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ConnectWise RMM 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
5.6
Microsoft Intune offers ROI by reducing costs, enhancing productivity, and simplifying IT management with seamless Microsoft integration.
Sentiment score
6.2
ConnectWise RMM boosts MSP growth by enhancing efficiency, reducing labor costs, and optimizing resources, leading to increased focus on clients.
Sentiment score
7.3
KACE Appliance boosts productivity and reduces costs by streamlining system management, cutting labor needs, and simplifying processes.
Everything we've gained from it makes my job easier day after day, and I see value in it as an engineer.
IT Systems Engineer at Syracuse University
Microsoft Intune not only saves costs by reducing the number of personnel needed but also offers a comprehensive solution for managing laptops, applications, security, individual access, and enrollment.
Subject Matter Expert at Engage IT Services Pvt Ltd
With Microsoft Intune, tasks such as device provisioning, policy deployment, application delivery, and compliance enforcement require less manual effort than in more traditional management models.
Endpoint Cloud Solution Architect at Lutech
It saves probably more than 50% of the time that would have been required, likely around 75%.
Manager, Technical Team at Expert It Solutions Alberta
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
5.8
Microsoft Intune support is knowledgeable and effective, but service quality varies by tier and complex cases may be slower.
Sentiment score
8.1
ConnectWise RMM offers 24/7 effective support via multiple channels, ensuring prompt resolution of issues with knowledgeable communication.
Sentiment score
6.6
KACE Systems Management Appliance users praise the responsive, professional support and ITNinja for high satisfaction despite mixed experiences.
When a support ticket is submitted, it directly reaches someone with Intune support expertise.
Collaborations engineer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
When I contacted Microsoft, they had the same expertise, if not more, which is phenomenal because I felt heard and my problem was solved.
IT Systems Engineer at Syracuse University
Sometimes, the support provided is excellent, and the representative is knowledgeable, while other times, the service needs improvement.
Engineer at a healthcare company with 5,001-10,000 employees
The customer support for ConnectWise RMM is very useful, very straightforward, and very responsive.
System Administrator at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
I rate their support and customer service with ConnectWise as good, as their support team is quick to answer chat requests.
Manager, Technical Team at Expert It Solutions Alberta
We have a tool called Hudu where all our KBs are loaded.
Project Engineer at Moksh Tech
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
7.1
Microsoft Intune offers scalable, cloud-based device management with flexible licensing, centralized control, and seamless integration for diverse organizations.
Sentiment score
8.4
ConnectWise RMM scales efficiently with SaaS flexibility, easily handling large endpoints and data, ideal for businesses of all sizes.
Sentiment score
7.1
KACE SMA efficiently manages endpoints, easily scales, integrates well with virtual environments, and accommodates growth with minimal setbacks.
The scalability of Microsoft Intune is ten out of ten.
Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Ideally, we want to automatically segregate devices based on user properties like primary use, but currently, dynamic groups seem limited to device properties.
Engineer, Systems Admin . at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
It supports organizations with 200 endpoints and those with more than 15,000 endpoints.
Director at Provisioned
I measure the scalability by the number of clients, the number of devices and users, and the amount of information that ConnectWise can process is quite amazing.
Project Engineer at Moksh Tech
The scalability of ConnectWise RMM is very good; I can upgrade my licenses or get a higher number of licenses for more devices as I grow very easily and without issues.
System Administrator at a computer software company with 11-50 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
7.2
Microsoft Intune demonstrates high reliability in endpoint management with minor sync issues, achieving user satisfaction and consistent performance improvements.
Sentiment score
8.7
ConnectWise RMM is highly stable, requiring minimal maintenance, with users rarely facing issues, ensuring reliable long-term performance.
Sentiment score
8.1
KACE SMA is stable and reliable, with quick support for issues and minimal downtime, appreciated for its resilience.
We have not experienced downtime, bugs, or glitches.
Head of IT at TWM SOLICITORS LLP
It appears Microsoft Intune undergoes changes without informing customers.
Support Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
In my experience, Microsoft Intune is a stable platform as it is a cloud-based service, and updates are regularly delivered by Microsoft.
IT Administrator at Newrest Inflight España, S.A
ConnectWise RMM has been quite stable for the last eight months.
Project Engineer at Moksh Tech
KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is stable and secure;
Security Administrator at EbixCash
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Intune struggles with compatibility, usability, and support issues, impacting policy management and integration with non-Microsoft tools.
ConnectWise RMM lacks integration, offers limited dashboard customization, and is perceived as reactive, raising concerns about alignment with user needs.
KACE SMA users seek enhanced scalability, reporting, UI design, easier remote management, and better integration with reduced resource consumption.
Features like unlocking devices sometimes fail, and the support offered for other operating systems is insufficient.
Strategy & Portfolio Advisor at a insurance company with 1,001-5,000 employees
There are communication issues, so you might start working with a feature without knowing if it will be deprecated six months from now.
Collaborations engineer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Many third-party companies offer single-pane-of-glass reporting that shows you what your update environment looks like, how your patch is doing, application status, etc., but Intune's reporting is not intuitive.
Engineer at a healthcare company with 5,001-10,000 employees
We always have problems where we can't log into it, so we have to use the web version.
Project Engineer at Moksh Tech
The pricing for ConnectWise RMM is reasonable.
Manager, Technical Team at Expert It Solutions Alberta
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

Microsoft Intune is cost-effective within Microsoft 365 bundles but may be costly standalone, requiring careful evaluation for needs.
ConnectWise RMM offers flexible, competitive pricing with cost-efficient licensing, starting at $2.50 per endpoint monthly, and exceptional support.
KACE SMA's per-device licensing offers cost-effective scalability and comprehensive management, providing value across various organization sizes.
Introductory professional services, like a fast-track service, were included with our E5 membership, and there have been no additional costs.
Senior Systems Architect IV at a aerospace/defense firm with 10,001+ employees
The Intune suite and add-ons, such as batch management and remote help, are costly.
Technical Sales Professional (Microsoft Modern Workplace) at Alnafitha IT
It costs approximately forty euros per user per month.
Cyber Security Officer at Gudu
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing was very smooth.
System Administrator at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
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

Microsoft Intune offers seamless management, security, and compliance, improving efficiency and reducing manual effort with automation and integration features.
ConnectWise RMM offers integration, automation, patch management, remote access, and NOC services, enhancing visibility, security updates, and IT streamlining.
KACE SMA enhances productivity with off-hours deployment, automation, and streamlined asset and license management through a single interface.
Intune excels in configuration and compliance management for Windows 10, ensuring devices receive timely updates and adhere to organizational standards.
Microsoft Practice Lead at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Dynamic groups allow us to set conditions for automatic membership, eliminating the need for user intervention or manual review and ensuring a seamless workflow.
Engineer, Systems Admin . at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
Windows Autopatch is the most valuable because it removes the burden of patch management.
Director at Provisioned
The ability to do deployments through ConnectWise RMM's scripting features allows us to deploy new software or monitor the status of antivirus or system protection software, presenting another measurable benefit for us regarding ROI.
Manager, Technical Team at Expert It Solutions Alberta
Automated patch management in ConnectWise RMM has made everything streamlined, allowing me to concentrate on more important tasks.
Project Engineer at Moksh Tech
ConnectWise RMM has had huge benefits for me in terms of being able to proactively and reactively resolve issues on all of my machines and helping my end users get their tasks done faster.
System Administrator at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
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

Microsoft Intune
Sponsored
Ranking in Unified Endpoint Management (UEM)
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
377
Ranking in other categories
Configuration Management (1st), Remote Access (2nd), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (1st), Microsoft Security Suite (1st)
ConnectWise RMM
Ranking in Unified Endpoint Management (UEM)
16th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
Network Monitoring Software (54th), Server Monitoring (16th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (45th), Cloud Monitoring Software (31st), IT Alerting and Incident Management (16th), Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) (7th), Patch Management (16th)
KACE Systems Management App...
Ranking in Unified Endpoint Management (UEM)
12th
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), Patch Management (10th)
 

Featured Reviews

HA
Senior Business Development Executive at Digitaltrack
Centralized device management has automated onboarding and improves remote security compliance
One thing I feel Microsoft Intune could improve is troubleshooting visibility. In many cases, when a policy or application deployment fails, the error messages are a bit generic. So, admins still spend time checking logs manually or testing on devices one by one. Compared to the simplicity of deployment, troubleshooting sometimes feels less mature. I also think reporting and real-time monitoring could be stronger. The dashboard gives useful information, but in large environments, many teams still depend on additional tools or scripts for deeper reporting and analytics. If I had to focus on one area first, I would probably choose troubleshooting and reporting. Deployment through Microsoft Intune is generally straightforward, but when something fails, identifying the exact root cause can still take more time than expected. Error messages are sometimes too generic, and admins often have to dig through logs, sync status, or multiple portals to understand what actually happened. I think user experience and policy management could also improve further. Microsoft Intune has become much better over the years, but sometimes the admin portal still feels fragmented because certain configurations open in different sections or redirect to older interfaces. For new admins, especially, it can take time to understand where everything is located. Another thing is policy conflict handling. In larger organizations, multiple device policies, compliance rules, and configuration profiles can overlap. When conflicts happen, the visibility is not always very clear, so admins spend time figuring out which policy actually won or caused the issue.
Faiz Fortune - PeerSpot reviewer
Project Engineer at Moksh Tech
Automated monitoring has streamlined time tracking and project management across all clients
I think the most valuable feature of ConnectWise RMM is scheduling my time with clients and capturing my times with them. Time management is key for my workflow. It helps with keeping track of all our clients and all the devices, so ConnectWise RMM has been quite helpful in managing my IT environment overall. Automated patch management in ConnectWise RMM has made everything streamlined, allowing me to concentrate on more important tasks. I can run my automations and ensure that they go through every server, every cloud infrastructure, and every client. I've observed that with ConnectWise RMM, capturing my times used to be quite an issue when working with overseas countries, but now it's much easier, and I can monitor everything I'm doing in real-time.
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
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
8%
Outsourcing Company
7%
Construction Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Performing Arts
8%
Construction Company
11%
University
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Outsourcing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business192
Midsize Enterprise62
Large Enterprise186
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Midsize Enterprise1
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise16
 

Questions from the Community

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Microsoft Intune is a great tool for managing a mobile device fleet while keeping access control. The solution makes ...
What are the pros and cons of Microsoft Intune?
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How does Google Cloud Identity compare with Microsoft Intune?
Microsoft Intune offers not only an easy-to-deploy data protection and productivity management solution, but also ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Continuum Command?
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing was very smooth; I quickly got a quote from a ConnectWise accou...
What needs improvement with Continuum Command?
I have not noticed any limitations or pain points so far.
What is your primary use case for Continuum Command?
I have been using ConnectWise RMM for about a year and a few months now, and I am also getting Bitdefender GravityZon...
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...
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 agen...
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...
 

Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager
Continuum Command, Continuum RMM
Dell KACE Systems Management
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway
Frontier Business Products, Itek Systems Management, ZLan, Karpel, MySherpa, Arvig, CCSI, Leap Managed IT, eProsper, Pensar, Gordon Flesch, LeadingEdge, NSI, Server Sentry, Computer Consultants, Keystone IT Consulting, Ekaru, Epic Technologies, Rouse Consulting, Empower Information Systems, Computer Solutions Group, The Critical Update, Voice Smart Networks, CMIT Solutions, Preferred Communication Systems, G2 Tech Group, Pulse Business Solutions, Greystone Technology Group, Clare Computer Solutions, Evolve IT Australia
Waypoint, Mattos Filho, Meetic, Gems Education, Green Clinic HealthSystem, Service King
Find out what your peers are saying about ConnectWise RMM vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
908,877 professionals have used our research since 2012.