Our favorite free software update programs for 2024: Install one of these free tools, and it will first automatically identify all your programs and then determine if an update is available. After that, based on the application that has an update, it will direct you to the latest version on the developer's site or perhaps update your Windows software on your behalf! All these options are free, but some offer additional paid features.
Our favorite free software update programs for 2024
Here’s a list of our top favorite free software update programs for 2024.
1. Patch My PC Updater
What we like
Easy to identify outdated software
Installs updates for you
Can be scheduled to run automatically
Updates hundreds of programs
What we don’t like
The interface isn’t as user-friendly as most other update tools.
We start our list of the best free software update programs for 2024 with Patch My PC, my personal favorite, not only because it’s fully portable but also because it installs software patches without any clicks or manual checks for updates!
It’s easy to quickly distinguish between already updated applications and outdated ones. You can update them all at once, or you can uncheck the applications you don’t want to patch (you can let the scheduled automatic updates handle that for you).
There are plenty of optional settings you can enable, such as disabling silent installs, enabling beta updates, forcing programs to close before updating, and many more. It can also serve as a simple tool for uninstalling software.
The only thing I don’t like about it is that the user interface isn’t as intuitive as what some other programs on this list offer, but still, don’t miss out on trying this tool.
Some things I really love: it works very quickly, can be run from a flash drive, and truly supports automatic updates. And these are, of course, the most important things I look for in a software updater. The program works with all versions of Windows.
2. UniGetUI
What we like
Modern and easy-to-understand user interface.
Bulk updates for various programs.
Automatically updates applications on a schedule (no user intervention needed).
Many useful customization options.
Can be installed or used as a portable program.
What we don’t like
It’s more than just a software updater (it might feel overwhelming).
This program differs from others on this list because it’s essentially just a user interface for managing software published through various package managers - Winget, Scoop, Chocolatey, Pip, and NPM.
It’s fine if you’re not familiar with these package managers. You don’t need to think about any of them when using this program. Once you open UniGetUI (formerly known as WingetUI), you’ll get a simple list of all compatible programs on your computer that you can update through this program.
UniGetUI is actually a great program. Here are some features I particularly like: updating multiple programs at once, bypassing prompts so you can update with one click, automatically checking for updates on a schedule (and even automatically updating packages), ignoring specific programs so you’re not notified about updates, discovering new applications you might want to install, and removing programs you no longer want, plus you can install an older version of a program.
And while this isn’t necessarily related to application updates, this program can also import and export packages so you can easily install them in the future. It works on Windows 11 and Windows 10. You can install it on your computer or use it as a portable software updater.
3. IObit Software Updater
What we like
Extremely easy to use
In-app updates (no need for a browser)
Bulk download and update
Recommends other software
What we don’t like
Display features are only available if you pay
Only two updates per day
Tries to install unrelated software during setup
May display annoying pop-ups to install other IObit applications
IObit has a simple and user-friendly software updater that includes almost all the features you need. It works with over 700 programs.
The program supports individual updates and bulk updates. Automatic updates and updating more than two programs per day are only available in the paid version.
In the settings, there are options for how often IObit Software Updater should check for new updates for itself; it can update automatically or just notify you when updates are available.
4. Heimdal Free
What we like
Fully automatic (scanning, downloading, and updating)
Settings can be customized to your preferences
Recommends downloading new software
What we don’t like
Displays many features that only paying users can benefit from
Heimdal Free is useful if you want to directly update your important software. This program will automatically and silently download and install patches when necessary.
It can run in automatic mode to keep all compatible programs updated automatically, or you can choose a custom setup.
The custom setup allows you to select which installed programs to monitor for updates and which programs to update automatically. This means you can have Heimdal Free monitor some programs without updating them, or not monitor or update some at all; it’s entirely up to you.
By default, it checks for updates every few hours. It also includes recommended programs and makes them just a click away.
This program has the unique feature of checking and updating programs automatically, but it’s not very user-friendly. However, you won’t need to open the program often because it will do everything in the background, so you can install it and forget about it.
Heimdal can automatically update many programs, but the free version does not include professional features like malware detection and website blocking.
5. UCheck
What we like
Portable version available.
Bulk download and installation of updates.
Includes other useful tools.
What we don’t like
Some features you see are not free to use.
UCheck can update over 250 programs, scanning quickly and being easy to use, and it doesn’t make you open your web browser even once to get updates.
Just look for outdated programs, check the box at the top to select all outdated programs, and then choose the update button. All available updates will be downloaded one by one and then installed automatically.
You can also download and install updates individually if you prefer not to update a specific program for any reason. There’s a Windows update option in the settings that you can enable to see Windows operating system updates in UCheck as well. The program also includes an uninstaller tool.
Exclusions, scheduled scans, and changing the cache directory and some other features are available in the paid version.
6. UpdateHub
What we like
Extremely easy to use
Not cluttered with other tools
Quickly checks for updates
What we don’t like
Missing features found in similar programs
UpdateHub is a free software updater that is easy to use and not confusing at all. There are only a few tabs on the left side of the program and just two options in the settings.
You can clearly see the current version number of the application next to the latest version number so you can decide whether to update. If not, it’s easy to ignore any update.
One thing I like is that you can select a potential update to see its download size, as well as view the release date of the update. I also like that the settings allow you to switch the installation mode to silent (versus interactive), which lets me spend less time updating the application since I don’t have to click through the setup wizard. However, this program does not support bulk updates.
This program updates Windows software on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
7. Software Informer
What we like
Can check for updates every 30 minutes
Supports a large number of applications
Downloads the software for you
