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Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) vs Workspace ONE UEM comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
7.6
Businesses benefit from Microsoft Intune through cost savings, enhanced security, and increased productivity by integrating and consolidating services.
Sentiment score
7.1
Quest KACE streamlines operations, saving time and resources, offering quick ROI and enhancing productivity through efficient patch management and automation.
Sentiment score
7.0
Users generally experience returns from Workspace ONE UEM through security, cost savings, and compliance, despite increased costs for some.
Everything we've gained from it makes my job easier day after day, and I see value in it as an engineer.
Importantly, when someone leaves the company, it helps protect document access on their devices.
Applications are deployed through Intune, and we see fewer tickets for common issues because we can resolve them through the solution.
The return on investment is seen in the quick access to information, good inventory management, and efficient systems management.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.6
Microsoft Intune support is praised for expertise but criticized for inconsistent response times and varying satisfaction levels.
Sentiment score
7.8
Quest KACE support is praised for responsiveness, knowledgeable staff, and effective problem-solving, with minor ticket resolution time issues.
Sentiment score
6.0
Workspace ONE UEM support receives mixed reviews, highlighting quick responses but also delays and inconsistent initial resolutions.
When a support ticket is submitted, it directly reaches someone with Intune support expertise.
When I contacted Microsoft, they had the same expertise, if not more, which is phenomenal because I felt heard and my problem was solved.
Sometimes, the support provided is excellent, and the representative is knowledgeable, while other times, the service needs improvement.
The customer service is very good, providing quick customer support in Spanish.
Support responds immediately, but I see that some engineers are new or they don't have experience collecting logs, so they take two to three days to come back.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.4
Microsoft Intune offers seamless scalability, managing diverse needs and devices, with high user ratings for integration and flexibility.
Sentiment score
7.2
Quest KACE scales efficiently, managing up to 10,000 endpoints, and adapts to expansions with simple resource additions and licensing.
Sentiment score
7.7
Workspace ONE UEM scales effectively, integrating smoothly with cloud environments, though complexities arise in larger on-premises setups.
The scalability of Microsoft Intune is ten out of ten.
Ideally, we want to automatically segregate devices based on user properties like primary use, but currently, dynamic groups seem limited to device properties.
It supports organizations with 200 endpoints and those with more than 15,000 endpoints.
The product is very scalable as it supports 10,000 thousand endpoints with just one appliance.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Microsoft Intune is reliable with high stability ratings, despite minor issues, and is favored by businesses for its updates.
Sentiment score
7.9
Quest KACE SMA is reliable with minimal downtime, regular updates improve functionality, but frequent updates may need attention.
Sentiment score
7.6
VMware Workspace ONE UEM is stable and reliable, with the cloud version outperforming competitors despite some setup challenges.
We have not experienced downtime, bugs, or glitches.
Microsoft Intune has been very stable.
A couple of years ago, the performance was not as good as it is now, but there are noticeable backend improvements.
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Intune needs enhancements in application deployment, reporting, security, third-party integration, and better cross-platform support while addressing licensing and costs.
Quest KACE struggles with scalability, automation, usability, imaging, customization, and support, while needing improved licensing, reporting, and integration.
Workspace ONE UEM requires improvements in reporting, interface simplicity, support speed, pricing, platform consistency, integration, and security features.
Features like unlocking devices sometimes fail, and the support offered for other operating systems is insufficient.
There are communication issues, so you might start working with a feature without knowing if it will be deprecated six months from now.
Many third-party companies offer single-pane-of-glass reporting that shows you what your update environment looks like, how your patch is doing, application status, etc., but Intune's reporting is not intuitive.
The user interface needs improvement as customers have mentioned they do not like the interface since it is not an SMA-based interface.
Another concern is that support is getting reduced by Workspace ONE; some customers are saying there are support issues on Workspace ONE right now.
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Intune offers cost-effective pricing with flexible licensing, especially when bundled with Microsoft 365 licenses like E3 or E5.
Quest KACE SMA offers competitive pricing with per-device licensing, valued for comprehensive features and ROI for large organizations.
VMware Workspace ONE UEM is seen as premium with flexible pricing, competitive due to features, but costs can increase.
Introductory professional services, like a fast-track service, were included with our E5 membership, and there have been no additional costs.
The Intune suite and add-ons, such as batch management and remote help, are costly.
It costs approximately forty euros per user per month.
The pricing is in the middle range of the market, not too expensive but not the cheapest either.
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Intune offers streamlined device management and security with integration, policy control, scalability, and intuitive remote administration features.
Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance streamlines asset management, deployment, and IT tracking, enhancing productivity with automation and integration tools.
Workspace ONE UEM provides efficient device management, security, and integration with user-friendly multi-platform support and centralized administration.
Intune excels in configuration and compliance management for Windows 10, ensuring devices receive timely updates and adhere to organizational standards.
Dynamic groups allow us to set conditions for automatic membership, eliminating the need for user intervention or manual review and ensuring a seamless workflow.
Windows Autopatch is the most valuable because it removes the burden of patch management.
The most valuable features include simplicity, which makes systems management easier and faster, especially for device management.
In UEM, the most helpful part of Windows Management is the baseline policy and central script; using this, you can replace all the AD GPO policy.
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Intune
Sponsored
Ranking in Unified Endpoint Management (UEM)
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
270
Ranking in other categories
Configuration Management (2nd), Remote Access (1st), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (1st), Microsoft Security Suite (1st)
Quest KACE Systems Manageme...
Ranking in Unified Endpoint Management (UEM)
18th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
Client Desktop Management (12th), Endpoint Compliance (8th), Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) (17th), Patch Management (12th)
Workspace ONE UEM
Ranking in Unified Endpoint Management (UEM)
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
101
Ranking in other categories
Remote Access (5th), Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) (7th), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (2nd), Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (9th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 34.4%, down from 41.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is 1.9%, down from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Workspace ONE UEM is 14.9%, down from 17.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Unified Endpoint Management (UEM)
 

Featured Reviews

Joseph Merusi - PeerSpot reviewer
Everything has worked better since we started using it
Sometimes the syncing is inconsistent. I'm confident that the devices are checking in every eight hours, but sometimes the devices aren't picking up the settings as quickly as I would expect. Some features haven't been updated in a while, and Microsoft doesn't seem interested in developing them. Unless you talk to an engineer, you don't know whether there will be an update. There are communication issues, so you might start working with a feature without knowing if it will be deprecated six months from now. Some reporting areas still need development. For example, I noticed that the reporting for driver updates is still confusing.
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.
Emthias Abdul Salam - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers a valuable single sign-on feature and a user-friendly interface with outstanding scaling capabilities
The single sign-on feature, which integrates with the Identity Manager is one of the most vital features. The VMware Workspace ONE Tunnel is another crucial aspect of the solution. Authentication processes become seamless with the single sign-on feature of VMware Workspace ONE. Whether the application resides within the premises or outside, the users don't need to reenter the credentials, VMware Workspace ONE auto authenticates using scripts. The solution can also integrate the app catalog with the Intelligent Hub, which acts as the agent. Applications catalogs and similar aspects can be accessed through one single interface, whether it's from an Android, iOS, or Windows device. It's a very user-friendly tool in terms of accessibility.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
14%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
University
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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?
The pricing is in the middle range of the market, not too expensive but not the cheapest either.
What needs improvement with Quest KACE Systems Management?
The user interface needs improvement as customers have mentioned they do not like the interface since it is not an SM...
What is your primary use case for Quest KACE Systems Management?
The main use cases for Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance are touch management, software and hardware inventory,...
How does VMware Workspace One compare with VMware Horizon 7?
VMware Workspace One has a powerful set of helpful features. The solution offers very good documentation, the initial...
What do you like most about VMware Workspace ONE?
The platform provides a stable environment for operations and quickly creates new environments. Additionally, it offe...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware Workspace ONE?
I would rate the pricing a three out of ten. It's a highly affordable solution. If a customer knows the value of the ...
 

Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager
Dell KACE Systems Management
VMware Workspace ONE, VMware AirWatch, Workspace ONE Assist, VMware Identity Manager, Workspace ONE Access, VMware Horizon Air
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway
Waypoint, Mattos Filho, Meetic, Gems Education, Green Clinic HealthSystem, Service King
Australian Sports Commission, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, Lomond School, Merck, United Bank, Medical College of Wisconsin, Latymer Upper School, 2gether NHS Foundation Trust, Dowling Aaron Inc., Trillium Lakelands District School Board, Harrogate Grammar School, Duke University Football, Delta Air Lines, Adventist Health System, Giochi Preziosi, Cramlington Learning Village, Intermountain Healthcare, Safexpress, TAG Aviation
Find out what your peers are saying about Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) vs. Workspace ONE UEM and other solutions. Updated: May 2025.
855,080 professionals have used our research since 2012.