shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use PDQ: Software Deployment & Inventory Management done right?

Simple, secure, and pretty damn quick IT device management for effortless software deployment and patching. - pdq.com

Worth it. Buy if you manage a Windows fleet of roughly 50–1,000 machines and want fast, affordable patching without a standalone server. Pass if you're Mac-heavy, need an enterprise compliance suite, or want built-in CVE/CVSS vulnerability scoring like Action1 offers.

Confidence

High. Based on 14 public sources: G2, Capterra, Gartner, Reddit, Spiceworks, SoftwareAdvice, CERT/CC, and vendor pages.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support evidence in sources
  • Security posture

Pricing

$1,657.50–$1,950/yr

PDQ Deploy & Inventory

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed

Best for

  • Windows-heavy SMB and mid-market IT teams
  • K-12 sysadmins with ~100 machines
  • On-prem or air-gapped environments
  • Lean teams without dedicated endpoint admins

Not for

  • Mac/Linux-first fleets — this is a Windows tool
  • Enterprises needing Ivanti/ManageEngine-scale suites
  • Buyers wanting built-in CVE/CVSS vulnerability scoring out of the box
  • Non-technical teams — it's a sysadmin tool, not plug-and-play

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Choosing between on-prem Deploy & Inventory and cloud Connect is confusing; migrations between them are common

medium

Listed pricing runs $1,657.50–$1,950; verify the licensing model (per admin vs per device) before budgeting

medium

CERT VU#164934: deleted credentials could be reused — audit stored credentials and patch promptly

low

Requires .NET 4.6/4.8 for scanning — older machines need prep first

Pros and cons

Pros

  • 4.8/5 across G2 (250+) and Capterra (341 reviews)
  • Lightweight: fast, no standalone server needed
  • Set-and-forget automated patching and deployment
  • Quick setup and intuitive interface per G2 reviewers
  • Strong price point for ~100-machine fleets

Cons

  • Windows-focused; check Mac/Linux coverage before buying
  • Application startup is slow
  • Needs setup effort before it runs smoothly
  • CERT-flagged credential reuse issue in Deploy (Dec 2024)
  • Two overlapping product lines complicate choosing and migrating

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/20/2026 - 14 sources - Vendor publishes security documentation; one 2024 CERT/CC vulnerability note on credential reuse in PDQ Deploy.

official x3review x9security x2
  • PDQ Deploy allows reuse of deleted credentials, CERT/CC Vulnerability Note VU#164934 (Dec 2024) advises users that deleted credentials in PDQ Deploy can be reused.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $1,657.50–$1,950/yr

    Starting price

  • 14

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Good price point for ~100-machine fleets
  • Ease of use: 5/5. Quick setup, intuitive; slight slow startup
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Deep deploy/patching; Connect adds vulnerability management
  • Support quality. No support evidence in sources
  • Security posture: 3/5. CERT credential-reuse note; documented security program otherwise
  • 4.8/5 G2 rating 250+ reviews
  • 4.8/5 Capterra rating 341 reviews
  • $1,657.50/yr Starting price Deploy & Inventory, per SoftwareAdvice
  • Yes Free trial 'Try it free' on pdq.com

Pricing

PDQ Deploy & Inventory

$1,657.50–$1,950/yr

  • Automated patch and software deployment
  • Software and hardware inventory
  • Custom scripts, scheduled deployments

Security

Vendor publishes security documentation; one 2024 CERT/CC vulnerability note on credential reuse in PDQ Deploy.

  • PDQ Deploy allows reuse of deleted credentialsCERT/CC Vulnerability Note VU#164934 (Dec 2024) advises users that deleted credentials in PDQ Deploy can be reused.13

What users say

Sysadmins consistently rate PDQ as fast, lightweight, and fairly priced for small-to-mid Windows fleets, with minor setup friction.

“From a functionality, operation and price point standing, PDQ looks like a good fit for our 100 or so machines.”
Reddit, r/k12sysadmin
“My favorite things about pdq: fast, easy, not heavy, doesn't need stand alone server. The only slow thing is starting the application.”
Reddit, r/sysadmin
“Once working PDQ is a great piece of software, alot of it can be set it and forget it.”
Spiceworks Community

Alternatives

Compare PDQ: Software Deployment & Inventory Management done right with each alternative.

  • Microsoft Intune

    Guess: standard pick for cloud-first Windows fleets needing deeper MDM

Companies that use it

  • First Mid-Illinois Bank and Trust
Full analysis

Based on 14 public sources: G2, Capterra, Gartner, Reddit, Spiceworks, SoftwareAdvice, CERT/CC, and vendor pages.

Sysadmin favorite for Windows patching at ~100-machine scale. Wrong for Mac-heavy fleets or enterprise compliance needs.

Methodology

Based on 14 public sources: G2, Capterra, Gartner, Reddit, Spiceworks, SoftwareAdvice, CERT/CC, and vendor pages.

Sources

  1. PDQ homepagepdq.com
    official
  2. PDQ Deploy & Inventory product pagepdq.com
    official
  3. Deploy & Inventory vs PDQ Connectpdq.com
    official
  4. PDQ Inventory Review (Workwize)goworkwize.com
    review
  5. PDQ Deploy & Inventory — SoftwareAdvicesoftwareadvice.com
    review
  6. PDQ Deploy reviews — Capterracapterra.com
    review
  7. Connect vs Deploy & Inventory — G2g2.com
    review
  8. Reddit r/k12sysadmin feedbackreddit.com
    review
  9. Reddit r/sysadmin feedbackreddit.com
    review
  10. Spiceworks community threadcommunity.spiceworks.com
    review
  11. Reddit: Replacing Deploy/Inventory with Connectreddit.com
    review
  12. Action1 comparisonaction1.com
    review
  13. CERT/CC VU#164934kb.cert.org
    security
  14. PDQ product security guidepdq.com
    security

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