We’re excited to announce that image-based backup is now available in our free backup software! Continue reading
Set Storage Limits per Destination at the Company Level in MSP360 Managed Backup
We’re excited to introduce a new release with the ability to set storage limits per destination (bucket or local) at the Company level.
Level up IT Support with Free Patch Management
When it comes to IT, you don’t always get what you pay for. Sometimes, free solutions like a free patch management turn out to be just as effective as expensive alternatives.
Case in point: Patch management. While there are plenty of software vendors that will happily charge you to use their patch management software, it’s possible to find free patch management solutions that work at least as well as the paid alternatives.
This isn’t to say that every free patch management tool is just as good as a commercial offering, of course. When evaluating patch management tools – both paid and free – it’s important to understand what role they play in IT support, and which features and capabilities they must deliver to work efficiently and effectively.
Keep reading for guidance on these points as we unpack what to expect from patch management tools, then explain how IT teams can meet their patch management needs at no cost.
Why IT support teams need at least a free patch management
Patching is the process of finding and deploying software patches, meaning updates that fix problems in a software application. Some patches mitigate performance issues, like a bug that causes an application to crash. Other patches address security vulnerabilities that, if left unpatched, could be exploited by threat actors.
It’s possible to install patches manually – but that approach takes a substantial amount of time. For IT support teams that need to manage hundreds of applications across thousands of PCs or servers, manual patching is just not feasible.
This is why most modern IT teams leverage patch management software, which automates the patching process. Patch management tools detect new patches whenever they become available, then deploy them automatically. They can also help teams monitor the patching status of their systems so that they know which devices remain unpatched, and when each machine last received software updates.
What to expect from patch management software
Although all patch management tools offer the ability to automate software update installation, some provide additional capabilities. The most effective patch management solutions can do all of the following:
Detect available software updates or bug fixes
Effective patch management software continuously scans systems and software to identify available updates or bug fixes. It checks vendor sources, repositories, or databases for the latest patches, ensuring compatibility with existing systems. This proactive detection helps IT teams stay ahead of vulnerabilities, addressing security gaps or performance issues promptly. By automating the discovery process, the software reduces manual effort, minimizes oversight, and ensures timely identification of critical updates, keeping systems secure and up-to-date without requiring constant monitoring by IT staff.
Install updates on compatible systems
Patch management tools automate the deployment of updates to compatible systems, ensuring seamless integration without disrupting operations. The software verifies system requirements, such as OS versions or hardware specifications, before installation to prevent conflicts. This capability streamlines the update process across diverse endpoints, reducing manual intervention and errors. By targeting only compatible systems, it minimizes downtime and ensures that updates, such as security patches or performance enhancements, are applied efficiently, maintaining system stability and security across the organization’s IT infrastructure.
Create reports
Generate reports to document which patches were installed and which applications and systems they updated. Reports help IT teams demonstrate that their systems are up-to-date, which is valuable both for detecting oversights and for proving to auditors and regulators that systems are secure.
Schedule patching
Enable teams to schedule patching to take place at a time of their choosing. This helps to reduce the risk that patches will disrupt users. For example, scheduling makes it possible to install patches overnight, rather than interrupting employees during the workday by forcing them to restart applications or systems following updates.
Patch management policies
Allow technicians to create patch management policies that specify which updates to install or avoid installing. A team may want to hold off on installing a particular patch if, for example, it has not yet undergone testing. Technicians may also want to prioritize deploying some patches (like those that address critical issues) before others.
Notifications for patch deployment
Patch management software sends alerts when a patch deployment fails, enabling IT staff to quickly identify and troubleshoot issues. Notifications include details like the affected system, patch type, or error codes, helping technicians diagnose problems efficiently. This feature ensures rapid response to deployment failures, minimizing security risks or system vulnerabilities. By providing real-time updates, it reduces the need for manual checks, allowing IT teams to focus on resolving issues promptly, ensuring systems remain secure and operational with minimal disruption to end users.
Centralize patch operations
Enable centralized monitoring and management of patch operations from a single location, without requiring IT teams to log into individual devices to deploy patches or check on a patch’s status.
Put simply, the best patch management tools don’t just install patches. They also provide the visibility and management capabilities teams need to run an efficient, scalable, audit-friendly patching operation across their entire fleet of endpoints.
The role of patching in regulatory compliance and risk mitigation
Importantly, the significance of patching is not limited to fixing performance issues that could negatively impact the experience of end-users. Patching also plays a vital role in achieving two other business priorities:
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Keeping systems safe from security vulnerabilities
When a security vulnerability appears in an application, the application’s vendor or developers typically release a patch to fix the issue – but until the patch is applied, the application remains vulnerable to attack.
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Meeting compliance obligations
Many compliance regulations, such as HIPAA, PCI DSS and GDPR, include rules mandating that organizations install patches regularly to help keep systems secure. Most of these regulations aim to protect data privacy, and data stored on systems with unpatched security vulnerabilities is not secure because threat actors could exploit the vulnerabilities, break into the systems and access the data.
Moreover, simply installing patches isn’t always enough to meet security and compliance requirements. The ability to monitor patching operations to ensure that all systems are up-to-date, and to generate patch reports, is vital for actually confirming that all relevant patches have been deployed and that all risks have been mitigated. Without this visibility, it is challenging to prove to regulators and auditors that the organization takes a responsible approach to patching.
How free patch management tools deliver real value
Again, a variety of patch management tools are available today, including both free and paid options. But just because some solutions cost money doesn’t make them better.
On the contrary, as long as you select a patch management tool that delivers all of the capabilities described above – such as centralized monitoring, scheduling and reporting features – you’ll achieve the full benefits of an automated patching solution, without having to bloat your organization’s IT budget.
For example, the patch management capabilities in MSP360 Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) allow IT support teams to automate patching across all major operating systems (including Windows, Linux and macOS) while benefitting from advanced features, such as bulk update scheduling and reporting. What’s more, these features are entirely free as part of the MSP360 RMM Community Edition.
The bottom line of free patch management
Modern IT teams need patch management software. But they don’t need to pay for it. They can leverage freely available options, like MSP360 RMM, a free patch management solution, to obtain all of the capabilities of paid patching tools, without the cost.
What You Get with Free RMM Software
For many managed service providers (MSPs) and IT teams, finding a reliable and cost-effective remote monitoring and management (RMM) solution is a top priority. Free RMM software offers an easy way to get started without the burden of upfront costs. Whether you’re launching a new MSP business or managing a small internal IT environment, a free RMM can help you gain visibility and control over your infrastructure with minimal investment. Unlike limited-time trials or freemium models, some free RMM editions provide ongoing access to all essential features totally free.
Core Features You Get with Free RMM
Most free RMM tools focus on providing only core functionalities essential for basic infrastructure management — such as monitoring system health, configuring alerts, remote access, and patch automation. These capabilities are typically sufficient for small environments or entry-level use. While many free editions come with functional limitations, there are a few like MSP360 RMM Community Edition that offer full feature access with restrictions only on the number of endpoints giving users the freedom to explore the platform’s full potential without cost.
The Real Value of Free RMM Software
The true value of free RMM software lies in empowering emerging and smaller MSPs to fully support their clients without functional limitations. It provides a reliable, cost-free foundation to deliver professional-grade IT services — including monitoring, remote access, and patching — right from day one. This level of access removes barriers to entry and gives new MSPs the tools they need to grow, build trust with clients, and operate efficiently without upfront investment. For many, it’s a critical stepping stone toward sustainable business growth.
When It’s Time to Scale Up
Free RMM tools are a great starting point, but eventually, your needs may outgrow the limitations. As your number of endpoints grows or your team needs more advanced automation, integrations, or reporting, it might be time to consider upgrading to a paid plan. Fortunately, many vendors offer seamless upgrade paths that build on the foundation you’ve already created with the free edition — helping you scale without disrupting your operations.
Get started today
Ready to explore? Try MSP360 RMM Community Edition now and start managing endpoints with zero cost—no strings attached.
Introducing MSP360 Managed Connect for macOS
We’re excited to announce a long-awaited addition to MSP360: you can now connect to macOS devices directly from the MSP360 web console using both your web browser and desktop application. This release makes connecting to macOS as seamless as it is to Windows devices.
A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Backup Outlook Contacts
A comprehensive guide on how to backup Outlook contacts using manual as well as automated approaches. This article also explains how to restore contact data in Outlook, as well as troubleshooting the backup and recovery process for Outlook contacts.
Meet MSP360 RMM Community Edition: A Fully-Featured, Free RMM
We’re excited to announce the launch of the MSP360 RMM Community Edition — a completely free, fully-featured remote monitoring and management solution designed exclusively for MSPs. Whether you're just starting out or looking for a cost-effective way to manage a smaller client base, the Community Edition gives you access to the same powerful toolset as our paid plan. Continue reading
The Complete Guide on How to Backup Google Drive
If you think your data is always safe inside Google Drive, think again. Although Google Drive itself is a highly reliable platform, it won’t protect against risks like accidental data deletion, ransomware attacks or data removal by malicious insiders – which is why you need to know how to backup Google Drive and have a recovery plan.
Read on for details as we unpack everything to know about Google Drive data protection. This article discusses multiple approaches to Google Drive backup, explains how to choose the best technique for your needs and suggests best practices for implementing a Google Drive backup strategy that is as efficient as it is reliable.
MSP360 RMM Alerts and Their Critical Capabilities
In the previous lesson, we covered optimal installation and deployment scenarios for MSP360 RMM. Now that your environment is set up, let's explore RMM alerts, the most critical capabilities of any RMM platform. RMM Alerts serve as the foundation for proactive IT management, enabling MSPs and internal IT teams to detect issues early, automate responses, and reduce downtime for their clients. Continue reading
Introducing Image-Based Backup and 5 TB Storage in MSP360 Backup Free
We’re excited to announce that image-based backup is now available in our free backup software! Continue reading
A Comprehensive Guide on How to Backup Outlook emails
People use many methods on how to backup Outlook emails and in this article, we are running through a dozen of them. Some are quick manual steps you can do right inside Outlook. Others are automated tools that work quietly in the background. We will also point out a few troubleshooting tricks, some habits that help avoid problems, and where specialist software like MSP360 fits in compared to the tools Outlook already gives you. Continue reading
How Does Web-Based Remote Desktop Work, and Why Should You Use It?
Once upon a time, administering systems remotely required IT staff and managed service providers (MSPs) to install standalone tools like VPN or Windows RDP clients on their computers. Those days are gone. Today’s admins can leverage web-based remote desktop tools, which offer a more convenient way to connect to remote systems. Continue reading