Atera vs. Hexnode: A full comparison for IT managers

If you’re on the market for an endpoint management solution, you’ve likely come across both Atera and Hexnode. The two share similarities, but they’re built for different IT needs.

Hexnode is an MDM-first platform, used mainly for managing mobile devices. In contrast, Atera is a fully-fledged RMM software with remote access, patching, alerting, Agentic AI, and ticketing. For most IT needs, RMM can often replace MDM, but not the other way around.

In this article, we’ll compare Atera and Hexnode, see where they’re similar and what their differences are in features, pricing, user interface, support, and Agentic AI development.

Atera vs. Hexnode: An overview

Here’s a brief overview of the differences between Atera vs. Hexnode:

#1: Features and capabilities

While Atera is an RMM software and Hexnode is an MDM, they share some overlapping endpoint management capabilities.

Both platforms allow IT teams to manage devices, view inventory data, push security policies, and perform remote actions. They also support multiple operating systems and offer reporting to help teams understand their device landscape.

Despite this, the intent of Atera and Hexnode’s feature sets differ.

Hexnode is an MDM-first solution, suitable primarily for managing and securing mobile devices within an IT environment.

For broader IT management support, though, Hexnode users often report limitations. 

For example, many G2 users mention limited support for Windows environments:

One G2 user said specifically, “I would like to see a remote terminal for managing Windows machines, similar to how we have a remote SSH session on MacOS devices.”

Users also say there is limited support for batch actions (due to poor MFA implementation) and no Agentic AI to help improve efficiency further. This is what one G2 user said related to it:

Atera takes a fundamentally different approach as a full Agentic AI, RMM platform.

In addition to endpoint and asset management, Atera includes built-in remote access, patch management, scripting, alerting, reporting, and a helpdesk and ticketing system, all in one platform.

With Atera’s RMM, you can manage your organization’s entire IT infrastructure. Atera supports Windows, Mac, and Linux workstations, servers, and other network devices.

A screenshot from Atera’s devices page

Unlike Hexnode, Atera offers robust automation and AI for autonomous IT. You can set up patch schedules, automate remediation actions, trigger alerts based on real-time thresholds, and let Atera’s AI agents proactively resolve common endpoint issues without technician involvement. More about this in the next section.

#2: Agentic AI development

Of Atera and Hexnode, only Atera has developed an Agentic AI technology capable of taking actions on behalf of technicians.

Hexnode does have an AI assistant, but it’s limited to assisting in generating scripts and giving insights as a chatbot.

Hexnode’s AI assistant capabilities

In comparison, Atera’s Robin handles your first IT support tiers by interacting with end-users on the channels they already live in: Slack, email, Teams, or your Customer Portal.

Atera Robin within Microsoft Teams

What makes it unique is that it doesn’t just assist; Autopilot resolves real-world IT issues fully autonomously.

Whether it’s installing/updating software, resolving technical issues, troubleshooting devices, or proactively looking out for issues, Robin can handle it just like a technician would.

As a result, up to 40% of your IT workload is instantly eliminated, and technicians have the time to focus on tasks that really move the needle.

Robin assisting an end-user

We also have Atera’s AI Copilot for technicians. Similar to Hexnode, it assists in generating scripts and giving insights, but also expands to other areas of IT management, including:

• Running health checks, diagnosing, suggesting actions, and resolving issues on Windows and macOS devices
• Summarizing and helping to respond to tickets
• Providing remote session summaries
• Turning prompts into command lines
• Turning tickets into ready-to-use KB articles

Atera is not just building another AI chatbot; it’s Agentic AI is a transformation in how IT operations are managed.

Atera’s Agentic AI platform is the best Hexnode alternative for organizations looking to move towards autonomous endpoint management.

#3: Pricing and value for money

Atera and Hexnode offer different pricing structures: Atera’s pricing is based on a per-technician model, and Hexnode’s is based on a per-device model.

With Atera, you can manage unlimited devices for a fixed monthly cost. You simply pay for the number of technicians using the platform.

Atera’s IT department pricing

With Hexnode, you pay for the number of devices in your IT environment.

One thing to note is that while Hexnode is priced per endpoint, there is still a limit to the number of technicians you can add.

If you exceed your plan’s device or technician limit, you’ll be charged extra.

This was one of the main concerns users had with Hexnode, as it is simply too expensive when scaling. One G2 user specifically said, “The pricing for Hexnode is too expensive, especially once you start adding technicians.”

Atera’s per-technician pricing is a huge advantage for IT teams, which many users on G2 praise:

#4: User interface and usability

To compare the user interfaces of Atera and Hexnode, let’s see how users have rated the two and what reviews they’ve shared.

To begin, here are G2’s ease of use ratings of Atera vs. Hexnode:

For Hexnode, most users agree that the platform is easy to use, but many have issues with figuring out what features are available on each plan. One Hexnode user on Capterra said this:

This is not just a one-time issue, as many users mention the same. One G2 user gave an example and said, “You may not use most of the Pro features, but if you need a single function from the Ultimate tier, it will double your cost.” 

In comparison, Atera has some of the highest ease-of-use ratings in the industry, and users on G2 constantly comment on the platform’s intuitiveness:

Here’s a look at Atera’s admin dashboard:

#5: Customer support and community

As for customer support, Atera offers 24/7 live chat and email support for all users, regardless of the plan.

This is how one G2 user described Atera’s support:

• “Their support has been great, even though it is via chat. They really did this right, and I don’t mind it at all. They have always been able to solve my issue in under 10 minutes.”

Atera users can also get help from our knowledge base, Atera’s active IT community, webinars, and video tutorials.

For Hexnode, support is available via phone or email. Their team hasn’t specified how long it takes to get a response or what type of support is available, but this is what one reviewer on G2 said:

Unfortunately, many Hexnode users say that while the support is responsive, it lacks technical expertise. One G2 user said this is because they don’t have access to your IT environment:

Atera’s notable advantage is that, not only is our support available 24/7, but our support reps are highly skilled and can assist with your IT environment directly.

#6: User feedback and reviews

Atera has been widely recognized as the leader in the AIOps market. G2 and SourceForge selected Atera as the number one AIOps tool, and Capterra added Atera to its Shortlist of the top AI tools as the only IT company.

In addition to Agentic AI, other advantages that Atera users constantly mention are the per-technician pricing, all-in-one functionality, and our ease of use.

In fact, “Ease of use” is Atera’s main pro on G2:

This is how one G2 user commented on Atera:

In comparison, Hexnode’s reviews are mainly related to the platform’s device management capabilities. For example, this is what one G2 user commented:

On average, Atera has received higher ratings compared to Hexnode on leading review platforms, like G2, Capterra, and Gartner. Atera’s average rating on G2 is 4.6 stars (with 930+ reviews), while Hexnode’s is 4.5 stars (with 200+ reviews).

Why Atera is the leading choice for most organizations

If you solely need to manage your organization’s mobile devices, Hexnode can be a suitable solution. However, Hexnode users report:

• Lack of support for Windows environments
• Highly manual processes (2FA blocking patch actions)
• Lack of Agentic AI (to minimize manual tasks)
• Expensive per-device pricing (with technician limits)
• Limited customer support knowledge

Due to these Hexnode limitations, most organizations end up choosing Atera as a Hexnode alternative. 

What makes Atera the leading Hexnode alternative is its Agentic AI technology, capable of instantly eliminating up to 40% of your IT workload. With Atera’s two autonomous IT agents assisting at every step, your IT management has never been more efficient.
If you’re ready to see our AI agents in action, an easy step you can take is to sign up for Atera’s 30-day free trial.