The Top 10 Patch Management Solutions For MacOS

Heimdal Patch and Asset Management is a cloud-based patch management solution that enables you to view, manage, and update your software inventory from one centralized location.

Who it’s for: We recommend this solution for organizations and MSPs of any size.

What we like: Heimdal Patch and Asset Management offers comprehensive coverage, but it’s still very easy to use, thanks to its clean, modern interface.

• You can customize patching and update schedules, with advanced options for force-reboots and on-demands updates.
• You can install, deploy, and push security and non-security updates on any system, anywhere, and at any time.
• Heimdal sandboxes new patches from vendors to make sure they’re secure, then makes them available to end users within four hours.
• You can access full compliance and audit trail records.

Compatible devices: macOS, Windows, Linux

The bottom line: This platform delivers all the features you want in a patch management tool, all via a modern, cloud-based admin console that’s easy to use and navigate.

• Heimdal is a cybersecurity company headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. Their solutions are trusted by over 10,000 organizations in over 45 countries.

NinjaOne Patch Management is a cloud-based, agent-deployed patch management solution that automates patch and update processes.

Who it’s for: This solution is suitable for small- to mid-market MSPs and organizations in the government or education sectors prioritizing usability, or looking for patch management as part of an all-in-one endpoint management platform.

What we like: NinjaOne Patch Management is really easy to set up and manage, even for smaller teams. It requires no company network, domain, or VPN.

• You can use NinjaOne’s built-in remote terminal, registry editor, and remote access tools to carry out patching and remediate other device issues.
• You can access the intuitive patching dashboard to get an instant overview of the patch status for all endpoints.
• You have full control over scanning and updating schedules, reboot options, and more.
• You can set automatic patch approval settings for each patch type and criticality.
• The solution sends you reports on failed patch deployments, known endpoint vulnerabilities, and overall patch compliance status.

Compatibility: macOS, Windows, Linux

The bottom line: NinjaOne Patch Management offers lots of automation capabilities to help simplify and streamline patching workflows. It’s quick and easy to deploy, and its intuitive interface makes it straightforward for even small teams to manage.

• NinjaOne, formerly NinjaRMM, is an IT operations provider that specializes in IT support, system backups, and remote monitoring and management.

ESET Vulnerability & Patch Management scans your endpoints for vulnerabilities and required updates, and provides advanced patch management capabilities.

Who it’s for: This is a strong solution for organizations wanting to simplify and integrate complex IT processes, including endpoint security, and patch and vulnerability management.

What we like: This solution stands out for its support for thousands of third-party applications.

• You can scan thousands of applications and detect over 35,000 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs).
• The solution prioritizes vulnerabilities based on their severity, with a wide range of filtering options to help save your team time.
• You can choose from automatic or manual patching with ESET’s patch inventory.
• You can access a unified view of patching and vulnerabilities across all your endpoints from the admin console, as soon as scans are completed.
• You can configure maintenance windows and manage patching in accordance with your specific needs.

Compatibility: macOS, Windows, Linux

The bottom line: This is a feature-packed patch management tool that goes a step beyond patching to offer vulnerability scanning. It can be deployed standalone or as part of the wider ESET Protect XDR platform.

• ESET is a leading endpoint security and management provider. Their solutions secure hundreds of thousands of enterprises globally.

Atera is an all-in-one IT operations and RMM platform that delivers network discovery, remote desktop access, scripting, help desk and ticketing, reporting, and patch management.

Who it’s for: This platform is well-suited to small- to mid-sized MSPs and ITSPs looking for powerful automation capabilities.

What we like: Atera ensures that operating systems and software are up to date without disrupting business continuity or end users’ productivity.

• You can use HomeBrew for Mac to automate software installation.
• You can automate system scans, update checks, system reboots, and patch management for Mac and Windows, software, and hardware.
• You can access a range of reports that provide granular information on patching posture, including whether patches deployed as planned, and you can even install missing patches from within the reports.
• You can configure schedules at a regular cadence for full flexibility and control.
• You can use software bundles to automate repeatable tasks such as onboarding new users.
• The solution automatically notifies you about available patches for all your managed devices.

Compatibility: macOS, Windows, Linux

The bottom line: Atera is a comprehensive solution that quickly identifies and addresses patches and updates across your clients’ networks.

• Atera Networks is headquartered in Israel and has global offices in three other countries. They currently serve over 12,000 organizations in 120 countries.

SuperOps is a combined RMM and PSA platform that delivers remote access, network monitoring, intelligent alerts, a service desk, automated invoicing, and patch management.

Who it’s for: This is a strong solution for IT teams and MSPs looking for patch management as part of a broader remote monitoring and client management platform.

What we like: SuperOps allows you to configure highly granular patch management policies, yet its modern, single-pane-of-glass interface makes it easy to use.

• You can configure the platform to deploy critical patches instantly (e.g., security patches) and stagger the rest to optimize device performance.
• You can update or uninstall pre-installed software and manage Microsoft store apps, right within SuperOps.
• You can access tested scripts from the SuperOps community, and if you’re an MSP you can test patches on your own systems before rolling them out to your clients.
• You can set a patch install window, manually override patch approval if needed, and wake sleeping devices for critical updates.
• You can view the patch and reboot statuses of all assets at a glance, and perform single-click actions with interactive patch reports.

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

The bottom line: SuperOps offers granular patch management capabilities as part of a broader platform that enables you to manage every facet of your clients’ networks, via a single interface.

• SuperOps is a technology company that delivers SaaS, AI-powered RMM and PSA solutions for MSPs.

Action1 is a cloud-native, highly scalable patch management solution that offers real-time vulnerability discovery and automated remediation for third-party software and OS updates.

Who it’s for: This solution is best suited to larger enterprises.

What we like: Action1 stands out for supporting a wide range of third-party applications, and the easy with which you can deploy and configure the solution.

• You can configure Action1 in just five minutes.
• You can automate patching for numerous software titles, and configure your patching schedule in line with your company’s patching policy requirements.
• You can access a real-time progress status for patch deployments—even if your endpoints are offline.
• The solution supports endpoints even if they aren’t on your corporate network, they’re disconnected from your company VPN, they’re not joined to your domain.
• You can detect vulnerabilities in OS and applications in real-time and leverage built in vulnerability remediation to reduce mean time to respond (MTTR).
• You can test and approve patches before rolling them out.

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

The bottom line: Action1 is a platform that focuses solely on patch management, and it does this very well. It’s quick and easy to configure, and can scale to its support enterprises with a large device fleet.

• Action1 is a software provider dedicated solely to patch management. Their platform is trusted by thousands of enterprises globally.

Kandji Vulnerability Management is a cloud-based solution that enables you to identify and remediate vulnerabilities and required updates across your Apple device fleet.

Who it’s for: Kandji Vulnerability Management is a strong solution for any sized organization using exclusively Apple devices.

Who it’s for: For organizations with diverse fleets.

What we like: This solution is easy to deploy and manage, thanks to its highly intuitive interface. Plus, Kandji offers 24/7 support with all plans.

What we like: You can set the timeline for mandatory software and OS updates, but end users receive update reminders and can delay installation to minimize disruption to their productivity.

• You can enforce app installation or make it available through self-service.
• The platform hosts and tests application updates so that they work smoothly at deployment.
• From the management console, you can see at a glance which devices in your fleet have completed updates, which ones still need to, and which ones are having trouble.

Compatibility: macOS

The bottom line: Kandji offers strong patch management capabilities for macOS devices. You can also deploy Kandji Vulnerability Management alongside their broader Device Management solution for iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS management.

The bottom line: Kandji is a flexible, yet robust solution, designed for organizations with diverse fleets.

• Kandji is an MDM provider that specializes in device management for Apple endpoints.

ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus is a comprehensive patch management solution that can be deployed both on-premises and in the cloud.

Who it’s for: This is a great solution for organizations that require support for a large range of applications.

What we like: It’s really easy to set up patch deployment with this solution, thanks to its user-friendly interface and out-of-the-box support for over 850 applications.

• ManageEngine provides pre-built update packages that come tested and ready to deploy.
• You can automate all phases of patch management, including scanning, assessment, deployment, and reporting.
• You can customize patch deployment policies to meet your business’ unique needs.
• You can access flexible, real-time audits and reporting to gain greater visibility into patch compliance and the patch status of your endpoints.
• You can manually test and approve patches before deployment.

Compatibility: macOS, Windows, Linux

The bottom line: ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus is a reliable, user-friendly solution that delivers lots of automation, making it easy to manage patches across a range of devices and third-party apps.

• ManageEngine, the enterprise IT division of Zoho Corporation, provides solutions that help organizations integrate and optimize their IT processes.

Mosyle is a comprehensive endpoint management and security solution for Apple devices.

Who it’s for: We recommend Mosyle for enterprises, MSPs, and educational institutions that exclusively use Apple devices.

What we like: As this solution was designed specifically to support Apple devices, it supports patching for both Apple apps and in-house/enterprise apps.

• With zero-touch deployment, you can fully deploy and configure any Apple device automatically without physically accessing it.
• You can notify end users to OS updates before they happen, and define a maximum delay period where users can postpone updates before they are enforced.
• You can easily find, buy, and distribute any App Store app in volume.
• Mosyle’s Mac App Catalog offers an “App Store like” and fully automated experience for almost 300 apps that aren’t yet available on the App Store.

Compatibility: macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS

The bottom line: Mosyle is a full-featured Apple device management platform. In addition to its patch management capabilities, it offers a script catalog, compliance templates, a remote screen viewer, and a suite of in-built endpoint security tools.

• Mosyle is an Apple device management and security provider that offers solutions for businesses, schools, and MSPs.

Scalefusion is a unified endpoint management tool that seamlessly combines device control, security, and compliance into one solution.

Who it’s for: This solution is suitable for organizations of all sizes using a range of device types. Its integration with Apple School Manager also makes Scalefusion a strong option for educational institutions.

What we like: Scalefusion is easy to deploy and manage, thanks to its ability to monitor multiple types of endpoints via a single, centralized dashboard.

• You can seamlessly deploy over 400 third-party apps across macOS devices and let your users pick apps from the app-store-like App Catalog.
• You can easily push patches to devices at a group level or individual device level remotely in just a few clicks.
• With flexible scheduling, you can choose the day, time, or week to schedule app updates on your devices. You can also push OS patches and firmware updates instantly.
• You can defer updates for up to 90 days to test their compatibility with your environment before rolling them out to every device.
• You can configure patch schedules, quiet periods, freeze periods, and rollout plans.
• Use downloadable Update Reports to track installed/available app versions and view the update status of each app.

Compatibility: macOS, iOS, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, Android, rugged devices

The bottom line: Scalefusion offers patch management as part of its broader device management platform. It’s quick to deploy and easy to manage, and offers a comprehensive set of device management and security features.

• Scalefusion is a leading MDM and UEM provider that helps organizations globally to gain better visibility into their endpoints.