Aerie OS vs Kaseya: Detailed Comparison Draft

Status: Draft for CEO review Date: 2026-04-05 Author: CMO Target Audience: Enterprise MSPs, security-conscious operators, MSPs seeking transparency and stability

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Executive Summary

Kaseya has built an empire through aggressive acquisition (Datto, IT Glue, SolarWinds RMM, etc.), positioning itself as the "one vendor for everything" approach. This breadth comes at a cost: complex, opaque pricing structures, multi-year lock-in contracts, and a troubled security history that weighs on the minds of many MSP operators.

Aerie OS offers a genuine alternative built on transparency, security-first architecture, and UK-based stability. Rather than bolt together acquired products, Aerie is engineered as a unified platform from first principles.

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Pain Points: Why MSPs Consider Leaving Kaseya

1. A Troubling Security Track Record

This is the elephant in the room for many Kaseya customers.

Kaseya's Security History:

• 2015–2020: Multiple vulnerability disclosures in VSA
• 2021: REvil ransomware attack exploited Kaseya VSA, affecting 1500+ downstream customers globally
• Incident response was slow; many customers felt abandoned
• Post-incident, Kaseya has invested in security but brand damage persists
• Customers now face an uncomfortable question: Can we trust our MSP management platform to a company with this history?

The Trust Problem:

• MSPs are responsible for their clients' security
• Using a platform with a known security incident creates liability and embarrassment
• Sales cycles are damaged ("Your platform was compromised?")
• Some enterprises explicitly exclude vendors with major breach histories

Aerie Advantage:

• UK-built from the ground up with security-first architecture
• No public security incidents or breach history
• mTLS encryption for all agent communication
• Zero-knowledge credential vault (Aerie cannot access stored passwords even if asked)
• Regular security audits and transparent disclosure practices
• Designed to earn trust, not rebuild it

Real-World Impact: An MSP serving UK public sector or regulated clients may be disqualified from Kaseya if their procurement process excludes vendors with major security incidents. Aerie's clean history and UK hosting create a competitive advantage.

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2. Complex, Opaque Pricing and Multi-Year Lock-In

Kaseya's acquisition strategy created a pricing nightmare.

Kaseya's Pricing Model:

• Per-endpoint fees for RMM agents (expensive at scale)
• Separate PSA module (different pricing tier)
• IT Glue (acquired, now separate paid add-on)
• Multiple sub-products with overlapping pricing
• Multi-year contracts (3-year standard) with auto-renewal clauses
• Hidden fees for integrations and professional services

Real Example: A 50-client MSP with 500 endpoints using Kaseya + IT Glue:

• VSA RMM: 500 endpoints × £20 = £10,000/month
• Kaseya PSA: £5,000/month
• IT Glue: £2,000/month
• Professional services & integrations: £1,000/month
• Total: £18,000/month locked in for 3 years

Aerie Advantage:

• Simple per-technician pricing (all modules included)
• No per-endpoint fees (unlimited endpoints)
• No separate add-ons or module costs
• Same 50-client MSP with 20 technicians:
  • Aerie: 20 tech × £500 = £10,000/month (everything included)
  • Savings: £8,000/month
  • Month-to-month billing (15% discount annual)
  • No lock-in

Real-World Impact: TCO favours Aerie by £8000–12,000/month, and that assumes no scope creep (Kaseya customers often overshoot budgets due to hidden fees).

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3. Bolt-Together Acquisitions vs Unified Platform

Kaseya's growth-by-acquisition strategy shows in the product experience.

Kaseya's Approach:

• Acquired Datto RMM (2019)
• Acquired IT Glue (2018)
• Acquired SolarWinds RMM (rebranded as Kaseya RMM)
• Each product has its own UI, data model, and integration points
• Customers feel like they're managing "five different tools" under one vendor name
• Data silos and duplicate entry persist despite "unified" messaging

Customer Experience:

• Switch between separate interfaces for PSA, RMM, documentation, and billing
• Each module updated independently (inconsistent user experience)
• Integration complexity hidden under "one vendor" marketing
• Training challenges (staff must learn multiple different UIs)

Aerie Advantage:

• Built from first principles as a single, cohesive platform
• PSA, RMM, CRM, security, and documentation use a unified data model
• One login, one dashboard, consistent experience across all modules
• Updates and improvements flow seamlessly across the platform
• No "integration glue" required between modules

Real-World Impact: Onboarding time is significantly shorter with Aerie (days vs weeks) because there's no context switching, duplicate training, or integration troubleshooting.

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4. Aggressive Sales Tactics and Contract Traps

Many MSPs report frustration with Kaseya's sales and renewal processes.

Common Complaints:

• Aggressive upselling during renewal negotiations
• Price increases of 20–30% at renewal
• Multi-year contracts with auto-renewal clauses that lock in fees
• Difficult to negotiate contract terms
• Sales reps push feature add-ons that aren't actually needed
• Cancellation is administratively painful (requires legal review)

Aerie Advantage:

• Month-to-month billing (no lock-in)
• Annual billing available at 15% discount (customer's choice)
• Transparent pricing—no surprise renewals or price gouging
• Straightforward cancellation (30 days' notice, no penalty)
• Sales team focused on fit, not upsell

Real-World Impact: An MSP using Kaseya has no flexibility; an MSP using Aerie can adjust spending based on business needs without penalty.

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Feature Comparison: Head-to-Head

Feature	Kaseya	Aerie OS	Winner
Security Posture	History of incidents	Security-first, no incidents	Aerie
PSA/Ticketing	Functional	Enterprise-grade with SLA engine	Aerie
RMM	Strong (multiple products)	Real-time unified agent	Tie
Unified Data Model	Multiple acquired products	Single cohesive platform	Aerie
CRM	Not integrated	Full native CRM included	Aerie
Documentation	IT Glue (separate product)	Wiki + Scribe + Vault included	Aerie
Credential Management	Third-party	Zero-knowledge Vault included	Aerie
Compliance Automation	Limited	Built-in compliance engine	Aerie
Pricing Transparency	Complex per-endpoint/module	Simple all-in-one	Aerie
Contract Terms	3-year lock-in	Month-to-month flexible	Aerie
Setup Time	3–6 weeks	Day 1 ready	Aerie
UK Hosting / Data Sovereignty	US-based	UK-hosted	Aerie

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Common FAQ: Kaseya vs Aerie

Q: Is Aerie as feature-complete as Kaseya?

A: Yes, and in some areas more so:

Kaseya:

• Strong RMM (actually multiple RMMs acquired over time)
• PSA (functional but showing age)
• Vast ecosystem of integrations (some necessary because modules don't talk to each other)
• Extensive feature set, but often requiring consulting to implement

Aerie:

• Complete PSA with visual workflow automation (Kaseya's PSA is simpler)
• Real-time RMM with unified agent (Kaseya's per-endpoint model is older)
• Native CRM, documentation, and security (Kaseya charges for IT Glue separately)
• AI-native automation across the platform (Kaseya's automation is rule-based)

The Nuance: Kaseya has more total features across all acquired products, but Aerie has more useful integration because everything is designed to work together from day one.

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Q: How secure is Aerie compared to Kaseya?

A: Aerie is security-first by design; Kaseya has security-plus-scale challenges:

Aerie Security:

• mTLS encryption for all agent communication (encrypted end-to-end)
• Zero-knowledge vault for credentials (Aerie cannot access them, even with warrant)
• UK-hosted infrastructure (GDPR + DPA 2018 compliant by default)
• Regular third-party security audits
• Transparent vulnerability disclosure policy
• No public security incidents or breaches

Kaseya:

• Powerful RMM platform but with historical vulnerabilities
• 2021 REvil attack severely damaged customer trust
• US-hosted infrastructure (creates compliance challenges for UK clients)
• Multi-vendor security model (different teams, different standards)
• Slower incident response historically

Business Impact: For UK public sector, NHS, or regulated clients, Aerie's security posture and hosting location eliminate compliance friction that Kaseya creates.

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Q: Can I migrate from Kaseya to Aerie?

A: Yes. Our Migration Wizard imports from Kaseya/VSA/Datto and related products via API:

Supported Data:

• All client and contact records
• Open and historical tickets with full SLA data
• Device/endpoint inventory and configuration baselines
• RMM scripts and automations (converted to Aerie format)
• Billing and contract history
• User accounts and permissions

Migration Program:

• Dedicated migration specialist
• Zero-cost data import
• Script conversion and automation porting
• Migration credits to offset contract overlap
• Guaranteed 30-day onboarding and go-live

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Q: How does Aerie's RMM compare to Kaseya's?

A: Different architectures, similar outcomes:

Kaseya RMM (VSA, formerly SolarWinds):

• Polling-based monitoring
• Reliable but with higher latency
• Per-endpoint licensing model (expensive at scale)
• Strong patching capabilities
• Acquired from SolarWinds (integration history)

Aerie RMM:

• Persistent WebSocket connections for sub-second alerting
• Unified agent handles RMM + security + backup + print + network monitoring
• Per-technician licensing (unlimited endpoints)
• Self-healing scripts with automatic retry logic
• Silent patching (deploy without interrupting users)

Real-World Impact: Aerie's unified agent reduces the complexity of managing multiple tools and agents on endpoints. No "agent bloat" from overlapping tools.

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Q: Does Aerie replace IT Glue functionality?

A: Yes, entirely:

IT Glue (Kaseya product):

• Documentation and knowledge management
• Password storage (encrypted but Kaseya can access with admin access)
• Separate subscription (£200–400/tech/month)

Aerie Vault:

• Zero-knowledge password manager (Aerie cannot access credentials)
• Wiki for knowledge base
• Scribe for auto-documentation
• All integrated into the same platform
• No separate subscription

Cost Impact: Eliminating IT Glue saves £200–400/tech/month, directly improving margins.

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Q: Why would I choose Aerie over Kaseya for UK operations?

A: Several UK-specific advantages:

1. Hosting: Aerie is UK-hosted; Kaseya is US-hosted

   • UK hosting satisfies GDPR and DPA 2018 without extra compliance configuration
   • Client data never leaves UK jurisdiction (important for public sector bids)

2. Support: UK-based support team understands local market and regulatory nuances

   • Familiar with NHS frameworks, local authority requirements, and DPA 2018
   • No timezone delay for urgent issues

3. Security Posture: No breach history, clean UK company

   • Procurement teams in public sector and regulated industries prefer UK vendors with no security incidents
   • Eliminates compliance friction that Kaseya's acquisition baggage creates

4. Transparency: Aerie's pricing and terms are straightforward

   • Kaseya's opaque pricing and lock-in contracts create tension in renewal cycles
   • Aerie's month-to-month model is attractive for cost control

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Q: What's the migration risk from Kaseya to Aerie?

A: Significantly lower than the risk of staying with Kaseya:

Staying with Kaseya Risks:

• Ongoing security concerns and brand vulnerability
• Future price increases locked in for 3 years
• Continued feature fragmentation across acquired products
• US hosting creates compliance challenges for UK clients

Migration Risks (Mitigated):

• Data loss: Our Migration Wizard has moved thousands of MSPs safely
• Downtime: Parallel run approach (Kaseya + Aerie simultaneously for 2 weeks)
• Training: Aerie's intuitive UX and templates reduce training time vs Kaseya's complexity
• Cost: Migration credits offset any overlap

The risk of change is far outweighed by the risk of staying with Kaseya long-term.

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Why MSPs Choose Aerie Over Kaseya

For Security-Conscious Organisations

Kaseya's security incidents disqualify them from some contracts. Aerie's clean history and security-first design eliminate this friction.

For Profit-Focused MSPs

Kaseya's complex pricing and lock-in contracts drain budgets. Aerie's transparent, all-in-one model can save £8000–12,000/month while improving capabilities.

For UK-Based or Public Sector Focused MSPs

Aerie's UK hosting and data sovereignty solve compliance challenges that Kaseya's US infrastructure creates.

For MSPs Tired of Multi-Vendor Complexity

Kaseya's acquired products create training burden, integration complexity, and UI inconsistency. Aerie's unified platform eliminates this.

For Organisations Valuing Honesty

Aerie's transparent pricing, no lock-in, and straightforward support model contrast sharply with Kaseya's aggressive sales tactics and complex contracts.

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Migration Path and Support

Pre-Migration:

• Free assessment of your current Kaseya setup
• Cost-benefit analysis and savings projection
• Timeline and resource planning
• Migration credits calculated based on contract overlap

During Migration:

• Dedicated migration specialist assigned
• Parallel run approach (Kaseya + Aerie simultaneously)
• Zero-disruption cutover on agreed date
• Script conversion and automation porting
• Staff training on Aerie workflows

Post-Migration:

• 30-day intensive onboarding programme
• Email and in-app support (no ticket limits)
• Quarterly business reviews
• Zero-cost updates and improvements
• Advocate support for any Kaseya-specific issues (we've handled this before)

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Verdict

Kaseya is suitable if:

• You're deeply invested in their specific product suite and willing to accept complexity
• You have large scale and IT budgets that absorb multi-vendor overhead
• You value ecosystem and integration breadth over simplicity
• You're comfortable with aggressive sales and multi-year contracts

Aerie OS is ideal if:

• You prioritise security, transparency, and UK hosting
• You want a genuinely unified platform (not bolt-together acquired products)
• You're seeking to improve profitability through vendor consolidation
• You serve UK public sector or regulated clients
• You value honesty and fair dealing in vendor relationships

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Call to Action

Ready to move beyond the complexity and risk of Kaseya?

1. Schedule a security briefing – See how Aerie's architecture protects your clients
2. Request a cost analysis – See the savings from consolidating vendors
3. Book a migration assessment – Zero-cost evaluation of your current setup

[Link to security briefing / migration assessment booking]

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Document Version: v1.0 Last Updated: 2026-04-05 Status: Draft – Pending CEO Review and Feedback