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Atera and N-Able are two of the leading IT management platforms that are frequently compared by IT decision-makers when choosing the right IT solution for their organization. 

It’s not surprising that the two are compared: they each offer a host of essential IT features and capabilities that IT teams need. This leads to the crucial question: how do you decide which is best for you?
That’s where our decision-making review comes in. We’ll go over key factors to consider, from usability and price to security and reliability, so you can make an informed decision for your IT needs.

Why should you trust our reviews? 💡

Not only do we look at the features of Atera and N-Able, but we also take into account feedback from our community and reviews on platforms such as G2 and TrustRadius. These insights help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of each solution.

In addition, we aim to make our content transparent and objective so that you can make informed decisions for your business. Your trust in our reviews is important to us because we know how critical choosing the right IT management platform is to the success of your IT department.

Atera vs. N-able: An overview

For a quick look into the differences between Atera vs. N-able, take a look at the following comparison table:

Atera overviewN-able overview
Features– Advanced RMM- PSA (including ticketing, knowledge base, contracts, billing, and more)- Atera Copilot: (An AI assistant for device troubleshooting, ticketing, scripting, and more)- IT automation- Comprehensive Network Discovery-  Patch Management- Customizable reporting- Mobile applicationFeatures– Endpoint management- Remote access- IT ticketing and billing- Patch management- Network Discovery- IT automation- Security through third-party integrations
Customer support– 24/7 live chat & email support- Public product roadmap available- Active IT community & various self-help materials, such as knowledge baseCustomer support– Email and phone support- Product roadmap available- IT community available and self-help resources, like a knowledge base
Integrations– Integrates with cybersecurity, antivirus, MDM, backup, accounting, remote access, and automation software
Access to 5000+ more apps through Zapier integration
Integrations– Integrates with password management, backup, EDR, and IT automation tools
Pricing– Transparent pay-per-technician pricing
– 30-day free trial available, no credit card required
Pricing– Pricing is based on custom quotation
– 14-day free trial available

Both Atera and N-able share similar features, such as remote monitoring, automation, and ticketing, helping IT teams enhance efficiency and service quality. 

For a detailed comparison of their capabilities, user experiences, and overall performance, check out the full analysis below. This resource will help you determine which solution best fits your IT management needs:

Screenshot of a G2 comparison about user satisfaction ratings.

See the full G2 comparison here.

As you can see, Atera outperforms N-able in every category, which adds to the point why most IT departments today pick Atera over N-able.

User interface and usability

Both Atera and N-Able offer a platform that allows you to keep tabs on your IT department’s network.

Atera has been praised for its ease of use — even receiving recognition in the industry by G2 as the top-rated platform for its ease of use and implementation. As a result of our platform’s ease of use, G2 ratings show that users found Atera easier to use than N-Able.

We are very proud of these recognitions because, here at Atera, user experience is a core technical component that we take very seriously. We aim to create a seamless, easy-to-use platform that grows and evolves following user feedback and insights. 

We know the value of real user feedback and insights. We take the feedback you give us and apply it to our platform to increase the quality of your experience. So, not only are we working to meet your needs, but we’re also continuously working to create the best experience possible for your IT department.

Want a sneak peek of Atera’s intuitive, easy-to-use dashboard? Take a look at our fully-equipped interface right here:

Screenshot of Ateras Admin Dashboard
Atera’s all-in-one dashboard
(Image via Atera)

In one convenient location, you can get the full picture of your network, making RMM easier than ever. Plus, you will be able to access our in-depth reporting and analytics tools. We’ll give you the high-level insights you need at a glance… and the dashboard is fully customizable to your unique needs.

In comparison, here is a look into N-able N-central’s dashboard:

N-able N-central admin dashboard (via G2)

While we may be biased, we truly believe Atera’s modern dashboards are the right choice for most IT teams.

Not only does our interface boast ease of use, but it’s also easy to learn. That means that your team won’t waste precious time and energy with inefficient onboarding processes. Our reviewers have claimed you can get up and running in as little as 15 minutes. In the world of IT, that is virtually unheard of!

Features and capabilities

Atera and N-Able allow for essential IT features and capabilities like remote monitoring and management (RMM), remote access, patch monitoring, and IT ticketing. Atera includes these features in its all-in-one platform, while N-able offers multiple products with similar capabilities.

But let’s be honest: These are features that every IT management platform should have. 

So, it’s not about what they can do but what sets them apart (and how they make your IT department’s life easier and more efficient).

This is where Atera’s AI-powered features and abilities stand out and leave N-Able falling short. Our AI-powered IT capabilities take on repetitive tasks, increase response times by 99%, and increase ticket resolution times by 95%, all with the support of AI hands-free solutions. 
You may wonder, how does the AI do this exactly? Atera’s AI Copilot is like your personal assistant, answering questions in real-time, helping to summarize and reply to tickets, troubleshooting device issues, generating remote session summaries, and much more.

Plus, our AI-powered script generator helps your IT team save research and coding time. For those recurring problems, you can add the generated script to the script library to further streamline processes and save your team even more time.

We’re not exaggerating when we say using Atera’s Action AI can allow you to 10X your operational efficiency!

Performance and reliability

Reliability is an essential quality for IT departments that’s likely at the top of your mind as you weigh your IT management options. After all, you want to be sure your network is protected from security threats and that IT day-to-day responsibilities can be completed with minimal interruption.

Atera users have reported that our platform has been reliable and user-friendly and have credited it with reducing downtime and delivering enhanced security. 

While N-able users mostly report reliability, in 2024, N-able experienced three major outages within a month, according to Reddit users:

N-able review via Reddit. Its says, "N-able review via Reddit" and "Third major outage this month. Glad this is my final month with them..."

N-able review via Reddit

One Reddit user commented on the same thread, “This kind of outage needs an informational update faster than 7 hours.” And we agree. Prolonged outages pose serious security risks, and a lack of communication only adds to user frustration.

Another important part of reliability is patch management. At Atera, we strive to be proactive in addressing IT issues before they become disruptive, and Atera’s patch management feature is a huge aspect of this.

Since vendors and software providers have their own schedules for updates and patches, patch management is an essential function both Atera and N-Able provide.

At Atera, we’ve developed our next-generation patch management solution with various customizations and automation to help technicians keep pace with these releases. This allows you to rest easy knowing that your system is operating as smoothly as possible.

Screenshot for IT automation profiles

Atera’s IT automation profile for scheduling patch updates

As in any industry, hiccups and unexpected problems happen, questions arise, and help is needed. This is when having additional support is important for your IT department’s performance and your peace of mind. 

At Atera, we know the importance of having access to answers and help when needed, so we go above and beyond to get them to you with live support agents (available 24/7 — literally!) and a community knowledge base that allows you to get support in using our platform in a variety of ways. We also have an active user community with its own platform so you have more brains to pick.

In addition, both Atera and N-Able offer data backup, protection, and cloud services to mitigate risks and ensure business continuity should disaster strike.

Pricing and value for money

Your IT budget is influential in your decision-making process when selecting an IT management solution, which is why at Atera, we believe in transparent pricing so that no surprises are coming your way. 
We offer plans starting at just $149 per month for IT departments with a tiered pay-per-technician pricing model that allows room for growth to meet your organization’s evolving needs.

Screenshot of the Atera IT department pricing

Atera’s IT department pricing plans

With Atera, you’ll also find detailed costs for adding integrations, so you always know what to expect when it comes to the price of your IT solution.
N-Able RMM pricing is a pay-per-device model which starts at $99 per month. However, their overall pricing lacks transparency; you have to dig into their website to find the costs of different add-ons, but even then, the details listed are limited. N-Able encourages you to contact their sales team rather than offering a pricing guide, which slows down the decision-making process.

Customer support and community

Getting the support you need can make or break your experience with an IT management solution because, odds are, you’ll have questions or need a little extra help at some point. 

At Atera, we recognize how important this is to your ability to make the most of our platform. That’s why we’ve created a rich knowledge base with tutorials, discussion boards, and real support agents. We even have a shared script library that you can access.

Users across the board agree that Atera’s customer support is quick to respond and offers actionable solutions in real time. Part of that stems from our commitment to 24/7 live support, which we offer in several different languages. 

But we have yet to touch on our favorite support of Atera’s rich community support network…

Atera’s active IT community, often nicknamed the “Ateraverse,” is a hotspot for our users to chat and share tips and tricks. Through it, you can build relationships with other Atera users, who are often happy to support their Atera peers should any trouble arise.

We have numerous active users in the Ateraverse who enjoy spreading knowledge and supporting their fellow IT pros. When you join the Ateraverse, you will see for yourself why this community is such a desirable component of the complete Atera package.

Screenshot of Atera’s IT community page

Atera’s IT community

N-Able, on the other hand, offers support by phone and by opening a ticket through the admin dashboard. There are no details about how active and how long it takes for the support team to respond.

After analyzing user reviews, we can estimate that, on average, the support team takes 24-48 hours to respond. However, some users have reported much slower response times or incomplete information, such as the Reddit user below:

N-able review via Reddit. It says, "N-Able RMM
Hi Everyone,I currently use N-able RMM but I am finding their support just awful. I've been trying for a week to get a simple pricelist of services from them.I have managed AV switched on, so I know the cost of that from my invoices, but as far as anything else goes I have no clue.When I ask for this from N-Able, they simply send me back my own invoice with the pricing I already know about.I'd laugh if it wasn't so infuriating.Does anyone know the costs of the various services you can enable on the Agent? Thank you."

N-able review via Reddit

That being said, both Atera and N-Able also provide resources like blogs and videos. At Atera, we’ve got you and your IT department covered, regardless of the help you need or the questions you have.

Security and compliance

As an IT decision-maker, you’re likely worried about the security of an IT management platform since it’s a core responsibility for the department.

At Atera, security is integral to our platform, from a cutting-edge firewall to data encryption and MFA utilization. Our users find our platform to be reliable and secure for their IT departments. We are also SOC II certified and you can leverage the benefits of RMM with Atera to address security risks in your network.

Plus, Atera’s security integrations with antivirus, EDR, MDR, backup, and other security tools can further improve your IT environment’s security. 

In comparison, N-able offers similar security features and integrations with third-party cyber security tools. Their security has been mostly well received, although N-able received backlash from users on Reddit a few years ago during the SolarWinds exploit.
While both Atera and N-Able help monitor and manage risks, Atera’s Network Discovery feature is a step above maintaining your network’s security.

Screenshot of Atera’s Network Discovery tool

Atera’s Network Discovery tool

Through this feature — which we like to think of as your always-on security guard who never misses a thing — we not only provide reliable security that meets industry standards, but we go above and beyond. If there’s even a hint of a problem, our Network Discovery software will help you spot and address it ASAP.
With Network Discovery from Atera, you can easily onboard new users, keep tabs on the health of devices, and develop reports and data insights to plan infrastructure updates and replacements before they need to happen.

User feedback and reviews

Atera outranks N-Able across all categories in G2. These include how easy the software is to use, how well it meets user requirements, the quality of the features, and more.

This speaks volumes about how satisfied most Atera users are. In total, Atera has received around 1,200+ customer reviews across Capterra and G2, with an average rating of 4.6 out of 5.0 stars.

N-able has received around 1,300+ reviews on G2, with an average rating of 4.3 out of 5.0 stars.

For IT decision-makers who are considering between the two platforms, these were some of the reasons users chose Atera over N-Able:

Atera review via Reddit. It says, "Quite impressed
We've been using Atera for just a couple of weeks and so far I've found it a lot easier to use than n-able. It appears to have been designed correctly from the ground up, whereas I have the feeling that n-able evolved out of lots of capable but disparate systems. It's a bit of a frankenstein's monster. N-able can do more, but it's just awkward. More posts as we learn more..."

Atera review via Reddit

The above Reddit user mentioned, “We found Atera a lot easier to use than N-able. It appears to have been designed correctly from the ground up.”

Another Capterra user who switched from N-central to Atera mentioned the following:

Screenshot of Capterra review on Atera.

To conclude, the above review appreciated Atera’s 24/7 support, continuous service delivery growth, transparent pricing, and constant innovation.

The above reviewer also mentioned Atera’s AI Copilot, which is a unique selling point from N-Central. AI Copilot helps the reviewer analyze tickets, suggest solutions, and respond professionally, to name just a few of its capabilities.
Tip: Read about AI Copilot 2.5’s new capabilities here!

Atera is the stand-out option for your IT department

With these different qualities, features, and reviews in mind, we can’t help but conclude that Atera is the ideal solution for IT departments. 

Atera supports getting all the core responsibilities and tasks of IT departments do, and we implement cutting-edge tools to get them done efficiently — whether it’s our AI-powered IT, helping you 10X your efficiency, or our Network Discovery, helping you stay on top of every aspect of your network.

Atera’s commitment to creating an all-in-one IT management solution that goes beyond the necessities is evident not only in its ease of use and implementation but also in how confident IT teams and technicians feel using it.

We aren’t just sharing how we feel about Atera vs. N-Able, Atera is rated higher overall by customers and it beats N-able in nearly every G2 category.

So, if you listen to what other IT professionals are saying—Atera seems to be the better choice in most cases.

Take advantage of our free 30-day trial to see how well Atera integrates into your workflow. And, if you have questions at all, don’t hesitate to contact our sales team.

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