Side-by-side comparison on the things that matter most
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Criteria
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Break down
Break down
Key differences between SolarWinds Service Desk and Kaseya
SolarWinds Service Desk's Recent Evolution
SolarWinds was acquired by Turn/River Capital in April 2025 for $4.4B, going private. AI case summarization added to Advanced+ plans in 2026. Kaseya launched 365 bundle April 2024; new CEO Rania Succar June 2025.
Platform Architecture
SolarWinds Service Desk is an ITSM platform for internal IT teams; Kaseya is a full MSP endpoint management ecosystem.
Pricing Models
SolarWinds charges per technician; Kaseya charges per endpoint via bundled Kaseya 365 subscription.
Automation Architecture
SolarWinds offers no-code ITSM automation; Kaseya delivers endpoint automation and patching at MSP scale.
Support Quality
Critical when evaluating support platforms.
Integration Ecosystem
SolarWinds: native integration with own monitoring suite. Kaseya: deep internal stack including Datto, IT Glue, Autotask.
ITSM for internal IT teams within a broader observability suite
SolarWinds, founded in 1999 in Tulsa, Oklahoma and now headquartered in Austin, TX, was acquired by Turn/River Capital in April 2025 for $4.4B. Its Service Desk product (formerly Samanage) is a cloud ITSM platform used by thousands of internal IT teams alongside SolarWinds' network, database, and observability solutions.
All-in-one MSP management and security platform
Kaseya, founded in 2000 and headquartered in Miami, FL, serves 40,000+ organizations with 40+ IT management and security products. Its Kaseya 365 platform bundles RMM, EDR, backup, and automation for MSPs at $3.99/endpoint/month, managing 300 million devices globally through 500,000+ IT professionals.
Bottom line: SolarWinds wins on ease of setup and UI quality. Kaseya requires significantly more time and technical expertise.
Bottom line: SolarWinds pricing is more transparent. Kaseya 365 is compelling for MSPs but contract terms add risk.
Bottom line: SolarWinds leads on ITSM workflow automation. Kaseya leads on endpoint-level automation for MSPs.
Bottom line: SolarWinds integrates best with its own monitoring suite. Kaseya integrates best within its MSP product family.
Bottom line: Both have had high-profile security incidents. SolarWinds Service Desk itself was not directly affected by SUNBURST.
Bottom line: SolarWinds edges Kaseya on support. Neither receives top marks; Kaseya support is the clearer pain point.
Bottom line: Neither leads strongly on reporting. SolarWinds for ITSM metrics; Kaseya for endpoint operations data.
Bottom line: SolarWinds leads on ITSM governance. Kaseya leads on MSP multi-tenant client administration.
Bottom line: SolarWinds wins on ease of setup and UI quality. Kaseya requires significantly more time and technical expertise.
Bottom line: SolarWinds pricing is more transparent. Kaseya 365 is compelling for MSPs but contract terms add risk.
Bottom line: SolarWinds leads on ITSM workflow automation. Kaseya leads on endpoint-level automation for MSPs.
Bottom line: SolarWinds integrates best with its own monitoring suite. Kaseya integrates best within its MSP product family.
Bottom line: Both have had high-profile security incidents. SolarWinds Service Desk itself was not directly affected by SUNBURST.
Bottom line: SolarWinds edges Kaseya on support. Neither receives top marks; Kaseya support is the clearer pain point.
Bottom line: Neither leads strongly on reporting. SolarWinds for ITSM metrics; Kaseya for endpoint operations data.
Bottom line: SolarWinds leads on ITSM governance. Kaseya leads on MSP multi-tenant client administration.
Transparent comparison of costs and what's included — SolarWinds Service Desk vs Kaseya
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Plan Tier
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See which AI capabilities are included vs charged as extras — SolarWinds Service Desk vs Kaseya
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AI Capability
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The real cost of SolarWinds Service Desk vs Kaseya — what's included and what costs extra
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Features
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2-5 Days
Export and assess your current setup.
3-7 Days
Configure HappyFox and map your data.
2-5 Days
Set up automation rules and workflows.
5-10 Days
Test thoroughly and go live with confidence.
This comparison is published by HappyFox and presents our perspective on how platforms compare. While we've made every effort to present accurate information based on publicly available data, vendor documentation, and third-party reviews as of 2026, features and pricing are subject to change. We encourage readers to verify all claims through official vendor websites, request demos from both platforms, and consult independent review sites like G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius. All customer quotes are from verified review platforms and are linked to their original sources.
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