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Microsoft Configuration Manager vs Microsoft Windows Server Update Services comparison

Microsoft Configuration Manager and Microsoft Windows Server Update Services are both solutions in the Patch Management category. Microsoft Configuration Manager is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.0, while Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.3. Microsoft Configuration Manager holds a 15.0% mindshare in PM, compared to Microsoft Windows Server Update Services’s 6.8% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of Microsoft Configuration Manager users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 87% of Microsoft Windows Server Update Services users who would recommend it.
Microsoft Configuration Man...
Read 81 Microsoft Configuration Manager reviews
  • 3,999 Views
  • 3,140 Comparison Views
90% willing to recommend
Microsoft Windows Server Up...
Read 49 Microsoft Windows Server Update Services reviews
  • 2,534 Views
  • 1,906 Comparison Views
87% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 9, 2025

Microsoft Configuration Manager and Microsoft Windows Server Update Services compete in the software management and update domain. Configuration Manager holds the upper hand due to its comprehensive management capabilities, making it more suitable for organizations needing advanced features.

Features: Microsoft Configuration Manager excels with central console management, automating configurations, and comprehensive system management tools including patch management and reporting. Its broad range of features supports decision-making and compliance. Microsoft Windows Server Update Services, in contrast, offers basic patch distribution and ease of integration within Windows, focusing on hassle-free update management in its limited feature scope.

Room for Improvement: Configuration Manager could enhance its notification system for patch failures, improve compliance reporting accuracy, and provide better Linux support. Its documentation needs to be more user-friendly, and cloud integration could improve without compromising security. WSUS faces challenges with its outdated interface and limited third-party software capabilities, requiring better reporting and management features beyond Microsoft environments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Configuration Manager primarily offers on-premises deployment with hybrid cloud options for flexibility. It faces customer service challenges due to tiered support structures but gains offsetting value from comprehensive documentation and community resources. WSUS, known for straightforward installation in Windows Server setups, mirrors similar customer service feedback, highlighting extensive self-help resources despite tiered support concerns.

Pricing and ROI: Configuration Manager involves higher costs due to its complex licensing and SQL Server requirements. Despite these expenses, it offers strong ROI through automation, integrity, and productivity improvements. WSUS, available at no additional cost with Windows Server, is valued for cost-effectiveness in handling basic update management functions, offering significant value for users with less comprehensive needs.

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Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Configuration Manager vs. Microsoft Windows Server Update Services
March 2025
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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Configuration Man...
Ranking in Patch Management
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
81
Ranking in other categories
Server Monitoring (6th), Configuration Management (3rd)
Microsoft Windows Server Up...
Ranking in Patch Management
3rd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
49
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Patch Management category, the mindshare of Microsoft Configuration Manager is 15.0%, down from 18.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is 6.8%, down from 12.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Patch Management
 

Featured Reviews

MikeNelson2 - PeerSpot reviewer
Deployment recovery works well but requires configuration improvements
While I do not use the product frequently, many issues were due to configuration rather than the product itself. I cannot give an exact recommendation as it is not my area of responsibility. The team that uses it finds it adequate. It is presently good enough for us not to investigate other options. Overall, I rate the product a six out of ten.
Read full review
Chuck Colby - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient patch management, potentially scalable, and free is using Microsoft servers
Whether to use the solution or not is going to be context-sensitive. If you have a strong Microsoft team, you can probably handle this. If, like my team, you also have a dozen other vendors to consider, it's not just the operating system. The pattern I've seen over time with WSUS is that it has the potential to be a fantastic product, yet it doesn't feel finished. People try to implement WSUS, and context is important. In my context, we're a small business without teams of Microsoft-certified people. We are just trying to use what's available to achieve a goal, and WSUS is fine, however, not the best product out there. The business in America often tries to do more with less. I would not recommend it to a team of my size. If a company had half a dozen or a dozen Microsoft-certified people, I'd say, run with it. For a team of my size, no, absolutely not. I would rate the overall solution a solid eight out of ten.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"SCCM does everything from A to Z for a Windows operating system."
"There is a faster time to rollout. If we get a new PC, it can be ready for productivity right away."
"The solution effectively handles inventory management, deployment, and reporting."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is its ability to deploy patches to nearly all applications."
"It is a very well-rounded product. It is a complete package with all the features using which we are able to manage our PCs very efficiently."
"I like Mircosoft's technical support. Microsoft has a few updates, like some of the critical KBs. They are published within the interval time, and in case of an escalation on the client missions, we will raise a ticket with the Microsoft team. They will create a hotfix or a critical update. They will chat with us, and that is one thing I like about Microsoft. Whenever any issues occur at my organization, they will help you out soon as possible within the SLA."
"It has the ability to perform mass distribution."
"Microsoft Configuration Manager is integrated with other Microsoft products."
More Microsoft Configuration Manager pros
"Instead of leaving each server to download their own updates, with WSUS you have a centralized management tool for all the updates alongside a log for all the servers. By creating and deploying a WSUS server that will download the updates from the internet and dispatch them to the other servers, you can have control over the entire deployment process."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is its low cost, as it requires no additional licensing fees."
"The tool has only one feature, which is updates."
"The most valuable features are that it is included with Windows, and it can be driven by Group Policy Objects (GPOs)."
"We can easily download particular patches, and we can apply them on a group basis and policy basis."
"The product provides a valuable Single Sign-On (SSO) integration feature within our IES environment, particularly with the IT directory and server systems."
"It's free. Basically, as long as you have licensed Microsoft servers, you should be good to go."
"The performance has been okay."
More Microsoft Windows Server Update Services pros
 

Cons

"One area of improvement is regarding the patching of Office 365 products. We have some difficulties on this side, and it can be improved."
"SCCM does not scale well, which is one of the reasons we are not going to continue to use it."
"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."
"The solution should be more compatible with different versions of Linux."
"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."
"Management of Linux devices could be improved."
"The database should be made to be more stable and robust, but not so much the configuration."
"I would like to see an agentless version of the solution."
More Microsoft Configuration Manager cons
"The product needs to improve its user interface."
"Microsoft Windows Server Update Services could improve by being less cumbersome to use. It's somewhat difficult to use, but we manage to get through it."
"User interface is outdated and not user-friendly."
"Typically, they are hesitant to provide good service when a competitor has a better service."
"The platform’s dashboard and reporting features need enhancement."
"Microsoft Windows Server Update Services must include functions for providing updates about inventory."
"The phone tree for Microsoft Update makes me smash my head against my desk."
"The old backup files created by this solution use up a lot of storage, and this needs to be improved."
More Microsoft Windows Server Update Services cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We use the tool's free license. It is expensive."
"Overall, I think it's fine. It's pretty much in-line because there are ways to offset it with the Office 365 licensing."
"Its licensing is quite complicated because we are getting the license not only for SCCM but for the full Microsoft package. We don't need to pay for a separate license. We need to have one license that includes everything we need, such as Windows, Microsoft 365, SCCM, encryption, and so on. So, we don't have a specific price for it. Perhaps, it is good that it includes the full suite of licensing of Microsoft. It is expensive, but we are getting a lot of features."
"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 solution operates on a licensing model that can be expensive."
"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."
"The price is competitive and reasonable."
"For enterprises, there is an annual license required to use this solution. The price of the solution could be cheaper. However, this is mostly because of the exchange rate from the dollar to the Nigerian currency."
More Microsoft Configuration Manager pricing and cost advice
"The integration is included in the Windows Server system, and there are no additional fees."
"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."
"I rate the solution's pricing a nine out of ten."
"Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is not an expensive solution."
"The WSUS cost is included in Microsoft Windows, and there are no licensing fees."
"This product comes included with Windows and can be used free of charge."
"We need one single key for Windows deployments, which is a better option. Buying a license with the same key for all systems, like Windows and Windows Desktop, makes configuring easier. Otherwise, it isn't easy to manage multiple keys for different systems."
More Microsoft Windows Server Update Services pricing and cost advice
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
12%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
13%
Government
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

How does Ansible compare to Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (SCCM)?
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 org...
See all answers
How to choose between ManageEngine Desktop Central and Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (formerly SCCM)?
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 a...
See all answers
What do you like most about SCCM?
One of the standout features of SCCM is its application management capabilities. It allows us to create packages efficiently and deploy them to specific groups within our network. This streamlined ...
See all answers
What do you like most about Microsoft Windows Server Update Services?
We can track the updates of the PC and servers.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Windows Server Update Services?
It's a free service. You just buy the Windows Server operating system, and it is an internal feature.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Microsoft Windows Server Update Services?
Sometimes, I encounter issues with the Windows internal database, which occasionally does not load, leading to the Pandit console stopping. I have to repair the database and perform export and impo...
See all answers
 

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Configuration Manager
March 2025
Microsoft Configuration Manager reportDownload Microsoft Configuration Manager product report
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Windows Server Update Services
March 2025
Microsoft Windows Server Update Services reportDownload Microsoft Windows Server Update Services product report
 

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
 

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

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.
Microsoft
 

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
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Configuration Manager vs. Microsoft Windows Server Update Services
March 2025
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