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Automox vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 1, 2026

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
6.8
Automox enhances efficiency and security by automating patch management, saving time and costs while eliminating on-premises infrastructure needs.
Sentiment score
7.3
KACE Appliance boosts productivity and reduces costs by streamlining system management, cutting labor needs, and simplifying processes.
It has also been a great tool because we are able to reduce both manual labor and operational expenses by automating patching of roughly 200 Windows servers.
Data at Infosys
Our team used to spend 10 hours per week just to update these things, and now we're doing it automatically.
Senior Data Reporting Analyst at University of Bradford
We have seen a positive return on investment mainly through time savings, as automating patching and routine endpoint maintenance has reduced manual effort by roughly around twenty to thirty percent for these tasks.
QA Engineer at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
The return on investment is seen in the quick access to information, good inventory management, and efficient systems management.
Avocat at Star Boxes India Pvt Ltd
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.3
Automox customer service is praised for fast, knowledgeable support, quick responses, and reliable problem-solving, outshining larger competitors.
Sentiment score
6.6
KACE Systems Management Appliance users praise the responsive, professional support and ITNinja for high satisfaction despite mixed experiences.
They are really good because they don't take five days to get back to me; they respond within 24 hours with really good information.
Network & Security Administrator at a legal firm with 51-200 employees
They're very knowledgeable and have given us many channels for support, including email, chat, and documentation.
Senior Data Reporting Analyst at University of Bradford
Overall, the customer support has been good; responses are generally timely, and the support team is helpful when troubleshooting issues or clarifying how a feature works.
QA Engineer at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
I would rate the customer support for Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) as a 10.
Server Administrator III at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
The customer service is very good, providing quick customer support in Spanish.
Avocat at Star Boxes India Pvt Ltd
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.4
Automox is scalable and user-friendly, efficiently managing large networks despite minor console load issues for some users.
Sentiment score
7.1
KACE SMA efficiently manages endpoints, easily scales, integrates well with virtual environments, and accommodates growth with minimal setbacks.
It's pretty easy to scale because it's SaaS, and adding more devices doesn't require any extra server or anything similar.
Senior Data Reporting Analyst at University of Bradford
Automox scales well for our needs; adding new endpoints is straightforward and the centralized management approach makes it easy to apply consistent policies as the environment grows.
QA Engineer at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Automox's scalability is excellent, as it scales very well, and it is easy to deploy new agents.
Cyber Security Analyst II at a media company with 201-500 employees
The product is very scalable as it supports 10,000 thousand endpoints with just one appliance.
Avocat at Star Boxes India Pvt Ltd
We have outgrown the size of one KACE appliance and are now running two.
Server Administrator III at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.2
Automox is reliable, with minimal issues, effective patching, smooth operation, and quick maintenance updates, surpassing other tools in stability.
Sentiment score
8.1
KACE SMA is stable and reliable, with quick support for issues and minimal downtime, appreciated for its resilience.
It's not crashing or experiencing any downtime.
Senior Data Reporting Analyst at University of Bradford
KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is stable and secure;
Security Administrator at EbixCash
 

Room For Improvement

Automox needs better remote support, tool integration, user management, customization, reporting, cost-effectiveness, and visibility into patch processes.
KACE SMA users seek enhanced scalability, reporting, UI design, easier remote management, and better integration with reduced resource consumption.
From a QA perspective, better visibility into patch history and endpoint changes would make it easier to troubleshoot environment-related issues and track changes over time.
QA Engineer at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
An alert of a security threat could be another type of notification that tells me something is important.
Senior Data Reporting Analyst at University of Bradford
I would add that remote support for iOS could be better, and remote support of Linux is also lacking.
Data at Infosys
Currently, we have to go into each org to deploy applications when we need them all across the university.
Server Administrator III at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
The dashboard could be more interactive; for example, it should provide alerts if an endpoint is vulnerable to viruses.
Security Administrator at EbixCash
The user interface needs improvement as customers have mentioned they do not like the interface since it is not an SMA-based interface.
Avocat at Star Boxes India Pvt Ltd
 

Setup Cost

Automox offers competitive pricing with no extra fees, a cloud-based solution, and a valued free trial for users.
KACE SMA's per-device licensing offers cost-effective scalability and comprehensive management, providing value across various organization sizes.
Automox's price is very cost-effective and affordable.
Data at Infosys
The pricing is in the middle range of the market, not too expensive but not the cheapest either.
Avocat at Star Boxes India Pvt Ltd
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is that, hands down, it beat all of the others in simplicity and pricing.
Server Administrator III at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
In terms of cost-effectiveness, considering a situation where I want to deploy KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) for just pushing updates, it is completely fine.
Security Administrator at EbixCash
 

Valuable Features

Automox enhances efficiency and security with flexible, cloud-based patch management, supporting multiple platforms with automation and real-time visibility.
KACE SMA enhances productivity with off-hours deployment, automation, and streamlined asset and license management through a single interface.
One of the best features I appreciate about Automox is automated patching.
Senior Data Reporting Analyst at University of Bradford
It has also improved our security posture since automated patching has allowed vulnerabilities to be patched automatically.
Data at Infosys
It has very strong patch automation, particularly in automated OS patching, third-party patching, policy-based rollout, patch scheduling, and vulnerability remediation.
Technical Product Manager at Hireright
Scripting has saved us hundreds of hours over the years when patching these vulnerabilities compared to how we did it before.
Server Administrator III at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Overall, KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) helps streamline my processes by allowing me to check the uptime and downtime of machines, whether they are connected to the internet or not, and how long a machine has been switched off.
Security Administrator at EbixCash
The most valuable features include simplicity, which makes systems management easier and faster, especially for device management.
Avocat at Star Boxes India Pvt Ltd
 

Categories and Ranking

Automox
Ranking in Patch Management
10th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
Vulnerability Management (32nd), Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (22nd), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (8th), Autonomous Endpoint Management (5th)
KACE Systems Management App...
Ranking in Patch Management
11th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
40
Ranking in other categories
Client Desktop Management (2nd), Endpoint Compliance (6th), Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) (11th), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (12th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Patch Management category, the mindshare of Automox is 2.7%, down from 2.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is 3.3%, down from 3.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Patch Management Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Automox2.7%
KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)3.3%
Other94.0%
Patch Management
 

Featured Reviews

Naqash Ahmed - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Data Reporting Analyst at University of Bradford
Automation has saved time and improves secure, centralized patching across all our devices
While Automox has very good features, I think there's still room for improvement. I want the custom reports to be even more detailed, specifically where I can add more details. It would be nice to have more filters in reports based on location and department more easily. Secondly, the notifications could be more customizable. Many times notifications come, but we don't have control over which notification is urgent and which is not. For example, if there's an alert of a critical update or pending approval, it can help me focus better. An alert of a security threat could be another type of notification that tells me something is important. Customized notifications would be much better. I would say the user interface could be improved as well. Some parts of the dashboard are a bit hard to understand. If they could be improved to be more intuitive, for example, if it could be easy to navigate between devices and reports, that would be great. I would say if Automox could also provide automation templates, that would help. I know there are templates, but I want more templates. Having ready-made worklets for common tasks can save a lot of time. Lastly, it should also support the interface for mobile screens.
AdityaJain - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Administrator at EbixCash
Centralized software deployment has simplified endpoint control but needs stronger security alerts
What I like best about KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is that it allows pushing custom-made applications to all computers that have KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) endpoint installed. This makes it easier for the organization to push patches and updates. If I need to push EDR updates, I can use KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA), as it automatically updates the EDR on that endpoint, and that is a great feature. Overall, KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) helps streamline my processes by allowing me to check the uptime and downtime of machines, whether they are connected to the internet or not, and how long a machine has been switched off. I can also gather hardware details and software inventory from it. I can show a live demonstration if a video conference can be arranged. Incident resolution capabilities with KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) have improved operational efficiency for system administrators, as it makes it easier to track machines with KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA), gather their IP addresses, and push several updates, patches, or software deployments at once. I can design compliances as per my requirements, such as ensuring passwords are reset after 45 days.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
11%
Outsourcing Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
Outsourcing Company
13%
Construction Company
10%
University
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise12
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise16
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Automox?
Our experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing was very pleasant.
What needs improvement with Automox?
I cannot think of anything specific for how Automox can be improved. An AI worklet builder would be a possibility, but even at that, the worklet catalog is very robust and useful.
What is your primary use case for Automox?
My main use case for Automox involves patching Windows and Linux servers, Windows endpoints, and maintaining configurations. A specific example of how I use Automox for patching and maintaining con...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Quest KACE Systems Management?
In terms of cost-effectiveness, considering a situation where I want to deploy KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) for just pushing updates, it is completely fine. However, apart from that, I d...
What needs improvement with Quest KACE Systems Management?
For improvements in KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA), I would want to see it become a standalone software agent. I am curious about why it does not offer EDR functionality. Additionally, the...
What is your primary use case for Quest KACE Systems Management?
I have deployed KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) around 230 plus PCs, and I use it to push Windows updates and scripts. I have designed various scripts for tasks such as password resets afte...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Dell KACE Systems Management
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Waypoint, Mattos Filho, Meetic, Gems Education, Green Clinic HealthSystem, Service King
Find out what your peers are saying about Automox vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
914,109 professionals have used our research since 2012.