Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) has been a go-to patch management tool for over two decades, providing IT administrators with a way to distribute Microsoft updates across their environments.
However, as Microsoft has officially deprecated WSUS and the tool struggles to keep up with modern IT demands, many administrators are actively searching for a replacement.
Action1, a cloud-native patch management platform, has become one of the most attractive alternatives. Today we will demonstrate part of why that is, and how the future looks for WSUS and a world without it.
This article takes a hands-on look at how Action1 compares to WSUS across installation, maintenance, day-to-day operations, and overall capabilities.
1. Installation and Setup
WSUS: Setting up WSUS is not a small task. It requires a Windows Server license, SQL Server or Windows Internal Database, sufficient disk space for storing update files, and proper IIS configuration. Administrators must also handle role installation, synchronization schedules, and Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to direct endpoints to the WSUS server.
Many configurations in many places that all have to align properly to get proper function. Misconfigurations are common, and many admins spend hours to days just getting WSUS to sync and operate reliably across a network.
Action1: Action1 requires no server installation, database setup, or GPO juggling. As a cloud-native service, it can be accessed immediately after signup. Agents are deployed to endpoints directly, and once installed, they begin checking in with the Action1 platform automatically. Setup typically takes minutes to get started, to hours max for large scale deploys, potentially saving days of overhead in the implementation phases alone.
Bottom line: WSUS requires significant infrastructure and setup effort, while Action1 offers a near-instant deployment with no on-premises footprint.
2. Infrastructure and Maintenance
WSUS: Running WSUS means you are also managing its infrastructure. That includes patching the server itself, monitoring disk usage, and maintaining the database. Update stores can consume hundreds of gigabytes, as you have to maintain all patches from a base OS or Image to the most recent often across multiple architectures. WSUS is notoriously prone to database corruption, stale approvals, and synchronization failures. Administrators often rely on PowerShell scripts or third-party cleanup tools to keep the system functional.
Action1: Action1 has no infrastructure to maintain. It is fully hosted and maintained by the vendor, including availability, scalability, and security. Updates are always current, and administrators never need to worry about cleaning up databases or reclaiming storage.
Bottom Line: With WSUS, admins must also maintain servers; with Action1, admins focus solely on patching endpoints.
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3. Scope of Coverage
WSUS: WSUS can only distribute updates for Microsoft products. It does not patch third-party applications such as Chrome, Adobe Reader, or Zoom. To cover those, administrators must either manually package updates, deploy them through another tool, or leave endpoints exposed to vulnerabilities in non-Microsoft software. In modern data breaches and vulnerability exploitation, third party applications account for approximately a third of the successful attacks.
Action1: Action1 covers both Microsoft and third-party applications. Updates for common business apps are pre-packaged and available within the platform. This closes one of the biggest gaps in WSUS, reducing the need for manual effort or multiple patching tools. As well if niche situations, Action1 provides tools to extend its function to your environment’s needs, compiling and distributing your own packages with the same efficiency as repository native applications.
Bottom Line: WSUS = Microsoft only. Action1 = Microsoft plus third-party coverage.
4. Update Delivery to Endpoints
WSUS: Endpoints must connect to the WSUS server, usually over corporate LAN or VPN. For distributed or remote workforces, this creates challenges. Remote users often miss updates if they are not connected to VPN long enough, leaving them un-patched and vulnerable. As well as, often the VPN is maintained solely for this purpose, increasing attack surface and adding vectors unnecessarily.
Action1: Endpoints communicate directly with the Action1 cloud platform over the internet. Remote or roaming devices are patched wherever they are, without requiring VPN. This is particularly beneficial in hybrid and remote-first organizations.
Bottom Line: WSUS depends on corporate network connectivity. Action1 patches anywhere, anytime.
5. Automation and Policies
WSUS: WSUS requires manual synchronization and approval of updates. While GPOs can automate some aspects, administrators must still regularly check for failed deployments and adjust approval rules. The process is labor-intensive, and delays often occur between patch release and deployment. Or worse still patch failure and detection of that state.
Action1: Action1 supports policy-driven automation. Administrators can set rules such as “deploy all critical security patches within 48 hours” or “delay feature updates for 30 days” and let the platform enforce them automatically. Failed patches can be retried automatically without manual intervention.
Bottom Line: WSUS is largely manual check-in. Action1 is automated and policy-driven push out.
6. Troubleshooting and Reliability
WSUS: Administrators are all too familiar with WSUS error codes like 0x80244022 or synchronization failures. Often spending time researching and testing community suggestion because new previously unknown issues for which there is no manual. Troubleshooting often requires poring through log files, running SQL queries, or applying registry fixes. Many IT pros rely on community forums and scripts just to keep WSUS running.
Action1: With Action1, there are no server-side errors to troubleshoot. Endpoint issues are visible in the dashboard with plain-language explanations. Failed updates can be retried remotely, and support is available without requiring registry edits or database repair.
Bottom Line: WSUS troubleshooting is complex and time-consuming. Action1 troubleshooting is streamlined, intuitive, and transparent.
7. Reporting and Compliance
WSUS: Reporting in WSUS is limited. While you can see which updates are approved or installed, the reporting capabilities are basic, and extracting compliance evidence often requires custom SQL queries or exporting logs. For audits, administrators usually piece together data manually.
Action1: Action1 provides real-time dashboards and ready-to-use compliance reports. Reports show patch status across all endpoints right now, in live time, they highlight vulnerabilities, and can be exported for auditors in seconds. The clarity of reporting makes it much easier to demonstrate compliance with frameworks like HIPAA, PCI DSS, or ISO 27001.
Bottom Line: WSUS reports are minimal and outdated. Action1 reports are modern, real-time, extensible, configurable, and audit-ready.
8. Scalability
WSUS: Scaling WSUS means more servers, more storage, and more administrative overhead. Large organizations often run multiple WSUS servers and replica servers to distribute the load, each of which must be maintained.
Action1: Action1 scales automatically in the cloud. Whether you manage 200 endpoints or 20,000, the experience is the same. The platform handles distribution without additional infrastructure.
Bottom Line: WSUS scales poorly and adds complexity. Action1 scales seamlessly.
9. Cost and Overhead
WSUS: WSUS is “free” is a myth, perpetuated for ages, because it never directly asks you to pay. But the hidden costs are significant. You need Windows Server licensing, a CAL for every device accessing it, SQL licensing (for larger deployments), server hardware, storage, and the labor hours required for setup, maintenance, and troubleshooting. And then there are HW resources dedicated if physical, consumed if virtual.
Action1: Action1’s SaaS pricing includes everything. No hardware, no SQL licenses, and minimal administrative effort. The predictable cost model often ends up being lower than the “free” WSUS once labor and infrastructure are accounted for.
Bottom Line: WSUS is not free. Action1 is lower cost in practice.
10. Platform coverage
WSUS: Windows or some isolated vendor driver patches that come down through windows update.
Action1: Windows, Mac, and Linux agent on the way.
Bottom Line: Seldom is enterprise vulnerability and patch management about “Just Windows” anymore. More comprehensive solutions like Action1 are designed to grow into tomorrow’s needs.
Final verdict?
WSUS was built when the tech reality we live in could not have been conceived, though it had been propped up as a best in class solution, it has long since not been one. Action1 however, was built in this modern environment with better understanding of how it is evolving and the challenges that brings the everyday admin to stay secure.
From installation to reporting, the comparison is clear. WSUS is an aging, on-premises tool that requires constant upkeep, delivers limited functionality, and is now officially deprecated. Action1, on the other hand, is a modern cloud-native solution that addresses every most major shortcoming of WSUS, launching businesses into the modern age of patch management.
The only upper hand WSUS has over any modern patching solution, is the ability to sync and deploy offline.
For administrators who have spent hours repairing WSUS databases, writing cleanup scripts, or explaining compliance gaps during audits, the appeal of Action1 is obvious. It installs quickly, automates patching for both Microsoft and third-party apps, scales effortlessly, and provides the visibility and reporting modern IT environments require.
As well Action1 brings options to the table WSUS never had to begin with, such as patching applications that are not delivered through windows update catalog, which also use internal P2P to manage bandwidth internally similar to how Microsoft Delivery Optimization does for windows updates. Add to that more advanced scheduling, automated update rings, scripting & automation, live reporting & alerting, remote access and more.
As organizations move away from WSUS due to its uncertain future, Action1 is not just a replacement, it is a veritable improvement, representing a major step forward in simplifying and strengthening patch management.
It is like trading your wagon for a sports car. Sure the wagon would get you from A to B, and once it was the standard for interstate travel. But every now and then you had to get out and push it to get where you needed to go.
Action1 is a founder lead company, brought to you by the original minds behind Netwrix. At the time of this writing it is the fastest growing private software company in the US. This is happening because people are getting wise to the fact old standards like WSUS simply do not cut it in a modern threat landscape. You need autonomous actions, up to the minute compliance stats, instant vulnerability posture, and the ability to respond to emerging threats in real time. So when you are checking off boxes for what you need in a modern patch management solution, Action1 is the box for ‘all of the above’.
Try it free and see how effective patch management can transform your team’s efficiency and security.
Sponsored and written by Action1.