We tested 6 Barracuda alternatives - Here’s our top pick for IT management

As IT professionals, we’re always on the lookout for tools that can streamline our workflows and enhance our security measures. Barracuda has been a go-to solution for many, but what if there were options that could take your IT management to the next level?

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll introduce you to 6 impressive Barracuda alternatives that are reshaping the industry. From AI-powered platforms to cost-effective solutions, these alternatives offer a range of features that might just be the perfect fit for your organization.

The best Barracuda alternatives are:

1. Atera
2. ManageEngine
3. Kaseya
4. N-able
5. Datto
6. HaloPSA

6 best Barracuda alternatives for IT management in 2026

Let’s go over the 6 best Barracuda alternatives for 2026, according to our own research and based on real customer reviews.

1. Atera

Atera vs. Barracuda: Key differences

1. Key features: Atera is an Agentic AI, IT management tool that lets users monitor and control network assets and endpoints remotely. Within one platform, Atera has RMM, patch management, remote access, and ticketing capabilities, all powered by our Agentic AI technology through two AI agents.

In comparison, Barracuda spreads its features into multiple products, such as Barracuda Email Protection and Data Protection. Barracuda’s closest match to Atera is Barracuda RMM. It’s a tool for MSPs that combines real-time monitoring, a scripting tool, patch management, remote support, and PSA integrations.

2. Agentic AI: Both platforms have AI, but for different tasks. Barracuda launched its AI on the BarracudaONE platform, and it assists with threat detection and security response. Atera applies its AI to IT operations through Robin by Atera.

Robin resolves up to 92% of Tier-1 and complex Tier-2 requests through a four-step resolution process:

• • Diagnose: Robin picks up the request, verifies the user, and asks follow-up questions until it has the context it needs.

• • Remediate: Robin takes the approved fix directly on the device, on the network, or in the cloud.

• • Verify: Robin checks that the issue is actually resolved. If it isn’t, it escalates to a technician along with the full context.

• • Close: Robin updates the ticket with the outcome and logs every action for audit and compliance.

Atera reports a resolution rate of up to 92% for Tier-1 and complex Tier-2 incidents, with an average resolution time of 120 seconds and a first response in 0.1 seconds. Barracuda’s materials cite no comparable resolution rate.

3. User interface: Atera’s dashboards and user interfaces are built with accessibility and ease of use in mind, making onboarding and daily usage quick and easy. 

Barracuda’s users have noted that the platform has a steep learning curve, and the user interface needs an update.

4. Customer support: Atera offers world-class, 24/7 live chat support and also has self-help resources, such as knowledge bases and tutorials. 

Atera stands out with its IT community, where customers can troubleshoot problems and share best practices with others. In comparison, Barracuda has received criticism for their customer support.

Features and capabilities

In addition to RMM capabilities, Atera offers help desk and ticketing, remote access, patch management, and network discovery capabilities. Its advanced capabilities are designed to meet the specialized needs of enterprises and SMBs. 

Atera’s AI Copilot is also available for technicians, helping with tasks like ticket resolution, generating scripts, and remote session summaries.

Our features and functionality get even more impressive when you take into account our third-party integrations. Atera seamlessly integrates with user-favourite integrations like Emsisoft, Keeper, Webroot, and other security solutions. We also have remote access integrations with Splashtop, AnyDesk, and other top platforms. 

User interface and overall usability

Using G2 to compare Atera and Barracuda MSP, this is how real users have rated the two platforms across ease of use categories:

Atera was built from the ground up with ease of use and accessibility in mind, which is one of the reasons our customers rate the platform so highly. Atera users can be up and running within minutes of signing up!

Atera’s dashboard view (via Atera)

Reviews related to Barracuda’s user interface are more varied since many customers report a steep learning curve and an outdated user interface.

Tip: For more differences, read our Atera vs. Barracuda MSP comparison guide.

Pricing and value for money

At Atera, we’re big advocates of transparent pricing. Unlike most RMM pricing plans, Atera’s pricing is based on pay-per-technician, which means you can manage unlimited endpoints for a fixed monthly fee.

Comparing Atera’s pricing to Barracuda’s is difficult since Barracuda doesn’t publicly display its prices. To get the pricing, you need to contact their sales team, and they’ll provide you with a custom quote.

Atera’s standard pricing plans range from $129 to $209 per month for MSPs and from $149 to $219 per month for IT departments. Enterprise customers can request a custom quotation for more tailored offerings.

Here are Atera’s pricing plans laid out:

Atera pricing for IT departments:

• • Professional: $149 per month, per technician

• • Expert: $189 per month, per technician

• • Master: $219 per month, per technician

• • Enterprise: Custom quotation; contact sales to get pricing

Atera pricing for MSPs:

• • Pro: $129 per month, per technician

• • Growth: $159 per month, per technician

• • Power: $209 per month, per technician

• • Superpower (Enterprise): Custom quotation; contact sales to get pricing

Customer reviews and ratings

Atera’s G2 Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,200+ reviews)

Barracuda MSP’s G2 Rating: 4.1 out of 5 stars (45+ reviews)

What Atera users are saying on G2:

• • “AI is built-in on the entire ecosystem and responds based on knowledge base articles that we created ourselves (either internal only or externally visible for the customer),” Dieter S. says.

• • “One unexpected benefit is the AI feature, especially Robin. It can reduce technicians’ workload by assisting with responses, ticket handling, and general troubleshooting,” Emil C. says.

Atera’s Capterra Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (430+ reviews)

Barracuda MSP’s Capterra Rating: n/a

What Atera users are saying on Capterra:

• • “Atera gives me the opportunity to maintain low overhead costs; I did find the automation function worked as expected and didn’t crash the entire dashboard,” Alison K. says.

• • “Atera has been a reliable tool for handling day-to-day IT operations. It reduces repetitive work and gives good visibility into system health,” Dymasius S. says.

2. ManageEngine Endpoint Central

ManageEngine Endpoint Central allows you to manage and secure desktops, laptops, servers, mobile devices, and tablets from a single interface. And if you want to expand the functionality, ManageEngine’s different products can be integrated together.

One of ManageEngine’s main cons on G2 is similar to Barracuda’s, which is a steep learning curve. If ease of use is a priority for your IT team, prioritize platforms with high ratings in that area, like Atera.

G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 (1,100+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 (1,800+ reviews)

ManageEngine Endpoint Central Pricing:

• • Professional: Starts at $104 for 50 endpoints

• • Enterprise: Starts at $124 for 50 endpoints

• • UEM: Starts at $139 for 50 endpoints

• • Security: Starts at $205 for 50 endpoints

All ManageEngine plans include one technician spot.

3. Kaseya

Kaseya VSA, one of Kaseya’s main products, provides remote access, patch management, and RMM capabilities. Like Barracuda, Kaseya is known for its security and network protection features despite receiving some complaints in recent years about those.

Kaseya may be the right IT management solution for some teams, but there are drawbacks, including its pricing model. Similarly to Barracuda, Kaseya does not publish its pricing online, so you will need to request a custom quote from them. Plus, multiple Kaseya users on Reddit mention restrictive contract terms, such as three-year commitments with long cancellation notice periods.

G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5.0 (4,800+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.1 out of 5.0 (200+ reviews)

Kaseya Pricing:

• • Custom-quote-based pricing for all Kaseya products. Visit Kaseya’s website to submit a form and request the price.

4. N-able

N-able offers essential features for IT professionals, including RMM, remote access, IT ticketing, and patch management. The features are divided into different products offered by N-able, such as N-central RMM and N-able MSP Manager.

N-able offers a flexible solution, but to achieve this, you might have to use several N-able products. This has its downside, which is increased subscription costs. Depending on your budget, the increased cost of combining products can be a deal-breaker.

G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5.0 stars (560+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.2 out of 5.0 stars (250+ reviews)

N-central Pricing:

• • N-central pricing is based on a custom quotation. Fill in a form on their website to get the pricing.

5. Datto

Datto‘s product offerings include remote monitoring and management, IT automation, scripting, patch management, and remote access. Datto has a dedicated product called Autotask PSA for PSA capabilities.

Datto’s advantage over Barracuda is its third-party integrations, which have increased significantly since the company was acquired by Kaseya. The acquisition had positive aspects, but it also had drawbacks, such as a decrease in quality and a new clunky user interface – once again, as reported by many users and user reviews.

G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars (540+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.1 out of 5 stars (25+ reviews)

Datto Pricing:

• • Custom pricing available. Contact Datto’s sales team to get the pricing.

6. Halo (formerly HaloPSA)

HaloPSA was recently rebranded to just Halo and is now part of the broader Halo platform, which also includes HaloITSM and HaloCRM. Its PSA function includes time tracking, remote access, billing, project and contract management, and more.

If you solely need PSA, Halo can be suitable. There’s no built-in RMM, but there are integrations with different RMM software, like Atera. For built-in RMM plus PSA, consider a HaloPSA alternative, like Atera.

G2 Rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars (40+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.8 out of 5.0 stars (40+ reviews)

HaloPSA Pricing:

• • With the rebrand, Halo’s pricing also had a slight change. It now starts at $99/month per agent. An onboarding package is also required with purchase.

Future-proof your IT with Atera’s autonomous IT tool

Out of all Barracuda alternatives, Atera is one of the few solutions that offers an AI agent that autonomously resolves technical incidents end-to-end.

Our AI agents help IT teams drastically reduce their workload. With Robin, up to 92% of Tier-1 and complex Tier-2 technical incidents are resolved autonomously, with an average resolution time of 120 seconds.

The return on investment is there too: A Forrester Total Economic Impact study commissioned by Atera found a 321% three-year ROI for a composite 2,500-employee enterprise, with payback in under six months.

This is the power of autonomous IT agents, where technology is used as a tool rather than a barrier.

To learn more about Robin, get in touch with our sales team today. We also offer a 30-day free trial, so you can take our software for a spin – no credit card is required.

What is Barracuda?

Barracuda offers remote monitoring and management (RMM), help desk and ticketing, and security solutions. Most of their offerings (such as BarracudaMSP) are tailored toward managed service providers. Barracuda is also known for its security and protection solutions, such as its Barracuda Backup product.

Why look for a Barracuda alternative?

After familiarizing ourselves with Barracuda and reading customer reviews, we noticed that the platform’s main limitations are its steep learning curve, inefficiencies in customer support, and a lack of transparency in pricing.

Here’s a closer look at each of the limitations according to user reviews.

1. Difficulty in using the platform

According to users on G2, Barracuda has a steep learning curve; some of the features are overwhelming to set up, and navigation takes a long time.

One G2 user, Eddy H., specifically said, “Some advanced settings and reports can be difficult to locate within the interface.

Another G2 user, Skuzuf K., said this for Barracuda XDR: “The UI is difficult to navigate in the beginning, and some of the setup items are confusing.”

Especially for those new to RMM platforms or with limited resources, a difficult UI can be a deal-breaker. As you compare the different Barracuda alternatives, we’d suggest prioritizing platforms with intuitive user interfaces that enable fast onboarding. 

2. Customer service may lack product knowledge

Barracuda advertises on its website that it has 24/7 support for all users. While this may be true, many users claim that the customer service reps aren’t knowledgeable about the product.

One Barracuda user on Reddit said, “Barracuda’s support doesn’t know the product they support or the repercussions of the suggestions they make.”

Here is the full comment the Reddit user left:

Barracuda review via Reddit

In the same Reddit thread, many other Barracuda users shared similar concerns about the level of knowledge Barracuda support reps have.

This is a notable drawback to Barracuda, as many alternatives, such as Atera, offer industry-leading 24/7 live chat support for all users. 

3. Pricing is not transparent

When looking at Barracuda’s website, we can quickly see that all of the pricing plans are based on a custom quotation:

As the pricing is per quotation, it’s extremely difficult to compare Barracuda’s pricing to its competitors’ pricing.

Many Barracuda customers also don’t like this practice. One Barracuda user on Reddit said, “If pricing isn’t already there, or behind a simple email, we probably can’t afford them.”

Barracuda review via Reddit

Fortunately, a few Barracuda alternatives, including Atera, offer transparent pricing plans, which allow for some comparison.

What are Barracuda’s strengths?

Barracuda’s two strong points for MSPs are its wide range of products and RMM capabilities.

Let’s look into each of these in more detail.

1. Wide range of products

Barracuda offers a wide range of products, such as Barracuda RMM, Email Protection, XDR, and backup. This gives users a lot of flexibility, and combining them can provide a comprehensive security and management solution. One G2 user specifically liked that Barracuda XDR monitors your environment 24/7 for potential security risks.

The downside of this is the high cost of using multiple products instead of having one IT management tool, such as Atera.

2. RMM capabilities

Barracuda’s RMM capabilities allow users to manage various endpoints, such as workstations and servers, from one platform. 

A G2 user appreciated this and said, “Being able to see all machines on the network from a unified view is nice.”

Barracuda pros and cons: Takeaways

To conclude the two previous sections, here are the pros and cons of Barracuda that are mentioned in many customer reviews.

The pros:

• • 24/7 live chat support for all Barracuda customers.

• • Gives you a unified view of all client devices, servers, and endpoints.

The cons:

• • A steep learning curve and difficulties in using the platform

• • Customer service can be inefficient, and the customer service reps may not be knowledgeable about the product

• • Barracuda’s pricing is not transparent, and you need to request a quotation to get it