KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) vs Sophos Mobile comparison

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) vs. Sophos Mobile

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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

Microsoft Intune

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 32.6%, down from 38.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is 1.9%, down from 2.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos Mobile is 2.8%, down from 3.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Intune	32.6%
Sophos Mobile	2.8%
KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)	1.9%
Other	62.7%

Unified Endpoint Management (UEM)

Featured Reviews

AkashKamble

Sr MacOS specialist engineer at Cyber24

Enables management of multiple operating systems with a single license

The best feature is that it's a Microsoft product, so if anything goes wrong, we get quick support for anything required. Remote system functionality allows us to sit anywhere and take control of any device via remote management. We can enhance security for clients' laptops with built-in Microsoft Defender, which is available with the Microsoft Intune license. We use it for reporting purposes through endpoint analytics. When pushing scripting, there are two types available: remediation script and reservation script. Through endpoint analytics, you can push defender policies to clients. It helps with reporting, inventory updates, and monitoring tenant status health.

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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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Ramunas Tranavicius

IT Architect, IT Security Expert, Owner at avilura uab

Provides effective mobile security for small companies yet needs a clearer user interface and better support

We provide services to small companies with ten to fifty clients. It is important for us, as we operate as an IT company and system integrator, to deploy solutions like Sophos Mobile for mobile security and device management The features that stand out for maintaining mobile security are…

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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

"Third party integrations are very convenient to use with Microsoft Intune."

"It is user-friendly, and the performance is also good. It is a convenient product"

"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Intune is that it is more of a one-stop shop, providing an easier experience."

"It is a very stable and scalable cloud-only solution."

"The core management feature in Intune is invaluable to us, especially considering the challenges we often face with System Center when pushing external updates."

"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Intune is having all our devices compliant with our policies."

"The compliance and configuration policies in Microsoft Intune are the most valuable features, saving significant time compared to manual implementation."

"Overall, the stability is good."

More Microsoft Intune pros

"The most valuable feature is the imaging of computers through the SDA... Being able to do that so quickly with the SDA, and to then use the SMA for reinstalling software, has been huge for our productivity."

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

"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."

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

"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."

"It also does patch management. At the moment, I'm rolling out a new feature update, 20.8.2, and it's a great challenge because we have to deploy it to 1,200 computers in the home office. We want to do it without interrupting production, but KACE is reliable and it's easy to adapt it to my needs for how and when to deploy the feature update."

"The single pane of glass for managing devices is helpful because it allows me to perform updates and control things without having to disturb the doctors or nurses."

"There is one place for a lot of different things. If somebody has a problem with their computer, they will put in a ticket. From there, we will know who it is and the assets assigned to them, because there is one place to go look for what we are talking about and with whom we are talking. Just having one place for everything is really convenient. For example, we are able to deploy software to hundreds of computers. We don't need to go to each individual device."

More KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) pros

"They always add more features to this product."

"Sophos Mobile offers features like cash mode and safe mode, and allows for central management, which I find effective for device security, though it depends on the clients' needs and the types of mobile devices used."

"Sophos Mobile is efficient in threat detection."

"The features that stand out for maintaining mobile security are compliance and the ability to install applications and configure work profiles."

"Sophos has good customer support, and that is crucial for sustaining business relationships."

"Deploying the solution is very simple and can be done in less than one hour."

"The solution provides us with data protection."

"The most valuable feature is the mobile device management capability. You can easily manage all of your mobile devices."

More Sophos Mobile pros

Cons

"Intune should improve the management of non-Microsoft devices. It would be better to manage Mac, Android, and other non-Microsoft operating system devices within the same Intune interface."

"From an end-user perspective of Microsoft Intune, I haven't experienced any challenges since installation. However, some customers have reported experiencing slowness when using lower versions of the Android system."

"The platform is incredibly slow and could be more responsive. Specifically, when making changes to security policies, I would like to see those changes take effect more quickly."

"My main pain point for Microsoft Intune is the contact part. Not all Android or iOS applications have access to integration, for example, contacts."

"There is room for improvement in server patch management and allowing direct uploads of EXE applications instead of needing to convert them to Intune format, which would save time."

"Due to the abundance of features, there's a lot to organize, which makes managing and setting up the solution challenging. The setup is immense, and it would be good to see improvement in this area."

"The synchronization could be improved."

"In the next release, I would like a feature to be able to properly lock down the device. For example, if an attacker or somebody steals the phone, you can be sure that the pin cannot be broken."

More Microsoft Intune cons

"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."

"The initial setup was complex. It is a Linux-based virtual server, where the customer cannot get into the back-end, so you can only follow their prompts. Then, there are specific things that have to be done in their implementation and upgrade phases that have to be done in a certain order or steps. If you don't get those steps right, the system doesn't work. I think that either simplifying that process or providing really good step-by-step documentation would be helpful."

"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 university."

"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 labeling process should be more streamlined. It should be easier to do. It gets confusing at times."

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

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

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

More KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) cons

"The setup should be made easier."

"To manage the Apple devices is not that straightforward there are a lot of features the other third parties solutions are offering which Sophos Mobile is not."

"The area for improvement in Sophos Mobile is troubleshooting."

"The product does not work well in iOS."

"It could be more secure."

"The area for improvement in Sophos Mobile is troubleshooting."

"There may be necessary adjustments that need to be made because we are facing certain restrictions within the work profile."

"We encounter issues while working with iOS."

More Sophos Mobile cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"There is a cost benefit of using Microsoft Intune because of the packaging with other Microsoft products."

"Intune's pricing is reasonable considering its benefits and the high costs it helps avoid."

"If you ask the accountant or the finance department, they'll tell you that it is way too expensive, but when I look at the cost and compare it with the value you actually get, it's more than fair."

"We don't get Intune as a separate module. Most of the time, we use it within an enterprise agreement like E3 or E5. Those licenses are at a good price, but what is annoying is that every single year they go higher."

"The pricing for Microsoft Intune is reasonable. Our clients are satisfied."

"It's monthly for us, but it's built into the license cost that we pay our IT each month. It's maybe 129 Kroner per head, which translates to £10. There are some additional costs. Our IT had to set up and configure their own server, so there is an extra cost for that, but I'm not sure what that costs."

"Cost is not my department, but the product is included in the E5 license that we already pay for every user, so no additional cost is incurred."

More Microsoft Intune pricing and cost advice

"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."

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

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

"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 need it, so we have to pay the price. It is what it is. If you need a gallon of milk, then you have to pay the price for it. You don't want to buy the cheap stuff. You want to buy the stuff that is organic and good for your body, which doesn't have all this other junk in it. You want it clean for your body. Quest has done that for our deployment and management systems."

"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."

"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."

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

"The product is not suitable for smaller companies because its price is high."

"My company needs to make yearly payments for the licensing charges attached to the product."

"The licensing fees are paid based on a one-year or two-year subscription."

"It is a cost-effective solution."

"Apple is starting to do beta testing with their own solutions and for much cheaper than Sophos Mobile's price."

"The licensing is paid on a yearly basis."

"Sophos Mobile is inexpensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Government

University

12%

Government

10%

Non Profit

Computer Software Company

10%

Consumer Goods Company

Comms Service Provider

Printing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	116
Midsize Enterprise	46
Large Enterprise	152

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

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	20
Large Enterprise	4

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 Quest KACE Systems Management?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is that, hand...

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 ...

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, a...

What do you like most about Sophos Mobile?

I like the level of interaction that the product offers with the other products in our company's environment.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sophos Mobile?

I find the licensing cost of Sophos Mobile to be somewhat expensive, rating it a four out of ten. There are also addi...

What needs improvement with Sophos Mobile?

The support for Sophos Mobile ( /products/sophos-mobile-reviews ) could be better. I also believe the portal itself r...

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Product Reports

Microsoft Intune

Download Microsoft Intune product report

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

Download KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) product report

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) report

Sophos Mobile

Download Sophos Mobile product report

Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager

Dell KACE Systems Management

Mobile Control

Overview

Microsoft Intune provides centralized management of mobile devices and applications, ensuring security, compliance, and productivity through integration with Microsoft services like Microsoft 365 and Azure Active Directory.

Organizations use Intune for managing mobile devices and applications, enhancing security and compliance across platforms. With features like single sign-on, conditional access, and zero-touch deployment via Autopilot, it facilitates efficient operations. Intune's scalability, easy enrollment, and capabilities such as remote wipe support diverse device management, offering robust data protection and efficient operation. Despite its features, improvement areas include reporting, compatibility with non-Microsoft devices, and better support for macOS and Linux devices.

What are the key features of Microsoft Intune?

Seamless Integration: Works with Microsoft 365, Azure Active Directory, and System Center for streamlined management.
Conditional Access: Enhances security with policies that restrict access based on conditions.
Autopilot: Provides zero-touch deployment for setting up new devices efficiently.
Mobile Device Management: Enables control over both personal and corporate devices.
Application Deployment: Facilitates app delivery across a range of devices.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Centralized Management: Reduces complexity by managing devices and applications in one place.
Security Enhancement: Protects data with features like remote wipe and compliance monitoring.
Improved Productivity: Enhances efficiency with seamless integration and automation features.
Device Scalability: Supports diverse device management for growing business needs.

In industries such as finance, healthcare, and education, Microsoft Intune is implemented to ensure secure and compliant device management. Companies leverage its capabilities to deploy security policies and manage both corporate-owned and BYOD environments, facilitating a unified approach to data protection and compliance.

Microsoft

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

Sophos Mobile is a Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) and security solution that helps businesses spend less time and effort to manage and secure traditional and mobile endpoints. The only UEM solution that integrates natively with a leading next-gen endpoint security platform, Sophos Mobile supports management of Windows 10, macOS, iOS, and Android devices.

Sophos

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway

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

VIST Bank

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) vs. Sophos Mobile