Best Application Control Plus Alternatives ranked by AI · updated Aug 2026

Application Control Plus is a centralized Windows application-control and privilege-management product for restricting software execution and user elevation. It targets IT teams that want allowlisting, application blocking, and managed privilege policies through a web console.

Developer: ManageEngine Price: Free edition available; paid plans are quote-based 🎯 manageengine.com/application-control

Top 6 Application Control Plus alternatives

1

Applocker

Microsoft

AppLocker is a Windows application-control feature that lets IT administrators define which executables, scripts, installers, and packaged apps users may run. It...

Pros

  • Built into supported Windows Enterprise, Education, and Server editions
  • Uses publisher, path, hash, and user or group-based rules
  • Integrates with Windows Group Policy and event logging

Cons

  • Less sophisticated cloud management than dedicated application-control platforms
  • Rule maintenance can become labor-intensive in large environments
  • Limited cross-platform support compared with commercial competitors

Included with supported Windows editions

3 VoodooShield CyberLock logo

CyberLock is a Windows application-control tool that blocks untrusted executables and scripts from running. It is aimed at home users and small...

Pros

  • Blocks unknown executables before they run
  • Lightweight compared with many managed endpoint platforms
  • Can protect against ransomware variants that evade signatures

Cons

  • Windows-focused with no comparable macOS or Linux client
  • Manual trust decisions can interrupt software installation and updates
  • Fewer reporting and policy-management features than ThreatLocker or Airlock Digital

Windows Defender Application Control is Microsoft's policy-based application and code-integrity control for Windows devices. It is aimed at security teams that need...

Pros

  • Provides stronger code-integrity enforcement than AppLocker
  • Supports signed-code and managed-installer policies
  • Integrates with Microsoft security and device-management tooling

Cons

  • More complex to design, test, and troubleshoot than AppLocker
  • Policy deployment can require Intune, Configuration Manager, or custom tooling
  • Primarily focused on modern Windows environments

Included with supported Windows editions

5

ThreatLocker

ThreatLocker

ThreatLocker is a cloud-managed endpoint security platform with application allowlisting, ringfencing, storage control, and elevation management. It is built for managed service...

Pros

  • Adds application ringfencing beyond basic executable allowlisting
  • Centralized cloud console supports distributed endpoints
  • Provides temporary elevation and storage-control features

Cons

  • Higher cost than Windows-native controls
  • Requires deployment and maintenance of an endpoint agent
  • Policy tuning can generate operational overhead
6

Airlock Digital

Airlock Digital

Airlock Digital is an enterprise application-control platform for allowlisting software on Windows endpoints and servers. It provides centralized policy management, certificate-based trust,...

Pros

  • Offers centralized policy management and approval workflows
  • Supports certificate, publisher, hash, and path-based controls
  • Designed for high-assurance enterprise and government environments

Cons

  • Commercial licensing costs more than AppLocker
  • Requires an agent and a separate management platform
  • Implementation is more involved than native Group Policy rules

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