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

BMC Helix and Quest Software are both solutions in the Endpoint Compliance category. BMC Helix is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.5, while Quest Software is ranked #8 with an average rating of 10.0. BMC Helix holds a 5.1% mindshare in EC, compared to Quest Software’s 5.8% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of BMC Helix users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Quest Software users who would recommend it.

BMC Helix Client Management

Read 7 BMC Helix Client Management reviews

947 Views
95 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

KACE Systems Management App...

Read 39 KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) reviews

2,568 Views
154 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

BMC Helix Client Management

KACE Systems Management App...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 1, 2025

KACE Systems Management Appliance and BMC Helix Client Management compete in the comprehensive endpoint management solutions category. KACE appears to have an advantage in patch management and simplicity, while BMC Helix offers broader endpoint support and strong remote control features.

Features: KACE integrates seamlessly with tools like Bomgar and excels in deployment and imaging capabilities, enabling automatic software distribution and efficient asset management. Its robust inventory and patch management provide a consolidated device view. BMC Helix manages diverse endpoint environments well, with powerful remote control and comprehensive SaaS integration appealing to mixed-device settings.

Room for Improvement: KACE needs better scalability for larger networks and improvements in the user interface, reporting features, and automation for patch and driver updates. BMC Helix would benefit from enhanced integration capabilities, a wider set of mobile device management features, and improvements in its discovery tool for complete endpoint visibility.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: KACE is often deployed on-premises and in hybrid or cloud environments. Its customer service is highly rated for responsiveness and expertise, with technical support being a significant strength. BMC Helix, typically deployed on-premises, offers satisfactory technical support and solid customer service, though KACE's support is frequently highlighted for proactive assistance.

Pricing and ROI: Both solutions present good value, with KACE noted for reasonable and competitive pricing. KACE users report significant ROI from time saved in endpoint management tasks, making it cost-effective even at higher licensing tiers. BMC Helix is affordable with a modular licensing model, allowing scalability without significant cost increases, contributing to a favorable long-term ROI.

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

Buyer's Guide

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

September 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 870,697 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

BMC Helix Client Management

Ranking in Endpoint Compliance

6th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Mobile Device Management (MDM) (8th)

KACE Systems Management App...

Ranking in Endpoint Compliance

8th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Client Desktop Management (3rd), Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) (11th), Patch Management (10th), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (9th)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Endpoint Compliance category, the mindshare of BMC Helix Client Management is 5.1%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is 5.8%, up from 3.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Endpoint Compliance Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
BMC Helix Client Management	5.1%
KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)	5.8%
Other	89.1%

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.

Read full review

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.

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

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

"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 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."

"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 support from BMC Client Management is very good."

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

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

"The single pane of glass for managing devices is helpful because it allows me to perform updates and control things without having to disturb the doctors or nurses."

"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."

"There is ease of use, and its pricing was a driving factor."

"You don't have to be an advanced user. Rather, in terms of ease of use, this product is right where it needs to be."

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

"This product made the job easy to do without having to go put hands on the machines."

"The solution provides us a single pane of glass with everything that we need for endpoint management of all devices. It definitely has made our endpoint management process much easier."

"We use the Systems Deployment appliance. It's our bread and butter. It is every machine that gets imaged here in this building and out through the whole state goes through the SDA. We rely on it completely. There is no manual process of getting a laptop out of a box, plugging it up, turning it on, and waiting for Windows to start. If you were to go to Best Buy and buy a brand new laptop, you spend the next two to three hours just setting it up. We don't do that. We get a laptop, plug it into the network, connect it to the SDA, and within about three clicks, we're done."

More KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) pros

Cons

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

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

"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."

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

"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."

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

"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."

"I wish Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) would have a top-down approach since we use orgs; currently, we have to go into each org to deploy applications when we need them all across the university."

"I have complaints about smart label adaptation and because of this, I recommend a 24 to 48 hour bake-in period."

"KACE implemented the possibility of reducing the network speed of the KACE agent. You can set it so that it takes whatever network speed you want or you can set it to 5 Mb, to save network speed. You set it for all the computers, but it would be preferable to separate between VPN connections in our home office and the local area. It would be great to be able to set separate speeds for different VLANs."

"There should be a mini toolbox, like the competitors of KACE have, with the small features for KACE administrators. That would make their lives easier. If you are troubleshooting a specific endpoint, remote control is available as is Wake-on-LAN. But if you want to execute some commands, you have to use a third-party tool, the PS tool. If they would integrate those small things, it would make KACE more powerful."

"It is a little bit difficult to use the license compliances because you need to decide when you are using the software catalog if you are using it with their license compliance or the normal software part. Under the inventory, you can use software as a menu link or software catalog. Most of my specialist software is not in the software catalog. When I try to import them, in my license compliances overview, there are cryptic names for this software that I have to import. That is not very good for the reports that I use. When I take them to my bosses, they see cryptic names of software that they don't understand. It would be much better for me if I could use software and the software catalog as well for the license compliances."

"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."

"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."

More KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"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."

"The solution is low cost."

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

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

"Their pricing is per end-point device. There is an initial cost for the license for the server, which is pretty low, and then there is a per end-point device license, which is also fairly low. So, the pricing is still reasonable."

"Licensing is very straightforward. They don't overcomplicate it. This is not a Cisco product where you have to have 30 different licenses just to open the box. It's pretty much set-and-forget. You pay an annual license... The cost is in the mid to upper range, but the ROI exceeds the outside cost, especially once you've had the system for a while."

"We pay annually for technical support."

"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."

"The pricing is great. It's billed annually and it's very reasonable."

"The pricing and licensing are absolutely fair."

"The pricing is fair."

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

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Endpoint Compliance solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

870,697 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

23%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Government

13%

Retailer

10%

University

12%

Government

10%

Non Profit

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	20
Large Enterprise	15

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?

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.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Quest KACE Systems Management?

I wish Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) would have a top-down approach since we use orgs; currently, we have to go into each org to deploy applications when we need them all across the...

See all answers

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

My main use case for Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is to deploy applications and maintain security, and we use it day-to-day to handle those tasks. With Quest KACE Systems Managemen...

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Configuration Manager vs BMC Helix Client Management

Compared 25% of the time

Microsoft Intune vs BMC Helix Client Management

Compared 24% of the time

NinjaOne vs BMC Helix Client Management

Compared 12% of the time

ManageEngine Endpoint Central vs BMC Helix Client Management

Compared 9% of the time

Ivanti Endpoint Security for Endpoint Manager vs BMC Helix Client Management

Compared 7% of the time

More BMC Helix Client Management Competitors

Microsoft Configuration Manager vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

Compared 29% of the time

Microsoft Intune vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

Compared 21% of the time

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

Compared 7% of the time

BigFix vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

Compared 7% of the time

ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

Compared 6% of the time

More KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Mobile Device Management (MDM)

September 2025

Download BMC Helix Client Management product report

Buyer's Guide

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

October 2025

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) report

Download 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

BMC Helix Client Management offers robust systems management capabilities, focusing on patch management, software licensing, and remote administrative access, crucial for compliance and security.

BMC Helix Client Management enables efficient endpoint management across diverse systems with features like software deployment, inventory control, and compliance management. Offering stable performance, the SaaS version excels in supporting IT managers in regulatory compliance while managing thousands of endpoints. Users find the remote control feature exceptionally useful in remote work settings, facilitating updates and issue resolution seamlessly. There is a growing demand for enhancements such as Linux and Android support, improved integration, and mobile device management. Additionally, clients suggest the inclusion of vulnerability assessment, better agent reliability, application whitelisting, and refined remote command execution capabilities.

What are the key features of BMC Helix Client Management?

Patch Management: Streamlines deployment and updates to ensure security compliance.
Software License Management: Optimizes usage and adheres to licensing agreements.
Remote Control Access: Facilitates remote troubleshooting and updates without delays.
Inventory Management: Provides comprehensive oversight of software assets.
Compliance Management: Assists in maintaining regulatory standards across endpoints.

What benefits should users expect from BMC Helix Client Management?

Cost Reduction: Enhances operational efficiency and license use, leading to cost savings.
Management Efficiency: Simplifies overseeing large endpoint environments.
Security Enhancement: Ensures strict compliance with security protocols, reducing risk.
Improved Support for Remote Work: Seamless updates and troubleshooting improve remote productivity.

In the tech-savvy industry, BMC Helix Client Management proves invaluable for IT managers tasked with software deployment and comprehensive endpoint oversight. Users in heavily regulated sectors leverage its capabilities for ensuring compliance and optimizing resource usage, ultimately driving management efficiency and reducing operational costs.

BMC Helix

KACE Systems Management Appliance offers integration capabilities, efficient image deployment, and comprehensive asset management. It supports centralized management across diverse devices and locations, simplifying IT processes and enhancing security.

KACE Systems Management Appliance provides single-pane visibility for endpoint management, mass software deployment, automated patch management, robust scripting, and detailed inventory tracking. It streamlines IT management and improves cyber-security compliance through remote software updates and centralized IT request handling. Despite struggles with scalability and the need for interface improvements, it enables efficient device imaging, script automation, and network management through detailed reporting. Organizations find it effective for software deployment, asset management, and endpoint monitoring, serving thousands of IoT devices and desktops.

What are the key features of KACE Systems Management Appliance?

Integration capabilities: Seamlessly connects with existing IT systems.
Efficient image deployment: Facilitates quick and effective distribution of system images.
Comprehensive asset management: Provides detailed tracking and management of IT assets.
User-friendly helpdesk: Simplifies handling IT requests and issues.
Automated patch management: Ensures devices are up-to-date with security patches.
Robust scripting: Allows for automation of complex IT tasks.
Detailed inventory tracking: Maintains accurate records of all IT assets.

What benefits should users expect from KACE Systems Management Appliance?

Simplified IT processes: Centralized management enhances operational efficiency.
Improved security: Streamlines cyber-security compliance through automated updates.
Flexibility in customizations: Adapts to specific IT environment needs.
Increased productivity: Efficient ticketing and reporting ease organizational operations.
Remote software updates: Ensures all devices are current, reducing security risks.

In healthcare, KACE Systems Management Appliance is used for maintaining device compliance and security standards. Educational institutions benefit from its capabilities to manage large numbers of endpoints across campuses. In finance, it aids in strict compliance requirements through automated patch management and detailed reporting. Retail sectors leverage its asset management features to streamline operations across numerous locations.

Quest Software

Sample Customers

Charter Manufacturing

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

Buyer's Guide

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

September 2025

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

Find out what your peers are saying about BMC Helix Client Management vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

870,697 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our BMC Helix Client Management vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) report.

See our list of best Endpoint Compliance vendors.

We monitor all Endpoint Compliance 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.