Atera vs. HaloPSA - Your go-to comparison guide

If you’re looking for a professional services automation (PSA) tool in the IT space, you may be feeling overwhelmed by all of the options on the market. Today, we’ll try to simplify your decision by highlighting the similarities and differences between two of the biggest players in the IT PSA market: Atera and HaloPSA.

These two platforms might initially seem similar – but upon further investigation, you will find significant differences in their features, interfaces, customer support, and more. We’ve become experts in comparing reviews, performance, and other important factors to help you make an informed decision about the PSA tool that is right for you.

Atera vs. HaloPSA: An overview

To quickly see the differences between Atera and HaloPSA, take a look at the following overview table:

To conclude, the main difference between Atera and HaloPSA is their service offerings. While Atera offers an all-in-one solution for IT departments and MSPs, HaloPSA focuses on offering PSA capabilities for MSPs.

Below, we’ll jump into the more in-depth part of our review. 

User interface and usability

When it comes to the usability of Atera and HaloPSA, there is a clear winner. Our dashboard at Atera has been consistently rated as easier to navigate versus HaloPSA’s user interface. And with a simple learning curve, learning to use Atera doesn’t have to drag on forever.

To give you an idea how what Atera’s dashboard looks like, here is a screenshot of it:

A view of Atera’s dashboard

For comparison, HaloPSA’s dashboard looks like this: 

HaloPSA dashboard (via G2)

When it comes to usability and learning curve, HaloPSA has received mixed reviews. Many users comment that the platform is very complex and paying for an onboarding service is a must to get a grasp of the software.

One HaloPSA user on Reddit specifically said, “Without onboarding, you’re going to cause yourself problems and then lean on their support to fix problems that you created. Billing is especially complex.”

HaloPSA review via Reddit

In comparison, Atera has garnered significant praise from our users for our accessible, intuitive interfaces that reflect the needs of modern-day IT professionals. Related to onboarding, one Capterra used said, “Atera is easy to learn and use. New technicians are up and running in no time.”

Atera users also greatly benefit from the automation capabilities, which drastically shorten the time it takes to onboard new PCs and clients.

One Reddit user mentioned using the following IT automation from Atera to help with onboarding:

Atera review via Reddit

At Atera, we also work hard to request and implement feedback from our growing user base, to make sure we never fall behind.

Features and capabilities

When comparing the features and capabilities of Atera and HaloPSA, we start seeing distinct differences. Atera and HaloPSA both offer PSA services for managed service providers (MSPs), but it doesn’t stop there for Atera.

Atera provides a broad range of tools that allow IT departments to remotely monitor and manage their IT environments from one unified platform. In addition to our PSA solution, Atera’s all-in-one functionality includes RMM, helpdesk, Network Discovery, remote access, and patch management – including enhancements through Atera’s Action AI™, which drives productivity and efficiency.

One area where Atera’s RMM capabilities are highly useful is scripting. Our scripting setup allows our users to automate processes between applications and devices within their networks. Our users can create, schedule, and execute scripts across multiple devices effortlessly. We have the most robust scripting library in the industry (many of these scripts are even provided by our community!) and support for various scripting languages like PowerShell and Python. Our software helps our clients with advanced automation tasks, such as automated software deployment and complex system configurations.

Atera’s script editor

Let’s take a closer look at one of Atera’s features, Action AI, which is revolutionizing the IT department and MSP efficiency around the world.

Atera’s AI Copilot (part of Action AI) can correspond with end users filing ticket requests to get a better sense of the problem. It can even help suggest solutions for IT technicians – and when a complicated problem comes up, our AI can help with writing a PowerShell or Python script to solve it! Powered by Open AI, our script generator has garnered incredible praise from many clients, both MSPs and IT departments alike.

“Add AI copilot ticket summary gif here”

HaloPSA’s features might be robust – but its AI advancements don’t match the level of AI innovation found in Atera. HaloPSA’s AI assistant helps with summarizing and responding to tickets as well as knowledge base article generation. Atera not only offers AI-driven ticketing but also extends its AI functionality to other areas of IT management, offering a truly Agentic AI experience.

In addition, HaloPSA lacks RMM capabilities and must be integrated with third-party tools for that purpose.

HaloPSA does have a number of different modules, including a service desk, CRM, billing, portal, analytics, and project management. And while these features are helpful for MSPs, they leave most IT teams wanting more when it comes to scripting, AI, remote access, and patch management.

Performance and reliability

As any IT professional knows, performance and reliability are the keys to success. That’s why, at Atera, we have put in the work to ensure that our performance and reliability scores remain high and we work to prevent downtime constantly. 

Plus, if you ever do run into problems with our product, our live, 24/7 support (available in several languages) is here to help. Our commitment to expanding our support offerings includes our huge collection of digital resources (such as an extensive knowledge base, our popular blog, a thriving online community, and support from live agents). We’re always here to support YOU.

For HaloPSA, users typically find the platform’s native capabilities effective in terms of avoiding downtime and maintaining strong performance. However, many HaloPSA users did note though that the documentation of the software is poor:

HaloPSA review via Reddit

HaloPSA’s poor documentation requires users to rely on technical support whenever they run into issues. However, technical support isn’t available 24/7, so you might have to wait for your issues to be resolved. 

Another big difference in the performance and reliability category between these two platforms comes down to functionality. Not only is the Atera platform itself reliable, but it also helps your entire IT environment prevent downtime. We offer features like automated patch management, native security integrations, and unparalleled support to ensure you are always up and running.

Additionally, Atera’s AI Copilot is here to help when end-users run into problems. Atera’s powerful AI capabilities assist with ticket resolution, even chatting back and forth with end users to eliminate those time-consuming conversations trying to figure out what is wrong. There are so many better uses for your talented IT technicians’ time! With Atera, nobody has to worry about downtime – not you and not your IT environment users, either.

Pricing and value for money

At Atera, being transparent with our pricing is important to us – and it should be important to you, too. Fully understanding the costs associated with our IT platform makes it easier for you to predict costs and budget effectively as an MSP or IT service provider.

Our pricing plans for MSPs at Atera start at $129 per month per technician and pricing for IT departments start at $149 per month per technician. Our plans include integrations like Splashtop and Azure AD at no additional charge charge. We also have countless other integrations focused on security, backup, networking monitoring, and even billing. With Atera, you will easily be able to connect to apps like Quickbooks, Cynet, Ironscales, and more.

Atera’s IT department pricing

At Atera, we offer pricing tailored to both MSPs and IT departments. The two have different needs, so by having separate plans for each, we can better serve them both.

In comparison, HaloPSA offers a one-set package for MSPs, which starts at $600 per month for five agents. For companies with more agents, the price is reduced a bit. 

While this pricing is attractive for MSP clients, IT departments may be disappointed to find out that HaloPSA is simply not built with their needs in mind. In addition, you need to pay extra to receive more advanced capabilities like asset discovery, remote control, live chat and self-service password reset. Not to mention the fact that HaloPSA misses key features IT teams may need, such as RMM, and investing in a third-party RMM will increase the total cost of HaloPSA.

Customer support and community

Customer support and a sense of community are important to the success of any IT software, and especially one that you rely on to perform your day-to-day work. At Atera, we are committed to fostering collaboration and success at every turn.

We offer a thriving community of users who support each other around the clock. Our community, sometimes nicknamed the “Ateraverse,” has garnered enthusiastic praise from users who embrace it to chat, laugh, and troubleshoot with others. We love our close-knit community of IT professionals – and if you choose Atera, we are excited to welcome you into our online family.

But that’s not all! We also have countless blog posts, recorded webinars, and other resources for you to turn to when you prefer asynchronous help. If you want to talk to a real human, we are available 24/7 in several languages. Don’t believe us? See what our customers are saying: 

Atera review via Capterra

But how does HaloPSA stack up? While the software gets the job done for many IT service providers, Reddit users have shared that the support from the company does not meet their expectations and can be slow to respond. 

Security and compliance

We can all agree that security and compliance are essential for any IT provider’s success – but this is simply not an area of focus for HaloPSA. Search their website all you want, and you will not find a single mention of RMM security, which does not inspire much confidence.

At Atera, we have a different perspective. We think that security is an important feature of everything we do, and that’s why we’ve built it into all of our products and features. 

With cyberattacks happening more and more frequently, our commitment to compliance and security hasn’t slowed down. With smart logging and reporting, as well as strict adherence to all industry standards, we give our customers unmatched peace of mind that their organizations are safe from the growing threat of malicious third parties.

In addition, Atera’s integrations with cybersecurity tools, such as Cynet, Acronis, Bitdefender, Emsisoft, ESET, Ironscales, Keeper, and ThreatDown, further strengthen our security offerings.

User feedback and reviews

Both Atera and HaloPSA are loved by many on user review sites, such as Reddit, G2, Capterra, and Gartner. 

Across G2 and Capterra, Atera has received 1,200+ reviews, with an average rating of 4.6 out of 5.0 stars. In comparison, HaloPSA has received 50+ reviews, with an average rating of 4.7 out of 5.0 stars.

Many Atera users praise its AI capabilities, which automates key IT management tasks. One G2 user said, “Atera’s AI-driven troubleshooting is a game changer and helps us resolve tickets 70% faster.”

Atera review via G2

Users love Atera’s continuous innovation and 24/7 support, which means you can never get lost alone:

Atera review via Capterra

With transparent pricing that simplifies growth and scaling, Atera provides accessible solutions for both enterprise and start-up customers looking for HaloPSA alternatives. Plus, our short learning curve makes using our product effectively simple and easy. 

Atera review via Reddit

For many MSPs, HaloPSA meets CRM, billing, and helpdesk needs – and its customer reviews from places like TrustRadius, G2, and Capterra reflect that. However, they have a significantly smaller client base, and as such, have a lot less reviews.

While HaloPSA has received plenty of positive feedback, the main cons that users describe relate to its complex interface and lengthy learning curve to get up and running. Some users are also reporting bugs in some of the features, which has lost them money:

HaloPSA review via Reddit

Find the right IT tools for your needs

When you are looking for a robust PSA tool with comprehensive functionality, it is important to consider all of the options available on the market. Both HaloPSA and Atera are popular PSA tools, but Atera’s wide variety of use cases and options for MSPs and IT departments make our holistic approach unbeatable.

Plus, with Atera’s AI capabilities available across the entire platform, IT teams can transform how they handle IT operations. Instead of spending hours manually handling tickets, troubleshooting devices, or generating scripts, AI Copilot is there to assist. It helps to make your IT team 10X more efficient!
We highly recommend test-driving any IT software platform before you purchase it. Luckily, both HaloPSA and Atera offer 30-day free trials with no credit card required. Want to take Atera for a spin? Start your 30-day free trial of Atera today!