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Azure Bastion vs ConnectWise Automate comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 2, 2025

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

Azure Bastion
Ranking in Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM)
12th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
Network Monitoring Software (52nd), Microsoft Security Suite (26th)
ConnectWise Automate
Ranking in Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM)
10th
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) category, the mindshare of Azure Bastion is 2.5%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ConnectWise Automate is 5.5%, down from 7.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
ConnectWise Automate5.5%
Azure Bastion2.5%
Other92.0%
Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM)
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2142519 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Azure Bastion is Microsoft’s fully managed Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solution designed to provide secure, seamless Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and Secure Shell (SSH) connectivity to Azure Virtual
Metric / Area Traditional Jump Host / Direct IP With Azure Bastion Attack Vector Exposed management ports on public IPs Private IPs only; TLS encapsulation over Port 443 Maintenance Manual OS updates, AV checks, jump VM management Zero operational maintenance (Managed PaaS) User Access Require corporate VPN or local credentials Web browser native or Azure CLI native client Governance Disparate local/domain accounts Integrated Entra ID with MFA, PIM, & RBAC
MikeChacker - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager Global Service Delivery at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Facilitates valuable patch cycles, but the web client is not very intuitive and needs updating, and the scripting has room for improvement
The fixed client for Automate is slow. The web client is not very intuitive. It could use some updating and some thought around the UX. Also, with the scripting, I would like to see something where it could have third-party scripts already pre-built, and all you have to do is say, "Hey, I need this," and go load it. It's not as automated as I'd like it to be.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Azure Bastion is preferable because you just switch it on and off you go."
"The interface is available in the edit portal."
"It is very easy to use as it's in the browser; it is on the menu of the virtual machine, so you just need to type your username and password and you will have a full RDP experience."
"The connection to virtual machines is very useful."
"The product's setup is easy."
"The ability to operate the product with scripting is excellent."
"The most significant advantage lies in its runbook features, particularly beneficial for our infrastructure team."
"Overall, I had a very positive experience."
"This product saves us a lot of time and increases our efficiency."
"ConnectWise Automate's interface is pretty easy to use; it's pretty intuitive to get around and navigate it, and it does what I need, which is usually connecting to the client and customers systems so I can just help them from home or from work."
"The reporting on the product is great."
"The initial setup is easy and the deployment is quick."
"The database is great. It's a nicely ordered database."
"The implementation is nice and easy."
"Their premium support is great."
"Technical support is really good; they are helpful and responsive."
 

Cons

"While general support is valuable, having a detailed breakdown of the specific issues would contribute to a more streamlined and efficient resolution process."
"Currently, Azure Bastion does not allow for direct data transfer between desktops. A storage solution must be created to transfer data, and this requires additional permissions like ACL or NFS."
"There is room for improvement with AI features. I would like to see integrated AI features with Azure Bastion, especially for connectivity issues."
"When you have a boot issue on Windows, you cannot use Azure Bastion to fix it. You have to use the Azure console or the VM console, and it is very limited."
"There are some challenges because Bastion is more compatible with Edge but not with the other browsers. As an organization, it doesn't make sense that we have to use only Edge. We should be able to access Bastion over Chrome, Mozilla, or Opera. It should be our choice."
"The solution breaks down sometimes."
"The protocol speed could be faster."
"When we retrieve that data from the cloud, they require some amount of money. That is the main drawback of this cloud solution. You are charged for retrieving your own data."
"The fixed client for Automate is slow. The web client is not very intuitive."
"Because of the vast number of features, the software is difficult to navigate."
"The project management needs improvement and there's a section of the product called configuration that also needs to be improved."
"I have a problem with the reports available on the solution. I don't understand how to work with the reporting functionality. For example, when I want to give a report for a specific machine, ConnectWise doesn't seem to have this as an option. I'm not sure if I'm missing something, or if the reporting functionality is just poorly conceived."
"I almost would rather have a different tool, but I'm not sure which one yet."
"Scheduling of automation could be improved and made more simple."
"I have found the solution to be not very scalable."
"The wait time for a support ticket to be addressed needs to be reduced. They take a couple of days to get back."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is a lower decision point than high-quality security for our organization. Better security comes at a cost, but it's worth it, and that's what we tell our customers."
"It does not save money for us."
"Azure Bastion's pricing is good."
"The tool is cheaply priced. I would say that the product is free to use."
"Pricing and licensing are reasonable."
"From what I've overheard, it is pretty comparable to other solutions in terms of price."
"I believe Automate is available for around $2."
"I pay $85 a month per user for a ConnectWise package that contains multiple solutions."
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921,148 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

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

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise6
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise1
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Bastion?
Microsoft's pricing is on the higher side and could be more competitive. Startups and small organizations often prefer AWS ( /products/amazon-aws-reviews ) or GCP due to their lower costs, while la...
What needs improvement with Azure Bastion?
Azure Bastion could be improved with more granular session monitoring, rich audit capabilities, and deeper integration with security operation workflows. We would also appreciate enhanced reporting...
What is your primary use case for Azure Bastion?
Azure Bastion serves as our primary solution for providing secure administrative access to Azure VPNs and VMs without exposing RDP or SSH ports to the internet. From a cybersecurity perspective, it...
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Also Known As

No data available
LabTech for IT Service Providers, ConnectWise Automate for Corporate IT Departments, ConnectWise Automate for IT Service Providers
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
I-M Technology, Mainstay Technologies, PC Works Plus, Integrity IT, Kerkhoff Technologies Inc., Marathon Consulting, Christenberry Sales Company, EDTS, Secom Technology, Ready to View, ARRC Technology, DaVinci Digital, JNR Networks, Quinn Technology Solutions, PCIT, Liberty Technology, Capital Computers & Networks, Atlanta Technology Force, Doberman Technologies, First Column Enterprises, CisCom Solutions
Find out what your peers are saying about Azure Bastion vs. ConnectWise Automate and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
921,148 professionals have used our research since 2012.