and if you don't pay for that, then you get the less experienced staff.""The main room for improvement is the on-screen display. I think it would be good if some improvements were made."

More Microsoft Configuration Manager Cons →

"User interface is outdated and not user-friendly.""It would be good if it could deploy third-party patches or applications.""Microsoft Windows Server Update Services must include functions for providing updates about inventory.""Job management and control is an area that is in need of improvement.""The product needs to improve its user interface.""The old backup files created by this solution use up a lot of storage, and this needs to be improved.""More integration with different platforms would be an improvement.""Setup is complex."

More Microsoft Windows Server Update Services Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "Pricing and licensing are horrible. You have to not look at dollar value to use SCCM. It's super-duper expensive but it works. The acquisition cost is expensive, it's labor-intensive. But it works."
  • "Pricing and licensing are a downside of SCCM. It's expensive. I'd have to confirm this, but I think they changed the licensing to core-based instead of socket-based. It's not cheap, because you have to buy the software, you have to buy SQL. Another thing we learned from talking to Microsoft is that they provide you a license for SQL if you run it on the same box as the primary server. If you run it outside that box, you have to buy SQL. Microsoft does recommend you running it on the same box because of performance. But then, in order to run SQL, SCCM, and everything on the same box, you better have some resources. It's an expensive solution. There's no doubt about it."
  • "Overall, I think it's fine. It's pretty much in-line because there are ways to offset it with the Office 365 licensing."
  • "SCCM comes with its own version of SQL Server. If you use that SQL Server with SCCM and don't use it for another applications than you get an SQL Server for free."
  • "The licensing is good because they have various options, depending on what you are looking for."
  • "Pricing is negotiable with Microsoft, depending upon which of their packages you choose."
  • "When you compare this solution with other tools in the market you might actually find a lot of variation in the pricing and that's why people opt for the other tools rather than Microsoft tools."
  • "Its price is okay because it is part of our licensing."
  • More Microsoft Configuration Manager Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "Because it is not open-source, it has to compete with open-source solutions. Relatively it is expensive to open-source."
  • "The WSUS cost is included in Microsoft Windows, and there are no licensing fees."
  • "The integration is included in the Windows Server system, and there are no additional fees."
  • "This product comes included with Windows and can be used free of charge."
  • "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."
  • "It doesn't need a license. It's offered for free with Microsoft."
  • "Microsoft's operating model determines the solution's pricing, and we use it based on our enterprise agreement, which incurs an annual cost."
  • "The solution is expensive, and the licensing costs are yearly."
  • More Microsoft Windows Server Update Services Pricing and Cost Advice →

    report
    Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Patch Management solutions are best for your needs.
    765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.
    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager takes knowledge and research to properly configure. The length of time that the set up will take depends on the kind of technical architecture that your… more »
    Top Answer:ManageEngine Desktop Central is very easy to set up, is scalable, stable, and also has very good patch management. What I like most about ManageEngine is that I can log on to every PC very easily and… more »
    Top Answer:Microsoft Configuration Manager gives different tools in one solution.
    Top Answer:The reporting capabilities that help maintain compliance and security are good.
    Top Answer:The solution must provide the issue description of the patches. We are not able to trace the issue resolution for the patches. The issues must be available in the patch portal. It will help us to be… more »
    Ranking
    1st
    out of 49 in Patch Management
    Views
    7,402
    Comparisons
    5,726
    Reviews
    28
    Average Words per Review
    455
    Rating
    8.5
    3rd
    out of 49 in Patch Management
    Views
    4,811
    Comparisons
    3,940
    Reviews
    24
    Average Words per Review
    403
    Rating
    8.3
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM )
    Windows Server Update Services, Microsoft WSUS, WSUS, Microsoft Software Update Services, Software Update Services, Microsoft SUS, SUS, MS Windows Server Update Services
    Learn More
    Overview

    Microsoft Configuration Manager helps IT manage PCs and servers, keeping software up-to-date, setting configuration and security policies, and monitoring system status while giving employees access to corporate applications on the devices that they choose. When Configuration Manager is integrated with Microsoft Intune, you can manage corporate-connected PCs and Macs along with cloud-based mobile devices running Windows, iOS, and Android, all from a single management console.

    New features of Configuration Manager, such as the support of Windows 10 in-place upgrade, co-management with Microsoft Intune, Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise Servicing Dashboard, integration with Windows Update for Business, and more make deploying and managing Windows easier than ever before.

    Microsoft Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) is a patch management tool that simplifies the administrator’s task of deploying the latest Microsoft updates. Administrators use WSUS to manage the distribution of updates released through Microsoft Update to computers in their network.

    WSUS has features you can use to manage and distribute updates from a management console. The WSUS server can also be a source of updates to other servers within the organization, acting as an upstream server.

    Microsoft Windows Server Update Services Use Cases

    The four main use cases that WSUS adds value to businesses are:

    • Centralizes update management.
    • Automates update management.
    • Performs general patch management to ensure compliance and protect against vulnerabilities.
    • Downloads all endpoint updates from data centers to a central location and then distribute them across the organization’s network.

    Microsoft Windows Server Update Services Features

    This built-in server includes the following features:

    • Includes Windows PowerShell cmdlets.
    • Features client and server separation, which means you can deliver versions of the Windows Update Agent (WUA) separately from WSUS.
    • Automatic download of updates.
    • Deploy a targeted download of updates to a specific group of computers.
    • Multiple language support.
    • Advanced reporting capabilities.
    • Centralized management of network resources.

    Requirements

    In order to be able to use WSUS to manage and deploy updates, it is important to use a supported WSUS version, such as:

    • WSUS 10.0.14393
    • WSUS 10.0.17763
    • WSUS 6.2 and 6.3 with installed KB 3095113 and KB 3159706

    Microsoft Windows Server Update Services Benefits

    • Stable.
    • Ensures servers are always patched and prevents vulnerabilities.
    • Works great for internal updating.
    • Enforces automated updates and patching for applications.
    • Because the solution is used in the cloud, clients are always using the latest version.
    • Highly scalable and configurable regardless of the organization’s layout.

    Different Types of WSUS Deployments

    • Simple WSUS deployment: A server inside the corporate firewall serves clients via a private intranet. The WSUS server downloads updates by connecting to Microsoft Update. Using this model, you can configure multiple WSUS servers with a parent WSUS server.

    • Computer groups: You can use computer groups to deliver updates to specific computers. There are two basic computer groups: All Computers or Unassigned Computers. When a client first contacts the WSUS server, it is added to both. You can then create a group from the Unassigned Computers group to the new group.

    • WSUS server hierarchies: The flexibility of WSUS enables the creation of complex hierarchies of servers. To do this, you need only a single WSUS server connected to Microsoft Update. This will serve as an “upstream server,” and the connected servers as “downstream servers.”

      • You can link WSUS servers in two modes: autonomous or replica. In the autonomous mode, the upstream server shares the updates with the downstream servers but doesn’t update status or group information.

      • The upstream server shares updates, status, and group information in replica mode. You cannot administer replica servers apart from the upstream WSUS server.
    Sample Customers
    Bank Alfalah Ltd., Wªrth Handelsges.m.b.H, Dimension Data, Japan Business Systems, St. Lucie County Public Schools, MISC Berhad
    Information Not Available
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company17%
    Financial Services Firm13%
    Manufacturing Company13%
    Insurance Company9%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company12%
    Government11%
    Financial Services Firm11%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company18%
    Manufacturing Company14%
    Energy/Utilities Company11%
    Security Firm7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company14%
    Government13%
    Financial Services Firm9%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business18%
    Midsize Enterprise13%
    Large Enterprise69%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business18%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise67%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business38%
    Midsize Enterprise14%
    Large Enterprise49%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business22%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise61%
    Buyer's Guide
    Microsoft Configuration Manager vs. Microsoft Windows Server Update Services
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Configuration Manager vs. Microsoft Windows Server Update Services and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Microsoft Configuration Manager is ranked 1st in Patch Management with 76 reviews while Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is ranked 3rd in Patch Management with 37 reviews. Microsoft Configuration Manager is rated 8.2, while Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is rated 8.0. The top reviewer of Microsoft Configuration Manager writes "Seamless system updates, useful integration, and reliable". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Microsoft Windows Server Update Services writes "Lets us manage all our organization's updates from a single management console". Microsoft Configuration Manager is most compared with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform, ManageEngine Endpoint Central, Microsoft Intune and BigFix, whereas Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is most compared with BigFix, ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus, Ivanti Neurons Patch for Intune, Quest KACE Systems Management and Kaseya VSA. See our Microsoft Configuration Manager vs. Microsoft Windows Server Update Services report.

    See our list of best Patch Management vendors.

    We monitor all Patch Management reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.