Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager [EOL] vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Ivanti and Quest Software are both solutions in the Patch Management category. Additionally, 100% of Ivanti users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Quest Software users who would recommend it.

Ivanti Patch for Configurat...

Read 2 Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager [EOL] reviews

100% willing to recommend

KACE Systems Management App...

Read 40 KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) reviews

6,799 Views
3,807 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Ivanti Patch for Configurat...

KACE Systems Management App...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 4, 2026

KACE Systems Management Appliance SMA and Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager EOL compete in IT management solutions. KACE SMA is favored for its extensive feature set and cost-effective pricing, while Ivanti is noted for its superior configuration options and specialized security features.

Features: KACE SMA's extensive inventory management, versatile patching capabilities, and seamless integration enhance its broad feature set. Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager EOL provides detailed patch management, robust security measures, and advanced configuration capabilities, appealing to users seeking niche specialization.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: KACE SMA's straightforward deployment with robust support services ensures prompt issue resolution. Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager EOL requires a more complex setup due to its advanced features, but offers satisfactory support to meet customer needs effectively.

Pricing and ROI: KACE SMA's lower setup costs attract budget-conscious organizations and deliver considerable ROI through efficient management tools. Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager EOL, despite higher setup costs, offers substantial ROI for enterprises focused on specialized security features, making the investment worthwhile for specific requirements.

To learn more, read our detailed Patch Management Report (Updated: October 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Patch Management

October 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 921,523 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

Ivanti Patch for Configurat...

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

KACE Systems Management App...

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Client Desktop Management (2nd), Endpoint Compliance (6th), Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) (11th), Patch Management (11th), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (11th)

Featured Reviews

reviewer2019633

Director at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Provides detection logic that tells us which customer will record an update and is less expensive than other solutions

I haven't had experience with customer service and support, however, we did have an advisory case with one of their technical support staff. We were publishing and getting the full metadata for the patch. We were getting the full updates for the patch release. There was confusion as to why we were seeing that in the SCCM, instead of in the full metadata patch. The support person was able to help us in understanding what we were doing wrong, highlighting it could be a certificate issue. We generated a new certificate, and after they were applied, the issue was fixed. Overall, I would rate their customer service and support a five out of five.

Read full review

AdityaJain

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.

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

"This solution is stable."

"The most valuable feature of Ivanti Patch for SCCM is the detection logic."

"Using KACE has definitely increased our overall IT productivity."

"The help desk is super simple to use and we saw our return on investment a long time ago, just in man hours alone."

"KACE has made our life much easier since we got off the Microsoft solution."

"For what I use it for, the solution provides a single pane of glass with everything I need for endpoint management of all devices."

"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."

"We can get the majority of what we need with this product and do not have to spend money on something else."

"When vulnerabilities are exploited so much, it is nice to be able to quickly detect or deploy what is needed within our off-work hours or during work hours without a reboot."

"The most valuable feature is the ability to have an overview of all devices that are accessing our environment."

More KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) pros

Cons

"We have some problems with patches not installing successfully."

"In future releases, I would like to see improvements with the feature upgrade for the SCCM, which Microsoft has already integrated. Currently, Ivanti does not give us information about the enablement package."

"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."

"I've had some issues with patch catalogue, which seems to have expired."

"They could make the booting solution easier for different things, e.g., easier to insert drivers. They could make it easier to create a new image and put it onto the server. Those would be some nice solutions. They could make it so that somebody who has no knowledge at all can do it. That would be really nice. Because every time, until I get it memorized, I still need to go back to the training, the manual, or Google it to figure it out again. If they would make it a lot easier, to where a nine-year-old could do it, that would be really cool. If they made it easier, I could have more people managing the images on the server, instead of just one or two people."

"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."

"The only pain point I have is with their salespeople. They call too often."

"We'd love to see support for larger dependencies in the scripting feature."

"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."

"Its dashboard needs improvement. Currently, there is no way to modify the dashboard. There should be more flexibility so that we can create views according to our use case."

More KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We do not have a license with Ivanti, instead we buy just the plugins for the consoles, making it a much less expensive option versus other solutions."

"We buy consulting fees from Software Factory, then we pay extra for it."

"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."

"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 and licensing are absolutely fair."

"The pricing and licensing are good. It's worth it."

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

"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."

"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."

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 Patch Management solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

921,523 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Retailer

11%

Legal Firm

10%

Outsourcing Company

10%

Outsourcing Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

University

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	20
Large Enterprise	16

Questions from the Community

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

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...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Configuration Manager vs Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager [EOL]

Compared 8% of the time

ManageEngine Patch Connect Plus vs Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager [EOL]

Compared 8% of the time

Absolute Secure Endpoint vs Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager [EOL]

Compared 8% of the time

SolarWinds Patch Manager vs Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager [EOL]

Compared 6% of the time

ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus vs Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager [EOL]

Compared 6% of the time

More Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager [EOL] Competitors

Microsoft Configuration Manager vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

Compared 8% of the time

BigFix vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

Compared 7% of the time

Atera vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

Compared 5% of the time

Kaseya VSA vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

Compared 5% of the time

Scalefusion vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

Compared 3% of the time

More KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Patch Management

October 2026

Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager [EOL] report

Download Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager [EOL] product report

Buyer's Guide

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

October 2026

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) report

Download KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) product report

Also Known As

Patch for SCCM, Shavlik Patch for SCCM, Ivanti Patch for MEM

Dell KACE Systems Management

Overview

Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager enhances Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager by automating patch management. It strengthens security by streamlining processes and ensuring systems are up-to-date and protected against vulnerabilities.

Utilizing Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager ensures robust patch management by integrating seamlessly with Microsoft SCCM. It simplifies identifying and deploying critical patches, significantly reducing system vulnerabilities. With advanced automation capabilities, it eases the workload on IT teams while ensuring high levels of compliance and security. Its real-time data reporting enhances visibility, enabling informed decision-making. The tool seamlessly updates systems without disrupting users, making it essential for maintaining business continuity.

What are the key features of Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager?

Automated Patch Management: Simplifies and accelerates the patch deployment process.
Seamless Integration: Works directly with Microsoft SCCM for streamlined operations.
Real-Time Reporting: Offers detailed insights into patch statuses and deployment success.
Security Compliance: Ensures adherence to industry standards and policies.

What benefits or ROI should users expect?

Reduced Security Risks: Minimizes vulnerabilities through timely patch updates.
Increased Efficiency: Saves time and resources through automation and integration.
Enhanced Compliance: Meets regulatory requirements with consistent patching strategies.
Improved System Stability: Maintains optimal performance and uptime.

Implementation of Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager is seen across industries requiring stringent compliance and security protocols, such as healthcare and finance. In healthcare, it helps protect sensitive patient data, while in finance, it secures critical transaction systems. It supports diverse environments, ensuring patching needs are effectively managed.

Ivanti

KACE Systems Management Appliance streamlines IT operations with features like software deployment, patch management, and asset tracking. It offers centralized management and automation capabilities to aid in maintaining compliance and operational efficiency.

KACE Systems Management Appliance offers comprehensive tools for software deployment, asset management, and patch management. Its intuitive interface and ease of use enable organizations to efficiently manage extensive device inventories across industries. The service desk features optimize communication and operational efficiency while supporting large-scale software deployments, centralized management, and security compliance. Integration with third-party tools and automation through scripting enhance its functionality, although improvements in dashboard flexibility, report generation, and resource consumption are needed. Challenges include license integration, patch management, and remote functionality, but its ability to streamline complex tasks makes it essential for IT management.

What are the most important features of KACE Systems Management Appliance?

Windows Updates Deployment: Facilitates efficient and automated update management.
Software Deployment: Supports large-scale deployments with enhanced centralized control.
Asset Management: Offers detailed tracking of hardware and software assets.
Intuitive Interface: Simplifies navigation and operation for users.
Service Desk: Enhances communication and operational efficiency.

What benefits should be considered when evaluating KACE Systems Management Appliance?

Enhanced Efficiency: Streamlines IT processes across multiple devices.
Improved Compliance: Ensures adherence to security protocols and standards.
Centralized Management: Simplifies control and oversight of IT infrastructure.
Automation Capabilities: Reduces manual intervention through scripting and automation.
Integration Flexibility: Supports seamless connectivity with third-party tools.

In telecommunications and healthcare, KACE Systems Management Appliance facilitates better management of device inventory and compliance through robust deployment and patch management tools. Educational institutions leverage asset management features for managing extensive hardware and software landscapes. In customer service sectors, ticketing and helpdesk capabilities enable enhanced customer interaction and service resolution, streamlining operations and maintaining productivity.

Quest Software

Sample Customers

University of Pittsburgh

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

Find out what your peers are saying about Qualys, Microsoft, Ivanti and others in Patch Management. Updated: October 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

921,523 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our list of best Patch Management vendors.

We monitor all Patch Management 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.