BMC Helix Client Management vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) comparison

BMC Helix and Quest Software are both solutions in the Endpoint Compliance category. BMC Helix is ranked #6 with an average rating of 9.0, while Quest Software is ranked #7 with an average rating of 10.0. BMC Helix holds a 8.1% mindshare in EC, compared to Quest Software’s 7.2% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of BMC Helix users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Quest Software users who would recommend it.

BMC Helix Client Management

Read 7 BMC Helix Client Management reviews

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161 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

KACE Systems Management App...

Read 39 KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) reviews

3,096 Views
217 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

BMC Helix Client Management

KACE Systems Management App...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 7, 2025

KACE Systems Management Appliance and BMC Helix Client Management are major players in endpoint management solutions. KACE seems to hold an advantage due to its integration with Bomgar and efficient asset and license management.

Features: KACE Systems Management Appliance is favored for its integration with Bomgar, enabling remote imaging and software deployment. This solution offers asset and license management and provides a single pane of glass approach for managing patching and imaging processes. BMC Helix Client Management is notable for its robust remote control functionality, supporting a variety of endpoint environments, and includes comprehensive inventory, compliance, and patch management features.

Room for Improvement: KACE users report scalability issues in environments with over 10,000 devices, and desire improved integration with third-party tools, better patch management, and more intuitive reporting. BMC Helix could enhance its vulnerability assessment features and agent reliability, as well as expand its mobile device management capability, particularly for Android devices.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: KACE offers flexible deployment options, including on-premises and cloud solutions, and is praised for its responsive and knowledgeable customer support. BMC Helix provides both on-premises and public cloud deployment, with generally positive feedback on technical support, though improvements in availability hours are suggested.

Pricing and ROI: KACE's pricing model is device-based and provides good value with options for additional savings through technical support, yielding significant ROI in productivity. BMC Helix offers endpoint-based pricing, delivering affordability and performance value, with flexible feature licensing that suits various organizational needs.

To learn more, read our detailed BMC Helix Client Management vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

BMC Helix Client Management vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

February 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:

Categories and Ranking

BMC Helix Client Management

Ranking in Endpoint Compliance

6th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Mobile Device Management (MDM) (7th)

KACE Systems Management App...

Ranking in Endpoint Compliance

7th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Client Desktop Management (3rd), Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) (11th), Patch Management (9th), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (10th)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Endpoint Compliance category, the mindshare of BMC Helix Client Management is 8.1%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is 7.2%, up from 3.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Endpoint Compliance Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
BMC Helix Client Management	8.1%
KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)	7.2%
Other	84.7%

Endpoint Compliance

Featured Reviews

Cristian Testa

Presales Manager Product Manager - Latin America Region at tdi

A stable solution that allows you to manage IT clients from receipt to retirement

The initial setup is straightforward and easy to use, but you need to understand the different functionalities and modules. The console version and the Hub application are different, and you need some knowledge to make the process easier. Deployment typically takes about two months. You start with the initial setup and then continue with operations. The deployment process is straightforward. The master installation takes about thirty minutes. After that, you deploy different relays to discover the endpoints and create the credentials and sources to install the agents. Once the agent is installed on an endpoint, you can manage it as needed. The first step is always the installation. BMC Client Management can be deployed both on cloud and on-premises. After the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increased need for remote solutions, so we have customers using both models. In BMC Client Management, I'd rate the initial setup as an eight out of ten.

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Michael Huffman

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

Reliability and adaptability enable efficient application deployment and security management

The best features Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) offers include the scripting function, which stands out to me because I can find specific needs and deploy the applications based on those needs. There was a time when scripting really saved me time by allowing me to find specific registry entries and modify them to patch security vulnerabilities. Scripting has saved us hundreds of hours over the years when patching these vulnerabilities compared to how we did it before. I really enjoy the security features that are enabled to deploy Microsoft and other vendor patches, which stand out to me as key functionalities.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable features of the solution are its patching capabilities and the help it offers when it comes to use cases, like prompting for the reboot after a certain period of time."

"The support from BMC Client Management is very good."

"BMC Client Management is a stable solution and one of the best in the market. It allows me to manage all recipe endpoints, including iOS, Android, Linux, Unix, and Windows, all within the same solution."

"The most valuable features of the solution are patch management and software license management."

"It's a scalable solution. We have deployed it for customers using 3000 nodes to those using 300,000 nodes."

"The inventory and patch management tools are very valuable."

"One feature I like, that was especially valuable during the pandemic, is remote control. Remote control grants administrators and support personnel access to the laptops and PCs of employees (who might be working from home) in order to fix any issues that come up as and when they come up, even without having to wait for a support request."

"The software asset management has been a big help, even when it comes to license true-ups. I can use it to find out how many Tivoli we have, and boom, there's the number... And you can actually click on the information about the software and it shows, for example, that these five servers are where it's being reported. If you really want, you can log in to them and validate."

"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 big pros of Quest KACE Systems Management are its simple interface, and simple, direct management. It's very easy to maintain and manage the device, and it's easy to get it up and running. You can have it up and running in an hour..."

"Overall, I rate the solution ten out of ten."

"The most valuable feature is the imaging of computers through the SDA... Being able to do that so quickly with the SDA, and to then use the SMA for reinstalling software, has been huge for our productivity."

"We have our KACE agent deployed on all of our workstations and servers, and it provides us with reports on the hardware and software inventory for those."

"It also does patch management. At the moment, I'm rolling out a new feature update, 20.8.2, and it's a great challenge because we have to deploy it to 1,200 computers in the home office. We want to do it without interrupting production, but KACE is reliable and it's easy to adapt it to my needs for how and when to deploy the feature update."

"The initial setup is relatively easy."

More KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) pros

Cons

"It would be good if BMC Client Management can perform vulnerability assessment scanning at the endpoint on its own and mitigate that. Then, we wouldn't have to rely on a third party VA tool. I would like to see this application move to being a web-based one."

"The on-premises version of BMC Client Management has powerful remote control functionality and decent compliance features, but these features both rely on the discovery tool in order to gain a complete set of insights about the endpoint's environment. Now, BMC's discovery solution depends on having an agent installed in each endpoint and sometimes the agent doesn't work properly, making it difficult to get an accurate understanding of the environment (including special topologies) even with BMC's discovery tool."

"BMC Client Management supports only iOS devices. It would be good if they would support Android as well."

"BMC Client Management could improve in the area of integration."

"The solution does not offer the functionality of remote access to users."

"In BMC Client Management, I would like to see more features for executing commands remotely. For example, with SAP, there isn't the capability to execute all the commands available in the console. The latest version includes more endpoints, but they do not cover everything the operations team needs. Additionally, I think improving the hierarchy for managing endpoints is crucial. Extending the endpoint capabilities would be highly beneficial."

"The solution needs to add whitelisting because many customers request it."

"Imaging becomes a problem when you start to try to go beyond doing more than thirty or forty machines at a time. We initially tried to do that virtually and it just, it wouldn't work."

"Sometimes the information is not as real time as it's supposed to be."

"The labeling process should be more streamlined. It should be easier to do. It gets confusing at times."

"The problem is that it's harder to directly emulate a lot of the stuff that the group policies do, using the KACE solution. With regular group policies, you just specify the various settings you want to change on the workstations, and then you specify the workstations and—while it's kind of an ugly mess—it does it. Whereas on KACE, you really have to know what you're doing with scripting to effectively script those exact same changes."

"The user interface needs improvement as customers have mentioned they do not like the interface since it is not an SMA-based interface and lacks a manual configuration option."

"The initial setup was complex. It is a Linux-based virtual server, where the customer cannot get into the back-end, so you can only follow their prompts. Then, there are specific things that have to be done in their implementation and upgrade phases that have to be done in a certain order or steps. If you don't get those steps right, the system doesn't work. I think that either simplifying that process or providing really good step-by-step documentation would be helpful."

"I have complaints about smart label adaptation and because of this, I recommend a 24 to 48 hour bake-in period."

"I think it should have the ability to have the applications automatically update. It would be really helpful if this would override what the user might choose to do."

More KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"BMC Client Management is a very affordable solution. There is one main server license which I believe is around $1,000 per year, and then there is the license for the actual solution. With the solution license, you can opt for a suite license where you get access to all the features and benefits, or alternatively you can buy any of the five main components of the suite license individually."

"To use BMC Client Management they charge annually per node."

"BMC Client Management is a high-priced solution, but given its performance and capabilities, I think it offers great value. I don't have the exact number for the yearly licensing costs. I believe there is an additional cost of around two hundred dollars."

"The solution is low cost."

"We are also saving on the licensing fee, compared to other endpoint management solutions."

"Licensing is very straightforward. They don't overcomplicate it. This is not a Cisco product where you have to have 30 different licenses just to open the box. It's pretty much set-and-forget. You pay an annual license... The cost is in the mid to upper range, but the ROI exceeds the outside cost, especially once you've had the system for a while."

"There are no costs in addition to the standard licensing fees."

"The pricing is great. It's billed annually and it's very reasonable."

"Based on other solutions that we had implemented, its pricing seems to be quite competitive. It is not inexpensive, but it is also not more expensive than any other solution. They have the standard licensing fees and support fees."

"It may be more expensive, but you get what you pay for."

"It was a very attractive price. This is a huge feature of this product. If you would "credit score" this product versus others out there on the market, this one has a very attractive price."

"The cost of KACE has been relatively low compared to other systems. Even if those systems have the same cost, they do not do as much of the third-party patching that KACE natively does."

More KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

14%

Retailer

12%

Computer Software Company

11%

Government

10%

University

12%

Non Profit

10%

Government

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	20
Large Enterprise	15

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for BMC Client Management?

BMC Client Management is a high-priced solution, but given its performance and capabilities, I think it offers great value. I don't have the exact number for the yearly licensing costs. I believe t...

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What needs improvement with BMC Client Management?

In BMC Client Management, I would like to see more features for executing commands remotely. For example, with SAP, there isn't the capability to execute all the commands available in the console. ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for BMC Client Management?

The most common use cases for BMC Client Management among my clients include managing inventory and deployment of a software package.

See all answers

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, hands down, it beat all of the others in simplicity and pricing.

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

See all answers

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, and we use it day-to-day to handle those tasks. With Quest KACE Systems Managemen...

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Mobile Device Management (MDM)

January 2026

Download BMC Helix Client Management product report

Buyer's Guide

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

January 2026

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) report

Download KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) product report

Also Known As

BMC Helix Client Management, Helix Client Management, BMC Fromdistance Mobile Device Management

Dell KACE Systems Management

Overview

BMC Helix Client Management offers robust systems management capabilities, focusing on patch management, software licensing, and remote administrative access, crucial for compliance and security.

BMC Helix Client Management enables efficient endpoint management across diverse systems with features like software deployment, inventory control, and compliance management. Offering stable performance, the SaaS version excels in supporting IT managers in regulatory compliance while managing thousands of endpoints. Users find the remote control feature exceptionally useful in remote work settings, facilitating updates and issue resolution seamlessly. There is a growing demand for enhancements such as Linux and Android support, improved integration, and mobile device management. Additionally, clients suggest the inclusion of vulnerability assessment, better agent reliability, application whitelisting, and refined remote command execution capabilities.

What are the key features of BMC Helix Client Management?

Patch Management: Streamlines deployment and updates to ensure security compliance.
Software License Management: Optimizes usage and adheres to licensing agreements.
Remote Control Access: Facilitates remote troubleshooting and updates without delays.
Inventory Management: Provides comprehensive oversight of software assets.
Compliance Management: Assists in maintaining regulatory standards across endpoints.

What benefits should users expect from BMC Helix Client Management?

Cost Reduction: Enhances operational efficiency and license use, leading to cost savings.
Management Efficiency: Simplifies overseeing large endpoint environments.
Security Enhancement: Ensures strict compliance with security protocols, reducing risk.
Improved Support for Remote Work: Seamless updates and troubleshooting improve remote productivity.

In the tech-savvy industry, BMC Helix Client Management proves invaluable for IT managers tasked with software deployment and comprehensive endpoint oversight. Users in heavily regulated sectors leverage its capabilities for ensuring compliance and optimizing resource usage, ultimately driving management efficiency and reducing operational costs.

BMC Helix

KACE Systems Management Appliance offers integration capabilities, efficient image deployment, and comprehensive asset management. It supports centralized management across diverse devices and locations, simplifying IT processes and enhancing security.

KACE Systems Management Appliance provides single-pane visibility for endpoint management, mass software deployment, automated patch management, robust scripting, and detailed inventory tracking. It streamlines IT management and improves cyber-security compliance through remote software updates and centralized IT request handling. Despite struggles with scalability and the need for interface improvements, it enables efficient device imaging, script automation, and network management through detailed reporting. Organizations find it effective for software deployment, asset management, and endpoint monitoring, serving thousands of IoT devices and desktops.

What are the key features of KACE Systems Management Appliance?

Integration capabilities: Seamlessly connects with existing IT systems.
Efficient image deployment: Facilitates quick and effective distribution of system images.
Comprehensive asset management: Provides detailed tracking and management of IT assets.
User-friendly helpdesk: Simplifies handling IT requests and issues.
Automated patch management: Ensures devices are up-to-date with security patches.
Robust scripting: Allows for automation of complex IT tasks.
Detailed inventory tracking: Maintains accurate records of all IT assets.

What benefits should users expect from KACE Systems Management Appliance?

Simplified IT processes: Centralized management enhances operational efficiency.
Improved security: Streamlines cyber-security compliance through automated updates.
Flexibility in customizations: Adapts to specific IT environment needs.
Increased productivity: Efficient ticketing and reporting ease organizational operations.
Remote software updates: Ensures all devices are current, reducing security risks.

In healthcare, KACE Systems Management Appliance is used for maintaining device compliance and security standards. Educational institutions benefit from its capabilities to manage large numbers of endpoints across campuses. In finance, it aids in strict compliance requirements through automated patch management and detailed reporting. Retail sectors leverage its asset management features to streamline operations across numerous locations.

Quest Software

Sample Customers

Charter Manufacturing

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

Buyer's Guide

BMC Helix Client Management vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

February 2026

Free Report: BMC Helix Client Management vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

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