BMC Client Management vs Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) comparison

BMC and Quest Software are both solutions in the Endpoint Compliance category. BMC is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.5, while Quest Software is ranked #8. BMC holds a 3.1% mindshare in EC, compared to Quest Software’s 3.8% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of BMC users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Quest Software users who would recommend it.

BMC Client Management

Read 7 BMC Client Management reviews

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61 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Quest KACE Systems Manageme...

Read 38 Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) reviews

146 Views
90 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

BMC Client Management

Quest KACE Systems Manageme...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 9, 2025

Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance and BMC Client Management compete in endpoint management solutions. Quest KACE appears to have the upper hand due to its comprehensive functionality and strong support package.

Features: Quest KACE is valued for remote image and software deployment, service desk ticketing, and asset management, providing efficient endpoint management through a single interface. BMC Client Management is known for its remote control feature, addressing compliance and security policy enforcement, while offering support for multiple operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and Unix.

Room for Improvement: Quest KACE could enhance its scalability, intuitive interfaces for technical tasks, and patch management. BMC Client Management needs to improve third-party integration, particularly with mobile device management, and reduce dependency on discovery tools for insights.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Quest KACE supports on-premises, public, and hybrid cloud deployments with a generally praised support team. BMC primarily offers on-premises and public cloud options, providing good technical support. Quest KACE users highlight the benefit of a dedicated technical account manager.

Pricing and ROI: Quest KACE is considered slightly more costly but justified by its robust functionality and substantial ROI through time savings. Its flexible per-device pricing suits large organizations. BMC offers affordability with good value, though ROI may vary based on usage and licensing allows feature-specific purchases.

To learn more, read our detailed BMC Client Management vs. Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

BMC Client Management vs. Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

April 2025

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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

BMC Client Management

Ranking in Endpoint Compliance

7th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Mobile Device Management (MDM) (8th)

Quest KACE Systems Manageme...

Ranking in Endpoint Compliance

8th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Client Desktop Management (12th), Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) (17th), Patch Management (11th)

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Endpoint Compliance category, the mindshare of BMC Client Management is 3.1%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is 3.8%, up from 2.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Endpoint Compliance

Featured Reviews

Cristian Testa

Presales Manager Product Manager - Latin America Region at tdi

A stable solution that allows you to manage IT clients from receipt to retirement

The initial setup is straightforward and easy to use, but you need to understand the different functionalities and modules. The console version and the Hub application are different, and you need some knowledge to make the process easier. Deployment typically takes about two months. You start with the initial setup and then continue with operations. The deployment process is straightforward. The master installation takes about thirty minutes. After that, you deploy different relays to discover the endpoints and create the credentials and sources to install the agents. Once the agent is installed on an endpoint, you can manage it as needed. The first step is always the installation. BMC Client Management can be deployed both on cloud and on-premises. After the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increased need for remote solutions, so we have customers using both models. In BMC Client Management, I'd rate the initial setup as an eight out of ten.

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Scott Tweed

Windows Engineer at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees

Low maintenance, reliable, and easy to create packages

I like how when you click on the device, it shows you everything that has changed as well as the software versioning. I am really enjoying the inventory aspect of it. The deployment process for both deploying and creating a package is straightforward. I believe the inventory in KACE is superior to SCCM's. I know with SCCM I could do things like remote console into machines via the agent's remote console, but that is not a feature that is provided in KACE. I know that at least in the Systems Management Appliance, I can't get to it. I'm not sure how distribution works, with distribution points. I'm not sure if KACE has that feature. You could use an SCCM to set up distribution points at remote sites so that they don't have to download patches or software from across the country. If you have a DP or something similar, they could pull it down.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The inventory and patch management tools are very valuable."

"It's a scalable solution. We have deployed it for customers using 3000 nodes to those using 300,000 nodes."

"The support from BMC Client Management is very good."

"BMC Client Management is a stable solution and one of the best in the market. It allows me to manage all recipe endpoints, including iOS, Android, Linux, Unix, and Windows, all within the same solution."

"The most valuable features of the solution are its patching capabilities and the help it offers when it comes to use cases, like prompting for the reboot after a certain period of time."

"The most valuable features of the solution are patch management and software license management."

"One feature I like, that was especially valuable during the pandemic, is remote control. Remote control grants administrators and support personnel access to the laptops and PCs of employees (who might be working from home) in order to fix any issues that come up as and when they come up, even without having to wait for a support request."

"The Systems Deployment Appliance is magical when it comes to automating deployment... Not only can we have multiple images, specific to end-users' uses, but we have a plethora of post-installation tasks to install or configure the system, tasks that can be re-used for each system. You just have one basic base image, and then you use the post-install tasks to customize everything else. It is amazing."

"Patching is definitely the most valuable feature. It gives us good, centralized software, which comes in very handy since we are doing 400 servers at a time. It enables us to manage all the servers, and to deal with the application team regarding reboots and scheduling."

"The most valuable feature is the ability to monitor updates—the software versions—on machines so that we can keep everything compliant."

"The service desk can be configured and customized to better serve our environment."

"The scripting is a very valuable feature, as it saves us time on pushing certain things out to the users, such as software and patches."

"Asset management is most valuable. It is essential for all customers. The other features are also useful, but asset management is most important."

"Pretty much all of the features are valuable. The inventory is very helpful to be able to keep track of our devices. The deployments make it easy to deploy new software packages or upgrade packages. The help desk is also a great tool for tracking problems and problem tickets."

"I can reach people now that I couldn't have reached previously. We are saving about 25 percent in time."

More Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) pros

Cons

"The solution needs to add whitelisting because many customers request it."

"The solution does not offer the functionality of remote access to users."

"BMC Client Management could improve in the area of integration."

"It would be good if BMC Client Management can perform vulnerability assessment scanning at the endpoint on its own and mitigate that. Then, we wouldn't have to rely on a third party VA tool. I would like to see this application move to being a web-based one."

"The on-premises version of BMC Client Management has powerful remote control functionality and decent compliance features, but these features both rely on the discovery tool in order to gain a complete set of insights about the endpoint's environment. Now, BMC's discovery solution depends on having an agent installed in each endpoint and sometimes the agent doesn't work properly, making it difficult to get an accurate understanding of the environment (including special topologies) even with BMC's discovery tool."

"In BMC Client Management, I would like to see more features for executing commands remotely. For example, with SAP, there isn't the capability to execute all the commands available in the console. The latest version includes more endpoints, but they do not cover everything the operations team needs. Additionally, I think improving the hierarchy for managing endpoints is crucial. Extending the endpoint capabilities would be highly beneficial."

"BMC Client Management supports only iOS devices. It would be good if they would support Android as well."

"The only hiccups we had were some power issues, where the box was a little under-powered early on."

"There may be a good reason why some things are not easily able to be done, yet it needs work to compete with some of the other ticketing systems out there now."

"When we have to do a rebuild on these machines, although it is rare, I would like to be able to do more than 10 at a time. With the current limit, it slows me down because I have to set up 10, then the next 10, and so forth."

"The only pain point I have is with their salespeople. They call too often. They're too aggressive in trying to upsell. We know what we need, and we know if we want to expand. I don't mind quarterly calls from them, but sometimes, it is weekly. They need to get their sales team under control. The main goal of their support people and professional services is to make sure they deliver the service, and they deliver it well, whereas their salespeople are so interested in making a sale that they're wasting my time."

"What could be improved is the possibility to use replicas in a secure way outside our network in order to maintain the machines that never connect to our corporate network."

"We'd love to see support for larger dependencies in the scripting feature."

"It took a little bit of time to figure out how to use the KACE Service Desk. I like the way that I'm able to customize it. But when it comes to how our techs are able to use it, it's not as functional as our current solution, which is BMC FootPrints Service Desk."

"Sometimes the information is not as real time as it's supposed to be."

More Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is low cost."

"BMC Client Management is a very affordable solution. There is one main server license which I believe is around $1,000 per year, and then there is the license for the actual solution. With the solution license, you can opt for a suite license where you get access to all the features and benefits, or alternatively you can buy any of the five main components of the suite license individually."

"To use BMC Client Management they charge annually per node."

"BMC Client Management is a high-priced solution, but given its performance and capabilities, I think it offers great value. I don't have the exact number for the yearly licensing costs. I believe there is an additional cost of around two hundred dollars."

"We buy consulting fees from Software Factory, then we pay extra for it."

"We pay annually for technical support."

"We are also saving on the licensing fee, compared to other endpoint management solutions."

"It may be more expensive, but you get what you pay for."

"Its pricing model is good for what it offers. Nobody here gives me a hard time about renewing the contract every year. It might be a little cost prohibitive for a smaller company who has to stand up a virtual environment as well as have virtual environment licensing and the hardware. If you have a smaller environment, it might be cost prohibitive. If you only have a couple of hundred computers, you might be more willing to do those manually. In our environment, the cost savings of having KACE far outweigh the licensing costs. We are okay with its pricing model."

"Licensing is done on a per device basis, so it's dependent on how many agents you've got installed."

"We are a university. So, we have a very good price for the system. I think the price for the system is worth it because of the security patch management. The security patch management is very important for us. The price is very good for KACE SMA, the functionality you get, and the patch management."

"Some of the other solutions were just astronomical in price compared with KACE and didn't necessarily have the ease of use either. So, we chose Quest KACE for its easy-to-use features and cost."

More Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

23%

Financial Services Firm

15%

Government

Retailer

Computer Software Company

11%

Government

11%

University

10%

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about BMC Client Management?

The most valuable features of the solution are its patching capabilities and the help it offers when it comes to use cases, like prompting for the reboot after a certain period of time.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for BMC Client Management?

BMC Client Management is a high-priced solution, but given its performance and capabilities, I think it offers great value. I don't have the exact number for the yearly licensing costs. I believe t...

See all answers

What needs improvement with BMC Client Management?

In BMC Client Management, I would like to see more features for executing commands remotely. For example, with SAP, there isn't the capability to execute all the commands available in the console. ...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Quest KACE Systems Management?

The pricing is in the middle range of the market, not too expensive but not the cheapest either.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Quest KACE Systems Management?

The user interface needs improvement as customers have mentioned they do not like the interface since it is not an SMA-based interface and lacks a manual configuration option.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Quest KACE Systems Management?

The main use cases for Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance are touch management, software and hardware inventory, and software delivery.

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Mobile Device Management (MDM)

April 2025

Download BMC Client Management product report

Buyer's Guide

Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

May 2025

Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) report

Download Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) product report

Also Known As

BMC Helix Client Management, Helix Client Management, BMC Fromdistance Mobile Device Management

Dell KACE Systems Management

Overview

Client Management automates endpoint management and helps organizations control costs, maintain compliance, and reduce risk. From device acquisition to disposal, Client Management provides an accurate view of hardware installations, ensures device adherence to organizational and industry policies, and supports systems and software currency.

BMC

Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance is a comprehensive tool for managing IT endpoints. It facilitates asset management, software distribution, and endpoint tracking while offering remote access capabilities and a centralized help desk.

Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance is designed for organizations that need efficient endpoint management. It offers a range of features like inventory tracking, automated patch management, and ticketing. By integrating with remote access tools such as Bomgar, Quest KACE helps reduce manual tasks involved in managing software updates and system deployments. Although it faces challenges in scalability and requires improvements in integration and reporting, it remains a versatile choice for asset tracking and endpoint administration.

What are Quest KACE SMA's key features?

Asset Management: Streamline the organization and tracking of physical and virtual assets.
Remote Access: Integrates with Bomgar for secure, remote troubleshooting and management.
Software Distribution: Deploy applications across devices efficiently without physical intervention.
Centralized Endpoint Management: Manage endpoints from a centralized console to ensure compliance and optimization.
Automated Patch Management: Schedule and deploy patches to maintain system security and performance.
Help Desk: Integrated ticketing system for tracking and resolving user issues.
Scripting and Reporting: Enhance administrative tasks through automated scripts and detailed reports.

What benefits should users consider?

Improved Productivity: Reduces manual interference with automated deployments and updates.
Labor Savings: Minimizes labor requirements with efficient remote management tools.
Integrated Reporting: Provides actionable insights through comprehensive reports to optimize IT operation.
User-Friendly Interface: Boosts effectiveness due to its intuitive, easy-to-navigate design.

Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance is implemented across industries for managing IT assets and endpoints, particularly where remote management and compliance are critical. It's employed in healthcare, education, and government sectors for efficient patch management, inventory control, and software deployment, aiding organizations in managing security accreditations and centralizing help desk operations.

Quest Software

Sample Customers

Charter Manufacturing

Waypoint, Mattos Filho, Meetic, Gems Education, Green Clinic HealthSystem, Service King

Buyer's Guide

BMC Client Management vs. Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

April 2025

Free Report: BMC Client Management vs. Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

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