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Best IT Management Software Shortlist

Here are the IT management tools I've shortlisted because they stood out to me in my evaluation, along with which scenario I found they excelled in:

  1. SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor - Best network monitoring features
  2. Malwarebytes - Best security features
  3. Rippling - Best for employee device management
  4. ShareGate - Best for migrating IT systems
  5. ISL Light - Best for remote desktop access
  6. SolarWinds Service Desk - Best incident management features
  7. PagerDuty - Best for companies in retail
  8. LogicMonitor - Best for finance companies
  9. PDQ Deploy - Best patch management features
  10. Jira Service Management - Best ITSM
  11. N-able - Best for small businesses
  12. Kandji - Best Apple Mobile Device Management

With the right tools for managing your networks and devices across areas such as configuration, access controls, and security, you can smooth out several obstacles you face in managing your organization’s IT stack.

That’s why I’ve evaluated several IT management tools to craft this list of the best available solutions. I’ve made a point to include each tool’s distinct features, so you have everything you need to make the right decision.

What Is IT Management Software?

IT management software refers to tools used to support IT systems such as computer networks, security systems, databases, and web services. They help you more efficiently design and deliver IT-related services to meet the needs of your customers and team members. You can perform tasks like incident management, change management, and provisioning new IT resources. Ultimately ITMS tools all serve the end goal of better aligning your systems with business goals.

Overviews of the 12 Best IT Management Software

Below are brief but detailed looks into the best tools I found during my tests, with information on their strengths, weaknesses, and pricing information to help you compare them.

1. SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor - Best network monitoring features

Using the SolarWinds NPM to visualize critical network paths
Viewing critical network paths with SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor. (Source)

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) provides network management solutions for cloud, hybrid, and on-premise systems.

Why I picked SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor: I liked SolarWinds NPM’s network availability monitoring, which displays key information related to uptime, including diagnostics, continuous monitoring, and alerting. With these features, I could more reliably ensure the network portion of my IT systems stayed online.

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor standout features and integrations:

Features that made me recommend SolarWinds NPM for network monitoring included NetPath, a traceroute tool that visualizes network paths so I can track end-to-end service delivery.

I also liked PerfStack, a performance analysis tool that allowed me to overlay different sets of data so it was easier to compare them.

Integrations are native for the SolarWinds Platform and pre-built for Azure and ServiceNow.

Pricing: From $1,875

Trial:30-day free trial

Pros

  • Strong network management features
  • Provides prompt alerts
  • Mapping and visualization features

Cons

  • Caters more towards Cisco equipment
  • Slows down when working with SQL

2. Malwarebytes - Best security features

IT management software Malwarebytes provides endpoint device security
Endpoint security monitoring with Malwarebytes for Business. (Source)

Malwarebytes is a cybersecurity product for both individuals and businesses whose main selling point is its anti-malware features.

Why I picked Malwarebytes: I chose Malwarebytes specifically for its business plan, which provides endpoint detection and response features for cyber threats. Chief among these is ransomware protection, which creates caches on each device that last 72 hours, which you can roll back to in case of infection.

Malwarebytes standout features and integrations:

Features that make Malwarebytes ideal for businesses include the ability to isolate endpoint devices that get compromised, keeping them away from networks, stopping sensitive processes, and restricting user access.

I also found that it can automatically identify and address any effects that malware might have had on the system, making remediation processes easier at scale.

Integrations are pre-built for IBM QRadar, Slack, Splunk, Azure Sentinel, Datto RMM, Addigy, Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR, Atera, ServiceNow, and Rapid7.

Pricing: From $49.99/device/year

Trial:60-day money-back guarantee

Pros

  • Protects against most cyber threats
  • Strong endpoint management features
  • Automatic issue detection and remediation

Cons

  • Sometimes prone to false positives
  • Scans can be slow and resource-intensive

3. Rippling - Best for employee device management

IT management software Rippling simplifies employee device management
Using Rippling to control what applications an employee has access to. (Source)

Rippling is a workforce management platform with tools for finance, HR, and IT departments, including a module for app and device management.

Why I picked Rippling: Rippling provides several useful features for securing employees’ work devices and the data they handle. In my evaluation, I found I could encrypt drives, enforce updates, lock and wipe stolen or lost devices, and implement two-factor authentication.

Rippling standout features and integrations:

Features that made me recommend Rippling for employee device management include the ability to configure profiles based on factors such as location and role. The profiles could include custom installation packages as well as credentials for connecting to wireless networks, VPNs, and other devices.

Integrations are pre-built for Zoom, Slack, Dropbox, Apple Business, LastPass, Dashlane Business, Xero, Quickbooks Online, Stripe, and NetSuite.

Pricing: From $8/month/user

Trial:Free demo available

Pros

  • Easy to get started with
  • Provides other solutions such as HR and finance tools
  • The company can manage the hardware on your behalf

Cons

  • Its all-encompassing features aren’t as robust as dedicated options
  • The app often has fewer features than are available via the website

4. ShareGate - Best for migrating IT systems

IT management can copy SharePoint and MS 365 systems with ShareGate
Cloning an existing IT system with ShareGate. (Source)

ShareGate is a management solution for Microsoft 365 that handles functions such as migration, provisioning, reporting, automation, and permissions.

Why I picked ShareGate: I chose ShareGate because it makes it easy for teams to move their IT systems over to a different platform. You can move IT systems between Microsoft 365, Office 365, Teams, SharePoint, Google Drive, and Box. You can also start with a file share and move on to one of several supported platforms.

ShareGate standout features and integrations:

Features that make ShareGate ideal for IT migrations include automatically mapping users at the target destination to make sure that everyone still has the same permissions and access as before.

You can also choose whether you just want to move specific teams or the entire organization, which was something I found helpful for staggering transitions by priority and preparedness, so one group didn’t hold up the entire process.

Integrations are pre-built for Teams, SharePoint, and Power Apps.

Pricing: From $5,995/year.

Trial:15-day free trial

Pros

  • Strong IT migration features
  • Automatic user mapping smoothens transitions
  • Provides detailed reports on jobs

Cons

  • Leans heavily towards Microsoft products (365 and SharePoint)
  • Migration speeds can be slow

5. ISL Light - Best for remote desktop access

Remote desktop access with IT software ISL Light
An overview of devices you can access remotely with ISL Light. (Source)

ISL Light is a remote desktop software that you can use for one-time or ongoing support on customers’ devices as part of your service delivery strategy.

Why I picked ISL Light: I assessed ISL Light primarily on its remote desktop access functions and found that it performed very well, especially with the multi-monitor view. With this feature, I could display the monitors of the computers I was accessing remotely in windows on a single screen, with the ability to drag and drop items between them.

ISL Light standout features and integrations:

Features in ISL Light that stood out to me include the administrative mode, which communicates directly with User Access Control (UAC) on Windows computers to elevate your rights whenever you need more access on a remote desktop.

If you don’t want to access a computer remotely, you can also just share your screen. This feature is useful if you want to walk someone through steps so they learn something for themselves.

Integrations are pre-built for BMC Remedy and ConnectBox.

Pricing: From $0.25/minute

Trial:15-day free trial

Pros

  • Allows you to manage multiple computers at once
  • Screen sharing capabilities
  • Supports dragging and dropping items between desktops

Cons

  • Doesn’t work as well on macOS as it does on Windows
  • Limited customization options

6. SolarWinds Service Desk - Best incident management features

Incident and IT management with SolarWinds Service Desk
Incident management with SolarWinds Service Desk. (Source)

SolarWinds Service Desk is a cloud-based IT service management (ITSM) platform that deals with service requests, configuration, and issue resolution.

Why I picked SolarWinds Service Desk: As part of its ITSM suite of features for incident management, SolarWinds Service Desk provides a ticketing system that I found to be robust. As soon as tickets made their way into the system, I could manage my responses through a variety of avenues, including email, app, phone call, chat, or the service portal.

SolarWinds Service Desk standout features and integrations:

Features that I liked about incident management in SolarWinds Service include automation capabilities that you can use to speed up resolution on repetitive and low-level tickets.

It also provides several functions for building and managing a knowledge base so you can develop effective self-service systems over time and reduce ticket backlogs.

Integrations are pre-built for VMware vCenter, Microsoft Teams, Zendesk, AWS, Azure, Google Analytics, Slack, Jira, Jamf, and TeamViewer.

Pricing: From $39/technician/month

Trial:30-day free trial

Pros

  • Strong ticket management
  • Decent knowledge base management features
  • Supports the ITIL framework

Cons

  • Steep learning curve
  • Interface isn’t user friendly

7. PagerDuty - Best for companies in retail

IT management has easy access to incident alerts using PagerDuty
An overview of incident alerts within PagerDuty. (Source)

PagerDuty is a real-time incident response platform that provides observability, automation, and analytical functions across different spheres of IT.

Why I picked PagerDuty: When I stumbled across the Service Standards feature in PagerDuty, I knew I was going to recommend it to e-commerce companies. You can use this function to determine hard thresholds for service and ensure that the entire team stays above it so you’re certain customers get the best experience possible.

PagerDuty standout features and integrations:

Features that I believe retail companies will love in PagerDuty included the automated diagnosis function. I tested it on a relatively busy e-commerce platform and was able to pinpoint issues faster and resolve them before they impacted the customer experience.

I also liked the status update notifications, which helps stakeholders keep each other in the loop. With this feature, you can communicate things like delivery delays in a timely manner.

Integrations are pre-built for AWS, ServiceNow, Salesforce, Jira, Datadog, GitHub, GitLab, Kubernetes, Zendesk, and Docker.

Pricing: From $21/user/month

Trial:Free plan available

Pros

  • Service standards support quality control
  • Strong incident management
  • Handles alerts and updates well

Cons

  • Limited customization
  • Takes a while to learn

8. LogicMonitor - Best for finance companies

User activity in LogicMonitor
Managing remote workforces with LogicMonitor. (Source)

LogicMonitor is a cloud-based monitoring platform that provides visibility for systems such as networks, servers, applications, and databases.

Why I picked LogicMonitor: LogicMonitor provides several security features that would be valuable in any financial institution. In my tests, I found that it encrypts data both in transit and at rest, and it stores the bare minimum, so you’re less at risk in the event of a breach.

LogicMonitor standout features and integrations:

Features I believe make LogicMonitor ideal for fintech settings include the ability to implement financial rewards programs that motivate users to share their data from different areas of a banking system, like apps or portals.

If you’re still on legacy financial IT systems, you can use LogicMonitor to gain visibility and reduce friction during cloud migration, and you can leverage the cost control feature to manage your spending during and after the process.

Integrations are pre-built for NGINX, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, PagerDuty, Zoom, ServiceNow, Puppet, Terraform, and Fortinet.

Pricing: Pricing upon request

Trial:14-day free trial

Pros

  • Strong security features
  • Scalable
  • Improves system observability

Cons

  • Not beginner-friendly
  • Customization is difficult

9. PDQ Deploy - Best patch management features

PDQ Deploy being used to distribute single packages
Deploying single packages with PDQ Deploy. (Source)

PDQ Deploy is a patch management tool from PDQ, a company that focuses on software deployment and management.

Why I picked PDQ Deploy: As a patch management tool, I needed to know that PDQ Deploy could work with some of the most common workplace software, and I found that it does. In my evaluation, I successfully handled updates with packages for Visual Studio Code, but it supports more than 100 other applications.

PDQ Deploy standout features and integrations:

Features that made me recommend PDQ Deploy include the ability to deploy almost anything you’d need for patch management processes, including messages, files, scripts, and even reboots.

I was also able to remotely execute scripts from batch files, Visual Basic, PowerShell, and registry files for automation.

Integrations are pre-built as packages you can install for popular programs such as Google Chrome Enterprise, Adobe Reader, FileZilla, Blender, GIMP, Microsoft Edge for Business, LibreOffice, OpenOffice, Visual Studio Code, and Mozilla Firefox.

Pricing: From $1,275/admin/year

Trial:14-day free trial

Pros

  • Supports automation via scripting
  • Strong remote patch management features
  • Easy to get started with

Cons

  • Package library is still small
  • Conflicts with devices using a VPN

10. Jira Service Management - Best ITSM

IT management software Jira Service Management provides a user-friendly interface for service desk
Here’s what the service desk looks like in Jira Service Management. (Source)

Jira Service Management is an ITSM from Atlassian, the company that also makes issue tracking and project management software Jira.

Why I picked Jira Service Management: I picked Jira Service Management because of its smart forms feature. Using this function, you can build dynamic forms to manage service requests and surveys that change based on user activity, all without code.

Jira Service Management standout features and integrations:

Features that I liked while using Jira Service Management for ITSM include the asset management functions that I used to log and track the status of IT devices with data such as ownership and lifecycle.

I also liked its change management feature, which provides detailed contextual information so each team working on requests knows everything they need to address them without causing conflicts with each other.

Integrations are native for other Atlassian products such as Jira, Confluence, Trello, and Bitbucket.

Pricing: From $21/agent/month

Trial:Free plan available

Pros

  • REST API for custom integrations
  • Strong change management features
  • Robust request management and tracking features

Cons

  • Not beginner friendly
  • Can be slow at scale

11. N-able - Best for small businesses

Remote device managing with IT management software N-able
Remote device management with N-able. (Source)

N-able provides IT products and services for IT teams and managed service providers (MSPs) for monitoring, security, and data protection.

Why I picked N-able: N-able’s N-sight remote monitoring and management (RMM) caught my attention as something that small business owners can use to unify IT operations so they don’t spread their team too thin. I specifically liked the drag-and-drop automation, which comes with over 400 premade scripts for common functions.

N-able standout features and integrations:

Features that I think small business owners will like in N-able include Cove, a cloud-based disaster recovery solution that stores backups off-site so you can rebuild your systems after an attack.

N-able also provides tools you can use to protect your IT infrastructure from attacks, including a managed antivirus, DNS filtering, and cloud-based email protection.

Integrations are pre-built for Microsoft Intune, Xero, Liongard, Datto RMM, Auvik, Kaspersky, TOPdesk, Acronis, Zomentum, and Sophos.

Pricing: Pricing upon request

Trial:14-day free trial

Pros

  • Good for disaster recovery
  • Provides an antivirus
  • Patch management features

Cons

  • Works best on Windows
  • Customer support could be better

12. Kandji - Best Apple Mobile Device Management

IT management software Kandji provides robust configuration rules, like profiles, scripts, and apps
Configuring assignment rules in Kandji. (Source)

Kandji is a mobile device management (MDM) platform that caters primarily to teams that use Apple devices for work.

Why I picked Kandji: Kandji focuses on managing Apple devices in companies’ IT systems, and I found the zero-touch deployment feature to be very good at accomplishing this. I used it to configure onboarding protocols that automatically set up devices remotely with all the necessary apps and settings.

Kandji standout features and integrations:

Features that make Kandji ideal for Apple MDM operations, in my opinion, include Passports, which allow you to set up a single sign-on system on a device so users don’t need to keep track of multiple credentials.

Kandji also provides one-click compliance for applying templated industry standards on all devices, and the ability to automate evidence collection and grant auditor access. I was able to implement security controls like deactivating cameras and restricting access to third-party cloud storage platforms.

Integrations are pre-built for Apple Business Manager, Slack, Azure AD, Google Workspace, Okta, Microsoft Teams, JupiterOne, Tugboat Logic, Cloudflare, and Secureframe.

Pricing: Pricing upon request

Trial:Free demo available

Pros

  • Passport makes user access easier to manage and more secure
  • Simplifies on and offboarding
  • One-click compliance

Cons

  • Apple-centric
  • No free trial or plan

Other Options

Here’s a collection of tools that didn’t make the main list but might contain the features you’re looking for in a specific situation:

  1. Datto RMM - Best customer base management features
  2. EZOfficeInventory - Best for cloud-based asset management
  3. Spiceworks - Best free monitoring tool
  4. Atera - Best customization options
  5. Datadog - Best for DevSecOps teams
  6. Sunbird DCIM - Best for data center management
  7. Tanaza - Best WiFi access point manager
  8. StatusCast - Best for scheduled maintenance
  9. IT Glue - Best for IT documentation
  10. GoodAccess - Best identity-based access controls
  11. OTRS ITSM - Best for modular IT service management
  12. Lansweeper - Best for comprehensive asset discovery
  13. SysAid - Best for integrated incident and request management
  14. Ivanti Service Manager - Best for adaptive service management
  15. Cherwell Service Management - Best for codeless customization
  16. BMC Helix ITSM - Best for AI-driven service experiences
  17. ITarian - Best for role-based access control
  18. InvGate - Best for visual workflow builder
  19. Freshservice - Best for gamified service desk experience
  20. Jamf Pro - Best for comprehensive Apple device management
  21. ConnectWise PSA - Best for streamlined IT business operations
  22. Microsoft Endpoint Manager - Best for centralized device management across platforms
  23. IBM Maximo Application Suite - Best for asset lifecycle and maintenance management
  24. Kaseya VSA - Best for remote monitoring and endpoint management
  25. Nagios - Best for infrastructure monitoring and alerts
  26. AWS Systems Manager - Best for AWS infrastructure insights and actions
  27. AWS Service Catalog - Best for AWS service provisioning with templates
  28. AWS Management Console - Best for centralized AWS service access and management
  29. ManageEngine Endpoint Central - Best for unified endpoint management and security

Selection Criteria for IT Management Software

Here’s a short summary of what I was considering when examining the tools for this list.

Core Functionality

Some of the things I needed each tool to let me do include:

  • Control IT resources, including creating, allocating, and deleting them
  • Configure user access to various IT systems with authorization and authentication functions.
  • Secure IT systems more effectively with functions such as encryption and continuous monitoring.

Key Features

The features I had my eye out for that would facilitate the functions I’ve listed above include:

  • Threat intelligence: This would protect me against emergent threats that I wasn’t previously aware of.
  • Patch management: With this, I could roll out updates to IT systems periodically to boost their security levels.
  • Device management: A good endpoint solution would allow me to keep tabs on all the devices used by company members, from on to offboarding.
  • Team management: This includes things such as identity and access management by role and seniority.

Usability

I prioritized tools with clean, easily navigable interfaces that would require minimal training for the user to get up to speed with. Because IT systems can make or break a business’s operations, I needed tools that helped me maintain a grip on everything with little to no resistance.

Reporting and Analytics

Being able to effectively manage IT systems requires having insights into their state even when you’re not actively monitoring them. For this reason, I prioritized tools that provided detailed statistics and metrics on IT infrastructure.

People Also Ask

Need more information about IT management software before making your pick? Here are the answers to a couple of questions you might have.

Final Thoughts

Companies are spending more money on IT than ever, with the figure predicted to hit $4.6 trillion this year. That’s a pretty substantial investment, so building the right approach for safeguarding it should be at the forefront of any business’s strategies.

Finding the ideal IT management solution depends on what kind of systems you have and what you anticipate you’ll grow into. In addition to scalability, other key features you should keep an eye out for are security, integrations, and support availability.

Hopefully, the information in this article should set you down the right path; if so, consider subscribing to the CTO Club newsletter for the latest insights from multidisciplinary tech experts.

By Paulo Gardini Miguel

Paulo is the Director of Technology at the rapidly growing media tech company BWZ. Prior to that, he worked as a Software Engineering Manager and then Head Of Technology at Navegg, Latin America’s largest data marketplace, and as Full Stack Engineer at MapLink, which provides geolocation APIs as a service. Paulo draws insight from years of experience serving as an infrastructure architect, team leader, and product developer in rapidly scaling web environments. He’s driven to share his expertise with other technology leaders to help them build great teams, improve performance, optimize resources, and create foundations for scalability.