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Atera vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 1, 2026

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
6.8
Atera boosts client satisfaction and reduces costs by automating tasks, extending hardware lifespan, and offering integrated features.
Sentiment score
7.3
KACE Appliance boosts productivity and reduces costs by streamlining system management, cutting labor needs, and simplifying processes.
The return on investment is seen in the quick access to information, good inventory management, and efficient systems management.
Avocat at Star Boxes India Pvt Ltd
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.8
Atera's customer service is praised for its responsiveness, technical expertise, reliability, and effective multi-factor authentication and updates.
Sentiment score
6.6
KACE Systems Management Appliance users praise the responsive, professional support and ITNinja for high satisfaction despite mixed experiences.
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.
Avocat at Star Boxes India Pvt Ltd
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
Atera excels in scalability and versatility, managing endpoints efficiently, but users seek enhancements in ticketing and functionality.
Sentiment score
7.1
KACE SMA efficiently manages endpoints, easily scales, integrates well with virtual environments, and accommodates growth with minimal setbacks.
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.
Server Administrator III at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Atera offers stable, reliable performance with minimal downtime, regular updates, and rare minor issues, enhancing user satisfaction.
Sentiment score
8.1
KACE SMA is stable and reliable, with quick support for issues and minimal downtime, appreciated for its resilience.
KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is stable and secure;
Security Administrator at EbixCash
 

Room For Improvement

Users seek improved access management, enhanced mobility, integration, customization, better controls, and scalability in Atera's platform features.
KACE SMA users seek enhanced scalability, reporting, UI design, easier remote management, and better integration with reduced resource consumption.
Some of the more advanced reports are locked behind higher pricing tiers, which feels restrictive.
IT Manager at Telstra
The dashboard could be more interactive; for example, it should provide alerts if an endpoint is vulnerable to viruses.
Security Administrator at EbixCash
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 user interface needs improvement as customers have mentioned they do not like the interface since it is not an SMA-based interface.
Avocat at Star Boxes India Pvt Ltd
 

Setup Cost

Atera's per-technician pricing allows unlimited devices, offering cost-effective scalability and predictability, ideal for enterprise users.
KACE SMA's per-device licensing offers cost-effective scalability and comprehensive management, providing value across various organization sizes.
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
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
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.
Security Administrator at EbixCash
 

Valuable Features

Atera offers powerful RMM, automation, and remote access features, with unlimited endpoints and AI Copilot for efficient IT management.
KACE SMA enhances productivity with off-hours deployment, automation, and streamlined asset and license management through a single interface.
Unlimited endpoints for a flat monthly fee per tech is a model that makes sense for us, since we are not paying more every time we add a new endpoint.
IT Manager at Telstra
Atera's automation capabilities stand out because we can create new users and customers efficiently.
Owner at Sytex Ltd.
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
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.
Security Administrator at EbixCash
The most valuable features include simplicity, which makes systems management easier and faster, especially for device management.
Avocat at Star Boxes India Pvt Ltd
 

Categories and Ranking

Atera
Ranking in Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM)
5th
Ranking in Patch Management
11th
Average Rating
9.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
Help Desk Software (11th), Network Monitoring Software (39th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (39th), IT Service Management (ITSM) (10th), AIOps (19th), Agentic Automation (8th)
KACE Systems Management App...
Ranking in Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM)
11th
Ranking in Patch Management
9th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
40
Ranking in other categories
Client Desktop Management (2nd), Endpoint Compliance (7th), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (12th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) category, the mindshare of Atera is 6.9%, down from 8.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is 2.1%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Atera6.9%
KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)2.1%
Other91.0%
Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM)
 

Featured Reviews

NC
IT Manager at Telstra
Remote monitoring has streamlined endpoint management and consistently reduced ticket resolution time
The best features Atera offers include the per-technician pricing, which is honestly one of the biggest things. Unlimited endpoints for a flat monthly fee per tech is a model that makes sense for us, since we are not paying more every time we add a new endpoint. The AI Copilot feature has been a nice addition that helps our techs summarize tickets and suggest fixes faster, which has cut our resolution times noticeably. The AI Copilot feature has specifically helped my team because the automation handles a lot of the routine work, such as patch deployments, maintenance tasks, and monitoring alerts. Atera has positively impacted my organization by transforming how our team operates day-to-day, and the pricing model is hard to beat. The outcomes or metrics showing how Atera has made a positive impact include the 30% reduction in ticket resolution time I mentioned earlier.
AdityaJain - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Administrator at EbixCash
Centralized software deployment has simplified endpoint control but needs stronger security alerts
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.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Educational Organization
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
10%
University
10%
Construction Company
9%
Non Profit
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Large Enterprise1
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise16
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Atera?
The prices have increased over time. After expressing concerns about pricing to account managers, they offered a 30% discount option for annual commitments. The main benefit we see with this produc...
What needs improvement with Atera?
Reporting is probably the main frustration. Some of the more advanced reports are locked behind higher pricing tiers, which feels restrictive. Atera can be improved in that the remote access can al...
What is your primary use case for Atera?
My main use case for Atera is remote monitoring and management across all our endpoints. We have devices spread across multiple sites, so having one platform where we can see everything, push patch...
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...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Dell KACE Systems Management
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

MSPs, IT consultants, and IT departments worldwide trust and use Atera. 
Waypoint, Mattos Filho, Meetic, Gems Education, Green Clinic HealthSystem, Service King
Find out what your peers are saying about Atera vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
900,747 professionals have used our research since 2012.