Google Cloud VM Manager vs PatchMon
Google Cloud VM Manager
cloud.google.com
PatchMon
patchmon.netSide by side
| Figure | Google Cloud VM Manager | PatchMon |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $1/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 6 |
| Spec score · Patch Management Software | 8.8 (#4) | 9.0 (#3) |
| Spec score · IT Automation Software | 8.7 (#13) | 8.9 (#8) |
| Access control | Creating patch jobs or OS policy assignments requires IAM permissions that Google says can grant the ability to run code on VMs; Google recommends least privilege. | The platform includes built-in and custom RBAC, OIDC/SSO, TOTP 2FA, session management and audit logging. |
| Company founding | Gartner Peer Insights lists Google as founded in 1998 and headquartered in Mountain View, California. | LinkedIn lists PatchMon as founded in 2025. |
| Compliance | Google Cloud lists auditor-validated offerings including ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, SOC 1, SOC 2, SOC 3, PCI DSS, FedRAMP, and HIPAA-related resources. | PatchMon supports OpenSCAP CIS benchmark scans with per-rule results, severity, remediation guidance, and score tracking. |
| Documentation depth | The documentation includes overview, setup, operating-system details, patch guides, policy guides, troubleshooting, API reference links, Terraform guides, quotas, and release-note links. | The documentation set includes a 168-page Admin Guide, 207-page Operator Guide and 128-page API and Integrations Guide. |
| Integrations | VM Manager works with the Google Cloud console, Google Cloud CLI, direct OS Config API calls, and Terraform resources. | Documented integrations include Discord, getHomepage, Ansible and Proxmox LXC auto-enrollment. |
| Patch controls | Patch jobs can use one-time or recurring schedules, selected patch approvals, and pre- and post-patching scripts. | Patch policies support immediate, delayed, or fixed-time schedules, dry-run validation, approval workflows, and per-host or host-group assignment. |
| Public API | Patch deployments are initiated through the VM Manager API, also called the OS Config API. | PatchMon publishes versioned REST APIs with an embedded OpenAPI browser and scoped credentials using Basic Authentication. |
| Purpose | VM Manager manages operating systems for large Windows and Linux VM fleets running on Compute Engine. | PatchMon provides a central dashboard for patch monitoring across Linux, FreeBSD, and Windows fleets. |
| Support | Google Cloud support packages include options such as 24/7 coverage, phone support and access to a technical support manager; VM Manager questions can also be posted to Stack Overflow. | Cloud support channels vary by tier: Starter includes email and Discord, Plus adds Slack, and Max also includes phone support. |
| What it does | VM Manager is a Google Cloud suite for managing Windows and Linux operating systems across large Compute Engine VM fleets. | PatchMon centralizes patch monitoring, patch deployment, compliance and remote access for Linux, FreeBSD and Windows fleets. |
Plans
Google Cloud VM Manager
- Free tierFree
- Usage-based VM ManagerFree
- VM ManagerFree
PatchMon
- Community EditionFree
- Community EditionFree
- Starter$1 a month
- Plus$2 a month
- Max$3 a month
- PROPriced on request
In their own words
Google Cloud VM Manager
Google Cloud VM Manager manages operating systems across Windows and Linux VM fleets running on Compute Engine. Its tools cover patch management, OS inventory and OS policies. Patch jobs apply updates on demand or on a schedule, report compliance, and can use selected approvals and pre- or post-patching scripts. OS inventory collects hostnames, OS and kernel versions, installed packages, available updates, Windows applications and OS vulnerabilities. OS policies centralize software configuration deployment, maintenance and reporting. Teams can use the Google Cloud console, Google Cloud CLI or OS Config API; Terraform can extend scope across projects. The service supports projects inside VPC Service Controls perimeters, but patch jobs operate on VMs in one project at a time. A free tier covers 100 VMs per Cloud Billing account per month, and limited-functionality mode is available at no cost for unlimited VMs. After the free tier, the listed charge is $0.003 per hour per VM with an active OS Config agent.
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.