Manage and secure your IT with smart Patch Management

Patch management is the practice of ensuring all software, hardware, and operating systems are secure and up-to-date with the latest patches and updates. The primary goal of a patch management solution is to improve security, system reliability, and overall performance across environments.

Atera’s robust reporting tools provide real-time visibility into patching status and generate comprehensive reports, simplifying compliance.

Yes, 3rd party patching is supported for a wide range of third-party applications, ensuring comprehensive security across your IT ecosystem.

Yes, Atera supports both Linux and macOS. It includes features like Linux patching, Mac patching, performance monitoring, remote access, and more to help you manage and secure your devices effectively.

AI Copilot and Robin are two AI agents built into the Atera platform that take repetitive work off IT teams.AI Copilot supports technicians directly inside day-to-day workflows, generating scripts and CLI commands, running device health checks, troubleshooting device issues, and summarizing tickets and remote sessions, so technicians move faster on the work that actually requires their attention.Robin handles end-user IT requests autonomously across chat, Slack, Teams, and the user portal, classifying tickets, running approved diagnostic and remediation actions, and resolving up to 92% of technical IT issues over time, reducing overall IT workload by up to 40%.Together they cut the volume of routine work that ever reaches a technician’s queue, freeing the team to focus on patching strategy, escalations, and higher-judgment work rather than ticket triage and repetitive fixes.

Patch management is included in every Atera plan at no extra cost.Atera bundles RMM, patch management, IT automation, remote access, ticketing, PSA, and reporting into one per-technician subscription with unlimited devices and end users, so cost stays flat as endpoint counts grow.MSP pricing starts at $129/tech/month for MSPs (Pro plan, billed annually) and $149/tech/month for IT departments (Professional plan, billed annually) with higher tiers adding capabilities like Mac agent support, AnyDesk, custom reports, and extended audit retention.Patching is built into every tier. You can try Atera free for 30 days, no credit card required.

Atera’s patch management runs on two complementary layers. IT Automation Profiles execute scheduled patching tasks of different kinds, covering Windows and macOS OS patches and third-party software patching via WinGet and Chocolatey on Windows and Homebrew (Cask Tap) on macOS, plus Software Bundles, scripts, OS upgrades, and scheduled maintenance, with customizable rules for timing, approval, and exclusions, and assignments at the customer, folder, or agent level.For internal or proprietary apps that aren’t in public package managers, Atera integrates with your own NuGet-based private repository hosted on Azure Artifacts, JFrog Artifactory, or MyGet, so vetted packages flow through the same Software Bundles and profiles. Linux patches are supported for visibility and manual installation in the same module.Configuration Policies pair with profiles to govern Windows reboot behavior after updates, with options to restart outside active hours, disable auto-restart for logged-on users, or defer to device defaults, so patching does not disrupt end users.The Patch Management Dashboard is the observation and control surface, giving you real-time compliance insights, vulnerable device visibility, failed patches with feedback for Windows, and CVE and CVSS 3.1 scoring on Windows patches to prioritize remediation.For on-demand actions, technicians can install patches, retry failed ones, or trigger bulk updates directly from the dashboard or the Devices page. Patch Status Summary and Patch & Automation Feedback reports round out the operational view.

Key best practices include maintaining a current patch management policy, keeping an up-to-date asset inventory, categorizing assets by risk and criticality, using automated patch management software, testing patches before broad rollout, and continuously monitoring deployments. For the full breakdown, read our guide.

A patch management policy is an organized process that helps businesses identify and apply patches or updates to software applications regularly, outlining which changes must be made, by whom, and at what cadence. A well-crafted policy includes specific guidelines on how patches should be prioritized, approved, implemented, monitored, and documented, making it a crucial component of your IT security strategy.Learn how to build one in our guide.