ConnectWise alternatives in 2026

Most people looking for a ConnectWise alternative are replacing one product, not the whole stack: Manage (the PSA), Automate (the RMM) or ScreenConnect (remote access). Here are the credible options for each, with what they cost and how their contracts work.

Written with respect. We ran an MSP on several of the products we compare, we rate them, and without them Helios would not exist. These pages are here because buyers deserve the facts, not because we want a fight.

First: the ConnectWise notice period

Before comparing anything, find your renewal date. ConnectWise's own Master Agreement says subscriptions renew automatically for the shorter of the expiring term and one year, unless you give notice of non-renewal at least 60 days before the term ends. And notice means an electronically signed agreement with ConnectWise, not an email. Miss it and you are paying for another year while you migrate.

Implementation is the other cost people forget in reverse: the work you put into ConnectWise does not transfer, and the platform you move to may charge for onboarding. See ConnectWise pricing for the figures and the clause.

Replacing ConnectWise Manage (PSA)

If you rely on Manage for deep contract, procurement and finance workflows, HaloPSA is the like-for-like move. If Manage was mostly tickets, time and invoicing, the combined products will do it for less, and you drop a second tool.

Replacing ConnectWise Automate (RMM)

Automate buyers report $1.50 to $3.50 an agent at 100 to 500 endpoints, so the per-device rates above are in the same range. The differences are in scripting, contract terms and what else is included, not the headline rate.

Replacing ScreenConnect

ScreenConnect is ConnectWise's one published price: $45 to $55 a concurrent technician a month on annual billing. Most RMMs above, and Helios, include remote access in the base price, so moving RMM often removes the ScreenConnect line entirely. Check whether you need unattended access to machines outside your RMM before you cancel it.

If you are a small MSP

ConnectWise's depth is real, and it has a carrying cost whether you use it or not. A five-person MSP pays it three ways: an implementation measured in months, someone's evenings spent on security roles, boards and workflow rules, and multi-year paper with a signed notice window. A quick test: list every module you are billed for and mark the ones a technician opened last month. If more than a third sit unopened, you are paying for weight you do not use.

Both directions have a failure mode. Staying too long fails quietly: the renewal passes, the workarounds become process, and the cost never lands on one invoice. Moving too fast fails loudly: a PSA ripped out mid-quarter, lost ticket history, dropped agents. The cure for both is the same: diarise the notice date, then run the new platform alongside for a defined window before you switch.

How to choose

1. Write down which ConnectWise products you actually use, and what each costs you today.
2. Decide whether you want one product or a best-of-breed pair. One product is cheaper and simpler; a pair gives you depth in one area.
3. Price each option on your real numbers: technicians and devices, with minimums and add-ons.
4. Read each shortlisted vendor's renewal terms before you sign. It is the part that caught you last time.
5. Run the new platform alongside ConnectWise for one full patch cycle before your notice date.

Where Helios fits

We built Helios after running an MSP on platforms like these: prices that moved at every renewal and features that kept turning up a tier higher. Helios is one product that covers the service desk with SLAs, patching including third-party apps, remote access, Microsoft 365 and Defender checks, backup monitoring, network discovery, a client portal, reports and QBRs, billing into Xero or QuickBooks, and Helio, the AI technician that investigates problems, writes the fix and runs it, priced by fleet size rather than per technician, with every feature on every plan and a price locked for as long as you stay subscribed. The Helios and ConnectWise comparison covers the feature detail.

Related: HaloPSA alternatives · The cheapest RMM for a small MSP

Common questions

What is the best alternative to ConnectWise?

It depends which product you are replacing. For Manage, HaloPSA is the closest match; for Automate, NinjaOne, Datto RMM or N-able; for both at once, a combined product such as Syncro, Atera or Helios costs less and removes a tool.

What is a cheaper alternative to ConnectWise Manage?

HaloPSA publishes £66 an agent a month. Combined PSA and RMM products start at $129 a technician a month (Syncro, Atera) or $129 a month for the whole team (Helios).

How do I cancel ConnectWise?

Give notice of non-renewal at least 60 days before your term ends, as an electronically signed agreement with ConnectWise, not an email. Subscriptions otherwise renew for the shorter of the expiring term and one year.

Is there an alternative to ConnectWise Automate with published pricing?

Yes. Level publishes $2 a device a month with the first 10 free, NinjaOne publishes a $1.50 to $3.75 range, and Helios publishes a Launch plan at $5 a device and flat plans from $129 a month.

Do I still need ScreenConnect if I switch RMM?

Often not. Most RMMs include remote access. Keep it only if you need unattended access to machines your new RMM will not manage.

Details of other products on this page were checked on or before 28 September 2026 against public pricing pages, documentation and named third-party buyer data, and may have changed since. Always confirm current pricing with the vendor. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@heliosmsp.io and we will fix it.