Patch My PC alternatives for Intune
Patch My PC is the default answer for third-party patching in Intune, and for good reason. It is not the only one. Here are seven alternatives, what each is good at, where it runs, and what it costs, so you can pick the one that fits your environment.
PowerStacks makes App Store for Intune, which is on this list. Everything else is described from each vendor's public site as of October 15, 2026, with links so you can check for yourself. Pricing changes; confirm it with the vendor before you decide.
Why admins look for a Patch My PC alternative
Patch My PC solves a real problem: it packages third-party apps, publishes them to Intune, and keeps them updated from a catalog the vendor maintains. The reasons people search for an alternative are usually one of these:
- •Where it runs. The cloud product needs Graph permissions granted to a vendor-hosted service. Some security teams will not sign off on that, or will only do so after a long review.
- •The long tail. A curated catalog is great until the app someone needs is not in it. Then you are packaging by hand again.
- •Self-service. Patching pushes updates to apps you already chose. It does not let a user request an app or route that request for approval.
- •Price and licensing shape. Per-device pricing, add-ons for reporting, or an agent requirement for the advanced reporting tier.
- •You already own something. If you license the Intune Suite, Microsoft's own catalog may already cover you.
What we compared
For each option: where it runs (your tenant, Microsoft, or a vendor cloud), where the packages come from, how updates get to devices, whether end users can request apps and have them approved, how it is priced, and who it suits. We did not score them. The right answer depends on your fleet size, your security review, and how long your app list is.
The alternatives
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- Where it runs
- Your own Azure subscription. No vendor service with access to your tenant; Graph access through a managed identity.
- Catalog and packaging
- The public WinGet repository (over 12,000 packages) plus your own MSI, EXE, or zip uploads. Each package is SHA-256 verified, wrapped with PSADT v4, and published to Intune as a standard Win32 app.
- Updates
- Automated update detection, rollout through your deployment rings with health gating, one-click rollback.
- Self-service and approvals
- Branded self-service catalog with requests, multi-stage approvals, Teams and email notifications, and install status for the requester.
- Pricing
- Annual subscription sized to your environment, plus the Azure resources it runs on. Free trial.
- Best for
- Teams that want patching and a self-service request workflow without granting a vendor cloud access to their tenant.
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- Where it runs
- Inside Intune. Microsoft prepares and hosts the packages.
- Catalog and packaging
- The Enterprise App Catalog, a curated list of Win32 apps that Microsoft maintains. It does not use WinGet.
- Updates
- Auto-update for apps assigned as Required (every targeted device at once, no rings, no rollback), supersedence for apps offered as Available, and the vendor updater for self-updating apps.
- Self-service and approvals
- None. Admin-driven. Assigned apps appear in Company Portal.
- Pricing
- Included in Microsoft 365 E5 and E7 since July 2026. Otherwise an add-on to Intune Plan 1 or Plan 2, standalone or in the Intune Suite.
- Best for
- Teams already licensed for it (Microsoft 365 E5 or E7, or the Intune Suite) whose app list is covered by the Microsoft catalog.
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- Where it runs
- RoboPack's cloud. Packages are built and tested on their infrastructure and delivered to your Intune tenant.
- Catalog and packaging
- A large hosted catalog (RoboPack advertises 30,000+ apps) plus installer upload and editing.
- Updates
- Cloud-managed patching with version history.
- Self-service and approvals
- Not a core capability on their public materials. Positioned as packaging automation.
- Pricing
- Free up to 50 devices, a flat-fee Starter plan for 51 to 100 devices, and per-device pricing above that, per robopack.com/pricing.
- Best for
- Small fleets that want packaging automation at no cost and are comfortable with a vendor-hosted pipeline.
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- Where it runs
- Action1's cloud, with an agent on each endpoint.
- Catalog and packaging
- Its own third-party patch catalog, applied by the agent rather than through Intune Win32 apps. Action1 also offers an Intune integration.
- Updates
- Agent-based OS and third-party patching with reporting.
- Self-service and approvals
- Not an app request workflow; it is a patch management and RMM platform.
- Pricing
- The first 200 endpoints are free per Action1, then per-endpoint pricing. See action1.com for current terms.
- Best for
- Teams that want an agent-based patching platform and can use the free tier, including macOS and Linux coverage.
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- Where it runs
- PDQ's cloud, with an agent on each device. PDQ Deploy and Inventory are the on-premises alternative.
- Catalog and packaging
- A PDQ-maintained package library plus your own packages, applied by the agent.
- Updates
- Agent-based patching for Windows and macOS with its own reporting.
- Self-service and approvals
- Not an end-user request and approval workflow.
- Pricing
- Per-device annual subscription in tiers. See pdq.com for current pricing.
- Best for
- Teams that want a general endpoint management console with patching, deployment, and remote access in one agent.
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- Where it runs
- Automox's cloud, with an agent on each endpoint.
- Catalog and packaging
- Third-party patching for several hundred titles in the Automate tiers, plus Worklets for scripted automation.
- Updates
- Agent-based OS and third-party patching across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Self-service and approvals
- Not an app request workflow.
- Pricing
- Per-endpoint. OS patching has a published entry price; third-party patching tiers are custom quoted. See automox.com/pricing.
- Best for
- Cross-platform fleets that want cloud patch automation and are fine with an agent and a vendor-hosted console.
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- Where it runs
- Your tenant and your devices. Nothing hosted by anyone.
- Catalog and packaging
- The public WinGet repository, driven by scripts or Remediations you write and maintain.
- Updates
- Whatever you script. There is no built-in detection, ring, or rollback logic.
- Self-service and approvals
- None unless you build it.
- Pricing
- Free, apart from your time.
- Best for
- Small teams with scripting skills and a short app list who would rather own the automation than buy it.
At a glance
| Option | Runs in | Agent | Self-service requests | Free tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patch My PC (for reference) | Vendor cloud, or on-premises publisher | For advanced reporting | No | Trial |
| App Store for Intune | Your Azure tenant | No | Yes, with approvals | Trial |
| Enterprise App Management | Intune | No | No | Included with E5 and E7, add-on otherwise |
| RoboPack | Vendor cloud | No | Not core | Up to 50 devices |
| Action1 | Vendor cloud | Yes | No | First 200 endpoints |
| PDQ Connect | Vendor cloud | Yes | No | Trial |
| Automox | Vendor cloud | Yes | No | Trial |
| WinGet, do it yourself | Your tenant | No | No | Free |
Captured October 15, 2026 from vendor public pages. "Agent" means the product installs its own client beyond the Intune Management Extension.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Patch My PC alternative for Intune?
It depends on what you are replacing. If the concern is a vendor cloud holding permissions to your tenant, App Store for Intune runs inside your own Azure subscription. If you already have Microsoft 365 E5 or E7 or the Intune Suite, Enterprise App Management covers a curated catalog at no extra cost. If you want a free tier, Action1 (agent-based) and RoboPack (cloud packaging) both offer one.
Is there a free alternative to Patch My PC?
Partly. RoboPack is free up to 50 devices and Action1 is free for the first 200 endpoints, per their own pricing pages. Scripting WinGet yourself is free apart from the time it takes. App Store for Intune offers a free trial but is a paid subscription.
Do these alternatives need an agent on every device?
Action1, PDQ Connect, and Automox install their own agent. Enterprise App Management, App Store for Intune, and the WinGet approach deploy through the Intune Management Extension that is already on every Intune-managed device, so there is nothing extra to install.
Which alternatives keep my data in my tenant?
Enterprise App Management is part of Intune. App Store for Intune deploys into your own Azure subscription. The do-it-yourself WinGet route never leaves your tenant either. RoboPack, Action1, PDQ Connect, and Automox each run a vendor-hosted console.
Can I keep Patch My PC for patching and add a self-service request workflow?
Yes. App Store for Intune and Patch My PC can coexist. Patch My PC pushes updates to apps you already decided to deploy; App Store for Intune adds the request and approval front door and packages the long tail. Some teams run both during a transition.
Head-to-head comparisons
The alternative that stays in your tenant
App Store for Intune packages, deploys, and patches third-party apps from inside your own Azure subscription, and gives your users a catalog to request from. Start a free trial, or search the catalog for the app someone just asked you for.