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KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) vs Sophos Mobile comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 19, 2025

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
6.8
Number of Reviews
296
Ranking in other categories
Configuration Management (2nd), Remote Access (1st), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (1st), Microsoft Security Suite (1st)
KACE Systems Management App...
Ranking in Unified Endpoint Management (UEM)
8th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
39
Ranking in other categories
Client Desktop Management (3rd), Endpoint Compliance (8th), Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) (12th), Patch Management (10th)
Sophos Mobile
Ranking in Unified Endpoint Management (UEM)
6th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
22
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (10th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 33.7%, down from 40.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is 1.8%, down from 2.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos Mobile is 3.3%, up from 3.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Unified Endpoint Management (UEM)
 

Featured Reviews

AkashKamble - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Scott Tweed - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Ramunas Tranavicius - PeerSpot reviewer
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…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Intune's compliance features are valuable because they allow immediate visibility into ongoing situations."
"It works pretty well for us."
"The interface is user-friendly, and the reporting tool works in real-time."
"Microsoft Intune is a cost-saving solution, reducing IT department workload and allowing for faster device provisioning compared to traditional methods."
"The ability to block and erase remote devices is valuable to us, especially when those devices are lost."
"The most valuable features in Microsoft Intune for me are application deployment, Defender deployment, and asset management."
"The Microsoft Windows Autopilot and Defender policies are the most valuable features of this solution."
"It is user-friendly, and the performance is also good. It is a convenient product"
"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."
"Using this solution saves us lots of time, especially when it comes to performing updates."
"Pretty much all of the features are valuable. The inventory is very helpful to be able to keep track of our devices. The deployments make it easy to deploy new software packages or upgrade packages. The help desk is also a great tool for tracking problems and problem tickets."
"The most valuable feature of KACE is the mass package deployment. There are a lot of endpoint management solutions in the market. The way KACE responds is with the installation management feature, which is done in a very intelligent way, as well as scripting. It's wow. It's really wow. On top of that, there is a mass undeployment feature as well."
"KACE’s knowledge-based articles are very good."
"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 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."
"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."
"Sophos Mobile has been rated nine out of ten for security and performance."
"Sophos Mobile is efficient in threat detection."
"Sophos can block the Wi-Fi connection on a mobile device. That's one feature we wanted, but the main thing is the ability to disable the device if it's lost or stolen. We need to shut down PayPal, so it can't be used to make unauthorized purchases."
"I recommend Sophos Mobile to medium-sized companies."
"The most valuable feature is the mobile device management capability. You can easily manage all of your mobile devices."
"We can easily manage the devices because it's already in the cloud. For example, if any phone that belongs to the company is lost, we can easily erase the data."
"The security features work well."
"The initial setup process is straightforward and fast."
 

Cons

"It's the granularity: 'Is your firewall on? Is BitLocker on?' It's not amazing granularity. But I've looked into other products, like Duo, and they're all similar."
"Since GMS is unavailable in China, we currently rely on device administrator enrollment for managing Android devices there."
"The Mac integration has room for improvement."
"The pricing could be improved."
"Reporting and troubleshooting for the application deployment could be better. It's very difficult to understand."
"Data leak prevention can be integrated into it. Currently, it does not have data leak prevention."
"The difficulty of the the roll out is surprisingly difficult considering this product is supposed to be an integrated part of the 365 suite."
"We haven't really gone through all the features of Intune. We are just discovering them. Every day, we see a new feature that we want to apply, but what will be great for Intune is to be able to deploy apps in a simple fashion. We should be able to easily install various apps on the Windows platform, iOS, and Android. Currently, we have to write some scripts. It's not as straightforward as we would like it to be. It should be simplified so that we can do it just with three clicks—next, next, finish—without needing to write a script."
"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 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."
"Paying for the product should come with full and extended training anytime it is needed."
"It took a little bit of time to figure out how to use the KACE Service Desk. I like the way that I'm able to customize it. But when it comes to how our techs are able to use it, it's not as functional as our current solution, which is BMC FootPrints Service Desk."
"It could be designed a little bit more intuitively in terms of administration."
"The software asset management functionality is an area that needs to be improved. It could be more automated because when connections need to be made, such as when I connected Adobe and my malware removed, the process was pretty much manual."
"There isn't a lot they need to improve with the solution itself at this point. It is pretty close to providing a single pane of glass for everything that we need for endpoint management specifically on all devices. There is very little that it doesn't provide for us, and for those, we have to go to other methods. There are some of the patching solutions that it doesn't take care of for us. So, we have to do those manually on the devices, and that's really the biggest thing. It doesn't do patching really well for non-Microsoft applications. The major application updates, particularly Windows updates, don't function nearly as well, but, for the vast majority of things, it does just fine. If they could improve in this aspect, that'd be great, but I don't know if they're going to be able to do that."
"I would like for there to be improvement when it comes to Microsoft and Windows updates. It has the ability to do it but the control of it is not there like I have in the Windows Server Update Services. The way KACE does it is still very granular. You don't really see the process like it is in the Windows Server Update Services. I think that would be one of the biggest things that I would like to see KACE really put some work into and really make that a big enhancement."
"In terms of what could be improved, the initial configuration and setup of the environment could probably be made a little bit easier. There are so many pieces that go into it. Intune is absolutely insane and Sophos is better, but it still is a bit complex to get it all set up correctly."
"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 features of Sophos Mobile could improve. The way the system works together could be better. Additionally, the integration with other Sophos products could improve."
"There may be necessary adjustments that need to be made because we are facing certain restrictions within the work profile."
"I suggest improving the user interface at the admin level. Currently, it could be much better."
"I noticed that the VPN aspect is not included in Sophos Mobile."
"The setup should be made easier."
"I noticed that the VPN aspect is not included in Sophos Mobile. To acquire a VPN for mobile, I have to subscribe to Sophos endpoint, which only works on computers."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I liked the tool's pricing until P2 came into effect. I am unsure about the current value versus the cost of the new licensing model."
"I am satisfied with the pricing."
"Any bundle package, such as Security E3, covers multiple things, such as AAP, BitLocker, etc. If you go for them individually, they would be more expensive. Bundling makes the price more attractive and competitive."
"Our enterprise agreement includes Microsoft Intune at no additional cost."
"Intune is inexpensive. It also comes bundled in some Office 365 licenses, so you can choose to purchase it separately or as a package."
"We are partners, so we receive some discount. However, from the customer's perspective, Microsoft Intune's pricing is competitive with non-Microsoft technology, and the price is good compared to other market competitors."
"Microsoft Intune's costliness stems from licensing fees and the overhead associated with its management, user experience, and device remediation."
"It is cheap, but as compared to Google, it is costly. Google is cheaper, but quality-wise, Microsoft Intune is better."
"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."
"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."
"Licensing is done on a per device basis, so it's dependent on how many agents you've got installed."
"The pricing is great. It's billed annually and it's very reasonable."
"The pricing is fair."
"We buy consulting fees from Software Factory, then we pay extra for it."
"The pricing and licensing are absolutely fair."
"The product is reasonably priced."
"It is a cost-effective solution."
"The licensing is paid on a yearly basis."
"Sophos Mobile is inexpensive."
"Apple is starting to do beta testing with their own solutions and for much cheaper than Sophos Mobile's price."
"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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
University
12%
Government
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
Computer Software Company
10%
Consumer Goods Company
8%
Printing Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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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...
 

Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager
Dell KACE Systems Management
Mobile Control
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway
Waypoint, Mattos Filho, Meetic, Gems Education, Green Clinic HealthSystem, Service King
VIST Bank
Find out what your peers are saying about KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) vs. Sophos Mobile and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,384 professionals have used our research since 2012.