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Datto Remote Monitoring and Management vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) comparison

 

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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Datto Remote Monitoring and...
Ranking in Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM)
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
5.6
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
KACE Systems Management App...
Ranking in Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM)
12th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
40
Ranking in other categories
Client Desktop Management (2nd), Endpoint Compliance (7th), Patch Management (9th), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (10th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) category, the mindshare of Datto Remote Monitoring and Management is 9.7%, up from 7.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is 1.9%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Datto Remote Monitoring and Management9.7%
KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)1.9%
Other88.4%
Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM)
 

Featured Reviews

Alex Clerici - PeerSpot reviewer
System Integrator IT Manager at Tecnimex S.r.l.
Granular monitoring and automated patching have improved service delivery and customer autonomy
I am always busy and have a lot to handle as the customer asks. I absolutely see the importance because if we lose this opportunity, it is probably detrimental. From my experience, automated patch management is considered efficient and useful, but it needs proper training. During the initial deployment, I faced some challenges as operating systems often have vulnerabilities that arise month by month. Datto Remote Monitoring and Management alone is not sufficient for effective patching; I need to pay attention to the manufacturer platform as well. Therefore, I must manage the RMM software effectively while being mindful of the lifecycle of operating systems to identify the best patch policy to adopt. Datto Remote Monitoring and Management's real-time monitoring capabilities are very granular depending on what I want to manage. For Windows, PCs, servers, and other devices such as tablets, I can customize my policy quite effectively. However, for network devices, there are other tools that might be more efficient than Datto Remote Monitoring and Management, such as Ovic, which is a specific solution for network scenarios. If I prefer not to use two separate solutions, I can meet minimal needs with Datto Remote Monitoring and Management's network module. I find the reporting and analytics features of Datto Remote Monitoring and Management to be very efficient as they are granular and rely on many customizable predefined templates. As an example of utilizing the reporting and analytics features for my customers, I act as an MSP provider and can define a site for an end customer, allowing them to monitor their environment by creating a specific account with defined roles. Consequently, a customer can often operate autonomously without my intervention while having an overview of their IT environment. I can control the reporting capabilities at different levels, giving customers autonomy if configured correctly. Regarding the remote control capabilities of Datto Remote Monitoring and Management, it offers various ways to control devices remotely. While it may not be the best module in the suite, when used alongside other tools, it can solve many problems. Regarding pricing and licensing, after recent updates, I believe Kaseya has found a correct way to offer this solution by modifying their licensing policy. I can start with a minimum committed license, and if I exceed my limits, the additional costs can be managed efficiently by paying the difference. Also, if I wish to reduce my licensing, I can do so through my account manager. The latest news about Datto's licensing seems very interesting, and I plan to evaluate it further in the coming months. I chose Datto because of my positive impressions regarding their local support during the initial phase. I received good assistance from the distributor, who provided interesting tools and integrations for Datto. I can answer what other best features Datto has compared to others after I have explored other solutions deeply. Recently, I connected with N-able but do not remember the name of another solution that seemed interesting. Testing solutions comprehensively requires a time investment, which is something I currently lack. I do not currently have any questions. If I have questions in the future, I will likely reach out through my PeerSpot account or another method. I rate this product nine out of ten overall.
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Datto Remote Monitoring is a little more robust compared to Automate, with components that let you audit inventory, see which customer has which device or what devices haven't been rebooted within the last 30 days, and access and run scripts on any device across the whole site."
"We originally had around three techs supporting probably about 150 or so PCs, and we're currently supporting 600 PCs with the same amount of techs."
"The project management and task management features work well; it's a decent product in that regard and is relatively simple to use."
"Even when the connection to the server is lost, the monitoring continues without interruption."
"I chose Datto because of my positive impressions regarding their local support during the initial phase."
"We felt that AEM had the best features with the best Mac support."
"The tool's main valuable features are its ease of use and intuitive console. It's very easy to implement and create policies. I don't need highly technical staff to manage the tool, which is a big advantage."
"The remote tool is nice. If a user needs assistance, I don't have to tell the user to do anything. I just ask the user if I can remote in, and 30 seconds later, I have remoted in. It has been really handy."
"My primary use case of this solution is to help us obtain accreditation in the UK of Cyber Essentials Plus, a program sponsored by the UK government which encourages UK companies to obtain a certain level of cyber-security within their cyber environment."
"Without this solution, we would be dead in the water."
"We're able to deploy software and push out fixes to endpoints faster than ever."
"Using Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA), we have been able to manage three times the amount of machines as other groups while having half the staff, which has positively impacted our organization."
"I like how when you click on the device, it shows you everything that has changed as well as the software versioning, and I am really enjoying the inventory aspect of it."
"I am impressed by the service desk ticketing and asset management."
"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."
"There is ease of use, and its pricing was a driving factor."
 

Cons

"The only area where I see room for improvement is the ability to delay the application of patches for a set number of days."
"Right now, it's not making monetary sense."
"The main challenge was implementing patch management for software that was not in the tool's standard library or catalog."
"They have a tab to provide information about the type of hardware the computers have. One thing they don't specify is what model of hard drive the computers have. Identification of storage models would be nice."
"My most significant criticism is Datto is a complex product that takes a while to understand, but that could be said of almost any solution at the same level."
"The CRM capabilities are not very good. It's clunky and could work a lot better than it does. There are no marketing add-ins, for example."
"We would like to see a little more functionality when monitoring network devices, such as switches and routers."
"Datto Remote Monitoring and Management alone is not sufficient for effective patching; I need to pay attention to the manufacturer platform as well."
"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 KACE Go Mobile App crashes a lot, and it always has."
"I have complaints about smart label adaptation and because of this, I recommend a 24 to 48 hour bake-in period."
"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."
"I still need better communication about which processes are really due and which processes are currently being processed. According to the initial setup service provider, there is still no real management or overview on KACE where you can really see 100 percent of what is going on as well as what is going to be processed next and whether I can influence the overall process. It could really help me if I knew, e.g. exactly in 10 minutes my colleague will be supplied with this or that software. I haven't found this yet. If they could add this, that would be cool. It is still missing and I haven't yet found something like this."
"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, no matter how critical my application is, if my production server is down I won't be able to connect with anybody till 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time."
"The labeling process should be more streamlined. It should be easier to do. It gets confusing at times."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Regarding pricing, Kaseya sells it as part of a bundle called Kaseya 360. This package includes several tools, such as EDR, ransomware protection, and more. Considering the bundle, the price is reasonable. However, where I am in Brazil, the high dollar rate and taxes make it not cheap for mid-sized companies. Still, it's competitively priced compared to similar tools."
"The license typically depends on the number of endpoints. On the RMM side, I think we're paying around $2,250 per endpoint. Then there is also a license per user and tech, so that comes out to about a hundred bucks per tech, give or take."
"AEM is a lot more scalable as you just pay per agent instead of having to purchase expensive licenses."
"It fluctuates on the number of computers you have. Depending on the number of computers you have, it can fluctuate anywhere between $5 to $10 per computer per month, which is not too bad. I am not aware of any additional costs beyond the standard licensing fee. It was one flat rate per device."
"It goes by how many endpoints you have. It is about $3,000 a month for us. If we can't figure it out ourselves and need additional help to set it up, we would have to pay for that."
"We had to pay out some overtime for a few problematic sites. Sites on domain networks are incredibly easy to install. We learned a few tricks that streamlined the process, but in the beginning, it was a bit tedious."
"The cost of KACE has been relatively low compared to other systems. Even if those systems have the same cost, they do not do as much of the third-party patching that KACE natively does."
"The product is reasonably priced."
"It may be more expensive, but you get what you pay for."
"We buy consulting fees from Software Factory, then we pay extra for it."
"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."
"The pricing is great. It's billed annually and it's very reasonable."
"It was a very attractive price. This is a huge feature of this product. If you would "credit score" this product versus others out there on the market, this one has a very attractive price."
"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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Performing Arts
15%
Wholesaler/Distributor
9%
Healthcare Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
University
11%
Non Profit
9%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise2
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise16
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Datto Remote Monitoring and Management?
Improvements for Datto Remote Monitoring and Management could be made in the areas of vulnerability assessment and operations related to this field, which I currently manage using other solutions l...
What advice do you have for others considering Datto Remote Monitoring and Management?
I am always busy and have a lot to handle as the customer asks. I absolutely see the importance because if we lose this opportunity, it is probably detrimental. From my experience, automated patch ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Datto Remote Monitoring and Management?
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Datto Remote Monitoring and Management is that it is smooth and simple.
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

Autotask EM, Autotask Endpoint Management, Datto RMM
Dell KACE Systems Management
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Wessex Networks, Base2, Valiant Technology, Technology Services Group, TechGuru
Waypoint, Mattos Filho, Meetic, Gems Education, Green Clinic HealthSystem, Service King
Find out what your peers are saying about Datto Remote Monitoring and Management vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
894,738 professionals have used our research since 2012.