Tool profile
SolarWinds Patch Manager: cost, fit and limits
SolarWinds Patch Manager is an on-premises patching product made by SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC that extends WSUS and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager with prebuilt, pretested packages for Microsoft and third-party applications. It is installed on your own servers.
What to know first
SolarWinds Patch Manager groups available updates into critical, security, definition, third-party and service pack categories and adds scheduling, reboot management, approval workflows and patching of offline machines. No price is published, since licensing is built through a quote tool, but a fully functional 30-day trial is offered. The pages tie no AI feature to the product. A trial is the easiest route.
SolarWinds Patch Manager at a glance
| Maker | SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC, Not stated by the vendor |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Free trial only |
| Entry price | Quote only |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Patch Management Software in 2026, rank 9 of 11 |
| Website | solarwinds.com/patch-manager |
Who SolarWinds Patch Manager is best for
WSUS administrators
The product extends WSUS with prebuilt, pretested third-party packages, so a team keeps its existing update server and adds coverage.
SCCM environments
SCCM is named as an integration, which suits organizations with a Configuration Manager hierarchy that need third-party packages. Teams keep their hierarchy.
Sites with offline machines
Patching of offline machines is listed, a need for isolated or intermittently connected systems. That helps isolated systems, such as lab machines or remote sites, that rarely connect to the network.
SolarWinds Patch Manager plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Patch Manager (licence) | Not published on the pages read | Patching for Microsoft and third-party applications from a single console; the licence is built through a quote tool. |
| 30-day free trial | Free, fully functional for 30 days | Download Free Trial or Email Link to Trial options are offered on the product page. |
| Quote tool and pricing pages | Not published on the pages read | The Licensing Options and Pricing pages were linked but not readable, so no figure could be verified for this review. |
Checked November 2026.
What SolarWinds Patch Manager does
- Update categories
- Available updates are grouped into critical, security, definition, third-party and service pack categories, so an admin can approve by type. That lets approvals follow the type of update instead of treating every patch the same.
- Prebuilt packages
- Pretested third-party packages are provided for WSUS and SCCM, which saves admins from writing detection logic. Admins can save time by using prepared packages instead of writing detection and install logic for every application.
- Scheduling and reboot control
- Scheduling, reboot management and approval workflows are listed, giving control over when and how machines restart. That lets teams schedule restarts for off hours and approve updates before they reach the wider fleet of machines.
- Offline machine patching
- Machines that are not connected can still be patched, per the product page. The page does not explain how updates reach machines that are offline, so test that scenario with a disconnected device during the trial.
- Reporting
- Patch status and missing updates are reported through the web interface. The page does not list report types, so check which views you need during the trial before you commit to a licence.
How SolarWinds Patch Manager handles your data
The trust center says customer data is not used to train or fine-tune the underlying third-party foundation models, but that statement sits under the SolarWinds AI section and is not specific to Patch Manager. Retention has no specific period beyond applicable SolarWinds requirements, and hosting is not stated. The listed SOC 2 Type 2 reports cover Pingdom, Loggly, Service Desk and Observability SaaS, and Patch Manager is not named. ISO/IEC 27001:2022 is stated with scope limited to the ISMS, plus 27017 and 27018 controls. Ask which of these cover Patch Manager.
Where SolarWinds Patch Manager falls short in practice
- No published price. Licensing runs through a quote tool, so buyers cannot compare cost per device before contacting SolarWinds. Request a quote with your node count and the contract term in writing before you compare.
- Microsoft-centered integrations. Only WSUS and SCCM are named, so teams without those servers get little from the product description. Teams on other update servers should ask what else the product connects to.
- Certifications do not name the product. The SOC 2 reports on the trust page do not list Patch Manager, so a security review must confirm coverage. Ask SolarWinds which reports apply to this product.
Works with
Alternatives to SolarWinds Patch Manager
SolarWinds Patch Manager: common questions
How much does SolarWinds Patch Manager cost?
The product page publishes no price. Licensing is built through a quote tool and a licensing options page that were linked but not readable. Download the 30-day trial first, then request a quote with your node count and contract term in writing.
Does SolarWinds Patch Manager replace WSUS?
No. The page describes it as extending WSUS and SCCM with prebuilt, pretested packages. WSUS or SCCM remains in place, and Patch Manager adds third-party coverage, approval workflows and reporting on top. That keeps your existing update server useful while adding what it lacks.
Does SolarWinds Patch Manager use AI?
No AI feature is tied to Patch Manager on the page. Site navigation mentions SolarWinds AI and Avior as general links that the page does not connect to this product, so treat the product as non-AI unless the vendor demonstrates otherwise.
Is there a free trial?
Yes, the trial is fully functional for 30 days, with options to download it or email a link. No licence term or price is shown with it, so ask what happens to configuration data if you convert to a paid licence.
Can it patch machines that are offline?
The product page lists patching of offline machines among its features, along with scheduling, reboot management and approval workflows. It gives no detail on how updates reach those machines, so test that scenario in the trial with a disconnected device.