Automox vs PDQ Connect

For most IT teams, Automox's pricing advantage is decisive. At $3 to $5/endpoint vs PDQ Connect's $18/device, Automox is significantly cheaper for patch management. PDQ Connect's premium only makes sense for Windows-only shops where the package library and inventory depth deliver concrete operational value.

Automox is the default choice for cross-platform patch management at competitive pricing. PDQ Connect makes sense for Windows-only PDQ Deploy migrations. The premium is only justified by the package library and inventory depth.

Automox tiers: Basic $2/endpoint/mo (limited), Patch $3/endpoint/mo, Patch + Worklets $5/endpoint/mo. Annual billing available.

PDQ Connect is priced per device per year, not per month. Checked against pdq.com/pricing/connect on 17 March 2026: Basic is $12 per device per year, Plus is $18 and Premium is $28, each with a 100-device minimum. Plus is the tier most teams buy, and it bundles Windows patching, software deployment and asset inventory scanning in one subscription.

At 300 endpoints Automox Patch at $3 per endpoint per month costs $900 a month, or $10,800 a year. PDQ Connect Plus at $18 per device per year costs $5,400 a year, about $450 a month. PDQ Connect is roughly half the cost of Automox Patch at that size, and it includes inventory scanning. Automox earns its higher rate on macOS and Linux coverage and on Worklets automation, not on price, so the comparison turns on whether the estate is Windows-only.

Automox suits IT teams managing mixed OS environments and organizations that want a mature, proven platform with compliance reporting and a Worklet automation library. Its tiered pricing scales well for larger endpoint counts.

PDQ Connect makes most sense for Windows-only environments already using PDQ Deploy on-premises and seeking a cloud migration path. Its bundled inventory and software deployment package library are valuable for IT admins who manage software deployment as heavily as patching.

Automox Worklets are modular scripts (PowerShell, bash, Python) that can be scheduled, triggered by policy conditions, and shared via a community Worklet library. The library contains hundreds of pre-built routines for common IT tasks (application configuration, security hardening, compliance checks) contributed by the Automox community. Worklets are available on the Patch + Worklets tier at $5/endpoint/mo. PDQ Connect has a deep pre-built package library inherited from PDQ Deploy's decade-plus history. IT admins can deploy hundreds of common business applications with pre-configured packages without writing scripts. The community packages cover everything from Chrome installers to complex enterprise app deployments. Both have community automation libraries. Automox's Worklets are more script-oriented (configuration and automation beyond installation). PDQ's library excels at software deployment with complex install parameters already handled.

Automox supports Windows, macOS, and Linux from the same cloud console. Third-party patching catalogs cover all three platforms. This is particularly valuable for organizations with Mac users (common in design, marketing, and engineering teams) or Linux servers alongside Windows workstations. PDQ Connect is Windows-only. macOS and Linux endpoints require separate tools. For Windows-only organizations, this is a non-issue. For any organization with even a minority of non-Windows endpoints, PDQ Connect creates a tool gap. For MSPs managing diverse client environments, Automox's cross-platform coverage significantly reduces the tooling complexity compared to using PDQ Connect plus separate tools for Mac and Linux.

PDQ Connect bundles PDQ Inventory, providing detailed hardware scanning, software inventory, registry data, and user activity. This level of inventory detail supports IT asset management workflows beyond patch status. Automox provides basic endpoint inventory (installed software, OS version, hardware specs) sufficient for understanding patch state but lighter than PDQ Inventory's detail level. For organizations where detailed inventory is a primary requirement alongside patching, PDQ Connect's bundled inventory has real value. For organizations primarily focused on patch management, Automox's basic inventory is sufficient and the cost difference ($3 vs $18/endpoint) is difficult to justify on inventory depth alone.

Switching between Automox and PDQ Connect involves deploying the new agent to endpoints and recreating patch policies and automation workflows. Migrating from PDQ Connect to Automox requires porting PDQ package-based deployments to Automox Worklets or software deployment scripts. PDQ packages do not import directly into Automox. Migrating from Automox to PDQ Connect means recreating Worklet automation as PDQ packages or scripts.