Atera vs Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance comparison

Atera and Cisco are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Atera is ranked #39 with an average rating of 9.8, while Cisco is ranked #47 with an average rating of 8.0. Atera holds a 0.6% mindshare in NMS, compared to Cisco’s 0.7% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Atera users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

Atera

Read 16 Atera reviews

6,288 Views
1,886 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Cisco Provider Connectivity...

Read 24 Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance reviews

5,193 Views
3,012 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Atera

Cisco Provider Connectivity...

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Atera and Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Network Monitoring Software solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Atera vs. Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance Report (Updated: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Atera vs. Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance

June 2026

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Helped 903,067 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Atera

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

39th

Average Rating

9.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Help Desk Software (11th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (37th), IT Service Management (ITSM) (10th), Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) (5th), Patch Management (11th), AIOps (22nd), Agentic Automation (8th)

Cisco Provider Connectivity...

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

47th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (40th)

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Atera is 0.6%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance is 0.7%, down from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Atera	0.6%
Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance	0.7%
Other	98.7%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

Ning Chane

IT Manager at Telstra

Remote monitoring has streamlined endpoint management and consistently reduced ticket resolution time

The best features Atera offers include the per-technician pricing, which is honestly one of the biggest things. Unlimited endpoints for a flat monthly fee per tech is a model that makes sense for us, since we are not paying more every time we add a new endpoint. The AI Copilot feature has been a nice addition that helps our techs summarize tickets and suggest fixes faster, which has cut our resolution times noticeably. The AI Copilot feature has specifically helped my team because the automation handles a lot of the routine work, such as patch deployments, maintenance tasks, and monitoring alerts. Atera has positively impacted my organization by transforming how our team operates day-to-day, and the pricing model is hard to beat. The outcomes or metrics showing how Atera has made a positive impact include the 30% reduction in ticket resolution time I mentioned earlier.

Read full review

Pifu Lin

Senior System Engineer at DYNASAFE TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD.

Addresses connectivity issues with real-time monitoring while offering good local support

I had prepared for COC and the client. I work as a vendor for a client using Flow Mount for network performance monitoring. I focus on resolving client-side issues related to Packy Performance and quality use. This involves addressing network device issues, specifically Cisco network devices One…

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Atera has helped me to provide more accurate solutions based on a given problem."

"There are a lot fewer hardware replacements. Once people migrated from old style hard disks over to SSDs, you have things like hard disks filling up faster. So, I run a script to clear out all the waste, e.g., all the temporary files and downloads. A lot of our business runs through a custom web application that we built. This involves people downloading a lot of PDFs and Excel files, and not just having them sitting in folders. With Atera, I can just go through and clean the temporary files out."

"Atera has saved our organization money; we look at Atera as an extra employee that we only pay about $300 a month, which is incredible savings over having to hire somebody to do all the tasks that Atera performs for us."

"Atera has helped me to provide more accurate solutions based on a given problem. For example, we base our solutions on event scenarios, like the alerts. We identify that there's a series of problems occurring in a particular area from the information provided by the alerts."

"Atera has saved us a lot of time."

"Atera saves money. A trip to the customer costs between $20 to $30. Then, you need to charge the customer $20 to $30 for the travel. However, if you are doing this work remotely, then you are not driving. This makes the process easier and saves money for you and the customer. For example, if it is just one machine, then the savings comes out to $50 to $60. If we are talking about a huge client, who has hundreds of machines and is changing their infrastructure, that is a lot of money."

"Pricing is definitely my favorite part of it. It is also extremely easy to use."

"It is reliable, and when it is working, it works without issues."

More Atera pros

"Thanks to Skylight we have a tool for this kind of investigation and it has reduced our mean time to respond by at least 50 percent."

"I think the analytics features are okay. My customer also likes the interface, the GUI, because it's easy to operate."

"We have found this to be a very valuable toolset, and has paid for itself several times over."

"This solution has helped to improve the interaction between our network, datacenter, and application teams. I have used other tools, but this tool can pinpoint the root cause of my application or network issue in the majority of the cases. So, it helps different divisions or groups in the IT department to troubleshoot together and get an issue resolved. This tool helps a lot in our day-to-day networking application and IT operations."

"I like this product because it is easy to use and it allows us to have a realistic vision of what is going on at the heart of our network."

"The performance of Accedian Skylight is better than other vendors."

"The solution’s UI and single pane of glass is good. The new dashboard is modern with its new design. The look of it is not pretty, but it is efficient, which is good. It is user-friendly; you can find what you need on the interface quickly."

"Ease of use; can literally diagnose an issue in about four clicks."

More Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance pros

Cons

"It will be interesting if Atera can integrate all kinds of products. In North America, there are a lot of resellers, like Ingram Micro, Tech Data, Arrow Electronics, etc. It would be amazing if Atera could integrate with these products. If they could integrate with these products for MSPs, it would be much easier. Then, if you are buying something, and need to add something, you don't need to jump from place to place because this is a very quick sales instrument for use on a daily basis."

"I would like to see more mobile device management. iPad is a big one."

"Customization could be improved."

"The one thing that could do with improvement is the reporting. This is from someone who worked in an MSP, where I would want to run a report and be able to just present that to a client."

"I also use Apple Zoho, which does not require you to download anything. You can get help from Zoho. Atera, on the other hand, requires you to download an applet."

"I would like to see more mobile device management. iPad is a big one. I know they've been working on some of that. For me, it would be amazing if I could do tablet devices and even expand it to POS systems or the like. I know that a lot goes into that but I've seen it is an area they're looking at."

"The solution is scalable. However, in the past, we did have some issues."

"The billing module has a standard layout which is too limited for my needs."

More Atera cons

"For the PVX, they are in the process of getting the results to export to cloud and SaaS for analytics. They told me that this will happen later this year. Right now, for the most part, I create that data myself."

"Some of the Skylight applications are a little newer, and they're still moving through initial revs. There are certain bugs, but nothing is insurmountable... It will just take a little bit of time for their user interface to get a little bit better."

"If you want a new version, you go to the website. The hardest part is finding the link, where is that .bin file? Sometimes it's pretty hidden in a document... it's hidden in the release notes or in another file somewhere. And it's usually not on the first page either."

"It needs the possibility to export data because it is not easy to see larger data sets, e.g., for one month. It would be interesting to export data into a PDF or dashboard to keep a history of the situation."

"I would like to see some improvements in parts of their synthetic transactions, which includes all the latency, jitter, and throughput. I would like to see some Layer 7 analytics in there. I want to be able to do a DNS request, HTTP GET request, or even SIP call point-to-point or via registration."

"Combination with Avaya switches pose some problems."

"Pricing is a little bit expensive."

"Because of the policies in Vietnam, we cannot connect the system to the Accedian cloud. It would be good if Accedian could provide a local cloud. In the next release, I would like them to focus on improving and adding more reporting features. This will help the operations teams."

More Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution cost approximately $200 Canadian per month."

"Atera's pricing stays fixed and predictable, enabling us to add more customers and unlimited monitored devices. We still have a number of clients who fit a break/fix IT model. This is something where clients are complaining more about having to pay extra month-by-month for technology services. With Atera's model, we don't have to be going out and asking for more from clients each month. Right now, with where we are at in terms of scale, this is very important to us."

"The value of the product is perfect, neither cheap nor expensive. I think it is the right rate. It would be awesome if it continued to be the same price because it is a great solution that I like. I like it because I'm not paying per device. I have some customers on monthly contracts and some of them are on break'n fix. If I have a client who is on break'n fix, and they need to pay per agent, then I am losing money. If they were ever to change structures, going to pay-per-device model, then I would need to think about changing to something else."

"The price is reasonable for what we require."

"Our company is a startup. The initial reason I looked into Atera was the fact that you pay by the technician, not per-device. That means you are able to jump right in with a service without having a large overhead."

"It comes with unlimited devices, so the fixed price cost is taken out of my budget. So, I'm all good."

"With Atera, the more you add, the cheaper the cost of the additional endpoints will be."

"In terms of cost, it's not very expensive. I’d rate it around three or four out of ten, considering its value for money."

More Atera pricing and cost advice

"If you look into Riverbed, it's a licensing nightmare. You need to pay for every type of analysis... If you don't look into licensing, Riverbed and SolarWinds are pretty comparable. But if you look into licensing it would not be smart to go for either of them. On the pure, bare-metal basis, it's the same. But when you get the bare metal and a few basic licenses, then you need all those other licenses just to be sure that there's no issue... One of the great things about Skylight is you have them all, and you actually need them all."

"The price is competitive overall, depending on the type of customer."

"We understand there's a significant cost difference, but have yet to investigate fully."

"It provides value and the cost is not huge."

"The pricing is cheaper than other competing products, which is better for our budgets."

"The pricing of Accedian Skylight is really good. The sensors are low cost. Their model to analytics for sensors is by license, endpoint, or session. With the probes for their analytics, if they get deployed virtually, they are free. The licensing is only based on flows. So, you can effectively deploy probes everywhere in your network. Then, if you want to look at a specific type of traffic, you can enter into it with a very low cost license. You can just use things like spam ports, mirrors, TAPs, and aggregators to optimize what sort of traffic you send to these analysis tools. Then, if you want to start looking at more, you can up your licensed as you go. You are not getting forced into expensive appliances or subscription models."

"It's not for free, clearly. But on the other hand, it offers very interesting functionality. We pay around €100,000."

"Pricing is a little bit expensive."

More Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	14
Large Enterprise	1

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	14
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	9

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Atera?

The prices have increased over time. After expressing concerns about pricing to account managers, they offered a 30% discount option for annual commitments. The main benefit we see with this produc...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Atera?

Reporting is probably the main frustration. Some of the more advanced reports are locked behind higher pricing tiers, which feels restrictive. Atera can be improved in that the remote access can al...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Atera?

My main use case for Atera is remote monitoring and management across all our endpoints. We have devices spread across multiple sites, so having one platform where we can see everything, push patch...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Accedian Skylight?

Human resource costs can be high when dealing with connection issues. I require more tools to file and resolve these issues efficiently.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Accedian Skylight?

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Accedian Skylight?

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Atera

June 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance

June 2026

Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance report

Download Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance product report

Also Known As

No data available

Accedian Skylight, Accedian SkyLIGHT PVX, SkyLIGHT PVX, SecurActive, Performance Vision

Overview

Atera provides advanced tools for remote monitoring, automation, and ticketing, offering an intuitive design and competitive pricing that supports managed service providers with monitoring, alerts, and system management.

Atera stands out with its automation, remote access, and smooth integration capabilities like PowerShell commands, TeamViewer, and Splashtop. Its monitoring and alert systems allow IT professionals to preemptively address issues, enhancing productivity with features such as a robust ticketing system, patch management, and scripting tools. Cross-platform compatibility and collaboration tools streamline IT operations. Despite its strengths, Atera requires enhancements in identity access management, chat features, mobile device management, third-party integrations, customizable reports, and more detailed role management for technicians. A renewed interface and improved network and cloud service monitoring are desired. Users also look for seamless management across diverse platforms, particularly under connectivity issues.

What are Atera's key features?

Automation: Streamlines processes with powerful automation capabilities.
Remote Access: Facilitates easy access to client machines for issue resolution.
Intuitive Interface: User-friendly design enhances efficiency.
Integration: Seamless TeamViewer and Splashtop integration.
Monitoring: Effective monitoring and alert systems preempt issues.
Ticketing System: Boosts productivity with efficient workflow management.
Patch Management: Ensures systems are always up-to-date.
Scripting: Powerful tools for automation and task execution.

What benefits and ROI should users consider?

Efficiency: Automation and scripting enhance task management.
Cost-effective: Combines robust features with competitive pricing.
Scalability: Cross-platform compatibility supports business growth.
Productivity: Monitoring and alerts optimize resource allocation.

Atera is widely used by managed service providers and IT support companies to enhance efficiency in industries such as manufacturing and construction. It provides remote monitoring, automation, and comprehensive IT management, ensuring seamless integration with different products and systems for broad site coverage. Businesses leverage Atera's RMM, PSA, ticketing, and IT automation features to improve operational efficiency and responsiveness.

Atera

Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance is known for its user-friendly approach to network analysis and performance monitoring. It excels in real-time diagnostics, helping organizations quickly resolve network issues and optimize performance effortlessly.

Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance focuses on comprehensive network troubleshooting and performance monitoring, assisting in identifying bottlenecks and analyzing applications. Real-time data collection and evaluation ensure IT infrastructure efficiency. With active monitoring of latency, jitter, and throughput, users maintain smooth operations across multiple sites and applications. While highly effective, improvements in data handling, protocol support, and dashboard aesthetics are suggested to enhance user experience.

What are the key features of Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance?

Flow Matrices: Advanced analysis of network paths and traffic distribution.
SQL and DNS Analysis: In-depth insights into database and domain queries for troubleshooting.
Bandwidth Assessment: Evaluation of network capacity and utilization for performance optimization.
Real-time TWAMP Monitoring: Tracks network performance using Two-Way Active Measurement Protocol.
Application Performance Modules: Monitors the performance of various applications and services.
Customizable Dashboards: Personalized views for tracking critical network metrics and trends.
PCAP Capturing: Detailed packet analysis using tools like Wireshark for deeper insights.

What benefits and ROI should users look for in reviews?

Ease of Use: Intuitive design allowing users to swiftly diagnose network issues.
Comprehensive Monitoring: Enhanced visibility of network activity for better control.
Performance Efficiency: Optimization of throughput, reducing downtimes and improving service delivery.
Cost-Effectiveness: Balances features and functionality with competitive pricing for better ROI.

In industries such as telecommunications and finance, where network reliability is crucial, Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance offers critical network performance insights. It supports high-demand environments by providing data-driven decisions, ensuring infrastructures handle increased loads efficiently.

Cisco

Sample Customers

MSPs, IT consultants, and IT departments worldwide trust and use Atera.

T-Systems, Thomson Reuters, Bordeaux Metropole, CGI, Citadelle Regional Hospital Center, Lorraine Institute of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Groupe BPCE, Group S, Splitpoint, Horus-Net, Audatex, Indexis, Province de Liège, EASI, Spie Batignolles, Faymonville

Buyer's Guide

Atera vs. Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance

June 2026

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