Professional services automation (PSA) tools are software solutions that managed service providers (MSPs) use to optimize their core operations, from project management to billing and customer relations. The leading PSA tools typically have features like efficient ticketing systems, project accounting, robust reporting, and CRM integration. To assist you in selecting the right tool, we’ve evaluated multiple PSA software options.
Below are the six best PSA tools for MSPs:
- HaloPSA: Best overall for a mix of pricing and automation
- Atera: Best solution for straightforward and flexible pricing
- Autotask PSA: Best solution for well-rounded customer support
- SuperOps PSA: Best software tool for intelligent ticketing
- Syncro: Best PSA software tool for intuitive setup and use
- ConnectWise PSA: Best for core features and compatibility
Even though we rated some PSA software highly in various criteria, HaloPSA was our standout as the tool that offers the best overall value for a PSA solution with a mix of pricing and automation. Continue reading to see what each solution presents across use cases, features, and costs, or jump down to learn how we evaluated each platform.
Note: All per-user prices are based on a one-year commitment unless otherwise noted.
Top PSA software comparison
Here’s a brief side-by-side comparison of the top PSA software across some crucial features including billing and invoicing, project management, resource management, reporting and analytics, and starting prices.
| Product | Billing and Invoicing | Project Management | Resource Management | Reporting and Analytics | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HaloPSA | ✔ | — | ✔ | ✔ | $109/user/month |
| Atera | ✔ | — | — | ✔ | $129/user/month |
| Autotask PSA | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Custom |
| SuperOps PSA | — | — | — | ✔ | $59/user/month |
| Syncro | ✔ | — | — | — | $129/user/month |
| ConnectWise PSA | ✔ | ✔ | — | ✔ | Custom |
✔=Yes —= Limited
HaloPSA
Best overall PSA tool
Overall rating: 4.3/5
- Core features: 4.4/5
- Cost: 4.4/5
- Automation: 4.5/5
- Ease of use: 3.6/5
- Customer support: 4.3/5
- Compatibility: 4.5/5
HaloPSA is our pick for the best overall tool because of its mix of flexible pricing and array of automation features. Aside from the core features you’d expect from a PSA tool, HaloPSA’s automation capabilities include auto-assign rules, smart notifications, and a reporting suite. Its pricing structure accommodates businesses of all sizes, running from a team of four to 10, to a team of 200+ users, while offering both a demo and a 30-day free trial.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Flexible pricing tiers | Complex initial setup |
| Comprehensive automation options | Higher costs for small teams |
| Robust remote access | Learning curve for new users |
HaloPSA pricing
- 5-10 users: $109 per user, per month
- 11-25 users: $105 per user, per month
- 26-50 users: $99 per user, per month
- 51-100 users: $95 per user, per month
- 200+ users: $89 per user, per month
- Free trial: 30 days
HaloPSA key features
- Time tracking and billing: Streamline your financial management and client billing processes.
- Advanced reporting: Provide your customers with in-depth business insights and data analytics.
- Project management: Deliver a live view of projects to give your teams clarity and visibility.
- Contract management: Control what’s sold to your customers based on contract data.
Regardless of its transparent and flexible pricing options and its automation features, HaloPSA isn’t the most intuitive tool. For an easier-to-use tool with robust automation options and great pricing, shortlist Atera.
Atera
Best for straightforward and flexible pricing
Overall rating: 4.0/5
- Core features: 3.4/5
- Cost: 4.5/5
- Automation: 4.4/5
- Ease of use: 4.6/5
- Customer support: 3.8/5
- Compatibility: 3.5/5
Atera is a PSA tool whose pricing model includes a 30-day free trial alongside modular pricing that allows businesses to know how much they’ll pay beforehand. As a result, it can fit MSPs of various sizes and types. Its lowest pricing tier has all the core PSA features, with the higher pricing tiers offering end-user chat features and more customer support addresses. It also has a creatively designed, user-friendly interface dashboard, making it simple to set up and use.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Transparent pricing model | Limited advanced features |
| User-friendly interface | Basic reporting tools |
| Robust ticketing system | Limited PSA scope |
Atera pricing
- Pro: $129 per user, per month
- Growth: $179 per user, per month
- Power: $209 per user, per month
- Superpower: Contact for quote
- Free trial: 30 days
Atera key features
- Helpdesk and ticketing: Provide your teams with a robust system for managing customer issues.
- Customer portal: Offer a dedicated space for your clients to track service requests and interactions.
- Flexible contracts and billing: Use tailored service agreements and billing options to suit your users’ needs.
- AI ticket tagging: Utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to categorize and prioritize your clients’ tickets efficiently.
As intuitive and well-priced as Atera is, the scope of its PSA features is much narrower than some of the other tools on this list. For an option that offers more comprehensive features while being easy to use and transparently priced, check out Syncro.
Autotask PSA
Best for well-rounded customer support
Overall rating: 3.9/5
- Core features: 4.6/5
- Cost: 2.9/5
- Automation: 4.3/5
- Ease of use: 2.9/5
- Customer support: 4.5/5
- Compatibility: 4.2/5
Autotask PSA is software that offers a variety of responsive customer support options, including live chat, phone, and email, to give its MSP users a hassle-free experience. It also offers training materials and resources like webinars and a knowledge base to ensure that MSPs can get support quickly and conveniently. Autotask keeps users informed about fresh updates, new features, and other product improvements.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Efficient ticket resolution | Complex to use |
| Unified RMM-PSA experience | Basic ticketing customization |
| Robust mobile app | Simple project management tools |
Autotask PSA pricing
- Contact for quote: All-inclusive, customizable pricing plans available
- Free demo: Available
Autotask PSA key features
- Powerful service desk: Quickly resolve tickets and enhance your customers’ experiences.
- Unified RMM-PSA platform: Leverage both PSA and RMM to streamline service delivery.
- LiveMobile app: Enhance your users’ convenience with connectivity to business operations on-the-go.
- Customizable dashboards: Customize views to enhance your team’s action and issue resolution.
However, Autotask’s pricing information may come off as opaque, and it may also have a steep learning curve. Should you want a tool that’s less complex to use and has straightforward pricing, check out HaloPSA.
SuperOps.ai
Best for intelligent ticketing
Overall rating: 3.8/5
- Core features: 3.7/5
- Cost: 4.1/5
- Automation: 4.3/5
- Ease of use: 3.2/5
- Customer support: 3.5/5
- Compatibility: 4.2/5
SuperOps.ai is a PSA tool with an automated ticketing system that features a clean UI and a conversation view akin to modern messaging platforms. It offers detailed, context-rich tickets, including notes and approvers, for precise and efficient responses. It also includes intelligent automation with customizable runbooks for consistent process execution and automated ticket routing, which ensures that tickets are assigned to the right technicians quickly.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Automated ticket handling | Limited ticket customization |
| Robust task management | Basic project management |
| Advanced reporting features | Occasional ticketing delays |
SuperOps.ai pricing
- Standard (PSA only): $59 per user, per month
- Standard (RMM only): $79 per user, per month
- Pro (unified basic): $99 per user, per month
- Super (unified advanced): $129 per user, per month
- Free trial: 21 days
SuperOps.ai key features
- Advanced ticketing automation: Streamline handling of your users’ tickets with intelligent features.
- Customizable runbooks: Automates your processes with tailored workflows that handle monotonous tasks.
- Client management: Enjoy a holistic view of all your client information to improve communication.
- Kanban view: Employ a kanban visual overview of your users’ tickets or your team’s tasks and projects.
Nonetheless, there are far easier tools to use on this list than SuperOps.ai. Consider Atera for an intuitive tool with advanced ticketing automation.
Syncro
Best software for intuitive setup and use
Overall rating: 3.6/5
- Core features: 3/5
- Cost: 4.2/5
- Automation: 3.5/5
- Ease of use: 4.6/5
- Customer support: 3.6/5
- Compatibility: 3.2/5
Syncro is an intuitive and user-friendly PSA tool that offers a customizable IT help desk setup, automated billing for time-saving, and easy communication with clients through agent contact forms and live chat. The tool also enables straightforward management of contracts and service level agreements (SLAs), and provides easy-to-use reporting and analytics features for tracking ROI. Its mobile app has a clean and simple interface that enables its users to conveniently handle their tasks on the go.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Easy setup process | Limited advanced automation |
| Intuitive interface | Basic customization options |
| Robust reporting and analytics | One-per user fee |
Syncro pricing
- Full PSA, RMM, and Remote Access: $129 per user, per month
- Free trial: 14 days
Syncro key features
- Customizable help desk: Tailor your IT help desk to handle specific customer needs.
- Automated billing: Streamline your billing processes and reduce your team’s manual efforts.
- Contract and SLA management: Efficiently manage your contracts and service agreements.
- ROI reporting and analytics: Serve your users with detailed insights for informed decisions.
However, although Syncro is easy to use, it doesn’t have the most advanced automation features. For a tool that offers more advanced automation but is still highly intuitive, have a look at Atera.
ConnectWise PSA
Best for core features and compatibility
Overall rating: 3.6/5
- Core features: 4.7/5
- Cost: 2.2/5
- Automation: 4/5
- Ease of use: 2.3/5
- Customer support: 4/5
- Compatibility: 4.7/5
ConnectWise PSA is a highly integrable and compatible solution that delivers a wide array of advanced core features. Its automated workflows standardize the management, monitoring, and invoicing of customer contracts, streamlining the procurement and billing processes. The platform’s integration capabilities are notable as it seamlessly synchronizes with CRM systems, RMM software, and other business tools to support efficient operations.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Integrated CRM compatibility | Complex setup process |
| Efficient SLA tracking | Basic mobile app |
| Streamlined procurement process | Limited customization options |
ConnectWise PSA pricing
- Contact for quote: Basic, Standard and Premium plans available
- Free trial: Contact for length
ConnectWise PSA key features
- Automated workflows: Streamline your contract management, monitoring, and invoicing.
- CRM integration: Align your customer, contract, and project data management using CRMs.
- SLA tracking and reporting: Centralize and monitor all your managed service agreements.
- ITSM features: Deliver comprehensive IT service management tools to all your end users.
Regardless of its vast features and high compatibility, its pricing isn’t transparent and it’s difficult to set up. For an option with a mix of a good feature set, transparent pricing and easier setup, consider SuperOps.ai.
Top 5 PSA software features
Some of the top PSA software features are:
- Resource management: Allocate and manage resources like personnel and equipment across various projects.
- Time tracking: Accurately track time spent on tasks and projects for billing and productivity analysis.
- Billing and invoicing: Enable customers to track their project budgets and financial resource allocation, and automate their invoicing.
- Project management: Oversee project progress, milestones, and deliverables to ensure timely completion.
- Reporting and analytics: Provide detailed insights into project performance, resource utilization, and financials.
How we evaluated the best PSA tools
To identify the top PSA tools, we examined several options using six weighted scoring criteria. Each criterion had a maximum of five points, and the tool with the highest score in each was deemed the criterion winner. The tool with the highest average score across all categories was named our overall winner. We then determined the primary use case for each of the top-rated tools.
Evaluation criteria
Features are fundamental to the functionality of PSA tools, therefore we prioritized core features, followed by cost, which is a key consideration for most businesses. Automation and ease of use were also heavily weighted, reflecting their importance in the efficiency and user experience of the software. Lastly, we considered customer support and compatibility at equal weights.
- Core features (25%): We focused on the essential functionalities of PSA tools, such as project management, time tracking, and resource allocation.
- Criterion Winner: ConnectWise PSA
- Cost (20%): This category assessed the pricing structures, transparency, and overall value for money offered by each tool.
- Criterion Winner: Atera
- Automation (20%): We evaluated the extent and effectiveness of automation features in streamlining operations and reducing manual effort.
- Criterion Winner: HaloPSA
- Ease of use (15%): User experience was a key focus, with an emphasis on the intuitiveness and simplicity of the software interface.
- Criterion Winner: Multiple winners
- Customer support (10%): The quality, availability, and responsiveness of customer support services were scrutinized.
- Criterion Winner: Autotask
- Compatibility (10%): We looked at how well each tool integrates with other systems and its adaptability to different business environments.
- Criterion Winner: ConnectWise PSA
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What is PSA software and why is it important for MSPs?
Professional services automation (PSA) software is a suite of tools designed to help MSPs manage their day-to-day operations. It automates and optimizes processes like billing, project management, time tracking, and customer support. This leads to improved operational efficiency, better resource allocation, and increased profitability for MSPs.
What are the key features to look for in PSA software for MSPs?
Key features include automated workflows, resource management to improve how your users allocate staff and assets, and CRM integration to enhance how they interact with their clients. You should also look out for project management features, as they make projects more efficient and effective. Time tracking and project accounting are crucial for accurate billing and financial management.
How can PSA software improve the efficiency of my MSP operations?
PSA software improves efficiency by automating routine tasks, providing better client data management. They achieve this through unifying the approach to managing client data, projects, and financials, which leads to more coordinated service delivery. PSA software will also ensure your compliance with SLAs, as it incorporates many features that work in tandem to monitor, manage, and maintain service standards.
Bottom line: PSA tools
PSA tools streamline the management of day-to-day operations for MSPs, with many covering areas like project management, billing, and service desk. Each tool we’ve explored uniquely delivers PSA, making it easier for you to choose one that aligns with your use case. But if you’re looking for more than PSA tools, check out our best MSP software article for a list of all the tools you would need, or see our best MSSP tools should you seek security-focused software.