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Forescout Platform 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
6.4
Forescout Platform offers benefits in security and workload reduction, but users have mixed views on ROI and support quality.
Sentiment score
7.3
KACE Appliance boosts productivity and reduces costs by streamlining system management, cutting labor needs, and simplifying processes.
That's where we come across all these vulnerabilities, and then we try to put our remediations for those.
Consultant at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees
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
6.6
Forescout's customer service is responsive and knowledgeable, though improvements are needed in responsiveness and handling inconsistencies.
Sentiment score
6.6
KACE Systems Management Appliance users praise the responsive, professional support and ITNinja for high satisfaction despite mixed experiences.
We have had experience with their technical support and must pay additionally for maintenance, support, and regional service.
IT Head at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
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
7.5
Forescout Platform is scalable and adaptable for varied deployments, though large-scale implementations may need careful planning and cost consideration.
Sentiment score
7.1
KACE SMA efficiently manages endpoints, easily scales, integrates well with virtual environments, and accommodates growth with minimal setbacks.
Scalability can be costly since a physical box needs to be installed for every site.
Director, International IT Infrastructure Support & Information Security at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 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
7.9
Forescout Platform is stable and reliable, with minimal issues and excellent uptime, despite occasional configuration-related problems.
Sentiment score
8.1
KACE SMA is stable and reliable, with quick support for issues and minimal downtime, appreciated for its resilience.
I would rate its stability as 9.5 out of ten.
Director, International IT Infrastructure Support & Information Security at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is stable and secure;
Security Administrator at EbixCash
 

Room For Improvement

Forescout Platform requires enhancements in memory, compatibility, support, user management, integration, and scalability for improved functionality and cost-effectiveness.
KACE SMA users seek enhanced scalability, reporting, UI design, easier remote management, and better integration with reduced resource consumption.
It would help if during integration, an admin user could check the password or credential used, as they currently cannot see the password after it is entered and saved.
Security Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Easier integration through APIs to automation platforms is something that would really help us when it comes to future requirements or future features that we're looking for from Forescout Platform.
Consultant at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Forescout Platform could enhance its integration of AI to improve IoT and OT device security to better meet our needs.
IT Head at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
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

Forescout Platform's flexible, device-based pricing appeals to enterprises, offering discounts and competitive costs despite potential additional fees.
KACE SMA's per-device licensing offers cost-effective scalability and comprehensive management, providing value across various organization sizes.
Installing a physical box on each site can be expensive.
Director, International IT Infrastructure Support & Information Security at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
The price of Forescout Platform is reasonable and not overly costly.
Security Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
The overall pricing of Forescout Platform is reasonable for the functionality it provides.
IT Head at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
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
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
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

Forescout Platform offers strong network access control, device visibility, and threat response with scalability and flexibility across various environments.
KACE SMA enhances productivity with off-hours deployment, automation, and streamlined asset and license management through a single interface.
Automated threat response helps manage potential breaches very much, because that's something that is very critical, especially to overcome zero-day attacks.
Consultant at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees
When it comes to the effectiveness of Forescout Platform's real-time visibility in reducing the overall attack surface, I give it a 9 out of 10.
Security Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
The most effective feature has been network access management, which has been crucial for our primary use cases in the organization.
IT Head at a tech services 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
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.
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

Forescout Platform
Ranking in Endpoint Compliance
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
79
Ranking in other categories
Network Access Control (NAC) (6th), IoT Security (4th), Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (19th)
KACE Systems Management App...
Ranking in Endpoint Compliance
7th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
40
Ranking in other categories
Client Desktop Management (2nd), Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) (11th), Patch Management (9th), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (12th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Endpoint Compliance category, the mindshare of Forescout Platform is 10.7%, up from 4.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is 8.4%, up from 4.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Compliance Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Forescout Platform10.7%
KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)8.4%
Other80.9%
Endpoint Compliance
 

Featured Reviews

AshishKumar Rai - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Comprehensive visibility has strengthened endpoint control and automated threat response across networks
When it comes to improving Forescout Platform, I have faced some issues recently, particularly with the switch integration part. When integrating a switch, it asks for the vendor type, and often it does not match. For example, one series of HP switches may not be found in that vendor list. This leads to frustration because you have to check again with different HP models, and once you integrate a switch, you cannot edit the vendor list without removing it. Other issues are being worked on, particularly related to switch integration. I believe they will be fixed in the next upgrade or patch fix. There are no major issues, but the configuration changes needed for the switch model are necessary, and I think it would help if during integration, an admin user could check the password or credential used, as they currently cannot see the password after it is entered and saved.
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
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
6%
University
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Non Profit
8%
Construction Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business30
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise45
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise16
 

Questions from the Community

What advice do you have for others considering Forescout Platform?
Forescout is a very powerful NAC product that does not rely on port level configuration. It can detect and block unauthorized devices very quickly. But it has a lot of capabilities and really would...
What advice do you have for others considering Forescout Platform?
I would rate the Forescout Device and Visibility Control Platform at a six out of ten.
What advice do you have for others considering Forescout Platform?
I recommend doing a compression demo. If people use it, they will buy it. So they have to see the product in place. That's the main recommendation is to do a proof of concept. If they do, they will...
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

Forescout Platform, CounterACT for Endpoint Compliance, ForeScout CounterACT
Dell KACE Systems Management
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

NHS Sussex, SAP, SEGA, Vistaprint, Miami Children's Hospital, Pioneer Investments, New York Law School, OmnicomGroup, Meritrust
Waypoint, Mattos Filho, Meetic, Gems Education, Green Clinic HealthSystem, Service King
Find out what your peers are saying about Forescout Platform vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
899,125 professionals have used our research since 2012.