Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager [EOL] vs KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) comparison

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Ivanti and Quest Software are both solutions in the Patch Management category. Additionally, 100% of Ivanti users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Quest Software users who would recommend it.

Ivanti Patch for Configurat...

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100% willing to recommend

KACE Systems Management App...

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95% willing to recommend

Ivanti Patch for Configurat...

KACE Systems Management App...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 4, 2026

KACE Systems Management Appliance SMA and Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager EOL compete in IT management solutions. KACE SMA is favored for its extensive feature set and cost-effective pricing, while Ivanti is noted for its superior configuration options and specialized security features.

Features: KACE SMA's extensive inventory management, versatile patching capabilities, and seamless integration enhance its broad feature set. Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager EOL provides detailed patch management, robust security measures, and advanced configuration capabilities, appealing to users seeking niche specialization.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: KACE SMA's straightforward deployment with robust support services ensures prompt issue resolution. Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager EOL requires a more complex setup due to its advanced features, but offers satisfactory support to meet customer needs effectively.

Pricing and ROI: KACE SMA's lower setup costs attract budget-conscious organizations and deliver considerable ROI through efficient management tools. Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager EOL, despite higher setup costs, offers substantial ROI for enterprises focused on specialized security features, making the investment worthwhile for specific requirements.

To learn more, read our detailed Patch Management Report (Updated: September 2026).

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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:

Categories and Ranking

Ivanti Patch for Configurat...

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

KACE Systems Management App...

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), Patch Management (11th), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (12th)

Featured Reviews

reviewer2019633

Director at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Provides detection logic that tells us which customer will record an update and is less expensive than other solutions

I haven't had experience with customer service and support, however, we did have an advisory case with one of their technical support staff. We were publishing and getting the full metadata for the patch. We were getting the full updates for the patch release. There was confusion as to why we were seeing that in the SCCM, instead of in the full metadata patch. The support person was able to help us in understanding what we were doing wrong, highlighting it could be a certificate issue. We generated a new certificate, and after they were applied, the issue was fixed. Overall, I would rate their customer service and support a five out of five.

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AdityaJain

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.

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

"This solution is stable."

"The most valuable feature of Ivanti Patch for SCCM is the detection logic."

"In terms of the amount of time KACE saves us, it's weeks of work on a monthly basis, and we're able to do things in a day that used to take us about a month to do."

"Patching is definitely the most valuable feature. It gives us good, centralized software, which comes in very handy since we are doing 400 servers at a time. It enables us to manage all the servers, and to deal with the application team regarding reboots and scheduling."

"KACE has made our life much easier since we got off the Microsoft solution. The Microsoft solution was a lot harder to image over different ports and stuff. They would only have this one place where we could do all the imaging. Now, we have a whole building where we can image from. This means that we can image from our storage area, where we have a place to do our imaging. We can also image right at our desks, which is a lot easier."

"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."

"Asset management is most valuable. It is essential for all customers. The other features are also useful, but asset management is most important."

"The initial setup is relatively easy."

"Every year, the system becomes so much more valuable for us; maybe the quality of our service is much better now, the students at our university can use more software, so the knowledge of students using state-of-the-art software is much better than in the past."

"The help desk is super simple to use and we saw our return on investment a long time ago, just in man hours alone."

More KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) pros

Cons

"We have some problems with patches not installing successfully."

"In future releases, I would like to see improvements with the feature upgrade for the SCCM, which Microsoft has already integrated. Currently, Ivanti does not give us information about the enablement package."

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

"I've had some issues with patch catalogue, which seems to have expired."

"They could make the booting solution easier for different things, e.g., easier to insert drivers. They could make it easier to create a new image and put it onto the server. Those would be some nice solutions. They could make it so that somebody who has no knowledge at all can do it. That would be really nice. Because every time, until I get it memorized, I still need to go back to the training, the manual, or Google it to figure it out again. If they would make it a lot easier, to where a nine-year-old could do it, that would be really cool. If they made it easier, I could have more people managing the images on the server, instead of just one or two people."

"It could be designed a little bit more intuitively in terms of administration."

"Its dashboard needs improvement. Currently, there is no way to modify the dashboard. There should be more flexibility so that we can create views according to our use case."

"I would sure like them to be able to copy and paste out of OneNote. That drives me nuts. You can't copy from OneNote into KACE."

"The software asset management functionality is an area that needs to be improved. It could be more automated because when connections need to be made, such as when I connected Adobe and my malware removed, the process was pretty much manual."

"There may be a good reason why some things are not easily able to be done, yet it needs work to compete with some of the other ticketing systems out there now."

More KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We do not have a license with Ivanti, instead we buy just the plugins for the consoles, making it a much less expensive option versus other solutions."

"Its pricing model is good for what it offers. Nobody here gives me a hard time about renewing the contract every year. It might be a little cost prohibitive for a smaller company who has to stand up a virtual environment as well as have virtual environment licensing and the hardware. If you have a smaller environment, it might be cost prohibitive. If you only have a couple of hundred computers, you might be more willing to do those manually. In our environment, the cost savings of having KACE far outweigh the licensing costs. We are okay with its pricing model."

"Some of the other solutions were just astronomical in price compared with KACE and didn't necessarily have the ease of use either. So, we chose Quest KACE for its easy-to-use features and cost."

"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."

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

"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."

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

"Their pricing is per end-point device. There is an initial cost for the license for the server, which is pretty low, and then there is a per end-point device license, which is also fairly low. So, the pricing is still reasonable."

"The pricing is fair."

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Retailer

10%

Legal Firm

Outsourcing Company

13%

Construction Company

10%

University

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

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

Questions from the Community

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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...

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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...

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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...

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Comparisons

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Patch Management

September 2026

Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager [EOL] report

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Buyer's Guide

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

September 2026

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) report

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Also Known As

Patch for SCCM, Shavlik Patch for SCCM, Ivanti Patch for MEM

Dell KACE Systems Management

Overview

Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager enhances Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager by automating patch management. It strengthens security by streamlining processes and ensuring systems are up-to-date and protected against vulnerabilities.

Utilizing Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager ensures robust patch management by integrating seamlessly with Microsoft SCCM. It simplifies identifying and deploying critical patches, significantly reducing system vulnerabilities. With advanced automation capabilities, it eases the workload on IT teams while ensuring high levels of compliance and security. Its real-time data reporting enhances visibility, enabling informed decision-making. The tool seamlessly updates systems without disrupting users, making it essential for maintaining business continuity.

What are the key features of Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager?

Automated Patch Management: Simplifies and accelerates the patch deployment process.
Seamless Integration: Works directly with Microsoft SCCM for streamlined operations.
Real-Time Reporting: Offers detailed insights into patch statuses and deployment success.
Security Compliance: Ensures adherence to industry standards and policies.

What benefits or ROI should users expect?

Reduced Security Risks: Minimizes vulnerabilities through timely patch updates.
Increased Efficiency: Saves time and resources through automation and integration.
Enhanced Compliance: Meets regulatory requirements with consistent patching strategies.
Improved System Stability: Maintains optimal performance and uptime.

Implementation of Ivanti Patch for Configuration Manager is seen across industries requiring stringent compliance and security protocols, such as healthcare and finance. In healthcare, it helps protect sensitive patient data, while in finance, it secures critical transaction systems. It supports diverse environments, ensuring patching needs are effectively managed.

Ivanti

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

University of Pittsburgh

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

Find out what your peers are saying about Qualys, Microsoft, NinjaOne and others in Patch Management. Updated: September 2026.

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