Foreman vs PatchMon
Foreman
theforeman.org
PatchMon
patchmon.netSide by side
| Figure | Foreman | PatchMon |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $1/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 6 |
| Spec score · IT Automation Software | 8.8 (#10) | 8.9 (#8) |
| Access control | Foreman provides role-based access control and can use LDAP or FreeIPA for authentication and authorization. | The platform includes built-in and custom RBAC, OIDC/SSO, TOTP 2FA, session management and audit logging. |
| Architecture | A typical Foreman deployment contains a Foreman server, Smart Proxy servers, and managed hosts. | The server is a Go binary with embedded React/Vite UI and uses PostgreSQL 17 plus Redis 7 for queued jobs. |
| Purpose | Foreman is an open-source tool for managing servers through provisioning, configuration, orchestration, and monitoring. | PatchMon provides a central dashboard for patch monitoring across Linux, FreeBSD, and Windows fleets. |
| Support | Community support is available through the Discourse support board and a public Matrix room; the project says its support room is not an official support channel. | Cloud support channels vary by tier: Starter includes email and Discord, Plus adds Slack, and Max also includes phone support. |
Plans
PatchMon
- Community EditionFree
- Community EditionFree
- Starter$1 a month
- Plus$2 a month
- Max$3 a month
- PROPriced on request
In their own words
Foreman
Foreman is a free, open-source lifecycle management tool for physical and virtual servers. System administrators can use it to automate repetitive tasks, deploy applications, and manage on-premise or cloud systems. It provisions bare-metal machines and resources from providers including Amazon EC2, Google Compute Engine, OpenStack, Libvirt, oVirt, and VMware. Configuration integrations include Puppet, Ansible, Chef, and Salt; Foreman also collects Ansible reports and facts. Administrators can work through a web frontend, REST API, or Linux CLI, including Hammer CLI access to API calls. Role-based access control and integrations such as LDAP, FreeIPA, and Microsoft Active Directory support access management. Host groups, bulk management, health reports, and audits help organize systems and review changes. A typical deployment has a Foreman server, Smart Proxy servers, and managed hosts. The quickstart lists Enterprise Linux 9, Debian 12 and 13, and Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04, and requires 4 GB of memory. Installation configures multiple system components, and setup requires Linux system administration knowledge.
PatchMon
PatchMon provides a central dashboard for patch monitoring across Linux, FreeBSD, and Windows server fleets. Policies can schedule patches immediately, after a delay, or at a fixed time, with dry-run validation, approval workflows, and assignment by host or host group. Automated patch deployment is available on Linux and FreeBSD; Windows deployment is on the roadmap. Patch runs record who triggered and approved them, timestamps, policy details, affected packages, and command output. OpenSCAP CIS benchmark scans include per-rule results, severity, remediation guidance, and score tracking. Listed integrations span Proxmox LXC, Ansible, Docker, REST API, OpenSCAP, SSH, Windows RDP, and messaging and AI services. Monitoring agents connect outbound over WebSocket, use TLS in transit, and do not require root for monitoring operations. The free Community Edition is self-hosted under AGPLv3, with users responsible for the server, updates, backups, and uptime. Cloud plans start at $1 a month per endpoint. Cloud trials last 14 days, include Plus features, require a card at signup, and are not charged if cancelled before they end.