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Hexnode UEM 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:
 

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)
Hexnode UEM
Ranking in Unified Endpoint Management (UEM)
15th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
4.9
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
Mobile Device Management (MDM) (10th)
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 (11th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 18.1%, down from 29.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Hexnode UEM is 1.6%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is 2.5%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Intune18.1%
KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)2.5%
Hexnode UEM1.6%
Other77.8%
Unified Endpoint Management (UEM)
 

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.
reviewer1384575 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Centralized device control has strengthened compliance and continuously improves risk visibility
The packaging of the solution or the offering of Hexnode UEM could be improved or enhanced, because one package does not fit all. Hexnode UEM should be flexible in its solution offering. Currently, they only have around three types of licenses or packages, and whether you use the solution or the features or not, they are already included in the suite. Some products offer an a la carte solution, so in order to compete with those products, Hexnode UEM should consider repackaging the solution with respect to the region where it is being offered. The solution offered to India might not be optimal if it is offered to the Philippines or a different country, so the offering should be on a country-by-country basis or a regional basis.
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

"The initial setup is easy."
"Conditional access helps me control uncontrolled access."
"Microsoft Intune has been a time saver and reduces the time and effort IT admins have to invest."
"It works well if you have a Microsoft environment."
"What I appreciate the most about Microsoft Intune is that it's quick and easy to use from an authenticator perspective. There is simplicity in securing our platform. Microsoft Intune benefits my company because of its simplicity of use and cross-functional integration."
"The most valuable features are that users can make screenshots, and devices only need the minimal version of iOS."
"Technical support has been helpful and responsive and we are happy with the level of service on offer."
"Our configuration profiles used to be all over the place. For example, there's a lot of legacy stuff in Active Directory. Going through Intune has helped us enforce settings, which has improved device security and functionality. When you apply something through Intune, you know it works. You don't have to worry about a legacy setting from Active Directory that was uploaded by somebody seven years ago. With Intune, you can see that a device has a setting, and you can be confident that the device is configured how you want."
"The agility is impressive, and it's simple to manage."
"Hexnode UEM has in-depth support of device operating systems, which is one of the most common requirements."
"It's very easy to use."
"It paid for itself within the first month we had it, so the return on investment was incredible."
"The scripting part increases IT productivity because of the specialized software in our environments for students' courses. You need to use software which is not programmed by developers. A lot of software for building houses or other things is developed by normal guys, who do not have much skill in programming. When you need to install this type of software, it is very difficult. You have to install registry keys, etc. For that, it is very good to use the scripting part of this solution. So, you can automate this part as well."
"I can reach people now that I couldn't have reached previously. We are saving about 25 percent in time."
"The help desk is super simple to use and we saw our return on investment a long time ago, just in man hours alone."
"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."
"It definitely saves us all kinds of time and value, saving us well over half the time because we are not having to touch individual things or micromanage them and freeing us up to do other stuff so we are more responsive and able to come up with solutions faster when fixing some people's problems."
"My company had bought some new machines. We used the tool to do some basic settings to ship every machine the same way and undertake the Windows deployment. We did the scripted installation. The tool helped us deploy custom software for specific departments. We also did Windows updates with the product."
"When I need to upgrade or install specific software applications, they can be deployed en masse and over a short period of time, saving us a lot of time, which is the biggest help that KACE provides."
 

Cons

"Microsoft documentation is a bit hard to get around, so having more control over devices would be good."
"The solution needs to improve reporting. Sometimes, it shows double or triple entries of the same thing, which affects the count's accuracy. Also, some applications onboarded in Microsoft Intune do not get updated. When we look for solutions online, there is often no clear answer."
"Also, Microsoft Intune relies heavily on its fellow products in the suite."
"Enhancements for managing MacOS more comprehensively would be beneficial."
"They can improve their MAM policies a little bit more and make them more granular. They should include more granular group policies. They are there, but they need to be more granular. Its stability should also be improved. It is not very stable. Sometimes, it shows some inconsistencies across tenants."
"However, I dislike how it lags sometimes. I cannot work on multiple processes at the same time."
"Software or patch management solutions must be complemented with something beyond Microsoft Intune because it doesn't upgrade or manage a list of integrated packages and lacks the capacity to upgrade all kinds of software on computers."
"Since the devices are configured over the Internet, whatever policy we apply from the compliance portal does not reflect immediately on the endpoint."
"The packaging of the solution or the offering of Hexnode UEM could be improved or enhanced, because one package does not fit all."
"The support is only available in English right now, which is a bit of a problem for my users since they would prefer Spanish support."
"The only pain point I have is with their salespeople. They call too often."
"The customization of the interface needs improvement for things like end user tickets. While the functionality is good, some of that UI stuff does need improvement."
"I would sure like them to be able to copy and paste out of OneNote. That drives me nuts. You can't copy from OneNote into KACE."
"There is a Resolve issue whereby some workstations no longer report/check-in after a recent update."
"The KACE Go Mobile App crashes a lot, and it always has. I would love to see that get fixed because it's very convenient when it does work properly, but most of the time it does not."
"Paying for the product should come with full and extended training anytime it is needed."
"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."
"I think it should have the ability to have the applications automatically update. It would be really helpful if this would override what the user might choose to do."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Microsoft Intune is expensive."
"While I can't provide insights from a business perspective, it's worth noting that the pricing may differ significantly, and the discount we received might not be reflective of standard business rates."
"Generally, we get favorable discounts, so it's not too bad. Obviously, we're looking at decreasing those wherever we can to bring value back to the public purse because it's all charity based. It's all publicly funded."
"The tool is cheaper than our company's other MDM tools."
"With our standard E5 agreement with Microsoft, there have been no pricing concerns. Introductory professional services, like a fast-track service, were included with our E5 membership, and there have been no additional costs."
"Intune's pricing is reasonable considering its benefits and the high costs it helps avoid."
"We use Defender ATP and E5 licenses."
"Existing E5 license holders for M365, Intune, and Azure, receive a free license."
Information not available
"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."
"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."
"n terms of pricing and licensing, my advice is that you need to assess what you need and then look at what they offer. It's easy to get caught up in the things that you want, but don't really need."
"Licensing is done on a per device basis, so it's dependent on how many agents you've got installed."
"It may be more expensive, but you get what you pay for."
"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."
"We pay annually for technical support."
"Based on other solutions that we had implemented, its pricing seems to be quite competitive. It is not inexpensive, but it is also not more expensive than any other solution. They have the standard licensing fees and support fees."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
Outsourcing Company
15%
Media Company
12%
Computer Software Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Outsourcing Company
13%
Construction Company
10%
University
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business191
Midsize Enterprise63
Large Enterprise187
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise16
 

Questions from the Community

How does Microsoft Intune compare with VMware Workspace One?
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?
Microsoft Intune is a great configuration management tool and has a lot of good things going for it. Here are some of...
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 Hexnode UEM?
Hexnode UEM is not too expensive, but it is also not the cheapest solution. Customers can afford Hexnode UEM, and it ...
What needs improvement with Hexnode UEM?
The packaging of the solution or the offering of Hexnode UEM could be improved or enhanced, because one package does ...
What is your primary use case for Hexnode UEM?
Hexnode UEM's primary use case is the management of mobile devices, which is the main requirement of our customers an...
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
No data available
Dell KACE Systems Management
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway
Hilton Hotels & Resorts, bathstore, Portsmouth City Council, HG education, Litcargus For more details, visit: https://www.hexnode.com/mobile-device-management/hexnode-mdm-customer-reviews/
Waypoint, Mattos Filho, Meetic, Gems Education, Green Clinic HealthSystem, Service King
Find out what your peers are saying about Hexnode UEM vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
915,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.