DriverMax vs PC HelpSoft Driver Updater

DriverMax scans Windows PCs for devices with newer drivers and shows reports on how driver packages performed on other machines. Its catalogue covers more than 2,300,000 devices. Driver matching considers hardware and compatible IDs, driver date, declared operating system, and performance reports. Before installation, it archives the current driver and creates a Windows restore point; it can also back up and restore drivers. Packages are checked for threats and signatures, with signing status shown before installation. Scheduled background scans are included in both Free and PRO. The free plan allows unlimited scanning, backup, and restore, but limits installations to two per day and ten per month. Paid plans remove that limit and start at $4.95 per month. DriverMax 18 supports Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, and 7 in 32-bit and 64-bit editions, plus corresponding Windows Server editions. During scanning, hardware identifiers leave the PC for lookup. The app lets users contact support and review or untick application logs and Windows details before sending.

PC HelpSoft Driver Updater finds and installs drivers for Windows PCs and laptops, supporting Windows 10 and 11. Smart Update compares installed drivers with packages for computer components and peripherals, while scans look for missing, corrupt, or outdated drivers. Supported hardware includes printers, scanners, audio devices, cameras, Bluetooth equipment, and keyboards. The product page says its database contains over 1 million continuously updated drivers. Installed drivers can be backed up to a compressed ZIP file for export and later reinstallation. Scans can run weekly or monthly, and restore-point tools can return the system to an earlier point after driver problems. Junk cleanup, a startup manager, and scheduled maintenance are included. The free version scans and finds updates online. The Full version costs $3 a month, billed monthly, with automatic updates and one year of technical support.