Atera vs Microsoft Configuration Manager comparison

Atera and Microsoft are both solutions in the Patch Management category. Atera is ranked #11 with an average rating of 9.0, while Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.0. Atera holds a 3.7% mindshare in PM, compared to Microsoft’s 13.9% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Atera users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Atera

Read 15 Atera reviews

1,312 Views
125 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Microsoft Configuration Man...

Read 81 Microsoft Configuration Manager reviews

3,525 Views
1,117 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Atera

Microsoft Configuration Man...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 15, 2025

Microsoft Configuration Manager and Atera compete in the IT management market. Microsoft Configuration Manager seems to have the upper hand in enterprise-level capabilities, while Atera is favored for its pricing and ease of use suitable for smaller businesses.

Features: Microsoft Configuration Manager features extensive software deployment, patch management, and compliance reporting, making it ideal for large enterprises with complex IT infrastructures. It integrates well with other Microsoft services, enhancing its utility for managing detailed IT environments. Atera, on the other hand, offers a cross-platform solution with efficient real-time monitoring, automated tasks, and remote management, appealing to MSPs and startups looking for cost-effective solutions.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft Configuration Manager could benefit from reduced resource consumption and a simpler setup process. It also needs better automation and improved PowerShell integration to ease deployment and compliance reporting. Atera could improve its network monitoring capabilities, mobile device management, and offer better resale platform integration and customization in reporting.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Configuration Manager is often deployed in on-premises and hybrid cloud environments, with extensive support documentation and a robust user community, although support can be inconsistent. Atera's simplicity and cloud deployment capabilities are highlighted along with its strong customer service and responsive support, making it an attractive option for companies seeking straightforward solutions.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Configuration Manager's enterprise-level features come with a high cost, often tied to enterprise agreements and SQL licenses, which can deter smaller businesses despite its value for large organizations. Atera provides a simpler, subscription-based pricing model with unlimited devices per technician, delivering cost savings and scalability that offer a good ROI for smaller enterprises and startups.

To learn more, read our detailed Atera vs. Microsoft Configuration Manager Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Atera vs. Microsoft Configuration Manager

June 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 856,873 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 Patch Management

11th

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

8.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

IT Service Management (ITSM) (14th), Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) (4th)

Microsoft Configuration Man...

Ranking in Patch Management

1st

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Server Monitoring (7th), Configuration Management (4th)

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Patch Management category, the mindshare of Atera is 3.7%, down from 5.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Configuration Manager is 13.9%, down from 17.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Patch Management

Featured Reviews

James Clowes

IT Manager at Dynamic Bradview Roofing

Having fewer hardware replacements saves us in annual costs

There is a new version of the interface coming out. I have been asking for a new version for a while. While the interface is nice, I guess the developer thinks one way and the user thinks another. So, I think the interface is getting a big overhaul. This is what they have mentioned in their webinars and stuff. It is in beta, but I'm not on the beta program, so I haven't seen it. I can't really complain about the old interface, but now that I have heard there is a new one coming, all I want is the new one. 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. Reports are fine for internal use, where they never leave your company. However, if I was an MSP, I would probably want a little bit more information or the ability to customize some of it without having to edit PDFs.

Read full review

MikeNelson2

IT Infrastructure Coordinator at NSW Government

Deployment recovery works well but requires configuration improvements

While I do not use the product frequently, many issues were due to configuration rather than the product itself. I cannot give an exact recommendation as it is not my area of responsibility. The team that uses it finds it adequate. It is presently good enough for us not to investigate other options. Overall, I rate the product a six out of ten.

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

"I would say it's the number one tool for all ITMS."

"I have better access when I go to look for something regarding either a specific user or software. It is easier to locate. When I am troubleshooting with my clients on the phone, I am not fiddling around looking through a bunch of ticket notes trying to locate something. It makes me a lot more efficient."

"We value the alerts that come with the product which allow me to reach out to my clients. Overall, Atera generates additional revenue streams for work done on their machines."

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

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

"All of the features of Atera are valuable because they allow the customers to achieve their goals. It is easy to use, has good collaboration, and has zero maintenance."

"It's very easy to use, not just for me, but even for people who have claimed, "I'm not very good at IT." Once you have it installed and you have it set up, it pretty much works by itself. It really helps you do what you need to do. It's easy to use for a beginner, compared to some of the other larger RMMs that are a little bit more complicated."

"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."

More Atera pros

"It is a very good solution. It has a good interface and is easy to use. On top of that, it is very reliable in terms of distribution as well as getting the report."

"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager is the availability of being able to manage the Microsoft estate. It handles many areas, such as asset management and tracking."

"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager is it's incredibly simple to configure and execute changes in bulk, allowing for seamless deployment. With this solution, you can easily track the status of all modifications and send them with ease, making it a comprehensive and efficient solution for any necessary adjustments."

"We're a Microsoft-centric organization, so we are happy with the integration between products."

"The main, clear valuable feature is updating the latest, patches and updates from Windows. This is the main feature we really utilize a lot."

"It is a good choice for deployment that performs very well."

"I like a lot of the reporting capabilities and baseline configurations."

"Valuable features include configurations enforcement, compliance data gathering, and deployment of a standardized OS."

More Microsoft Configuration Manager pros

Cons

"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."

"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. 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 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."

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

"There is definitely room for improvement with its automation capabilities."

"Atera could be improved by adding more granular control over technician roles. We need more specific controls on what technicians can access, like limiting their ability to view certain sections or access devices and share files. This feature request has already been made. The IP asset management capabilities need improvement to better manage assets beyond just devices."

"It should improve its processes."

More Atera cons

"On some hardware, we'd like an easier way to get peripherals attached."

"The analysis is something that can be integrated. Their report analysis can be improved a little bit due to the fact that most of the time complaints policies are saved by the admins. It's something that we need to look into and search for."

"SCCM should strive to enhance the accuracy of its reporting functions in order to avoid any issues with incorrect or inaccurate data."

"I'm looking for a single solution for all discovery needs. It fulfills about 40% of the requirements, and I'd like to see the other 60% so that I don't have to keep doing this."

"Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager can improve by allowing us to schedule the scripts, we don't have a script scheduling option and have to do it manually."

"There should probably be better remote support. They should also continue to improve on patch management, patching, and creating or turning products in software into deployable apps."

"The configuration of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager could be improved, it is a bit complicated."

"The tool's deployment is difficult. Microsoft needs to improve documentation with videos."

More Microsoft Configuration Manager cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Pricing is my favorite part of it. It was per user, not per client."

"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."

"We pay per user. I am the only user. It is $150 per user. If I need to add one, it is not as costly as expanding with other providers."

"One of the biggest issues I face is the need to pay per technician. I've dealt with other platforms that you need to have 250-500 devices. Even though the cost declines as the number of devices a person has increases, they still require you to pay for 250 or 500, respectively. With Atera, the number doesn't matter as you always pay the same amount. I approximate that Atera saves me $100 per week."

"As an internal IT, it's gold right there. It is money in the bank."

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

"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."

"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."

More Atera pricing and cost advice

"The license price could be reduced for Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager They should make the price more affordable for smaller companies, most companies would be able to use the solution if it was priced better. There are more people on this cloud because you don't have to have either a server room or an on-premise server. You can have one IT person handle this without any local infrastructure."

"The price could be better."

"There is not a license needed to use the solution."

"The solution is expensive. Microsoft Configuration Manager would likely be considered high-priced for small businesses because they may not fully utilize all of its features and capabilities."

"The price of SCCM depends on the size of the organization. The price is competitive."

"I would rate the cost as eight out of ten."

"The price of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager is expensive."

"The price is competitive and reasonable."

More Microsoft Configuration Manager pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Patch Management solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

Retailer

Financial Services Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

11%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Atera?

Pricing is low. It costs around 149 bucks per month.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Atera?

It should improve its processes.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Atera?

Atera is integral to our daily operations. We use it for RMM, PSA, our ticket system, and contact with people. We also integrate it with different products.

See all answers

How does Ansible compare to Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (SCCM)?

Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager takes knowledge and research to properly configure. The length of time that the set up will take depends on the kind of technical architecture that your org...

See all answers

How to choose between ManageEngine Desktop Central and Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (formerly SCCM)?

ManageEngine Desktop Central is very easy to set up, is scalable, stable, and also has very good patch management. What I like most about ManageEngine is that I can log on to every PC very easily a...

See all answers

What do you like most about SCCM?

One of the standout features of SCCM is its application management capabilities. It allows us to create packages efficiently and deploy them to specific groups within our network. This streamlined ...

See all answers

Comparisons

NinjaOne vs Atera

Compared 23% of the time

Kaseya VSA vs Atera

Compared 15% of the time

N-able N-central vs Atera

Compared 10% of the time

ConnectWise Automate vs Atera

Compared 7% of the time

SuperOps.ai vs Atera

Compared 5% of the time

More Atera Competitors

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform vs Microsoft Configuration Manager

Compared 13% of the time

ManageEngine Endpoint Central vs Microsoft Configuration Manager

Compared 12% of the time

Tanium vs Microsoft Configuration Manager

Compared 8% of the time

BigFix vs Microsoft Configuration Manager

Compared 5% of the time

Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) vs Microsoft Configuration Manager

Compared 5% of the time

More Microsoft Configuration Manager Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Atera

June 2025

Download Atera product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Configuration Manager

May 2025

Download Microsoft Configuration Manager product report

Also Known As

No data available

Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM )

Overview

Atera offers a comprehensive solution for MSPs and IT Professionals. The platform provides in one integrated solution: full remote monitoring and management (RMM), PSA, remote access, patch management, billing, reports, and so much more! Atera’s disruptive pricing model also helps managed IT service providers scale their business while providing continued best-in-class service. All plans include unlimited devices, meaning you only pay per technician.Everything you need, in one easy-to-use platform

Thousands of paying users in over 75 countries
Free 30-day trial, no credit card or commitment required
No hidden fees or restrictions, all plans include unlimited devices
Seamless integration with your favorite IT tools including: Splashtop, AnyDesk, TeamViewer, and ScreenConnect

What can Atera do for you?

Improve Efficiency. Atera delivers customers the tool suite for IT management. Everything you need in an all-in-one, easy-to-use platform.
Automation. Set alerts and proactively prevent issues for your clients. Minimize time spent on manual tasks and spend more time on what matters most, serving your customers.
Disruptive Pricing, Unlimited Devices. Per technician-based pricing with unlimited servers and workstations means you can cover it all, at one fixed price.

Atera

Microsoft Configuration Manager helps IT manage PCs and servers, keeping software up-to-date, setting configuration and security policies, and monitoring system status while giving employees access to corporate applications on the devices that they choose. When Configuration Manager is integrated with Microsoft Intune, you can manage corporate-connected PCs and Macs along with cloud-based mobile devices running Windows, iOS, and Android, all from a single management console.

New features of Configuration Manager, such as the support of Windows 10 in-place upgrade, co-management with Microsoft Intune, Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise Servicing Dashboard, integration with Windows Update for Business, and more make deploying and managing Windows easier than ever before.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

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

Bank Alfalah Ltd., Wªrth Handelsges.m.b.H, Dimension Data, Japan Business Systems, St. Lucie County Public Schools, MISC Berhad

Buyer's Guide

Atera vs. Microsoft Configuration Manager

June 2025

Free Report: Atera vs. Microsoft Configuration Manager

Find out what your peers are saying about Atera vs. Microsoft Configuration Manager and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Atera vs. Microsoft Configuration Manager report.

See our list of best Patch Management vendors.

We monitor all Patch Management reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.