N-able MSP Manager vs SCSM comparison

N-able and Microsoft are both solutions in the IT Service Management (ITSM) category. N-able is ranked #29, while Microsoft is ranked #9 with an average rating of 7.6. N-able holds a 0.9% mindshare in ISM, compared to Microsoft’s 1.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of N-able users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 64% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

N-able MSP Manager

Read 4 N-able MSP Manager reviews

479 Views
331 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

SCSM

Read 27 SCSM reviews

977 Views
821 Comparison Views

64% willing to recommend

N-able MSP Manager

SCSM

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

SCSM and N-able MSP Manager compete in the IT service management and MSP operations category. Data comparisons suggest N-able MSP Manager has the upper hand due to its cost-effective features and operational efficiency.

Features: SCSM offers comprehensive integration within Microsoft's ecosystem, enabling advanced customization and extensive reporting capabilities. It integrates seamlessly with components like Active Directory and Microsoft System Center platforms, ensuring a coordinated infrastructure. N-able MSP Manager is noted for its intuitive ticketing system, efficient time management, and unified portal that centralizes workflows, making it ideal for smaller enterprises needing streamlined operations.

Room for Improvement: SCSM could benefit from simplifying its complex deployment process and reducing dependency on technical resources. Enhancements in user-friendliness and faster adaptation to various IT environments would be advantageous. N-able MSP Manager might improve by offering more extensive integration options beyond current capabilities, enhancing SLA customization flexibility, and providing more robust customer support tools to handle larger-scale operations.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SCSM's deployment is complex, demanding significant technical knowledge and resources, which can be a barrier for some businesses. Its customer service can be slow due to the level of technical understanding required. N-able MSP Manager stands out with a straightforward deployment process and responsive customer service, which appeals to businesses seeking quick implementation without extensive IT involvement.

Pricing and ROI: SCSM requires higher upfront costs, presenting itself as a long-term investment with substantial returns once integrated thoroughly. N-able MSP Manager offers a budget-friendly setup with quicker ROI, particularly valued by smaller to mid-sized businesses focused on cost-efficiency. This affordability enhances its attractiveness for businesses prioritizing operational simplicity over extensive feature sets.

To learn more, read our detailed N-able MSP Manager vs. SCSM Report (Updated: August 2025).

Buyer's Guide

N-able MSP Manager vs. SCSM

August 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

N-able MSP Manager

Ranking in Help Desk Software

25th

Ranking in IT Service Management (ITSM)

29th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SCSM

Ranking in Help Desk Software

10th

Ranking in IT Service Management (ITSM)

9th

Average Rating

7.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the IT Service Management (ITSM) category, the mindshare of N-able MSP Manager is 0.9%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SCSM is 1.4%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

IT Service Management (ITSM)

Featured Reviews

Yazan Albaw

Customer Success Director at We Cybers

N-able MSP Manager centralizes service management, automates ticketing, and enhances client communication for streamlined IT operations.

For improvement, there's a feature I've already requested from N-able that I'd love to see in future releases. When adding a client, there should be a way to add multiple contacts under each client. Currently, we have to manually enter each contact’s details one by one, including their name, last name, password, and other information. It would be much more efficient if we could import contacts in bulk, perhaps using an Excel sheet or another import method. Additionally, it would be highly beneficial if MSP Manager could integrate with multiple RMM solutions. At the moment, we're limited to integrating with just one RMM, Expanding this capability would greatly enhance the versatility and value of MSP Manager.

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LuisSanchez3

Director Metropolitano de Gobierno Digital at a government with 10,001+ employees

Current setup enables smooth problem-solving but lacks comprehensive guidance and local support

More information about setup procedures and a more user-friendly front end would be beneficial. We need more information for setup processes. It is difficult to do the work independently, requiring us to hire external companies for maintenance hours to fix small issues that could be resolved faster in-house if we had better information. We have been looking for an upgrade version, but finding local service has been difficult. It has been challenging trying to get things done. Speaking with the Microsoft office, we found there are no local companies with substantial experience with SCSM. What we have now was installed five or six years ago. It has been difficult to change configurations and look for upgrades, even with all the manuals. Our office is considering moving away from SCSM and getting a service desk solution outside of Microsoft. For me, it has been a good tool to get help and solve internal problems in the office. It is a very good tool, but the difficulty in getting local service or more information is pushing us to look for another tool.

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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 am impressed with the tool's integration with our mail system."

"The best advantage for us, since we use all N-able products, is that the MSP portal centralizes everything."

"I like that you can do all the things with it. You can patch, and you can run the scheduled tasks. You can remote in, upload files, and download files. You can log onto a computer PowerShell, or command prompt, without having to log into RDP. I also like its ease of use."

"This is a premier product and it has been around for a long time."

"It is a simple solution that is easy to configure."

"SCSM is easy to learn because all of the material, including training videos, can be found online."

"SCSM helps us keep organized by tracking all user demands and change requests. However, the reporting is not sufficient to provide a clear view of ongoing projects. It helps with daily operations and change request management."

"The most requested feature from our customers is the helpdesk ticketing system."

"This product has helped our organization by allowing people to connect with each other."

"SCCM provides remote tool functionality, which is not in Intune."

"It is one of the most stable solutions in the market."

"The reporting is very good."

More SCSM pros

Cons

"I'd like to see a way to import contacts in bulk using an Excel sheet or another import method."

"The tool needs to improve its customization of the user interface."

"What I would like to see is a simplified solution that is packaged better, where you can easily implement or turn on the functionality that you need."

"Its reporting is lousy and bad. It is not as good as it should be. There is too much work involved to get what you want. Most times, you have to call them to customize some stuff. I just don't like that part. They need to work on their reporting. They have a way to go."

"The major issues with SCSM include its severe slowness, especially on the client side, and the lack of comprehensive reporting tools."

"Our office is looking for maybe getting out of SCSM and getting a service desk solution outside of Microsoft."

"It has not helped reduce the burden on IT resources."

"The user interface needs to be improved."

"I have found SCSM not adequate enough to carry out some functions."

"The solution could be more simple. For example, it takes a lot of work to create reports. It runs on Microsoft SQL queries. Creating custom reports on ManageEngine takes less work from the administrator."

"It's not too hard to compile stuff but it is hard to manage the solution. Even the design itself makes it difficult for management."

"Resources for understanding compliance and relative compliance need to be made available."

More SCSM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I would rate the tool's pricing an eight out of ten since it's not the cheapest one in the market."

"Don't get scared of the price tag because it's definitely worth it."

"I don't know the exact cost, but I know it's reasonable. Its cost of entry is not bad. I've had other organizations sign up for it. I don't know how much they paid, but it wasn't bad. You charge for every object. You charge for AV, and you charge for servers. There is a charge for everything or every object in that. I know we make money from it, but I don't know what it is."

"The pricing is reasonable."

"It comes free with the enterprise agreement that we have, but the expense really is in having to buy another product to sit on top of it to make it work properly. You wind up having to buy additional support and additional product with their own support and maintenance costs on top of that."

"The platform is competitively priced."

"The license for SCSM is cheap."

"The price should be lower."

"It is a lower price vs. other things on the market."

"The price of the solution could be better. My organization has an enterprise annual license with Microsoft which provides us support."

"Licensing can be complex and confusing."

More SCSM pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Government

25%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with N-able MSP Manager?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for N-able MSP Manager?

At We Cybers, we utilize multiple N-able products, including RMM, EDR, and Passportal. N-able MSP Manager seamlessly integrates our ticketing system with both RMM Insight and N-central, enabling au...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering N-able MSP Manager?

N-able MSP Manager also shines with its robust automation and workflow capabilities, which I find truly impressive. Users can automate the conversion of RMM triggers and alarms into tickets, automa...

See all answers

What do you like most about SCSM?

The solution offers good productivity at a low price point.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SCSM?

I am not sure about the pricing as I do not have experience with it.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SCSM?

See all answers

Comparisons

JIRA Service Management vs N-able MSP Manager

Compared 43% of the time

ServiceNow vs N-able MSP Manager

Compared 36% of the time

SolarWinds Web Help Desk vs N-able MSP Manager

Compared 20% of the time

More N-able MSP Manager Competitors

ServiceNow vs SCSM

Compared 53% of the time

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus vs SCSM

Compared 26% of the time

BMC Helix ITSM vs SCSM

Compared 12% of the time

IBM SmartCloud Control Desk vs SCSM

Compared 9% of the time

More SCSM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Help Desk Software

August 2025

Download N-able MSP Manager product report

Buyer's Guide

SCSM

July 2025

Download SCSM product report

Also Known As

SolarWinds LOGICnow, SolarWinds MSP Manager

System Center Service Manager

Overview

Managing your business and providing excellent support shouldn’t bog you down. MSP Manager’s ease of use will free your team to deliver on your promise of great service.

Intuitive, lightweight ticketing with seamless RMM and N-central^®platform integrations.
Painless time tracking with convenient timers and functionality for recurring tickets and appointments.
Closed-loop email with automatic ticket monitoring and routing, with a streamlined Microsoft 365 setup via OAuth.
Complete customer and knowledge management with a branded portal.
Accounting integrations with QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, and Xero.

N-able

System Center Service Manager is a software product by Microsoft to allow organizations to manage incidents and problems. Microsoft states that the product is compliant with industry best practices such as the Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) and in the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). SCSM has integrated ITIL compliant fulfillment of service requests. Service requests are submitted by the end user in order to obtain information, access to a new application or the most common of all, password reset.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Longleaf Systems, ITproMedia, Choice Technology, Halski Systems, Allixo Technologies, Nettech, Concept Technology

Fibabanka, UMC Health System

Buyer's Guide

N-able MSP Manager vs. SCSM

August 2025

Free Report: N-able MSP Manager vs. SCSM

Find out what your peers are saying about N-able MSP Manager vs. SCSM and other solutions. Updated: August 2025.

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