Ivanti Neurons Patch for Intune vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) comparison

Ivanti and Quest Software are both solutions in the Patch Management category. Ivanti is ranked #15 with an average rating of 7.3, while Quest Software is ranked #10 with an average rating of 10.0. Ivanti holds a 1.6% mindshare in PM, compared to Quest Software’s 4.1% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Ivanti users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Quest Software users who would recommend it.

Ivanti Neurons Patch for In...

Read 11 Ivanti Neurons Patch for Intune reviews

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100% willing to recommend

KACE Systems Management App...

Read 39 KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) reviews

2,638 Views
1,477 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Ivanti Neurons Patch for In...

KACE Systems Management App...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 19, 2025

KACE Systems Management Appliance and Ivanti Neurons Patch for Intune compete in the field of IT management solutions, offering device management and patching functionalities. KACE seems to have the upper hand in remote management convenience and deployment flexibility, whereas Ivanti excels in comprehensive patch management and peer-to-peer distribution.

Features: KACE Systems Management Appliance offers robust integration with Bomgar, efficient remote imaging, and comprehensive device management with impressive reporting capabilities. Ivanti Neurons Patch for Intune is valued for its peer-to-peer patching, wide third-party application support, and effective package distribution.

Room for Improvement: KACE faces scaling limitations when managing over 10,000 devices and could improve user-friendliness in software deployment and scripting. Ivanti needs better integration with cloud solutions, enhanced stability during patching, and improved reporting features for compliance visibility.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: KACE offers deployment flexibility across on-premises and cloud environments and is praised for responsive customer support. Ivanti supports on-premises and hybrid environments, also receiving positive customer service feedback. KACE, however, offers broader deployment flexibility.

Pricing and ROI: KACE offers a cost-effective model with notable ROI, though scaling can reveal higher costs. Ivanti’s pricing is affordable but may seem high compared to alternatives. KACE generally provides faster ROI, with Ivanti’s pricing scalability presenting challenges as node counts increase.

To learn more, read our detailed Ivanti Neurons Patch for Intune vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Ivanti Neurons Patch for Intune vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

July 2025

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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 Neurons Patch for In...

Ranking in Patch Management

15th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

KACE Systems Management App...

Ranking in Patch Management

10th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Client Desktop Management (3rd), Endpoint Compliance (8th), Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) (12th), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (9th)

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Patch Management category, the mindshare of Ivanti Neurons Patch for Intune is 1.6%, down from 2.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is 4.1%, down from 6.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Patch Management Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)	4.1%
Ivanti Neurons Patch for Intune	1.6%
Other	94.3%

Patch Management

Featured Reviews

DddGgggg

Information Technology System Engineer at DRÄXLMAIER Group

Allows us to set maintenance windows and deliver patches

We can set a maintenance window and push the patch. I prefer writing scripts, doing software deployment, pushing it, and distributing applications in servers for the corner of the whole location. We download patches from Ivanti, and it collaborates with more than 700 products. For third-party applications, we download the patches, set a role in our environment, and push it using the maintenance window time and activation date. For software deployment, we receive the service request to install and prepare scripts and then push it in many locations according and relevant to the service request for each location. The group or collection devices are affected by the policy.

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Scott Tweed

Windows Engineer at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees

Low maintenance, reliable, and easy to create packages

I like how when you click on the device, it shows you everything that has changed as well as the software versioning. I am really enjoying the inventory aspect of it. The deployment process for both deploying and creating a package is straightforward. I believe the inventory in KACE is superior to SCCM's. I know with SCCM I could do things like remote console into machines via the agent's remote console, but that is not a feature that is provided in KACE. I know that at least in the Systems Management Appliance, I can't get to it. I'm not sure how distribution works, with distribution points. I'm not sure if KACE has that feature. You could use an SCCM to set up distribution points at remote sites so that they don't have to download patches or software from across the country. If you have a DP or something similar, they could pull it down.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I like the product's Peer to Peer patching feature."

"We use the solution for security patching of Windows devices."

"It is very easy to use, as well as extremely efficient and accurate."

"Ivanti Patch's most valuable features are the patch module and the package distribution."

"Both in terms of features and operations, this is a good solution."

"We can set a maintenance window and push the patch."

"The technical support from Ivanti is good."

"The most valuable features are device management and support for upgrading applications."

More Ivanti Neurons Patch for Intune pros

"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."

"The ability to push an image to a machine, wake that image up, and just blast a new image to a computer without even having to touch it, and then push the software to that machine. This just made things so much more convenient for us and so much more efficient."

"It is excellent in terms of updating and configuring everything the way we need. For anything more complex, we do professional service engagements, and they're exceptional. For anything less complex, we just need to ask questions. Their support division is extremely good too."

"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 Systems Deployment Appliance is magical when it comes to automating deployment... Not only can we have multiple images, specific to end-users' uses, but we have a plethora of post-installation tasks to install or configure the system, tasks that can be re-used for each system. You just have one basic base image, and then you use the post-install tasks to customize everything else. It is amazing."

"With KACE, we were able to have a simplification of the software deployment management with more granularity and flexibility."

"This solution makes it easy to control assets and upgrade all types of software."

"The most valuable feature is the ability to monitor updates—the software versions—on machines so that we can keep everything compliant."

More KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) pros

Cons

"Ivanti Patch could be improved with better integration with other cloud solutions."

"There are times when there is an update that causes some issues. These issues should be sorted out before the release."

"I would like to have better support for the application."

"Customers sometimes ask about non-existent features, and we pass these requests on to Ivanti."

"The reports have to show the compliance level of the patching, which Ivanti does not provide."

"In terms of improvement, I would recommend better documentation. During the time I used it, there were issues with up-to-date patching, and the documentation around those specific errors was quite confusing."

"The product's support and configuration need to improve. It needs to be more scalable."

"It's a difficult configuration because you need to install many servers in a location, and you have to install the primary server in the main location."

More Ivanti Neurons Patch for Intune cons

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

"The K1000 doesn't communicate well with some clients without SMB. There are some issues with getting things to image correctly because they rely on SMB, and SMB is a protocol that is being removed due to security reasons. Organizations are trying to rely less and less on SMB. I know Quest is aware of it. They've talked about having a new version that wouldn't rely on SMB for connection to the clients, but they haven't gotten there yet."

"The user interface needs improvement as customers have mentioned they do not like the interface since it is not an SMA-based interface and lacks a manual configuration option."

"The only hiccups we had were some power issues, where the box was a little under-powered early on."

"I would like them to implement VBScript language in KACE Systems Management. Currently, we can only use PowerShell."

"When we have to do a rebuild on these machines, although it is rare, I would like to be able to do more than 10 at a time. With the current limit, it slows me down because I have to set up 10, then the next 10, and so forth."

"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."

"One of the complications is that they don't have 24/7 support, and they're also not in our time zone... 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."

More KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"For the one that works with SCCM, it is relatively inexpensive at $8 USD per node, yearly. The standalone product has two versions; the one that patches servers is about $45 USD annually and the version that patches workstations is about half that price at $22 USD."

"The license can get expensive if you have a lot of nodes."

"The solution is expensive compared to other products."

"The solution is affordable."

"While the price is a bit high, it may be equitable with the features one gets with the product, such as that involving the interface."

"There are no costs in addition to the standard licensing fees."

"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."

"The pricing is fair."

"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."

"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."

"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 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."

"We pay annually for technical support."

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Non Profit

University

12%

Government

10%

Non Profit

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	20
Large Enterprise	15

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Ivanti Patch for Windows?

We use the solution for security patching of Windows devices.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Ivanti Patch for Windows?

In terms of improvement, I would recommend better documentation. During the time I used it, there were issues with up-to-date patching, and the documentation around those specific errors was quite ...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Ivanti Patch for Windows?

The only downside I found regarding technical support was the time zone difference. Since we are two hours behind, we occasionally had to wait until the next morning for assistance. I would rate th...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Quest KACE Systems Management?

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.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Quest KACE Systems Management?

I wish Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) would have a top-down approach since we use orgs; currently, we have to go into each org to deploy applications when we need them all across the...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Quest KACE Systems Management?

My main use case for Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is to deploy applications and maintain security, and we use it day-to-day to handle those tasks. With Quest KACE Systems Managemen...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 29% of the time

Microsoft Configuration Manager vs Ivanti Neurons Patch for Intune

Compared 25% of the time

ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus vs Ivanti Neurons Patch for Intune

Compared 16% of the time

Microsoft Windows Server Update Services vs Ivanti Neurons Patch for Intune

Compared 15% of the time

Automox vs Ivanti Neurons Patch for Intune

Compared 15% of the time

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Microsoft Configuration Manager vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

Compared 31% of the time

Microsoft Intune vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

Compared 23% of the time

BigFix vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

Compared 8% of the time

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

Compared 7% of the time

NinjaOne vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

Compared 6% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Patch Management

August 2025

Download Ivanti Neurons Patch for Intune product report

Buyer's Guide

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

September 2025

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) report

Download KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) product report

Also Known As

Ivanti Patch for Windows, Patch for Windows, Shavlik Patch for Windows

Dell KACE Systems Management

Overview

Better protect against threats that stem from vulnerabilities in third-party applications.

Improve protection against threats that stem from vulnerabilities in third-party applications by extending Intune with risk-based third-party patch publishing – without any additional infrastructure.

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

Presbyterian Church

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

Buyer's Guide

Ivanti Neurons Patch for Intune vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

July 2025

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