Top MSP Tools for Efficient IT Services

Most MSP tools will perform more than one task. For example, an MSP tool for security could offer both antivirus protection from various cyberattacks (e.g., ransomware) and malware scanning. Comprehensive tools can help you reduce spending on other software and perform various tasks from one platform.

Choose a tool that doesn’t take long to get to grips with. Some providers offer courses to help you learn how to use their tools. For example, CrowdStrike offers a dedicated resource center with blogs, demos, guides, videos, and community tools.

With so many MSP tools available for different purposes, it’s difficult to pick one stand-out solution. Here’s a run-down of some top-rated tools in various categories: 

• IT documentation: Scribe
• Helpdesk and ticketing: LiveAgent
• Security: CrowdStrike   
• Automation: Atera
• Backup and recovery: Acronis
• Patch management: ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus 
• Best all-rounder: ConnectWise 

As you branch out and cover more services for different clients, you’ll need good process documentation practices to guide your team and customers.   

Scribe is at the forefront of process documentation for enterprises, and it boasts a stellar customer base, including LinkedIn, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Netflix.

Currently, over 1 million people use it to help team members and customers learn processes easily. In essence, Scribe records you completing on-screen tasks (e.g., publishing sales reports) and automatically creates a step-by-step guide for others to follow.  

This nifty tool can be used for various purposes, such as training teammates and onboarding new hires (external or internal).      

Top featuresand advantages:

• Capture screenshots on websites, desktop, and mobile devices. 
• Use Pages for longer and more complicated documents.  

• Scribe AI saves hours of time by letting you record tasks as you work and customize steps with ease. It’ll even generate titles and descriptions.  
• Visibility of who has viewed and completed documentation processes.  
• Easily customize your guide. For example, you can redact sensitive information or add company branding.   
• Leverage hundreds of integrations, including Confluence, Notion, and SharePoint.   

Price: The basic plan is free but has limitations. For example, you can only use it through your Internet browser, and you can’t redact or edit screenshots. The Pro plan starts at $23 per month per person. Enterprise plans are custom-built and offer advanced security options, such as auto-redaction and enterprise-level data governance.   

Today, it has over 40,000 customers and serves 150 million users. LiveAgent’s support solutions are trusted by prominent companies such as Forbes, Airbus, and NASCAR. 

Top featuresand advantages:

• Helpdesk software gives customers 24/7 remote support. 
• Ticketing software that sends emails, calls, social media mentions, and other channels to a universal inbox. 
• A live chat widget for sending fast responses to customers.  
• Call center setup for personalized customer engagement. 
• Social media support software for Facebook, Instagram, and more. 
• Rules feature for workflow automation. 
• Supports 43 languages, which is great for international teams. 
• Reporting and analysis features to get valuable information such as agent performance and solved tickets.   
• Knowledge base software for helping internal and external teams achieve self-support. 
• 200+ integrations covering many of the applications you use to provide MSP services, such as Slack and Gmail.  

Price: For small businesses, annual pricing starts at $9 per month for one agent, while annual enterprise pricing starts at $69 per month per agent. If you sign up via a company email, you can try out many of their tools for free for 30 days and cancel anytime.

To keep customers’ data safe from breaches and prevent costly downtime, you and your customers need a one-stop security solution for endpoints (e.g., laptops) and the cloud. And CrowdStrike delivers this and more.     

This U.S.-based cybersecurity behemoth, which is listed on the Nasdaq stock market, provides managed and unmanaged services that include advanced security features.

Top featuresand advantages:

• Testing to prepare for inevitable threats (e.g., malware attacks) and mitigate their harm. 
• Next-generation antivirus and threat intelligence.
• Firewall management. 
• Incident response to identify, contain, and investigate threats such as data breaches.
• Proactive threat hunting. 
• Integrates with other solutions, helping you boost the security of your IT infrastructure or that of your customers.  
• Network monitoring.
• Identity protection.

Price: For a minimum of five devices, Falcon Pro starts at $499.95 per year, and Falcon Enterprise costs $924.95 for the same period. Some plans may not provide all of the features mentioned above, so make sure to double-check which plan has what you need before checking out.   

While most service management platforms provide some level of automation, some MSP tools give you next-level automation using advanced AI technology.  

If you want automation in your professional services and remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools, then Atera’s all-in-one platform for MSPs could do the trick. 

In 2023, CRN gave Atera a Product of the Year Award in the MSP Tools category, highlighting its value to MSPs who need to manage their resources effectively while keeping customers happy.     

Top featuresand advantages: 

• Automated patch management. 
• Customer support options such as helpdesk. 
• Quick onboarding and setup.  
• Remote access lets you give customers support wherever you want.
• Auto ticket summary. 
• Auto-generated responses with assistance from AI. 
• Automated script generator. 

Price: Atera uses a pay-per-technician model and allows unlimited free devices. An annual Pro plan is $99 per month per technician. Enterprise-grade plans are available with custom pricing. 

Data loss can seriously hinder your clients’ IT operations, so you shouldn’t skimp on backup and recovery solutions. 

Acronis, which was founded over 20 years ago, is a well-known provider of backup and disaster recovery tools and services. It offers tools for home use, businesses, and MSPs. The solution best suited to MSPs is Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud.   

Top featuresand advantages: 

• Integrated cybersecurity, backup, disaster recovery, and endpoint management. 
• Active Protection features AI-based anti-malware analysis.
• Forensic backups for managing compliance and quick investigations. 
• Continuous data protection. 
• Over 150 integrations, such as ConnectWise, Autotask, and CloudBlue.  

Price: Contact their sales team for pricing, which is per workload or gigabyte. Discounts are available for high-volume MSPs.  

Software vulnerabilities can put your customers’ IT environment at risk without updates and patches. For seamless patch deployment across various devices and virtual machines, you’ll need an MSP tool like ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus.