ConnectWise Automate vs. ScreenConnect

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
ConnectWise Automate
Score 8.3 out of 10
N/A
ConnectWise Automate, formerly LabTech, is a remote monitoring and management (RMM) platform. It provides powerful automation to discover and manage devices, monitor for problems, and scripts repetitive action.
$700
ScreenConnect
Score 8.5 out of 10
N/A
ConnectWise ScreenConnect is a remote support, access, and meeting solution. With it, users can utilize remote support and access to repair computers, provide updates, and manage machines. Users can also conduct online seminars and presentations using remote meetings.
$39
per month
Pricing
ConnectWise AutomateScreenConnect
Editions & Modules
Agents
$1.00-$6.00
per month/per agent
Implementation Fee
$700
One
$39
per month
Standard
$59
per month
Premium
$69
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ConnectWise AutomateScreenConnect
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
ConnectWise AutomateScreenConnect
Considered Both Products
ConnectWise Automate
Chose ConnectWise Automate
I have evaluated NinjaRMM, but it was after I was already familiar with ConnectWise Automate. While it seems like a good product, I found that ConnectWise Automate was more flexible in allowing me to make custom configurations to meet various business needs across different …
Chose ConnectWise Automate
Formerly used Lansweeper, Solarwinds Orion, BMC track-it, which were all replaced with Connectwise offerings.
Chose ConnectWise Automate
I believe the monitoring and alerts in Continuum command is better, but [ConnectWise Automate (formerly LabTech)] does have stronger scripting, and perhaps a better interface. N-Central is inferior on all fronts to both. I did not make the purchasing decision. I would myself …
Chose ConnectWise Automate
It just seems like Automate is a tool for professionals who want to be the best proactive solution for their customers. There are so many different things built into Connectwise Automate which makes it a superior tool compared to anything else on the market currently. Once …
Chose ConnectWise Automate
We have used Kaseya. It is not nearly as functional or reliable as ConnectWise Automate.
Chose ConnectWise Automate
It is, by far, the best solution we have ever used. The others are not even close.
Chose ConnectWise Automate
We have only previously deployed HoundDog/GFI and Autotask but evaluated all that we found. In the long run, none of the others compare with the features of ConnectWise Automate. Many others are less expensive but simply do not do all that ConnectWise Automate can do. We …
Chose ConnectWise Automate
ConnectWise Automate (formerly LabTech) took us a while to implement and adopt, but it was worth the time, cost, and effort.
Chose ConnectWise Automate
Automate is the most flexible and customizable tool on the market - but it's also the most complex and requires the most care and feeding to run smoothly...
Chose ConnectWise Automate
We selected ConnectWise Automate over Kaseya as it provided many of the same features but less of the headache. Often times, scripts would not work in Kaseya or updates would not push. We have not had this experience with Automate, scripts and such just run when scheduled. …
Chose ConnectWise Automate
ConnectWise Automate has been the best tool I have used to service client computers. The ease of customization and the cleanliness of the interface, allows our company to successfully help our clients remotely and sometimes even without their input. What can be done silently, …
Chose ConnectWise Automate
When we looked at Kaseya it required even more setup than Labtech at the time and we did not feel we had the resources to implement it. We still feel we made the right decision selecting Labtech over Kaseya. At the time we were using Zenith InfoTech which is now named something …
Chose ConnectWise Automate
Automate's features and pricing are much better than the other products we tested.
Chose ConnectWise Automate
The larger RMMs compare side by side fairly well -- a more compelling argument for deciding on an RMM has to do with your PSA (and integrating with it) and other tools (AV, backups, etc.) -- and integrating with those. CWA integrates well with the tools we use - so it's an …
Chose ConnectWise Automate
Before LabTech, we used Kaseya 6, which was terrible. Currently with LabTech, we use ConnectWise for our ticketing, PRTG and Auvik for network monitoring. We selected LabTech, because it met our price point and they are a local company, that we can easily work with to meet our …
Chose ConnectWise Automate
We selected LabTech because we already had a very good ongoing customer support experience with ConnectWise. We had LabTech before ConnectWise acquired it, and had Kaseya, but gave LabTech another try and we are very glad that we did. We did not have a good experience with …
Chose ConnectWise Automate
LabTech is a more flexible platform if you are wanting to do scripting etc., but Kaseya is much more intuitive and reliable.
Chose ConnectWise Automate
We have tried Kasaya and Level Platforms. Both were not as powerful and light on the client end.
LT is certainly more customizable.
Chose ConnectWise Automate
We started with Kaseya years ago and paid a hefty price for it in dollars. It was an adequate product at the time but when LabTech came along, it was priced much better and had much more capability than Kaseya did at the time.
Chose ConnectWise Automate
Prior to using LabTech, we used Kaseya. While Kaseya and LabTech have much of the same functionality, LabTech does things better and more consistently. Also, we rely on ConnectWise as our ticketing system and PSA. LabTech has two way ticket synchronization with ConnectWise that …
Chose ConnectWise Automate
Labtech is a more advanced system than N-central but with the features comes complexity for an advanced MSP Labtech is better, for someone getting started N-central is faster to get setup and running.
Chose ConnectWise Automate
From what I know - LabTech appears to be the most robust platform on the market and the most technical one as well. We have not tried any others up to this point. We selected LabTech because of the integration it has with ConnectWise and other existing products that we use.
Chose ConnectWise Automate
Before we moved to LabTech we were with Kaseya's RMM tool, and ultimately decided to make the switch. At the time, Kaseya was bogged down with their attempts at custom integrations with products like Acronis (Backups) and AVG (Antivirus), and those custom builds of the software …
ScreenConnect
Chose ScreenConnect
We prefer ScreenConnect as it is much better for an MSP with thousands of client machines, the other options don't provide an easy way of accessing a machine quickly enough. We have also had an issue with the other software's reliability to connect. ScreenConnect's integration …
Chose ScreenConnect
We have used Beyond Trust occasionally for one of our White Label clients, but have found it is not as robust as ConnectWise Control. The seamless integration of Control with ConnectWise Automate makes it the best and most effective choice for our technical teams to deploy and …
Chose ScreenConnect
I have used TurboMeeting, TeamViewer. ConnectWise Control leaves those other products in the dust. For us, LabTech did not replace any other products, it was our first step into RMM/PSA.
Chose ScreenConnect
We have used different ticketing systems and ConnectWise is by far the best. It really is seamless. Once you get used to the system, it works very well. We have used Platypus and it works so so but it was hard for our support staff to keep up with the tickets. This system …
Chose ScreenConnect
TeamViewer is more more limited than what ConnectWise ScreenConnect offers. ConnectWise ScreenConnect has more trust built into it by installing running processes on the client computers. The tools work reliably and TeamViewer is not the better choice for use across multiple …
Chose ScreenConnect
I think ConnectWise ScreenConnect is by far the superior product to all of these. It is way ahead and does do not even come close. It has way more options and features and is much easier to use and manage.
Chose ScreenConnect
We used LogMeIn Rescue for 3 years before moving to Control. Logmein felt clunky and required locally installed software. We had frequent issues with the LogMeIn Rescue client on end-user devices and needed to manually uninstall it every so often. We were not able to use Rescue …
Chose ScreenConnect
ConnectWise Control is less expensive and it has all of the features we need to perform our remote support tasks.
Chose ScreenConnect
ConnectWise Control (formerly ScreenConnect) is faster, renders screens better, is more reliable, runs smaller, scales better, and is more dependable than the competition.
Chose ScreenConnect
ConnectWise Control is superior in speed, reliability and has a very lightweight agent. I like LogMeIn second best, but it does take quite a bit more time to connect and the speed moving around is not as quick. Agent installation is super fast as well. You can also convert an …
Chose ScreenConnect
ConnectWise Control is much easier to use than all other alternatives, and is also highly secure. The compression is great, and the connection times and remote session speeds are hands down the best. The feature set can't be beat with the ability to cast your own screen, …
Chose ScreenConnect
ConnectWise Control costs less, is easier to configure, is easier to use, has a better UI and UX, doesn't get in its own way, and for lack of a better phrase, absolutely rocks.
Chose ScreenConnect
Found ScreenConnect at former employer and have never gone back to any other software or program.
Chose ScreenConnect
WebEx is where we experienced many of the issues described previously, trouble connecting, longer loading times, etc. Join.me was our go-to alternative but since switching to ConnectWise we have not needed an alternative and it helps our image look much more professional.
Chose ScreenConnect
We have reviewed 14 different remote platforms, of those the ones we have purchased in the past include Bomgar, TeamViewer, and WebEx. Due to limitations in ScreenConnect and inability to connect with some of our customers, we are forced to maintain backup accounts with TeamView…
Chose ScreenConnect
I have used TeamViewer here and there but I am not in the same business mindset as I am with ConnectWise Control, It's a great product and I still prefer screen connect in comparison to TeamViewer. I think ConnectWise is a lot more user friendly and runs better in the …
Chose ScreenConnect
I really did like a lot of the features in LogMeIn Rescue but when I can save some money and use it for company events etc, that is a win!! Labtech replaced what was Zenith info tech so it has been at least 10 years since we switched. Now that I have a dedicated engineer for …
Chose ScreenConnect
We don't use LabTech, ConnectWise Control did not replace any products, it was a first and only choice
Chose ScreenConnect
Used Logmein until it became too expensive to use.
Used Teamviewer and again it is cost prohibitive for my company to use and afford.
Labtech replace logmein, which was the last platform solution we used before moving to screenconnect.
Chose ScreenConnect
I have used just about every remote connection product out there, TeamViewer, RDP, VNC, Logmein, etc. Among the products that offer the same performance and features, ConnectWise Control is the most cost-effective. They are also in constant development, introducing improvements …
Chose ScreenConnect
For the money, ScreenConnect is the best remote access product in the market today. I have used others such as Logmein but they can't compete at ScreenConnect's current price point and the speed in which I connect is amazing. We needed a solution that also connected to Android …
Features
ConnectWise AutomateScreenConnect
Application Performance Management
Comparison of Application Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
ConnectWise Automate
8.5
Ratings
15% above category average
ScreenConnect
-
Ratings
Virtualization monitoring8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
IT Asset Discovery9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Monitoring Tasks
Comparison of Monitoring Tasks features of Product A and Product B
ConnectWise Automate
7.4
Ratings
0% below category average
ScreenConnect
-
Ratings
Remote monitoring10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Network device monitoring8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Activity Monitoring8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Management Tasks
Comparison of Management Tasks features of Product A and Product B
ConnectWise Automate
7.8
Ratings
5% above category average
ScreenConnect
-
Ratings
Patch Management10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Policy-based automation9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Remote Access
Comparison of Remote Access features of Product A and Product B
ConnectWise Automate
8.0
Ratings
16% above category average
ScreenConnect
-
Ratings
Attended device access10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Unattended device access8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile device access5.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Virtual device access8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple-display support9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple concurrent sessions8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Remote Administration
Comparison of Remote Administration features of Product A and Product B
ConnectWise Automate
-
Ratings
ScreenConnect
7.0
Ratings
15% below category average
Screen sharing00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
File transfer00 Ratings9.40 Ratings
Instant message00 Ratings6.20 Ratings
Secure remote access with Smart Card authentication00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Access to sleeping/powered-off computers00 Ratings4.50 Ratings
Over-the-Internet remote session00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Initiate remote control from mobile00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Remote management of servers & workstations00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Remote Active Directory® management00 Ratings5.00 Ratings
Centralized management dashboard00 Ratings7.20 Ratings
Session record00 Ratings5.60 Ratings
Annotations00 Ratings5.60 Ratings
Monitoring and Alerts00 Ratings5.60 Ratings
Multi-platform remote control00 Ratings4.90 Ratings
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User Ratings
ConnectWise AutomateScreenConnect
Likelihood to Recommend
10.0
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(0 ratings)
7.9
(0 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Performance
3.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
7.0
(0 ratings)
8.2
(0 ratings)
Online Training
9.0
(0 ratings)
7.5
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
5.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Configurability
10.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
7.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
5.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
ConnectWise AutomateScreenConnect
Likelihood to Recommend
I recommend it to all IT colleagues; regardless of the size of the PCs with which you work most of the time, the application allows connection stability between computers that make it possible to continue working or taking care of the infrastructure from afar.
Read full review
I feel [ConnectWise Control (formerly ScreenConnect)] works on all sizes of implementations. I've used it with about 1000 endpoints and I've even used it for managing a couple family machines to make remote support easier. It works super well and does exactly what you want it to. It has not disappointed me at all and I'd recommend it to any employers I work for as well.
Read full review
Pros
  • Automated patching. The patch management is very robust and doesn't let us down. We can rely on it to do its job.
  • Scripting. The scripting engine and layout is excellent. It's very easy to work with and adapt Powershell scripts and other script to the native format with its functions. It also gives detailed logs to help determine why something went wrong if there's issues.
Read full review
  • Self-hosted - this is great for me and makes it easy to control my data, which is important for my clients.
  • Mobile Access - being able to quickly diagnose and resolve an issue while on the road is great.
  • Persistent - "always on" connections with screen capture.
  • Great User Interface and chat works exceptionally well.
Read full review
Cons
  • You can track all your clients information and every single job you do for them. You can do quotes, send them, add providers to compare prices, manage the calendar of the employees, assign tickets to the correct person, there is nothing you can't do with this tool.
  • Inside all the greatness, there are some works around that you have to do for specific duties that could be automated.
  • Make sure you keep notes on each client profile, you can use the private note section, it is secure and it works as a reminder of everything you need to do about that specific client, only you and your employees will see those.
Read full review
  • If CWC integrated with more RMM software other than LabTech it would be great as LabTech is way too expensive and convoluted at this point so we discontinued using it in favor of a simpler and much less expensive option.
  • Though it does support multiple monitors well, it would be nice to have the ability to have it automatically pop each remote monitor out to the local monitors if so desired.
  • Right now it uses email for multifactor authentication, I would rather it use an electronic key that can be stored on cell phone or user desktop.
  • The ability for it to automatically login to a Windows desktop would be a big help as well. It will store a username and password but you must manually send a control-alt-delete and then click a button to have it fill. Tying to something like Lastpass along with an autologin feature would be great.
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Likelihood to Renew
Support and the Speed of supporting the latest technology is the main reason for not giving this a 10. But the product is powerful and flexible. The best way that I can sum it up is "You can get out of it what you put in to it"
Read full review
I would recommend this product for both internal remote control of end user workstations and remote access to other clients over the internet. It provides a secure and feature rich product that allows me to complete any necessary tasks without ever leaving the office. I will continue to renew as I'm eager to see what they do next. I would however wish the cloud service had a better API to work in conjunction with team collaboration or chat services to make it easier to connect with end users who use multiple workstations. (Slack or Stride provide this functionality)
Read full review
Usability
Basic use of the product is fairly easy. Information about the machines you manage can be found in customizable dashboards, which can be unique for each user, and, therefore, properly suited to the users' needs/job function. This is not a 10 because some of the interfaces are very clunky (Patch Management), and some features are not intuitive and not well documented (reporting). Scripting and Patch Management have a fairly steep learning curve (For structure in patch management and syntax in scripting), but once learned, they work well.
Read full review
If you're a support noobie or a seasoned admin, this product is everything you are looking for. Join with a code - CHECK! Hop onto a permanent session installed on a PC/Server - YOU GOT IT! Wake up a remote sleeping computer - no problem. Need to customize access to different roles in your organization - BUILT RIGHT IN!
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Reliability and Availability
No answers on this topic
In my 5 years of using the product, I am only aware of one time when the service was down and is was due to a backbone outage upstream.
Read full review
Performance
It used to be great, but then they broke reporting, speed and responsiveness with version 11 and the new Patch Manager. It's really bad and their support people are way behind on fixing so many bugs. They have really gone downhill. If they don't get it together soon, we'll start looking around.
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It performs well. It also has full control over windows security and does not get hung up like GoToMeeting when trying to install remote software at the prompt to install as admin / override. I have used TeamViewer, WebEx, LogMeIn and GoToMeeting. This is by far the best at spontaneous, remote control. It is also very easy to get a novice user connected to the session.
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Support Rating
Far too many issues that take ages to get resolved. Even their chat support takes a long time to get in contact with someone. When you do chat with a support rep they generally can't help you and just escalate the ticket. At least everything you've chatted about is now in the ticket.
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There have been two times when something has went wrong and I needed immediate assistance in order to be able to use Screenconnect to be able to help clients and response has not been immediate. The response time has been within 24 hours. Both times if there had been easier to navigate self help I would have been able to help myself. With better self help and a speedier response it would definitely be a 10 as they always respond and help. Just a little more difficult or slow than it should be at times
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Online Training
LabTech online training is very very thorough in training and helping individuals understand the theory and practical side of using a Remote Monitoring & Management. The training has multiple methods of explaining each section which helps to re-enforce everything about the Training Modules. I have had some Engineers lose their interest after a number of modules because they said that it was too much, that was too similar. I've found that the training is tailored towards a technical background but the Sales training does help NON technical individuals familiarize themselves with the Remote Monitoring and Management components and how it relates to Managed Services.
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the one I attended didn't grab my attention the way I thought it would. Maybe because of the way I use the product; or because of how I am using an online instance, not a locally installed version. Some of the discussion got more technical and off the topic, it seemed.
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Implementation Rating
ConnectWise Automate was already implemented at all organizations I have used it at when I started at those MSPs. At my current MSP, we used professional services for a period after I took over management of it, and they assisted with changes that I saw needed to be made. While not specifically implemented, those services were well organized and well scheduled, and all things we discussed were tracked and recorded, allowing for good change management/tracking.
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ConnectWise has done everything they could to help us in any situation. Great support team and their new updates are always providing features that we need. Its a simple solution that works the way we need it to. Their legacy pricing model is still much better than their subscription based model however it is still fair pricing
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Alternatives Considered
I have evaluated NinjaRMM, but it was after I was already familiar with ConnectWise Automate. While it seems like a good product, I found that ConnectWise Automate was more flexible in allowing me to make custom configurations to meet various business needs across different clients. I have also evaluated Addigy. While I think Addigy does a better job of managing apple devices, it is clunkier, and customization is harder in Addigy than in ConnectWise Automate.
Read full review
We have used Beyond Trust occasionally for one of our White Label clients, but have found it is not as robust as ConnectWise Control. The seamless integration of Control with ConnectWise Automate makes it the best and most effective choice for our technical teams to deploy and manage our client machines.
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Scalability
No answers on this topic
As far as I can see there are no real barriers to scaling up - as and when we need more subscriptions, we can add them in with no negative impact to the existing way that we're using the tool
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Return on Investment
  • As mentioned briefly previous there have been a couple of times where accessing servers at different sites due to point to point connectivity going down where this has been a big life saver
  • Ease of management of servers
  • Made deployment of applications rule based easier
Read full review
  • Quite simply our business could not function without a form of remote control software. Control has done an amazing job at filling a core foundation pillar of our business model as an MSP, having some clients in very remote destinations, we can still service them through the use of Control.
  • We pay per technician for an unlimited number of endpoints, and this pricing model has served us very admirably. As a smaller startup MSP, the cost of paying per endpoint would only serve to hurt our growth. Being able to pay a flat rate based on staffing is very desirable.
  • The whole experience using Control is polished and speedy. I couldn't imaging going back to a slower solution, the value Control brings is palpable in our business model.
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ScreenShots

ConnectWise Automate Screenshots

Screenshot of Monitor: Find problemsScreenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of

ScreenConnect Screenshots

Screenshot of the guest page, where end-users enter a code to join a session with a technicianScreenshot of connecting from a Windows machine to a macOS machineScreenshot of the Extension Marketplace, where administrators can install and configure new features and integrationsScreenshot of the Access view of the Host page, where a technician can connect to unattended machinesScreenshot of the toolbox menu, which allows technicians to store and run executables, scripts, and other frequently-used filesScreenshot of the Host page, where a command can be run directly without connecting to the machine