KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) vs Vicarius vRx comparison

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) vs. Vicarius vRx

September 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:

ROI

Sentiment score

7.3

KACE Appliance boosts productivity and reduces costs by streamlining system management, cutting labor needs, and simplifying processes.

Sentiment score

6.3

Vicarius vRx improves efficiency and ROI by reducing remediation time and personnel resources, boosting client acquisition and profits.

The return on investment is seen in the quick access to information, good inventory management, and efficient systems management.

For more quotes and insights, download the KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) report

Avocat at Star Boxes India Pvt Ltd

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Vicarius vRx report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.6

KACE Systems Management Appliance users praise the responsive, professional support and ITNinja for high satisfaction despite mixed experiences.

Sentiment score

8.0

Vicarius support is praised for its responsiveness, professionalism, and effective communication, ensuring swift resolution of customer inquiries.

I would rate the customer support for Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) as a 10.

Server Administrator III at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees

The customer service is very good, providing quick customer support in Spanish.

For more quotes and insights, download the KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) report

Avocat at Star Boxes India Pvt Ltd

Their support is very good, and they respond quickly.

For more quotes and insights, download the Vicarius vRx report

Network & Security Manager at a government with 201-500 employees

During the POC and the implementation, they were very available and made their best efforts to help us.

Or Derzi

DevOps Tech Lead at Earnix Ltd.

Whenever I've contacted them, they respond promptly with a callback or by email.

Moshe

Systems Admin at a computer software company with 201-500 employees

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.1

KACE SMA efficiently manages endpoints, easily scales, integrates well with virtual environments, and accommodates growth with minimal setbacks.

Sentiment score

7.9

Vicarius vRx is highly rated for scalability, offering seamless management and deployment across multiple systems and locations.

The product is very scalable as it supports 10,000 thousand endpoints with just one appliance.

Avocat at Star Boxes India Pvt Ltd

We have outgrown the size of one KACE appliance and are now running two.

For more quotes and insights, download the KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) report

Server Administrator III at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees

It is very simple; you just script it, and then the computers connect themselves.

reviewer2595537

Information Systems Supervisor at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees

When we attempted to scale this and update 200 systems, that just locked it.

Works at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees

We have some clients with up to a thousand agents.

For more quotes and insights, download the Vicarius vRx report

Network & Security Manager at a government with 201-500 employees

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

8.1

KACE SMA is stable and reliable, with quick support for issues and minimal downtime, appreciated for its resilience.

Sentiment score

7.4

Vicarius vRx is stable and reliable, with minor initial issues swiftly resolved, leading to high user satisfaction.

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is stable and secure;

For more quotes and insights, download the KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) report

Security Administrator at EbixCash

There are some issues that they do not even know how to fix at this point.

For more quotes and insights, download the Vicarius vRx report

Works at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees

I would rate the stability of Vicarius vRx ten out of ten.

OrenBen Shalom

Information Security Manager at Pango

There are some issues like high CPU usage during updates, but these were fixed.

reviewer2597013

IT Manager & Sys Admin at a non-tech company with 51-200 employees

Room For Improvement

KACE SMA users seek enhanced scalability, reporting, UI design, easier remote management, and better integration with reduced resource consumption.

Users seek enhanced network scans, mobile vulnerability management, patchless automation, virtual testing, and improved scripting, filtering, and reporting.

Currently, we have to go into each org to deploy applications when we need them all across the university.

Server Administrator III at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees

The dashboard could be more interactive; for example, it should provide alerts if an endpoint is vulnerable to viruses.

Security Administrator at EbixCash

The user interface needs improvement as customers have mentioned they do not like the interface since it is not an SMA-based interface.

For more quotes and insights, download the KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) report

Avocat at Star Boxes India Pvt Ltd

I am pretty sure that the tool works great when it comes to Windows, but when you are in an environment that has different flavors of Linux at different version levels, that may pose an issue.

Works at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees

We have the ability to search across the network for all switches, routers, and printers, but some devices might be outdated and have vulnerabilities.

For more quotes and insights, download the Vicarius vRx report

Network & Security Manager at a government with 201-500 employees

Enhancing Vicarius vRx with improved third-party integrations, like notifications for external systems, and increased cloud integration for richer instance information, would be valuable improvements.

Or Derzi

DevOps Tech Lead at Earnix Ltd.

Setup Cost

KACE SMA's per-device licensing offers cost-effective scalability and comprehensive management, providing value across various organization sizes.

Vicarius vRx offers competitive pricing, though smaller education clients find it costly; flexible deals available through account reps.

The pricing is in the middle range of the market, not too expensive but not the cheapest either.

Avocat at Star Boxes India Pvt Ltd

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.

Server Administrator III at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees

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.

For more quotes and insights, download the KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) report

Security Administrator at EbixCash

It was very cheap.

Works at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees

In the past, Vicarius vRx was cheap, but now they have adjusted their pricing policy, resulting in higher renewal costs.

For more quotes and insights, download the Vicarius vRx report

Network & Security Manager at a government with 201-500 employees

From a pricing perspective, Vicarius was cheaper compared to other competitors.

Or Derzi

DevOps Tech Lead at Earnix Ltd.

Valuable Features

KACE SMA enhances productivity with off-hours deployment, automation, and streamlined asset and license management through a single interface.

Vicarius vRx offers virtual patching, severity prioritization, and a cloud platform to efficiently manage and protect against vulnerabilities.

Scripting has saved us hundreds of hours over the years when patching these vulnerabilities compared to how we did it before.

Server Administrator III at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees

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.

Security Administrator at EbixCash

The most valuable features include simplicity, which makes systems management easier and faster, especially for device management.

For more quotes and insights, download the KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) report

Avocat at Star Boxes India Pvt Ltd

It's a valuable tool that reduces tension between IT and security teams by providing time to properly install patches.

OrenBen Shalom

Information Security Manager at Pango

The system prioritizes vulnerabilities, identifying high, medium, and low risks, allowing us to focus on high-risk applications.

reviewer2595537

Information Systems Supervisor at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees

The most valuable feature is the system's ability to provide information about open CVEs and how it compares the local version with available updates.

reviewer2597013

IT Manager & Sys Admin at a non-tech company with 51-200 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Vicarius vRx report

Categories and Ranking

KACE Systems Management App...

Ranking in Patch Management

11th

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) (11th)

Vicarius vRx

Ranking in Patch Management

10th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Vulnerability Management (28th), Risk-Based Vulnerability Management (11th)

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Patch Management category, the mindshare of KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is 3.3%, down from 3.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Vicarius vRx is 2.4%, down from 3.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Patch Management Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Vicarius vRx	2.4%
KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)	3.3%
Other	94.3%

Patch Management

Featured Reviews

Centralized software deployment has simplified endpoint control but needs stronger security alerts

Security Administrator at EbixCash

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

OrenBen Shalom

Information Security Manager at Pango

Consolidates vulnerability discovery, prioritization, and remediation in a single platform

Vicarius vRx offers several advantages, especially for organizations with diverse operating systems and applications requiring frequent patching. The platform helps prioritize patch installation by identifying high-risk vulnerabilities, allowing IT teams to focus on critical threats first. This prioritization is crucial because it prevents IT teams from being overwhelmed by the constant influx of patches, enabling them to create a manageable plan and allocate resources effectively. By distinguishing between critical, high-risk, and medium-risk vulnerabilities, Vicarius vRx empowers IT teams to address the most urgent threats promptly and schedule less critical patches for later. Both native operating system updates and Vicarius vRx offer vulnerability remediation. Native OS updates allow for the patching of system vulnerabilities on Windows, macOS, and Linux. However, Vicarius vRx provides a single solution for installing both operating system and application updates by also discovering application vulnerabilities. Another valuable feature is virtual patching, which allows us to protect an asset from a specific vulnerability without installing a patch. Sometimes, installing a patch alone is insufficient and requires restarting the asset. However, production servers often cannot be restarted during the day, restricting restarts to specific timeslots. Virtual patching creates a network-based protection layer that prevents exploitation of a vulnerability, offering a temporary safeguard. While not a foolproof solution for long-term use, it's a valuable tool that reduces tension between IT and security teams by providing time to properly install patches.

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

University

Construction Company

Non Profit

12%

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	3

Questions from the Community

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...

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...

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...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Vicarius vRx?

My experience with the pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Vicarius vRx is that this is very good and the best on the market.

What needs improvement with Vicarius vRx?

There are improvements needed for Vicarius vRx that I have not mentioned yet, specifically the reports need to be improved.

What is your primary use case for Vicarius vRx?

I started using Vicarius vRx primarily for vulnerability remediation and automations. My main use case for Vicarius vRx is application update and vulnerability fix. I use Vicarius vRx for vulnerabi...

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Product Reports

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

October 2026

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) report

Download KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) product report

Download Vicarius vRx product report

Vicarius vRx

October 2026

Also Known As

Dell KACE Systems Management

No data available

Overview

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

Vicarius vRx provides an integrated approach for vulnerability management, emphasizing virtualized patching and severity prioritization with agent-based scanning to combat zero-day threats and unpatched software.

Vicarius vRx integrates vulnerability discovery, prioritization, and remediation into a streamlined platform, focusing on efficiency and security. Its patchless protection allows for immediate defense against zero-day vulnerabilities while automation tools reduce time and labor. User-friendly design and community support enhance efficiency, with critical vulnerability identification and automatic third-party patch deployment strengthening security management. Areas for growth include network vulnerability scans, mobile device management, and improved cloud integration.

What are the standout features of Vicarius vRx?

Virtualized Patching: Mitigates vulnerabilities without traditional patch application.
Severity Prioritization: Focus resources on the most critical threats.
Patchless Protection: Defends against zero-day vulnerabilities.
User-Efficient Interface: Simplifies navigation and operations.
Community Support: Enhances functionality with shared resources.

What benefits and ROI should be evaluated?

Time Savings: Reduces manual tasks through automation.
Enhanced Security: Prioritizes and remediates high-risk vulnerabilities effectively.
Compliance Assurance: Aligns with PCI and HIPAA standards.
Operational Efficiency: Streamlines patch management across multiple environments.

Enterprises in healthcare and financial services extensively use Vicarius vRx for ensuring compliance and streamlining updates. They manage over 300 assets, focusing on third-party software updates to maintain enhanced security standards. This tool facilitates auditing and patch verification to mitigate critical security breaches.

Vicarius

Sample Customers

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

Information Not Available