# Endpoint Central is more than just a patch management solution

![Endpoint Central](https://cdn.manageengine.com/images/productlogos/endpointcentral-dark.svg) vs Action1

Securing devices against the modern threat landscape demands more than just patching. Endpoint Central offers comprehensive patch management capabilities combined with proactive threat detection, remediation and flawless device management - making it the perfect choice for teams that have grown past single-purpose patching tools like Action1.

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- **22+** years of legacy
- **35K+** enterprises across the globe
- **30M+** endpoints managed
- **190+** countries

## Why Endpoint Central remains a no-brainer for IT admins

### Quality of end-user support

| Product | Score |
|---|---|
| Endpoint Central | 4.3 |
| Action1 | 4.2 |

Endpoint Central's support spans email, chat, and remote assistance across all editions. Backed by 22+ years of institutional knowledge in enterprise IT management, the team that supports you understands the full stack, not just one feature. Action1's support scope is inherently limited to the narrower patching context that the platform covers.

### Third-party integrations

| Product | Score |
|---|---|
| Endpoint Central | 4.2 |
| Action1 | 4.0 |

Endpoint Central integrates natively with ServiceNow, Zendesk, Check Point, and other mission-critical enterprise tools. Action1 connects with Microsoft Intune, Teams, Slack, and AWS, covering the essentials for a patching workflow, but without the depth needed for a full IT operations stack.

### Device management features

| Product | Score |
|---|---|
| Endpoint Central | 4.4 |
| Action1 | 3.5 |

This is where the gap is sharpest. Endpoint Central covers the complete device lifecycle: OS imaging, MDM, software metering, kiosk management, privilege management, and more. Action1's device management scope is limited to patching, software deployment, and remote access, leaving significant management gaps that require separate products.

Source: Gartner Peer Insights

## Action1 leaves your IT and security leaders with no action

Action1 claims to be a focused patch management tool. But that might not just be enough. Organisations that need unified endpoint control will find themselves adding products for every gap it leaves behind.

### No built-in EDR

![](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/images/bigfix-icon-1.svg)

Action1 reduces the attack surface through patching but has no capability to detect threats that slip through. There is no native EDR, no MITRE ATT&CK mapping, and no incident response workflow. Security event monitoring requires a separate product entirely.

### Lacks endpoint privilege management

![](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/images/bigfix-icon-2.svg)

Action1 controls who can access its own console, not local admin rights on the devices it manages. Removing standing admin privileges, granting Just-in-Time access, or enforcing application-level elevation all require a separate tool.

### Lacks mobile device management

![](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/images/bigfix-icon-3.svg)

Action1 manages Windows, macOS, and Linux only. iOS, Android, ChromeOS, and tvOS are entirely outside its scope. Managing mobile endpoints means adding a dedicated MDM product with its own agent, console, and licensing on top of Action1.

### Integrated DLP is absent

![](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/images/bigfix-icon-4.svg)

There are no native controls over USB device usage, peripheral access, file transfers, or data leaving managed endpoints. Organisations with GDPR, HIPAA, or internal governance requirements must bring in a separate DLP product to address this gap.

### Browsers remain unprotected

![](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/images/bigfix-icon-5.svg)

Action1 has no controls over browsers despite them being among the most common attack vectors. Web filtering, extension management, download restrictions, and browser isolation all require a separate tool, adding yet another product to the stack.

### No on-premises or air-gapped deployment

![](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/images/sccm-intelligence-icon-5.svg)

Action1 is cloud-only with no on-premises option. For regulated industries in government, defence, healthcare, and financial services where data residency requirements are firm, this is a hard limitation that Endpoint Central resolves with full on-premises and air-gapped support.

## Endpoint Central vs Action1

| FEATURE | ![Endpoint Central](https://www.manageengine.com/ems/images/logo/ec-logo-linear-white.svg) | ![](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/images/action1.svg) |
|---|---|---|
| **Platform and deployment** |  |  |
| Platform type | Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) covering the full device lifecycle from enrolment to retirement, within a single console and a single agent. | Autonomous patch management platform focused on OS and third-party patching, remote access, and vulnerability assessment. |
| OS imaging and deployment | Native bare-metal OS imaging, both online and offline, for new and legacy hardware. Zero-touch deployment for bulk onboarding without manual configuration. | Not available. Action1 cannot provision bare-metal devices. A separate imaging tool is required for large-scale provisioning. |
| Deployment model | Cloud and fully on-premises, including air-gapped environments. Organisations with data residency or compliance requirements can deploy without sending data to the cloud. | Cloud-only SaaS. No on-premises option, which is a hard blocker for regulated industries and government environments. |
| Supported operating systems | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, iPadOS, Android, tvOS, and ChromeOS, all managed from one console. Also supports Android Open Source Platform and IoT devices. | Windows, macOS, and Linux. Remote desktop is Windows-only. No mobile OS support of any kind. |
| Ready-to-use configurations | Over 56 ready-to-use configuration templates and 10,000+ software deployment templates, enabling teams to start managing within hours of setup. | Policy-based configuration management with security baselines. Template library is narrower and more reliant on custom scripting. |
| **Patch management** |  |  |
| Third-party patch support | Automated patching for Windows, macOS, Linux, BIOS, drivers, and a catalog of 1,350+ third-party applications across all plan tiers. Patches are curated and tested by an in-house security research team. | Automated patching via the PatchAssurance catalog. Solid third-party coverage, though the catalog is narrower than Endpoint Central's and BIOS and driver patching are not available. |
| Base plan features | Endpoint Central's base plan includes automated patch management alongside kiosk management, software metering, remote control, software deployment, asset management, and more. Patching is one part of a much larger platform available from day one. | Action1 only offers patch management for the price. Additional features like remote management and asset monitoring may cost extra. MDM, DLP, EDR, browser security, and OS imaging require separate products regardless of plan. |
| Self-service portal for patches | End users can view and apply approved patches through a native self-service portal, reducing admin workload without losing policy control over what gets installed. | Not available. All patch actions require a technician, making patch cycles dependent entirely on admin availability. |
| System health policy | Define and enforce health baselines across endpoints, triggering automated remediation if a device falls out of compliance with the defined state. | Not available. Automated health-triggered remediation is not a built-in capability. |
| **Endpoint security** |  |  |
| Endpoint DLP | Native data loss prevention built in: USB and peripheral device control across 18+ device types, file transfer restrictions, and data movement policies enforced without a third-party tool. | Not available. Organisations needing data controls must bring in a separate security product. |
| EDR and threat detection | Built-in EDR driven by Zia AI, with MITRE ATT&CK mapping, alert correlation, and guided incident response. No additional product required. | Not available. Action1 is designed to sit alongside EDR tools, not replace them. Security event monitoring requires a separate solution. |
| Next-gen antivirus and ransomware protection | Behaviour-based NGAV with zero-day threat protection and built-in ransomware defence, all from a single console. | Not available natively. Requires integration with a third-party security product managed separately. |
| Compliance policies | Built-in CIS compliance templates covering 90+ benchmarks, enabling teams to assess, enforce, and report on compliance posture without third-party setup. | Action1 supports compliance-oriented configuration baselines covering CIS, NIST, and HIPAA from a patching and configuration perspective. |
| Browser security | Manage Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Internet Explorer from one console. Enforce web filtering, control extensions, restrict downloads, and isolate untrusted sites to block browser-based attacks. | Not available. No built-in browser security module. Web filtering requires a separate integration. |
| Endpoint privilege management | Machine-level and application-level privilege management in one place. Remove standing admin rights, allow self-elevation for approved applications, and grant time-bound Just-in-Time access. | Role-based access controls govern console access only. Local admin rights on managed devices are not controlled by Action1. |
| USB and peripheral device control | Block, allow, or audit USB drives, printers, Bluetooth devices, and 18+ peripheral device types with granular policy control per device type and per user. | Not available as a dedicated peripheral control capability. |
| BitLocker management | Full BitLocker lifecycle management: enforce encryption policies, centrally manage recovery keys, and report on encryption status across the entire fleet. | BitLocker status is visible in hardware inventory with alert support for status changes. Centralised encryption policy enforcement and key management are not natively available. |
| **Mobile device management** |  |  |
| Native MDM | Built-in MDM for iOS, iPadOS, Android, ChromeOS, and tvOS, managed from the same console as desktops and servers. No additional product required. | Not available. Action1 has no MDM functionality. It does not provide mobile configuration profiles, enrolment, or device controls of any kind. |
| BYOD and conditional access | BYOD enrolment, corporate data containerisation, selective wipe, and conditional access policies are all part of the native MDM capability. | Not available. No BYOD controls or conditional access policies exist in Action1. |
| OEM and rugged device support | Partnerships with 30+ OEM, rugged, and specialised device manufacturers for remote troubleshooting, including Samsung, Zebra, Panasonic, and Google. | Not available. Rugged and OEM device management is outside Action1's platform scope. |
| **Remote management** |  |  |
| Remote view and control | NNative remote control built in, with no third-party tool required. Admins can launch Multi-technician sessions, send broadcast announcements to end users, transfer files, chat during active sessions, record sessions for audit trails, and shadow remote users, all from the same console. | Core features like multi-technician session support, in-session chat, and broadcast announcements are not available. File transfer is mentioned as coming soon. Moreover, Mac and Linux remote desktop are not currently supported. |
| Remote wipe | Full and selective remote wipe for managed mobile and desktop devices, with data separation to protect corporate data on personal devices. | Not available. Action1 does not include remote wipe for any endpoint type. |
| **Asset and configuration management** |  |  |
| Printer management | Centrally deploy, configure, and manage printers across the fleet without visiting each device individually. | Not available as a native feature. |
| Drive mapping | Map network drives to user groups, departments, or individual devices centrally, with automatic re-mapping on reconnect. | Not available natively. |
| Local user and group management | Create, modify, and manage local user accounts and groups across all managed endpoints from a single console. | Not available as a native management capability. Requires scripting or separate tooling. |
| Software metering | Track actual software usage across the fleet to identify unused licences, optimise spend, and support compliance audits. | Not available. Action1 provides software inventory showing what is installed, but does not track actual usage for licence optimisation. |
| Display management | Manage display settings including resolution, orientation, and multi-monitor configuration across devices remotely. | Not available natively. |
| **Pricing and licensing** |  |  |
| Pricing model | Access full Endpoint Central features free for up to 25 devices. Transparent per-device pricing with clearly defined plan tiers. Scale predictably without needing a sales conversation to understand what you will pay. | Though free for 200 endpoints, pricing beyond that is not publicly disclosed and requires a custom quote, which reduces budget predictability as organisations scale. |

Feature data sourced from ManageEngine Endpoint Central product documentation, Action1 product documentation and website, G2, Gartner Peer Insights, Capterra, and independent third-party reviews. Last verified September 2026.

## Insightful resources curated just for you

- [Comparison: Endpoint Central vs HCL BigFix](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/bigfix-alternative.html)
- [Datasheet: Endpoint Central Datasheet](https://download.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/desktop-administration-overview.pdf)
- [Study: Endpoint Central delivers 442% ROI](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/forrester-total-economic-impact-uems.html)

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Action1 a unified endpoint management (UEM) platform?

Action1 is an autonomous patch management platform focused on OS and third-party patching, remote access, and vulnerability assessment. Endpoint Central covers the full device lifecycle, from enrollment to retirement, in one console and with one agent.