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Microsoft Configuration Manager vs Tanium comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 18, 2026

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 Server Monitoring
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
85
Ranking in other categories
Software Distribution (1st), Configuration Management (3rd), Patch Management (2nd)
Tanium
Ranking in Server Monitoring
3rd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
20
Ranking in other categories
Vulnerability Management (24th), Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (20th), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (21st), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Server Monitoring category, the mindshare of Microsoft Configuration Manager is 4.2%, down from 6.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tanium is 4.5%, down from 7.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Server Monitoring Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Tanium4.5%
Microsoft Configuration Manager4.2%
Other91.3%
Server Monitoring
 

Q&A Highlights

it_user460248 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Technology Architect - Cloud & Infrastructure Services at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
May 23, 2017
 

Featured Reviews

JunedBedrekar - PeerSpot reviewer
Expert at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Have effectively deployed patches and applications while integrating with cloud solutions
The features I find most valuable in Microsoft Configuration Manager are replication and scripting. If I want to get a fetch report for anything, such as hardware-related issues or group policy-related issues, I need to fetch the report by using SCCM's scripting language and remediation part. The inventory collection features of Microsoft Configuration Manager are good because we always prefer the inventory. We do it by using the script language. We use remote management capabilities in Microsoft Configuration Manager. Remote management capabilities are useful if the user is not providing access; we can use the backend users to update the group policy and sync the devices. These are the main features we require.
VK
Infra Vulnarability Manager at Rezilyens
Immediate results in patching promptly address vulnerabilities
When working with Tanium, there are some older devices that haven't been patched for a long time, and certain patches are not included in Tanium. I have to search outside to download patches, create bundles, and then perform the task. It would be easier if Tanium provided the patches directly. Some other brands provide the patch with a direct download link, which facilitates the process. Also, I feel that if there were more detailed documents and remediations readily available online for troubleshooting, especially more up-to-date information, it would be beneficial. Currently, some resources online are very out-of-date.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The dashboards have information about our assets."
"The major features of this product are the reporting tools. The most valuable features are package deployment and application deployment. Security management is also good because any vulnerability will be identified, and you can fix it. It's the best tool because you never know what kind of client you will have. For example, you may have your offices in low bandwidth remote areas. But it's achievable because it accommodates the bandwidth that you have available. Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager is an excellent reporting tool for your environment. If you want to know the details about the hardware configuration, software configuration, what is causing a problem, or when a new feature update comes in for Windows, even that goes on SCCM itself. A lot of deployment stuff."
"It is easy to install, and quick to deploy."
"We're a Microsoft-centric organization, so we are happy with the integration between products."
"Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager is valuable in keeping our systems updated. We are able to send updates to all the systems. Additionally, the Intune integration is helpful."
"It works well for the endpoints for the customer I'm consulting. It has a bunch of knobs, and you can tune it to do lots of things."
"The product is suitable for our size, handling 800 devices."
"The ease of usability is the most valuable feature. It's user-friendly."
"I'm not so familiar with the tool but I like the interaction of the console to the picture. Patching is the primary model I have been focusing on for the last couple of weeks. So I have created a proof of concept environment and have been checking the available features."
"I would say Tanium is the best tool for vulnerability management."
"The solution's technical support is very responsive."
"Tanium’s best features include support for any Windows, Linux, or Mac endpoint, regardless of where it is, and the ability to do IT operations and security operations."
"Tanium's most valuable features are patch management, inventory, and distribution software."
"Tanium's most valuable feature is its instant discovery aspect."
"The product is granular and can build complex roles compared to other EDR vendors."
"When I push a quick update, it's done right away, and I can rescan immediately to confirm completion within minutes."
 

Cons

"It is a bit of an old and outdated product."
"Servers are still not getting it properly, so we could add the servers in Microsoft Configuration Manager for things such as OS deployment and Autopilot as well."
"Marketing: Our management doesn't understand that there is a piece of software which helps them automate and manage the entire network, as far as operating systems on computers."
"Some of the capabilities aren't fully developed yet. It's an ongoing work in progress. I think they are making some steps in the right direction as far as managing workstations centrally, like Intune."
"Based on my experience with SCCM 2016, the main, big issue is not having a good user-friendly environment. It needs much better GUI."
"One area of improvement is regarding the patching of Office 365 products. We have some difficulties on this side, and it can be improved."
"Managing role-based access control within Microsoft Configuration Manager was not helpful because we had other identity management solutions specifically designated for identity management."
"Built in PowerShell cmdlets would be a nice feature because managing clients remotely can be a pain without knowing the WMI calls to run."
"The most painful thing is the interface. It's a bit unclear sometimes."
"The solution can give a lot of false positives."
"We had some issues with the solution's OS upgrade."
"Tanium required local admin or root rights on Mac devices, which did not comply with our security policies. This made the solution less suitable for our restrictive environment."
"Tanium’s scalability could be improved."
"It is not really additional functions, or the features that are needed, rather the complexity would be reduced based on the number of modules required to put together a comprehensive operational security and risk compliance model."
"Any movement into a SaaS solution has challenges since the processes and data flows are not well defined. Hence, you need to build it at the same time."
"When working with Tanium, there are some older devices that haven't been patched for a long time, and certain patches are not included in Tanium. I have to search outside to download patches, create bundles, and then perform the task."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licensing is good because they have various options, depending on what you are looking for."
"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."
"The price of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager is expensive."
"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."
"I rate the price of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager an eight out of ten."
"Pricing is negotiable with Microsoft, depending upon which of their packages you choose."
"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."
"Microsoft provides a steep price for their enterprise products, but they offer very competitive pricing for their legacy customers."
"Tanium is a more expensive solution in Latin America than some of the competitors, such as BigFix."
"There is an annual license required to use this solution."
"The solution offers value for money."
"It is higher than some competitors in the market."
"The solution is expensive but it's a good investment."
"The product's pricing differs from region to region depending on negotiations and the number of endpoints."
"It's an expensive solution. It would be nice if the cost were lower."
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Answers from the Community

it_user460248 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Technology Architect - Cloud & Infrastructure Services at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
May 23, 2017
May 23, 2017
I would not waste time in comparision. SCCM is best for Windows mgt.
2 out of 5 answers
JF
Principal Technology Consultant at RIO3 Consulting
Jun 14, 2016
Good morning, what specific information do you seek. I am on the consulting side so we look at Gartner, Forrester, and other sources. I have some information on SCCM and BigFix off hand. Are there specific features you are looking at to compare SCCM and Tanium?
it_user304998 - PeerSpot reviewer
Works at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Jun 14, 2016
Unfortunately we won't have an answer on this, the request is to compare Tanium patch management vs Microsoft Path management (SCCM). We don't play in this space so never bothered to dig in this area. If they are speaking with either Microsoft or Tanium, either one should be able to provide the customer with a comparison between the two vendors. Sent from my iPhone On Jun 14, 2016, at 7:04 AM, Ariel Lindenfeld - Community Manager at IT Central Station > wrote: Hi, Can you help out a colleague with the following question about Endpoint Compliance: ----- Tanium vs SCCM I'm comparing Tanium and SCCM. Has anyone done a comparison of these solutions? Any thoughts about the differences? ----- Please reply to this email with your response or post your answer here. User's background: User at a tech services company with 1000+ employees You've been a member of IT Central Station since September 2015. In a market full of vendor hype, we provide free connections between real users of Endpoint Compliance to share advice and make better buying decisions. Thanks for being part of the community, Ariel Lindenfeld Community Director, IT Central Station IT Central Station 244 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10001 (646) 328-1944 To change notifications, please visit your subscription page or unsubscribe completely from similar emails. um-nqn 101666 gitbdelUmkweEM0dFdtb2svZWFvWlFSVU1yWFdJMHloQnFyYnZSaSs1cG1TbVdMcldCU216ZDRTT0ZMTGVPbmM4SHpDRS0tOGdTTmdTM3VncVp5R0NQM1Y3K3F0QT09--21c2b4f3bf871f4c09d15549779c6a95f54ceb52gitbdel WARNING - CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION: ________________________________ The information contained in the e-mail may contain confidential and privileged information and is intended solely for the use of the intended recipient(s). Access for any review, re-transmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in regard and reliance upon this e-mail by persons or entities other than the intended recipient(s) is unauthorized and prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message and any attachments.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
11%
Government
10%
Computer Software Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business20
Midsize Enterprise13
Large Enterprise65
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise11
 

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...
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...
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 ...
What needs improvement with Tanium?
While there is always room for improvement, I am pleased with Tanium.
What is your primary use case for Tanium?
The primary use case for Tanium ( /products/tanium-reviews ) is compliance, patching, and inventory as part of the core functions.
What advice do you have for others considering Tanium?
For smaller companies, Tanium is quite a big investment, and one needs to have a considerable setup to make it economically viable. I would recommend it to others with a similar use case. The solut...
 

Also Known As

Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM ), Microsoft SMS
Tanium Inc Cloud, Tanium XEM
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Bank Alfalah Ltd., Wªrth Handelsges.m.b.H, Dimension Data, Japan Business Systems, St. Lucie County Public Schools, MISC Berhad
JPMorgan Chase, eBay, Amazon, US Bank, MetLife, pwc, Cerner, Delphi, MGM Grand, New York Life
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Configuration Manager vs. Tanium and other solutions. Updated: January 2026.
882,886 professionals have used our research since 2012.