Accelo vs. Autotask PSA

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.

In a search for new software, business leaders face the challenge of finding a balance between industry standards and the individual needs of their business.

If you’re here, you’re likely in the midst of that search, which means you know better than anyone that your business has its own nuances. The tool you invest in will need to address your current or common pain points and work in tandem with the team structure, business workflows and client base you’ve already worked so hard to build.

Below, we’ll look at Autotask PSA, a popular platform in the managed service providers (MSPs) industry, to see what it offers and how it compares to Accelo’s client work management platform.

What Is Autotask PSA?

Autotask PSA, a product of Datto, is a cloud-based professional services automation software built to meet the needs of MSPs. The platform provides a control hub to centralize operations in one system and store important business data to help small and midsized companies improve customer service, inventory management, productivity and profitability. 

Autotask PSA's Service Desk feed (Image from Datto.com)

Product Offerings

• Account management
• Project management
• Service desk to manage tickets
• Time tracking
• Contracts and billing
• Document manager
• Inventory and procurement

Pricing Plans

Autotask PSA pricing is not publicly available and must be requested.

Notable Integrations

Autotask PSA integrates with 170+ tools, including:

• HubSpot
• Microsoft Dynamics 365
• QuickBooks
• Salesforce
• Xero
• Zapier

Strengths

• Part of a larger suite of Datto products built with IT MSPs in mind
• Multi-currency add-on available
• Custom reporting with real-time business metrics
• Extensive integrations available, with a focus on MSP industry tools

Autotask PSA provides dashboards for a quick look at business insights (Image from Datto.com)

Weaknesses

• Limited project management tools in the platform would require your business to adopt additional software to manage your work
• Basic Customer Relationship Management (CRM) functionality limits the ability to tie your work to each client record
• Some users feel the UI is cluttered and difficult to navigate
• Lack of pricing transparency makes it difficult to compare the cost vs. value and how it will compare to other software options

What Users Say About Datto Autotask

Autotask PSA and Accelo offer similar products and features as a solution for MSPs as a business management tool to help better manage their client work. Offering an advanced ticketing module for customer service management, Autotask PSA is great option for businesses primarily looking to manage service requests.

Accelo’s integrated solution brings a more robust platform that goes well beyond ticket management, offering more advanced and customizable features from initial contact with a prospect to contracts, billing and beyond. Accelo’s CRM connects all aspects of the client journey in one centralized system for greater visibility and reporting, while a brandable client portal allows your clients to access projects and engage with your business. 

Accelo may also be a better fit if you want more flexibility within project management. Accelo’s task boards are configurable and offer customizable views. Autotask PSA requires integrations and additional investments for tools like a Kanban board.

To understand real user perspectives on both platforms, we looked at how their ratings compare. Overall, users prefer doing business with Accelo, which is easier to set up, use and administer. While some users feel that Autotask PSA support is responsive to issues, others say they could be better about listening to customer feedback.

Autotask Alternative

Understanding a platform’s products, key features and pricing is an important first step in narrowing your choices, but learning the full functionality and how those functions work together is the best way to visualize how those tools can solve the challenges facing your business. 

For MSPs, both Autotask PSA and Accelo have products built to support this industry’s unique client work. Still, when considering the full functionality of each platform, Accelo offers a more complete, end-to-end solution that supports the entire client journey — from sales management and pipeline forecasting to advanced project management workflows, all the way through to automated invoicing and service contract management. 

In addition to supporting each stage of the client lifecycle, Accelo also offers powerful reporting that connects to each component of your client work to create one source of truth for your entire business. 

Accelo's platform provides one system to manage the full cycle of client work

Greater Control With a Cloud-Based Project Management Platform

Having access to advanced project management features is important for MSPs supporting client work. While some Autotask PSA users share that they are satisfied with Autotask PSA’s range of project management functions, others noted that they feel these tools are “clunky” and “difficult to master.”

For teams that want more flexibility with project management, Accelo may be a better fit. Accelo’s task boards are configurable and offer customizable views, whereas Autotask PSA requires integrations and additional investments for tools like a Kanban board.

Strong Company-Wide Time Tracking Solutions

Both Autotask PSA and Accelo offer time tracking to capture an accurate picture of billable vs. non-billable time. Autotask PSA also has functions to allow supervisors to approve timesheets and gives users the ability to submit time-off requests from within the platform.

While some Autotask PSA users share that they are satisfied with its time tracking functionality, Accelo offers powerful automation to log time and customize time tracking by activity type or category to ensure detailed reporting that’s consistent across the entire company. Users even voted Accelo’s time tracking as one of their top favorite features in a recent poll.

With accurate data from time tracking, Accelo users have access to reporting on profitability and planned time vs. actual time, which can help with capacity planning to improve future projects. 

Improve Productivity With Email Sync and Collaboration Tools 

Professional services teams know how important collaboration is when it comes to successfully supporting their clients. Some Autotask PSA users share that the platform offers a wide range of tools for collaboration across departments, but others say that flaws in the ticketing system make it difficult to collaborate with other users. 

On the other hand, Accelo makes collaboration effortless with its Activity Stream. The stream uses email capture to display the entire history of communication and actions taken on a client account, and it was recently selected as Accelo users' favorite platform feature. Users can visit the stream to find updates on project status, check if a task was completed or refer back to past conversations to prevent miscommunication with clients or teammates.

Trial Accelo

With so much to consider before selecting a cloud-based professional services solution, it’s important to see the tools in action. Take the next step toward finding your ideal software solution by starting an Accelo trial today. 

Once you’ve experienced the platform for yourself, schedule a demo to speak with an Accelo expert to ask questions and further explore the solutions specific to your business needs. 

About the Author

Kit Lewis is a Content Manager at Accelo, where she manages content projects, social media and content reporting. With a decade of writing for industries ranging from education to tech, past experience supporting client work and a commitment to building efficient systems, she is passionate about creating valuable content to help professional services teams.