Product feature comparison

We offer two ways to automate your Windows device management: PDQ Deploy & Inventory and PDQ Connect. Learn about their features and key differences to help you decide which best suits your needs. 

Connect & PDQ Comparison image

Network and system requirements

PRODUCT CAPABILITY

Connect

Deploy & Inventory

Agent based 
Uses an agent to connect to devices; does not use the local network. 

yes

no

Agentless over network 
Works without an agent by using the local area network/VPN. 

no

yes

Ability to see non-Windows devices 
Displays non-Windows on network devices such as printers. 

Not yet

Limited

Airgap support (no internet required) 
Can be used in environments without access to public internet. 

no

yes

Requires agent installed on target devices 
Admin must install the agent on target devices to manage them. 

yes

no

Windows support 
Supports these Windows versions on targeted computers. 

Windows 11, 10, Windows Server 2016 and higher 

Windows 11, 10, Server 2012x and higher 


Product pricing

PRODUCT PRICING

Connect

Deploy & Inventory

Pricing

Per device

Per admin

Free trial 
Can try product
out before purchasing. 

14 days

14 days


Packages and deployments

PRODUCT CAPABILITY

Connect

Deploy & Inventory

Manual application deployment 
Can manually push a package or application to devices.

yes

yes

PDQ Package Library 
Can use packages offered in the PDQ Package Library.

yes

yes

Deploy / Run install as 
Can specify which user to run as when running a script or deployment.

Local system, logged on user

Deploy user, local system, logged on user

View Deployment Logs 
Can view deployment logs, including success and failure information. 

yes

yes


Custom packages

PRODUCT CAPABILITY

Connect

Deploy & Inventory

Ability to create custom packages 
Upload custom packages with custom steps to deploy apps and run code.

yes

yes

Package step: Install

yes

yes

Package step: PowerShell

yes

yes

Package step: Command

yes

yes

Package step: Nested package

yes

yes

Package step: File copy

yes

yes

Package step: Scan

Not yet

yes

Package step: Reboot

yes

yes

Package step: Sleep

Not yet

yes

Package step: Message

Not yet

yes

Package step: Logoff

Not yet

yes

Silent/custom parameters 
Allows for setting parameters on app installations like silent installing. 

yes

yes

Success codes 
Can set custom success or failure codes for deployments.

yes

yes


Device inventory

PRODUCT CAPABILITY

Connect

Deploy & Inventory

Collection / Group library 
Default out-of-the-box, most common device collections / groups. 

yes

yes

Custom collections / Groups 
Can create saved custom collections or device groups. 

yes

yes

Dynamic collections / Groups 
Can create a dynamic list of devices that changes as devices change. 

yes

yes

Static collections / Groups 
Can build a static list of devices that does not change. 

yes

yes

Software variables
Default out-of-the-box dynamic values such as latest version. 

yes

yes

Custom variables 
Can create and store custom values for repeated use. 

yes

yes


Automatic package deployment

PRODUCT CAPABILITY

Connect

Deploy & Inventory

Automatic package deployment 
Can automatically deploy a package to targeted devices or collections/groups.

yes

yes

Deploy once 
Deploys the package one time at a scheduled time.

yes

yes

Deploy at set interval 
Allows configuring automated deployments on set intervals (daily, weekly, etc.)

yes

yes

Immediate deploy (heartbeat) 
Immediately runs when the device comes online. (Non-scheduled — just runs.)

yes

yes

Schedule notifications 
Notifies an individual via email when a schedule runs.

Not yet

yes


Reporting

PRODUCT CAPABILITY

Connect

Deploy & Inventory

Generate reports 
Can create reports using inventory information. 

yes

yes

Email reports 
Can schedule reports to be sent via email on a set schedule. 

yes

yes

Export report 
Can export a report to a CSV file. 

yes

yes


Security

PRODUCT CAPABILITY

Connect

Deploy & Inventory

User-based access control 
Controls who can and cannot use the product through user permissions.

yes

no

SSO & two-factor authentication 
Protects access to managing devices through SSO and two-factor authentication.

yes

no

Role-based access control (RBAC) 
Controls who can do what within the product. 

yes

no

Stores username/passwords 
Uses Windows credentials to scan and access devices. 

Not yet

yes


Tools

Note: Tools will be incorporated into Connect as new packages and features. Some tools that are on-prem specific are unlikely to be incorporated into Connect.

PRODUCT CAPABILITY

Connect

Deploy & Inventory

Tool actions 
Can use preprogrammed scripts to run common actions on devices. 

Not yet

yes

Event viewer

Not yet

yes

Manage with MMC

N/A

yes

Reboot / shutdown

Not yet

yes

Remote assist

Not yet

yes

Remote desktop

Not yet

yes

Run command

yes

yes

VNC

N/A

yes

Wake-on-LAN

N/A

yes

Custom tools 
Can create and save scripts to run custom actions on devices. 

Not yet

yes


Other

PRODUCT CAPABILITY

Connect

Deploy & Inventory

Custom scanners 
Can create custom scanners that can look at files or outputs to find devices. 

yes

yes

AD integration 
Can import and organize devices based on Microsoft Active Directory. 

Not yet

yes

Entra ID (Azure AD) integration
Organize devices based on Microsoft Entra ID domain information.

yes

no

Public API
Ability to integrate with other platforms.

yes

no


FAQs

Will PDQ Deploy & Inventory eventually be replaced by PDQ Connect?

PDQ Deploy & Inventory aren’t going anywhere! We know that they are much beloved products and continue to be the right fit for many organizations. We love them, too, and are continuing to invest in them.

How do these products integrate?

PDQ Deploy & Inventory are designed and sold as integrated products. While installed separately, they work together — target Inventory created collections straight from Deploy, and vice versa.

PDQ Connect is a separate product and doesn’t integrate with PDQ Deploy & Inventory.

Still have questions?