Ninite vs Patch My PC (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Ninite grades higher than Patch My PC: 3.2 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Ninite grades higher on value for money, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Patch My PC
Third-party app patching for Windows and macOS via Intune or ConfigMgr
Which one is for you
Pick Ninite if
- Fits if you're setting up a Windows PC and want the usual free apps on in one pass
- Works for admins patching many office PCs from one browser tab, at $1 a machine a month for the first 20
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on a Mac or Linux, as it only installs apps on Windows
- Not for you if you need an app that isn't in Ninite's catalog, since Pro has no built-in support for custom applications
- Tight if you hoped to use the free site at work, because it's licensed for personal use only
- Watch out: the $1 a year Nintune plan needs Microsoft Intune and leaves out Ninite Pro and the Ninite Agent
- Watch out: Ninite Pro's trial is 14 days, and Pro needs an agent on each PC
Pick Patch My PC if
- Fits if you want one free tool to install and update apps on your own Windows PC
- Works for IT teams that already run Intune or Configuration Manager
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you are a small company: the quote form rejects personal email domains
- Pricey if you are a business: Enterprise Plus starts at $3,500 a year
- Skip it if you use a Mac at home, as Home Updater is Windows software
- Watch out: a separate MSP edition has its own pricing that is not listed
How we grade them
| 3.2GPANiniteVery good | 2.6GPAPatch My PCGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree at home. For work, Nintune is $1 per machine a year with no minimum, and Ninite Pro $1 per machine a month for the first 20, $0.50 for the next 400 and $0.25 after that, so 50 machines cost $35 a month. That's under the $2.99 a month per seat utilities here charge in the middle. | BHome Updater is free. Enterprise Plus is $3.5 per device a year, from $3,500 a year for up to 1,000 devices, so one person pays nothing but a business pays a floor of $3,500. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe website is free for home use, with no ads or junkware, and it both installs and updates. There's no cap a person at home would ever reach. It's personal use only, so anyone paid to run Ninite is asked to subscribe to Pro. | AHome Updater is free with no stated cap, and the enterprise product has a 30-day full trial. |
| Features | CPick apps, get one installer, run it again to update, with downloads taken from each publisher's own site and checked before they run. The limit is its own: only apps in Ninite's catalog are covered, and Pro has no built-in support for custom applications. | CA catalog of 4,002 products, packaging, macOS deployment and custom apps. The gaps: it needs Configuration Manager or Intune, and the free Home Updater is Windows only. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but at home there's nothing to set up: tick boxes, one download, no choices to click through. Work is more involved, with an agent on each PC for Pro and Microsoft Intune for Nintune. | CNo store rating is on record. The home tool is simple, but the enterprise product needs existing management software and a quote. |
| Platforms and integrations | BNinite Pro runs in a browser and ties into Microsoft Intune, WinGet and RMM tools such as Atera, Kaseya and N-able, which is what earns it a B. The machines it looks after are Windows only, though: 11, 10, 8.x and 7, plus the Server versions. | CWindows and Mac targets, with WSUS, Intune and Configuration Manager listed. It is a computer program with no phone or web side. |
| Best for | putting the usual apps on a Windows PC in one go | keeping Windows apps updated, free at home and paid for IT |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Ninite and Patch My PC. How we grade
Price against what you get
Ninite starts at $0.08 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Patch My PC starts at $0.29 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0.
Ninite scores higher and starts $0.21 a month lower. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, none scores higher than Ninite for less, and 23 score higher than Patch My PC for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
At a glance
| Ninite | Patch My PC | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $1 per machine / year (Nintune); Ninite Pro starts at $1 per machine / month | $3.5 per device / year, starting at $3,500 per year |
| Free plan | The Ninite website is free for home use, with no ads or junkware: pick apps and download one installer that also updates them. The free version is for personal use only. | Home Updater: free tool for home PCs that installs and updates more than 500 applications. |
| Free trial | Nintune: 30-day free trial, no credit card. Ninite Pro: 14-day free trial. | 30-day full trial of the enterprise product. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Secure By Design Inc. | Patch My PC |
| Price read from | ninite.com | patchmypc.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Ninite
- Windows only: Ninite works on Windows 11, 10, 8.x and 7 and the equivalent Server versions.
- The free website is licensed for personal use only; anyone paid to run Ninite is asked to subscribe to Ninite Pro.
- Only apps in Ninite's own catalog are covered, and Ninite Pro has no built-in support for custom applications.
- The $1 per machine per year Nintune plan requires Microsoft Intune and does not include Ninite Pro or the Ninite Agent.
Patch My PC
- The enterprise product is for business email addresses only; the quote form rejects personal domains.
- The Enterprise Plus price shown is a starting point of $3,500 per year for up to 1,000 devices, and the purchase goes through a quote.
- A separate MSP edition with its own pricing exists and is not listed here.
- Home Updater is Windows software.
Key features
Ninite
- One installer for many apps
- Pick apps on the website and download a single installer that sets them up in the background in their default locations, with no choices to click through and no toolbars or extras.
- Run again to update
- A Ninite installer always installs the latest stable versions, so running the same file later updates those apps and skips any that are already current.
- Official, verified downloads
- Apps are downloaded from each publisher's official site, and Ninite verifies digital signatures or hashes before running anything.
- Ninite Pro web console
- An agent on each Windows PC reports to a live grid in the browser, one row per machine and one column per app, for bulk installs, updates, uninstalls and auto-update policies.
- Nintune for Microsoft Intune
- Publishes Ninite's catalog plus thousands of WinGet apps as Intune apps, with Required, Available, Update Only and Uninstall assignments and custom install scripts.
- Pro Classic command line
- Included with every Pro account: a scriptable silent mode, fully offline installers, download caching and command-line switches for use with scripts and RMM tools.
Patch My PC
- Curated app catalog
- A tested catalog of 4002 supported products for Windows and macOS.
- ConfigMgr and Intune
- Automates third-party updates in WSUS, ConfigMgr and Intune.
- App packaging
- Automates Windows app packaging for x86, x64 and ARM64.
- macOS deployment
- Automates macOS app deployment and updates in Intune.
- Custom apps
- Create and publish your own custom apps from Patch My PC Cloud.
- Home Updater
- Free app that updates more than 500 applications on a home PC.
Plans
Ninite
Ninite$0
The website's custom installer and updater for home use. Licensed for personal use only.
Nintune$1
per machine / year, no minimum machine count
Ninite's catalog plus WinGet apps managed through Microsoft Intune, for unlimited technicians. Does not include Ninite Pro or the Ninite Agent.
Ninite Pro$1
per machine / month for the first 20 machines
Tiered: $1.00 each for the first 20 machines, $0.50 for the next 400 and $0.25 after that, so 50 machines cost $35 a month. Includes Pro Classic.
Patch My PC
Home Updater$0
Free app for one home PC; installs, updates and bulk-uninstalls apps, with scheduled updates.
Enterprise Plus$3.5
per device / year, from $3,500 per year for up to 1,000 devices
Third-party patching for Windows and macOS across ConfigMgr and Intune, with a catalog of 4002 products and basic reporting; quote requested through a form.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Ninite or Patch My PC?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Ninite is cheaper to start with: $0.08 a month when paid by the year, against $0.29 a month when paid by the year for Patch My PC. Ninite starts at $1 per machine / year (Nintune); Ninite Pro starts at $1 per machine / month, and Patch My PC starts at $3.5 per device / year, starting at $3,500 per year.
Which has a free plan, Ninite or Patch My PC?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Ninite and Patch My PC have a free plan.
Which platforms do Ninite and Patch My PC run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Ninite lists a web app and only Patch My PC lists a macOS app. Both list a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.