Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) comparison

Ivanti and Quest Software are both solutions in the Patch Management category. Ivanti is ranked #19, while Quest Software is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.5. Ivanti holds a 2.3% mindshare in PM, compared to Quest Software’s 3.4% mindshare. 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 Endpoint M...

Read 4 Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager reviews

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1,493 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

KACE Systems Management App...

Read 40 KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) reviews

5,370 Views
3,007 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Ivanti Patch for Endpoint M...

KACE Systems Management App...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 1, 2026

KACE Systems Management Appliance and Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager compete in IT management solutions. KACE SMA appears favorable due to pricing and customer support advantages.

Features: KACE SMA provides software distribution, asset management, and automates inventory. Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager offers advanced patching, extensive integration options, and robust security automation.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: KACE SMA has straightforward deployment and outstanding customer service. Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager focuses on specialized onboarding assistance.

Pricing and ROI: KACE SMA offers competitive upfront pricing. Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager, while likely higher in cost, provides substantial ROI with its security features.

To learn more, read our detailed Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) Report (Updated: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

June 2026

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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 Endpoint M...

Ranking in Patch Management

19th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

KACE Systems Management App...

Ranking in Patch Management

9th

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), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (13th)

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Patch Management category, the mindshare of Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager is 2.3%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is 3.4%, down from 4.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Patch Management Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)	3.4%
Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager	2.3%
Other	94.3%

Patch Management

Featured Reviews

PraveenRajan

Director of Infrastructure at Elevate Services

Smoothly handles software patching and scheduling, enabling monthly patch distribution across multiple projects

We face some challenges, particularly with non-domain-joined macOS devices. Patching, updating, and syncing with the server can be tricky for them. So, the major challenges are macOS updates, patching, and backups. And for drawbacks, I wish Patch management was cloud-based instead of hosted on our own server. If Ivanti Patch had a cloud-based option instead of requiring an on-premises server and software. Hosting it in the cloud would simplify management, eliminating dependence on VPNs or other connectivity issues. Similar to Microsoft's EMS licensing, offering a cloud-based solution like Azure Active Directory or Endpoint Management Suite (EMS) would be ideal. EMS allows us to manage policies, batching, and software distribution entirely through the cloud, minimizing server downloads. If Ivanti considered a cloud-based approach, it would be hugely beneficial in today's hybrid work environment, where employees use desktops, laptops, and various locations. It's not just about patching office PCs anymore; mobile workers and backups need seamless access as well. Cloud-based patching would be much easier in a hybrid environment. Imagine updates coming directly from the cloud instead of relying on individual VPN connections. It would streamline the entire process.

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

"Clear visibility regarding the status of the endpoint."

"Because of the internet gateway, we were able to get clear visibility regarding the status of the endpoint which we needed to do recently when everyone was working from home."

"It's been doing a lot for us, especially with third-party software patching and scheduling. We create multiple projects for monthly patch distribution and manage it all well."

"The product is easy to use, easy to implement, and easy to manage."

"When it comes to Ivanti Patch for endpoints, I find peer-to-peer patching valuable. Having a peer-to-peer patching capability is highly beneficial for us."

"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."

"The software asset management has been a big help, even when it comes to license true-ups. I can use it to find out how many Tivoli we have, and boom, there's the number... And you can actually click on the information about the software and it shows, for example, that these five servers are where it's being reported. If you really want, you can log in to them and validate."

"We have seen a return on investment from its ease of use, firstly because the KACE appliance is managed almost entirely by me alone."

"Every year, the system becomes so much more valuable for us; maybe the quality of our service is much better now, the students at our university can use more software, so the knowledge of students using state-of-the-art software is much better than in the past."

"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."

"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."

"The ability to build scripts right on the deployment center itself, as well as building groups that take those scripts/task chains has been absolutely invaluable and one of the most important parts of my whole environment."

"The information available via KACE is up to date, critical to our normal operations, and has become the go-to tool of our IT teams for extended support."

More KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) pros

Cons

"I'm currently struggling with one of the issues related to Linux or Ubuntu. Ivanti does not support Ubuntu and it has a limitation of CentOS to a specific version, which is CentOS 7, not 8."

"Inability to configure a rule-based management."

"The UI must be more user-friendly."

"It would be great to have an easier way to patch Linux machines within the product."

"The major challenges are macOS updates, patching, and backups. And for drawbacks, I wish Patch management was cloud-based instead of hosted on our own server."

"There is always room for improvement. However, the system does most of what we need at this moment."

"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."

"Imaging becomes a problem when you start to try to go beyond doing more than thirty or forty machines at a time. We initially tried to do that virtually and it just, it wouldn't work."

"There is a Resolve issue whereby some workstations no longer report/check-in after a recent update."

"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."

"The GUI needs some work. I love all that it can do, however, it can be just be so cluttered at times."

"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."

"KACE implemented the possibility of reducing the network speed of the KACE agent. You can set it so that it takes whatever network speed you want or you can set it to 5 Mb, to save network speed. You set it for all the computers, but it would be preferable to separate between VPN connections in our home office and the local area. It would be great to be able to set separate speeds for different VLANs."

More KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"In terms of pricing, it is on the expensive side."

"The pricing is great. It's billed annually and it's very reasonable."

"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."

"The product is reasonably priced."

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

"We are a university. So, we have a very good price for the system. I think the price for the system is worth it because of the security patch management. The security patch management is very important for us. The price is very good for KACE SMA, the functionality you get, and the patch management."

"It may be more expensive, but you get what you pay for."

"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."

"We are also saving on the licensing fee, compared to other endpoint management solutions."

More KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

12%

Government

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

University

10%

Financial Services Firm

Construction Company

Outsourcing 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

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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...

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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...

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager

July 2026

Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager report

Download Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager product report

Buyer's Guide

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

July 2026

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) report

Download KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) product report

Also Known As

Ivanti Patch for Endpoints, Patch for Endpoints, Shavlik Patch for Endpoints

Dell KACE Systems Management

Overview

Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager provides a robust solution for managing and automating patch deployment across network devices. It reduces security risks and improves compliance by efficiently updating systems and software with minimal disruption.

Focused on enterprise needs, Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager offers centralized control over patch management. It ensures that network endpoints are up-to-date, enhancing security and operational efficiency. This expertly configured tool uses automation to streamline processes, minimizing manual interventions and reducing the potential for errors. By integrating with current management infrastructures, it facilitates seamless patching workflows, helping organizations maintain a high level of cybersecurity.

What are the most important features of Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager?

Automated Patch Deployment: Streamlines the patch process by automating the deployment of updates.
Compliance Reporting: Provides detailed reports to ensure systems adhere to compliance standards.
Cross-Platform Support: Manages patches for various operating systems and applications.
Scheduling Flexibility: Customizes when patches are deployed to minimize disruption.
Vulnerability Assessment: Identifies and addresses security weaknesses.

What benefits or ROI should users consider?

Enhanced Security: Reduces vulnerabilities by maintaining up-to-date systems.
Operational Efficiency: Saves time with automated processes and reduces manual efforts.
Cost-Effectiveness: Reduces the cost of security incidents and management overhead.
Improved Compliance: Assures adherence to industry regulations with comprehensive reporting.

Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager finds application in various industries, including healthcare, finance, and education, where it supports compliance with industry-specific regulations. By automating patch management, each sector ensures its systems are secure and compliant, reducing the risk of breaches and enhancing operational stability.

Ivanti

KACE Systems Management Appliance offers integration capabilities, efficient image deployment, and comprehensive asset management. It supports centralized management across diverse devices and locations, simplifying IT processes and enhancing security.

KACE Systems Management Appliance provides single-pane visibility for endpoint management, mass software deployment, automated patch management, robust scripting, and detailed inventory tracking. It streamlines IT management and improves cyber-security compliance through remote software updates and centralized IT request handling. Despite struggles with scalability and the need for interface improvements, it enables efficient device imaging, script automation, and network management through detailed reporting. Organizations find it effective for software deployment, asset management, and endpoint monitoring, serving thousands of IoT devices and desktops.

What are the key features of KACE Systems Management Appliance?

Integration capabilities: Seamlessly connects with existing IT systems.
Efficient image deployment: Facilitates quick and effective distribution of system images.
Comprehensive asset management: Provides detailed tracking and management of IT assets.
User-friendly helpdesk: Simplifies handling IT requests and issues.
Automated patch management: Ensures devices are up-to-date with security patches.
Robust scripting: Allows for automation of complex IT tasks.
Detailed inventory tracking: Maintains accurate records of all IT assets.

What benefits should users expect from KACE Systems Management Appliance?

Simplified IT processes: Centralized management enhances operational efficiency.
Improved security: Streamlines cyber-security compliance through automated updates.
Flexibility in customizations: Adapts to specific IT environment needs.
Increased productivity: Efficient ticketing and reporting ease organizational operations.
Remote software updates: Ensures all devices are current, reducing security risks.

In healthcare, KACE Systems Management Appliance is used for maintaining device compliance and security standards. Educational institutions benefit from its capabilities to manage large numbers of endpoints across campuses. In finance, it aids in strict compliance requirements through automated patch management and detailed reporting. Retail sectors leverage its asset management features to streamline operations across numerous locations.

Quest Software

Sample Customers

InfoPro Digital, Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District

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

Buyer's Guide

Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

June 2026

Free Report: Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

Find out what your peers are saying about Ivanti Patch for Endpoint Manager vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.

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