Introduction
From managing and monitoring your clients’ infrastructures to providing technical support to handling your own business operations — you probably have a lot on your plate. And without the right set of tools in your arsenal, it’s highly likely chaos will ensue.
Just think about it: workflows tripping over their own shoelaces, communication that’s about as clear as a foggy day in London and documentation that makes user manuals look like masterpieces.
MSPs need to build a solid tech stack to not only deliver high-quality services to their clients but also ensure operational efficiency.
But with so many tools available to choose from, it can be overwhelming to figure out which ones are the right fit for your business.
To help you build a powerful tech stack, we scoured the internet and spent dozens of hours comparing different tools, after which we’re putting in front of you our 12 favorite picks. While a few of these tools have a forever-free plan, some of them don’t. We’ve also included tools that offer an X-days free trial to help you test their features and functionality before opting for their paid version.
Let’s dive in.
12 Free tools MSPs should include in their technology stack
In this article, we'll review the following tools:
In the list, we'll review the following tools:
- GoTo Resolve
- NinjaOne
- ConnectWise Control
- ManageEngine
- Avaza
- Pulseway
- Syncro
- Naverisk
- Scribe
- ITFlow
- Cynet 360 AutoXDR
- Druva
We’ve divided these top 12 MSP software picks into the following four categories:
- Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM)
- Professional Services Automation (PSA)
- Documentation
- Security
Let’s explore the top tools in each category one by one.
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1. Remote Monitoring & Management (RMM)
A Remote Monitoring and Management solution allows MSPs to view and remotely access computers, networks, and endpoints. Using an RMM tool, they can manage and monitor their clients’ infrastructures, perform patches and updates, and proactively identify and fix issues before they turn into bigger problems.
Following are the top four tools in this category:
- GoTo Resolve
- NinjaOne
- ConnectWise Control
- ManageEngine
What’s so special about these tools? Let’s find out.
GoTo Resolve
G2 rating: 4.4 out of 5 (404 reviews)
GoTo Resolve is an IT management software built to help MSPs operate effectively. The tool offers an RMM solution with an integrated help desk and ticket management for easily resolving issues.
With its proactive monitoring capabilities, technicians can stay on top of any problem and get real-time alerts. The one-click background access is also helpful for checking up on remote systems without interrupting the users.
Pricing: Free forever plan, basic at $66 per month ($55 per month if billed annually) and standard at $239 per month ($190 per month if billed annually)
Here’s a review from one of their customers on G2:
“I love that it can provide remote support and provide remote support, mobile support, and camera support. I like how easy it is to use, nothing gets lost, and tasks don't get buried when tickets come in.”
NinjaOne
G2 rating: 4.8 out of 5 (399 reviews)
NinjaOne is a user-friendly RMM with a unified device management setup and an automated patching function. MSPs can initiate resolutions and run terminal sessions in the background without affecting end users.
Its auto-remediation feature automatically detects technical concerns and resolves them proactively to keep your systems running smoothly. The best part? The platform has a self-service portal for clients to submit and monitor tickets, share remote access, and automate tasks.
The intuitive interface and a scalable cloud-based infrastructure make it a good choice for MSPs operating at every level.
Pricing: 14-day free trial, custom pricing.
Here’s a review from one of NinjaOne’s customers on G2:
"Ninja is generally easy to use and more than adequate for our remote management in the fully remote workforce. However, where I believe Ninja shines is its speed and efficiency. Policy changes, config changes, script deployment, and even app installs...all can be completed within just a minute or two of pushing the changes."
ConnectWise Control
G2 rating: 4.7 out of 5 (451 reviews)
ConnectWise Control is a remote access and control solution offering industry-specific solutions for tech, education, and government sectors. You can also access a role-specific interface for MSPs to monitor and manage remote systems effectively.
The tool offers high-level customization to create a white-label solution of your own. Users can also configure the platform to integrate it easily with their current tech stack. The sophisticated permission management function simplifies collaboration within a distributed team.
Pricing: 14-day free trial, single license plan at $34 per month ($27 per month if billed annually), standard at $54 per month ($42 per month if billed annually), and premium at $64 per month ($52 per month if billed annually). You can also opt for pay-per-agent model.
Here’s one of their customer’s feedback on G2:
"We rely on Connectwise Control for backend control of every single endpoint in our management of clients. Its dependability is the standout feature—a simple yet robust solution."
ManageEngine
G2 rating: 3.9 out of 5 (8 reviews)
ManageEngine is an integrated device management software for desktop and mobile devices. The platform streamlines IT operations with end-to-end visibility into every network and server within an organization’s infrastructure.
The tool also gives real-time notifications about potential issues and troubleshoots problems before end-users suffer any consequences. MSPs can also use ManageEngine to control the quality of traffic and remove any malicious traffic. It comes equipped to run compliance checks while monitoring all cloud apps, big data stores, and web servers.
Pricing: Free trial available, custom pricing.
“The licensing of the software includes the ability to manage up to 25 endpoints for free, so it's cost-effective if you're a new business. The installation is simple, and there's plenty of documentation to help. There's plenty of community configuration templates and scripts that you can use.”
Let’s move on to our next category, i.e., Professional Services Automation (PSA).
2. Professional Services Automation (PSA) tools
Professional Services Automation (PSA) software enables MSPs to automate and manage all the moving parts in an IT setup, including but not limited to resource planning, task prioritization, collaboration, and more. Here’s a list of our four favorite PSA tools:
- Avaza
- Pulseway
- Syncro
- Naverisk
Let’s dive into these tools one by one.
Avaza
G2 rating: 4.6 out of 5 (291 reviews)
Avaza is an integrated work management solution with an all-in-one interface for expense management, invoice tracking, project collaboration, time tracking, and more. The tool lets MSPs automate these workflows and use different views (Kanban, Gantt, and List) to get better visibility into each process.
The intuitive dashboard presents all the data effectively to help technicians and clients navigate billing and reporting. You can also perform cloud-based accounting to stay on top of your financial performance.
Pricing: Free forever, Startup at $11.95 per month, Basic at $23.95 per month, Business at $47.95 per month.
Here’s a review from one of their customers G2:
“The software allows to create invoices and all the accounting system of the project, online invoices, customized invoices, accounts receivable and payable, and everything related to the economic performance of the projects.”
Pulseway
G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5 (52 reviews)
Pulseway offers a PSA solution equipped with an IT automation function to put repetitive tasks on auto-pilot and boost efficiency for technicians. Its auto-remediation feature prevents unexpected downtime, presents visual workflows, and resolves any issue before it becomes a major problem.
The tool also has a user-friendly interface with round-the-clock support available on demand. Its distributed pricing model allows MSP teams to pay for only their needs.
Pricing: 14-day free trial, starting from $39 (tier-based pricing).
Here’s a feedback from one of their customers on G2:
“The visibility and detail it gives me over our entire environment are exceptional. I enjoy the detailed view I can go into for each machine with just the click of a button. The mobile application is also straightforward to use and powerful.”
Syncro
G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars (97 reviews)
Syncro is one of the leading PSA software designed to help MSPs manage client projects effortlessly. With a highly customizable interface, you can make the tool truly yours and deliver white-label solutions to customers.
What sets Syncro apart from the other tools is its automated billing function, where you charge clients for the exact services you delivered in a given period. It automatically tracks and creates a bill for you. Moreover, its built-in chat function makes communication easy and frictionless.
Pricing: 21-day free trial, starting at $139 per user per month ($129 per user per month if paid annually).
Syncro customer review on G2:
“You can get up and running quickly without needing to schedule an onboarding team meeting to set it up. SyncroMSP is large enough to scale to your needs and small enough to still care. They are one of the few PSAs where you can do simple things like take payments on site. I also appreciate little things like having clone options for most actions.”
G2 rating: 4.7 out of 5 (56 reviews)
Naverisk is an all-in-one solution with advanced PSA capabilities. MSP teams can create a knowledge base, manage documentation, handle projects, and generate automated bills on a single platform.
The tool also lets users create customized dashboards for each client and present business intelligence strategically. Moreover, the integrated billing system simplifies invoicing for clients and service providers equally.
Pricing: 30-day free trial, starting at $110 per month.
"Naverisk is an excellent monitoring and management tool that provides almost all the functionality that its expensive competition does for a fraction of the price. We moved from Datto to Naverisk last year, drastically cutting costs without compromising management capabilities."
3. Documentation
MSPs need a strong documentation tool to create knowledge bases, guidelines, SOPs, and templates for internal and external needs. Effective MSP documentation is the key to maximizing efficiency and improving time-to-resolution for technicians. Here are my two favorite picks in this category:
- Scribe
- ITFlow
Scribe
G2 rating: 4.8 out of 5 (62 reviews)
Scribe is a powerful documentation solution for MSPs available as a Chrome and Firefox browser extension. The MSP documentation tool can help you develop workflows, SOPs, manuals, and templates for any need.
Scribe makes MSP documentation effortless with plug-and-play functionality. Once you click on the Scribe extension, it'll instantly start recording your screen and convert the entire process into a step-by-step guide — like this one.
You can edit this guide to add/remove steps, include additional context, insert more images/videos and customize the branding. At the same time, we’d like to highlight that Scribe is SOC II compliant, making it fully secure and safe for MSPs to use.
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Pricing: Free Basic plan, Pro at $29 per seat per month ($23 when billed annually), Pro Teams at $15 per seat per month ($12 when billed annually), Enterprise at custom pricing.
Here’s a review from one of our customers on G2:
“Scribe serves as an efficient tool to minimize the stress of extensive calendaring and meetings. It also serves as a tool for sharing knowledge, skills, and overall a team's first-hand experience. Scribe has helped me with the many tasks I have to complete on a daily basis, it has helped me accomplish quarterly goals, and it has kept me exquisitely organized since I started to use it.”
📌 Related post → 6 MSP Documentation Templates for Your Business | Scribe
ITFlow
G2 rating: NA
ITFlow is an open-source documentation tool for MSPs to organize their tickets, track all client information, and create downloadable PDFs. You can also create tech documents and notes to guide your team internally.
The tool also supports financial documentation with features to create quotes, invoices, and expense tracking. MSPs can use its ticketing function to create training material for technicians. Overall, the tool is designed to bring more efficiency into MSP workflows and boost profitability.
Pricing: Free forever
Security
Security is a crucial aspect of any MSP software stack. MSPs have to prepare for quick incident response and crisis resolution with the right tools in their arsenal. Here are my two favorite MSP security tools:
- Cynet 360 AutoXDR
- Druva
Let’s explore them one by one.
Cynet 360 AutoXDR
G2 rating: 4.7 out of 5 (130 reviews)
Cynet 360 AutoXDR is a comprehensive cybersecurity solution designed to automate and manage a company's security operations seamlessly. The platform offers extended visibility to identify and resolve threats proactively without hampering end-user workflows. Its 24/7 complimentary MDR service also gives you a round-the-clock view of a client's operations.
The tool also offers endpoint protection to exercise better device control. You’ll also find native functions for vulnerability management, sandboxing, and more.
Pricing: 14-day free trial, custom pricing.
Here’s a review from one of their customers:
“Not only does the software threat hunt and execute tailored responses to threats, but the dashboard is also eye candy that speaks to everyone that sees it. And the price is attractive!”
Druva
G2 rating: 4.6 out of 5 (411 reviews)
Druva is a cloud-native, centralized software for data resiliency and security. This versatile solution enables MSPs to protect all client data, monitor all activity, create automated backups, and maintain compliance from a single place.
The tool offers specific functions for multiple applications, like SaaS products, endpoints, and more. Users prefer Druva for its immutable data storage. Besides, its white-glove onboarding flow also gives it an edge over other tools.
Pricing: 30-day free trial, custom pricing.
Here’s one of Druva’s customer feedback on G2:
"Druva is easy to understand and easy to configure. The region-wise data backup points are very helpful in uploading the data. Also, it backs up cloud storage instances like OneDrive and Sharepoint."
Build a robust tech stack for your MSP team today!
The bottom line: MSPs need the right technology to deliver a flawless customer experience and ensure operational efficiency. Building (and improving) their tech stack should be the top priority to ensure you’re leaving no loose ends for your team and clients.
It’s important to note that even the most neatly designed workflows can fail if your team isn’t prepared to execute them properly. With Scribe’s intuitive interface and top-notch documentation capabilities, you can quickly create step-by-step guides, SOPs, and training materials to ensure your team stays on track, well-trained, and organized.
Don’t take our word for it.
Click here to take Scribe out for a test drive.
