Chef Infra vs ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus
Chef Infra
chef.io
ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus
manageengine.comSide by side
| Figure | Chef Infra | ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $4.92/mo | $20.42/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 13 |
| Spec score · IT Automation Software | 8.5 (#16) | 9.1 (#4) |
| Founded | 1981 | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Burlington, Massachusetts, United States | Pleasanton, California, USA |
| Purpose | Chef Infra configuration management software automates infrastructure configuration and aims to keep it consistent and compliant over its lifetime. | Patch Manager Plus automates patch management tasks from scanning and assessment through deployment and reporting. |
| Security controls | Chef says cookbooks can rotate keys, control SSH and WinRM port access, define authorized users and groups, and support alignment with CIS benchmarks and other standards. | Security guidance covers HTTPS, third-party certificates, two-factor authentication, role-based access, certificate-based agent authentication and TLS 1.2 defaults. |
| Support | The pricing page lists standard support for Business and Enterprise and premium support for Enterprise Plus. | The vendor provides an online support request form, separate support email addresses for on-premises and cloud customers, and telephone support numbers. |
Plans
Chef Infra
- Business$59 a year
- Enterprise$189 a year
- Enterprise PlusPriced on request
ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus
- Free editionFree
- Professional Cloud$34.50 a month
- Professional cloud, monthly$34.50 a month
- Enterprise cloud, monthly$44.50 a month
- Professional On-Premises Annual$245 a year
- Professional on-premises, annual subscription$245 a year
- Enterprise On-Premises Annual$345 a year
- Enterprise on-premises, annual subscription$345 a year
- Professional cloud, annual$345 a year
- Enterprise cloud, annual$445 a year
In their own words
Chef Infra
Chef Infra automates infrastructure configuration and helps keep systems aligned with a defined desired state. Teams express configurations and policies as code, test them, and deliver them through automated pipelines; Chef Infra can correct configuration drift when systems diverge. It supports Windows and Linux systems, cloud ARM systems, and Mac laptops across on-premises, cloud, and edge environments. Chef Infra Client includes more than 150 resources, while the community provides thousands of configuration templates. Chef Workstation bundles the client with Chef InSpec, Chef Habitat, Test Kitchen, Cookstyle, and Chef Upgrade Lab. The policy language is Ruby DSL, and listed capabilities include policy testing, reporting, and CI/CD integration. The free community version is non-commercial. Business costs $59 a year per node, and Enterprise costs $189 a year per node; Enterprise Plus requires a customized quote. Chef Infra Client 19.x is listed as the current LTS release, while 18.x is deprecated and earlier versions are end of life.
ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus
ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus automates patch management from scanning and assessment through deployment and reporting. It manages patches for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and the vendor says it can deploy updates for more than 1,100 third-party applications, including Adobe, Java, and WinRAR. Administrators can form test groups, test patches, and automatically approve them for production. Real-time audits and reports show patch compliance and endpoint patch status. The Free edition is listed for up to 20 workstations and five servers; the trial runs for 30 days and requires no credit card. Edition differences matter: antivirus definition updates, driver and BIOS updates, and automated patch testing and approval are unavailable in Professional but shown in Enterprise and Free. Enterprise is described as suitable for WAN patching and includes distribution server support for bandwidth optimization. Listed prices include Professional cloud at $34.50 a month and Enterprise cloud at $44.50 a month. Professional on-premises costs $245 a year; Enterprise on-premises costs $345 a year.