Information contained in this post is based on publicly available documentation as of the most recent publish date. Products and features are continually updated and we will make an effort to update the information in this post to reflect those changes.
Having worked closely with professional services business owners for a decade, we’ve figured out how unique the IT field is. Our team understands that your business has very different needs than a consulting or accounting firm, for example.
While there may not be loads of client work management platforms out there that could work to consolidate and automate your business processes, there are at least two: Accelo and ConnectWise.
We get lots of questions from IT consultants and managed service providers (MSPs) about Accelo as a ConnectWise alternative, so we wanted to create an accessible resource to help you determine which is right for your business.
Below, you’ll find a high-level overview of what ConnectWise offers, common strengths and weaknesses noted in user reviews and valuable details about how it compares to Accelo.
Founded in 1982, ConnectWise is a trusted tool with an established legacy in the IT community. It now encompasses multiple products, including ConnectWise PSA for project management, ConnectWise Control for video calls and ConnectWise CPQ for quotes and proposals.
The platform has an extensive library of integrations and helps IT businesses optimize remote monitoring, cloud security, professional services automation, cyber threat detection, disaster recovery and customer support.
ConnectWise provides a custom quote when you submit information about your business and needs.
ConnectWise Automate dashboard (Image from GetApp.com)
ConnectWise PSA project board (Image from GetApp.com)
Due to the number of ConnectWise products, we’ll look at what users have to say about a few of the most popular products and key features. We’ll focus on how users rate these products in comparison to Accelo.
ConnectWise PSA is a project management product that caters to IT and non-IT businesses. G2 reviewers prefer Accelo over ConnectWise PSA in every category, including Ease of Use and Quality of Support.
ConnectWise CPQ is an automated quote and proposal creator. Users prefer Accelo over ConnectWise CPQ, probably because quotes can easily be converted into projects in Accelo, minimizing the risk of a project management team overlooking a task or milestone.
While the above have some functions that are similar to Accelo, ConnectWise also offers some tools that Accelo doesn’t. For example, ConnectWise Control is its remote support tool. And if you’re looking for an RMM, you might want to check out ConnectWise Automate. However, the disjointed nature of all of these products makes it difficult to achieve a seamless client journey.
There are a number of software tools that can be used as a ConnectWise alternative for managing service tickets, but your IT business needs a much more comprehensive platform.
Below, we’ll review why Accelo wins out over ConnectWise because of its collaborative tools, automated workflows, document storage, support quality and user interface.
Accelo's shared request inbox helps your support team work quickly and efficiently
Ticket management practices have a huge impact on user satisfaction and the ability to secure recurring work. IT professionals report that ConnectWise is inflexible and does not support simplified internal communication.
On the other hand, users in IT love how Accelo’s Tickets product makes help desk communication efficient and reduces the risk of unknowingly spending excess unbilled time with clients.
READ NEXT: Check out the myriad of reasons IT businesses love Accelo.
While the array of ConnectWise products supports a certain amount of customization, the sheer number of tools that need to be set up, connected and maintained to build what you need leaves some ConnectWise users confused and frustrated by unsupported integrations.
Accelo is known for being a true end-to-end solution, allowing for a natural progression through every step of the client relationship. With easily customizable trigger automations, including convenient email notifications and bulk client billing, plus a range of seamless integrations, Accelo streamlines your existing workflows and helps boost your business’s profitability.
Both Accelo and ConnectWise offer the option of uploading documents and connecting them to a client record. In Accelo, you can easily organize documents into folders. Accelo’s client portal also gives you a place to communicate with clients about important files.
ConnectWise may not be a reliable tool for managing and storing IT documentation, as it requires connecting yet another add-on called ITBoost.
When it comes to customer support quality, ConnectWise appears to fall short. Accelo consistently receives G2 badges based on reviews from happy users. This is proof of our consistent prioritization of responsiveness and issue resolution.
By contrast, some users aren’t happy with ConnectWise support, reporting long delays and inconsistent suggestions.
Although UI probably isn’t the most important factor in your software selection process, it can impact everything from new hire onboarding to team productivity to customer support quality.
Many users note that ConnectWise’s age is showing. Its interface is outdated compared to many other platforms today. The infrequent product updates don’t seem to be useful, with one user claiming the platform gets slower each time.
In this exploratory period of time, there’s nothing like jumping in and navigating a platform to help you feel confident about your decision.
We’d love the opportunity to show you, rather than tell you, what Accelo can do and how it compares to ConnectWise — or any other platform you’re considering. You can schedule a demo for the opportunity to have an expert walk you through the platform and answer your questions.
