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Quick Answer
Atlas Reach
Atlas Reach is the RMM built into the Atlas AVD endpoint agent, deployed with Atlas into your own Azure subscription, with technicians signing in through Microsoft Entra ID. It monitors every enrolled device with checks for CPU, memory, disk, services, event logs, HTTP endpoints, TCP ports, certificate expiry, your own scripts and SNMP network devices, under alert policies that inherit from global to tenant to device, and a failing check can run a remediation script. It approves Windows updates by severity and category and rolls them out ring by ring, keeps third-party software current through winget, and runs scripts on one device or hundreds, on demand or on a schedule. Remote view and control on Windows, macOS and Linux is limited to entitled operators, can be switched off for the whole deployment, uses an outbound-only channel, and every session is audited. Any AVD session host in a host pool Atlas has synced is free.
ConnectWise Automate
ConnectWise Automate is ConnectWise's customizable RMM, available as an on-premises or cloud installation; a self-hosted server runs on Windows Server with MySQL. Its agent runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, scripts run in PowerShell, VBScript or batch, permissions are set through user classes, and remote control comes through ScreenConnect. Third-party patching is a licensed option, and ConnectWise's platform patching extends operating system and third-party patching to Automate partners. It integrates closely with ConnectWise PSA.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Atlas Reach | ConnectWise Automate |
|---|---|---|
| Product category | RMM built into the Atlas AVD endpoint agent, alongside AVD management, documentation and ticketing | Customizable standalone RMM; ConnectWise also sells the cloud-only ConnectWise RMM |
| Hosting | Runs in your own Azure subscription as part of Atlas AVD; no RMM server to maintain | On-premises installation (Windows Server and MySQL) or cloud |
| Technician sign-in | Microsoft Entra ID, so your MFA and Conditional Access apply | SSO through ConnectWise Home; MFA on by default for non-SSO accounts |
| Agents | Windows, macOS and Linux | Windows, macOS and Linux, with features that vary by operating system |
| Patching | Windows update rings with approvals, plus third-party updates through winget | Windows and Intel-based Mac OS patching and a large third-party catalogue through ConnectWise platform patching; Automate's own third-party patching is a licensed option |
| Remote access | Built into the agent: view-only or full control on Windows, macOS and Linux, entitled operators only, switchable off for the whole deployment | ScreenConnect, integrated through a plugin |
| Remote session audit | Every view, control and terminal session in the Atlas audit trail, with full terminal transcripts | Session recording through ScreenConnect |
| Scripting and customization | Scripts on one device or hundreds, on demand or on a schedule | A deeply customizable scripting engine (PowerShell, VBScript, batch) and AI-drafted scripts reviewed before they run |
| Roles and client separation | Per-tenant data and access isolation; remote control limited to entitled operators | User classes that attach permissions to clients, groups and scripts |
| AVD session hosts | Free when the host is in a host pool Atlas has synced; every other managed device, an Azure VM that is not a session host included, is one unit | Each session host is another agent device; licensing by ConnectWise quote |
| PSA integration | Two-way ticket sync with ConnectWise Manage; preview connectors for Autotask and HaloPSA; Atlas Flow ticketing in preview | Close integration with ConnectWise PSA |
| Works without the wider platform | Requires the Atlas platform and agent | Standalone RMM |
Comparison reflects publicly documented capabilities and each vendor's own positioning as of 2026-11-09. Vendors change their products and pricing; confirm current details directly, or contact us for a side-by-side on your environment.
Who Each Platform Is Best For
Atlas Reach is best for
- MSPs whose clients run on Azure and Azure Virtual Desktop and who want the RMM in the same console as the desktops
- Practices that want to stop maintaining an on-premises RMM server without moving the data to a vendor cloud
- AVD-heavy estates that don't want to license every session host
- ConnectWise PSA shops that want tickets synced both ways from a platform built around AVD
ConnectWise Automate may be the better fit when
- You need deep customization and scripting built up over years
- You must host the RMM on your own servers
- You need macOS patching or a very large third-party patching catalogue
- You're standardized on ConnectWise PSA and ScreenConnect
Pricing philosophy
Atlas Reach meters one unit per month for each managed device, drawn first from your plan's pooled allowance, with unlimited technician seats. Any AVD session host in a synced host pool is free however much Reach is used on it (a session host Atlas cannot verify yet is billed); every other managed device is a unit, an Azure VM that is not a session host included. ConnectWise sells Automate by quote, with third-party patching licensed as an option, so rather than quote a competitor figure we will model your actual device mix against the Reach meter.
Key Differences Explained
A server you run vs an RMM in your tenant
Automate can run on your own Windows Server and MySQL, which gives you control and also makes the server yours to patch, back up and secure, and an RMM server can reach every client device. Automate is also available in the cloud. Atlas Reach is part of Atlas AVD, which deploys into your own Azure subscription: the data stays inside a boundary you govern, technicians sign in through Microsoft Entra ID, and there's no RMM server to maintain.
Customization and patching depth
Automate's strength is how far it can be customized, and ConnectWise extends its patching through platform patching, covering Windows and Intel-based Mac operating systems and a large third-party catalogue. Reach is deliberately simpler: Windows update rings with approvals and bake periods, third-party updates through winget, monitoring checks that can run remediation scripts, and scheduled scripts across the fleet. If years of Automate scripts and monitors are central to your service, map them before you switch.
Remote access governance
Automate uses ScreenConnect for remote control. Reach builds remote access into the same agent: only entitled operators can connect, an admin can switch remote control off for the whole deployment, the agent connects outbound only with no inbound port, and every view, control and terminal session, terminal transcripts included, is audited in one place.
AVD session hosts and pricing
To a general-purpose RMM, a pooled AVD session host is another Windows device to license and enroll, and pooled hosts are rebuilt regularly. Reach meters one unit per managed device per month from a pooled allowance with unlimited technician seats, and any session host in a host pool Atlas has synced uses no unit.
Pros and Cons
Atlas Reach
Pros
- Monitoring checks, inheritable alert policies and automated remediation built into the Atlas agent
- Windows update rings and patch approvals, plus third-party updates through winget
- Remote control limited to entitled operators, switchable off for the whole deployment, with every session audited, terminal transcripts included
- Runs in your own Azure subscription with Microsoft Entra ID sign-in and no RMM server to maintain
- AVD session hosts in synced host pools use no unit
- Atlas Vault documentation and Atlas Flow ticketing in the same console
Cons
- A younger RMM, with a smaller script and integration ecosystem
- Patching covers Windows updates and winget-managed software, not macOS
- Requires the Atlas platform rather than running standalone
- Autotask and HaloPSA connectors are in preview; ConnectWise Manage sync is two-way today
ConnectWise Automate
Pros
- Deep customization and a mature scripting engine
- On-premises or cloud hosting
- Close integration with ConnectWise PSA and ScreenConnect
- Windows and Intel Mac patching and a large third-party catalogue through ConnectWise platform patching
Cons
- An on-premises server is yours to patch, back up and secure
- Third-party patching is licensed separately from Automate's core
- Two ConnectWise RMMs to choose between, with different capabilities
- No Azure Virtual Desktop management in the same console
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between ConnectWise Automate and ConnectWise RMM?
ConnectWise says Automate is available as an on-premises or cloud installation and positions it for deep customization, while ConnectWise RMM is cloud-only and built on its Asio platform.
Can Atlas Reach replace ConnectWise Automate?
For Windows-centric MSPs whose clients run on Azure and AVD, often yes, and Atlas still syncs tickets both ways with ConnectWise Manage. Check the edges first: Reach doesn't patch macOS, needs the Atlas platform, and your existing Automate scripts and monitors will need to be rebuilt.
Does Atlas Reach work with ConnectWise PSA?
Yes. Atlas syncs tickets both ways with ConnectWise Manage, so you can keep ConnectWise PSA as the system of record.
How are AVD session hosts licensed?
In Atlas Reach, any AVD session host in a host pool Atlas has synced uses no unit; every other managed device, an Azure VM that is not a session host included, is one unit per month. In a general-purpose RMM, each session host is another managed device.
Microsoft documentation referenced
- ConnectWise: Automate
- ConnectWise: ConnectWise RMM FAQ
- ConnectWise: platform patching for Automate partners
- ConnectWise: moving from Automate to ConnectWise RMM
- ConnectWise documentation: Automate server requirements
- ConnectWise documentation: agent features by operating system
- ConnectWise documentation: ScreenConnect integration
- ConnectWise documentation: single sign-on
- ConnectWise documentation: multi-factor authentication
- ConnectWise documentation: user classes