What Is ConnectWise and What Does It Do?

ConnectWise is a software company built almost entirely around the managed service provider market. The company started as an MSP itself, which shaped both its product philosophy and its go-to-market approach. Everything ConnectWise builds is designed first and foremost for MSPs running client environments, not for internal IT teams managing their own organization's endpoints.

The product portfolio reflects this with their flagship product, ConnectWise PSA. It is a professional services automation tool that handles ticketing and billing for service businesses. ScreenConnect (also known as ConnectWise Control) is the remote support and access product most people outside the MSP world encounter first. Automate, formerly LabTech, is a powerful but notoriously complex RMM platform. A newer RMM product is being built into Asio, ConnectWise's vision for a unified MSP platform.

For an MSP with a large client roster and the staff to manage complex tooling, pieces of that suite may be exactly what the job requires. For an internal IT team trying to diagnose and fix end-user issues quickly or for a smaller shop that doesn't want the unnecessary overhead of enterprise features, an alternative solution might be a better option. Below, we cover what ConnectWise does, how it's priced, why a critical 2024 security vulnerability sent many IT teams looking elsewhere, and which alternatives are worth a serious evaluation.

TL;DR: Quick Summary

• ConnectWise's product suite: ScreenConnect, Automate, and the Asio platform — is built primarily for MSPs, which means internal IT teams frequently end up with tooling that's more complex, more expensive, and harder to manage than their actual support requirements demand.
• A critical authentication bypass vulnerability in ScreenConnect (CVE-2024-1709), disclosed in early 2024, allowed attackers to move freely across entire managed environments, triggering ransomware deployments across multiple client networks and prompting serious scrutiny of ConnectWise's centralized security model.
• LogMeIn Resolve delivers a complete remote support, RMM, and ticketing platform built for both internal IT teams and MSPs — with Zero Trust security, AI-driven session tools, and simpler licensing all without the MSP overhead layered underneath.

What Is ConnectWise and What Does It Do?

ConnectWise grew into its current form through a series of acquisitions and organic product development, all centered on the MSP market. The result is a portfolio that covers most of what a managed service provider needs to run a business: a PSA for managing client relationships and billing, RMM tools for endpoint monitoring and automation, a remote support product in ScreenConnect, and an emerging unified platform in Asio that aims to bring those pieces together.

Of those products, ScreenConnect is the one most commonly evaluated by IT teams outside the MSP context. It's a well-regarded remote access tool with a strong market reputation for speed and ease of use, and it integrates tightly with the rest of the ConnectWise suite. The Standard tier ($45/month per concurrent technician, billed annually) covers most day-to-day support capabilities: session recording, Wake-on-LAN, remote command line, and unlimited unattended access agents. The Premium tier ($55/month) adds video auditing, custom reporting, a remote diagnostics toolkit, and up to 10 concurrent sessions per technician. ConnectWise also offers a ScreenConnect PAM add-on starting at around $0.70 per endpoint. An entry-level "One" tier is available at $30/month for single-user, single-session use.

Automate is a different conversation. It offers extremely robust RMM functionality and is well-suited for large MSPs with complex customization needs, but it carries a steep learning curve that often requires one or two dedicated administrators just to keep it running. Organizations without those resources frequently find they can't extract meaningful value from the platform. ConnectWise is actively building Automate's replacement into the Asio platform, which effectively puts a shelf life on Automate and leaves existing users in an uncertain position on the roadmap.

Cost is where this lands hardest for teams outside the MSP world. Automate pricing runs approximately $1–$4 per endpoint plus an implementation fee of around $600 — before accounting for the administrative staffing the platform typically requires. ConnectWise RMM pricing varies widely based on endpoint count, included services, and purchase channel. For an internal IT team evaluating ScreenConnect on its own merits, the product has real strengths. For a team considering the broader ConnectWise investment, the MSP-centric architecture and operational overhead carry costs that a purpose-built IT management platform avoids.

The ConnectWise ScreenConnect Security Vulnerability

In February 2024, ConnectWise disclosed a critical vulnerability in ScreenConnect — CVE-2024-1709 — that allowed attackers to bypass authentication on the ScreenConnect server entirely and gain unrestricted access to connected environments. The flaw was a server-side authentication bypass. Security researchers and threat intelligence teams reported ransomware deployments across multiple client networks as a direct result, and a nation-state threat actor was believed to be responsible for at least one of the incidents.

The architectural issue at the center of the breach is worth understanding clearly. ScreenConnect operates on a centralized trust model: once an unattended agent is installed, the central server has the authority to initiate a session without requiring any additional per-device verification. A compromise of that central server represents a single point of failure — an attacker who gains administrator-level access to the server can use its legitimate functionality to move laterally and reach every connected endpoint. In the 2024 incident, that meant a single server-side vulnerability translated into a blast radius that spanned entire managed client environments, not a contained breach.

That same architectural pattern has created an ongoing exposure surface. According to a 2025 industry report, ConnectWise ScreenConnect ranked as the most frequently abused remote access tool in remote access scams. We've broken down a timeline of these events, explaining the supply chain attacks, how they happen, and how the zero trust framework offers a stronger defense.

The Best ConnectWise Alternatives

Beyond the 2024 vulnerability, there are multiple practical reasons IT teams are actively evaluating ConnectWise alternatives — from the need for integrated RMM and ticketing that ScreenConnect alone doesn't provide, to the total cost of the suite and whether its MSP architecture maps cleanly onto in-house IT needs. Here's how the leading options compare.

LogMeIn Resolve

LogMeIn Resolve is a unified endpoint management platform that combines remote support, RMM, ticketing, patch management, and asset management in a single product. Unlike ScreenConnect, which is a point solution that requires supplementary ConnectWise products to cover the full IT management surface, Resolve is built so that an IT team can handle attended sessions, unattended access, endpoint monitoring, and ticket tracking from one interface that eliminates friction and unnecessary tool sprawl.

The security architecture is a direct contrast to ScreenConnect's model. Resolve is built on Zero Trust architecture, meaning signature keys are never stored server-side. Even in the event of a central server compromise, attackers cannot leverage that access to reach connected devices. Unattended sessions require per-device local or admin credentials as an additional verification step, significantly limiting the blast radius of any central incident such as the one that infiltrated ScreenConnect. For compliance teams, the built-in technical control simplifies audit requirements around least privilege access and data protection.

Another major capability gap lies within Resolve's built-in practical AI features. From automatic session notes and knowledge base creation to dynamic insights that help diagnose issues faster, these are valuable tools for technicians that don't exist natively in ScreenConnect. With end-to-end coverage, LogMeIn Resolve offers a true unified endpoint management solution that eliminates the need for multiple vendor relationships and fragmentation that can lead to additional hidden costs through labor hours managing multiple tools.

Best for: Internal IT teams and MSPs that need a complete remote support and IT management platform with Zero Trust security, AI-powered session tooling, and the flexibility to handle everything from attended helpdesk sessions to automated endpoint remediation in one place.

Key features:

• Zero Trust security architecture — no server-side storage of signature keys
• Per-device credential verification for all unattended sessions
• Combined remote support, RMM, ticketing, automated patch management, and asset management in a single platform
• Built-in AI tools: knowledge base, ticket resolution, generating scripts, and automating routine tasks
• 10+ integrations for seamless interactions within your current tech stack

Pricing: Starter package begins at $23/month with 25 endpoints; unlimited agents. Flexible tiered pricing is offered to suit different organizational needs and sizes.

TeamViewer

TeamViewer is one of the most recognized names in remote access, with broad platform coverage and an established enterprise footprint. Its ubiquity is both a strength and a practical complication — many end users already have some version of TeamViewer installed, which can create version compatibility conflicts when technicians attempt to initiate support sessions.

Best for: Organizations with existing TeamViewer standardization and volume pricing already negotiated.

Key features:

• Remote access across Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android
• Unattended access and remote monitoring
• Integrations with major ITSM platforms
• Session recording and audit logging

Pricing:

• Starting $50.90/month for single licensed user at their base package
• Medium & Large IT teams will require a higher package at $120.90/month or $245.90/month based on needs.
• Not publicly listed for enterprise tiers.

Worth knowing: TeamViewer's per-seat costs have increased significantly through recent renewal cycles, and the features that enterprise IT teams consider standard are leading to many current and past customers leaving reviews on.

Splashtop

Splashtop is a remote access option that performs well for smaller IT environments and individual users who need fast, affordable desktop sessions without heavy enterprise overhead.

Best for: SMBs and individual users who need basic remote access without enterprise compliance controls, audit requirements, or multi-technician role management.

Key features:

• Fast remote desktop sessions
• Multi-monitor support
• Mobile device access
• On-premises deployment option available
• Linux support

Pricing: As of 2026, typical pricing tiers are:

• Business Access Solo: $72/year ($6/month billed annually) per user for individual access to up to 2 computers.
• Business Access Pro: $99/year ($8.25/month billed annually) per user, adding multi-monitor support and access to up to 10 computers.
• SOS (Remote Support): Starts at $204/year ($17/month billed annually) per technician for attended support, with higher-tier plans available for unattended access capabilities.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing that includes SSO, advanced management, and on-premise options.

Worth knowing: Splashtop's reporting capabilities are minimal, making it difficult to track technician performance, SLA adherence, or session history in a meaningful way. There is no Zero Trust architecture, SSO is reserved for the Enterprise tier, and the platform offers limited granularity in permission controls — with no ability to set differentiated access levels for different technician roles. Splashtop is also not positioned as a true RMM, so teams that need one-to-many scripting, patch management, or endpoint alerting will need a separate tool alongside it.

NinjaOne

NinjaOne (formerly NinjaRMM) is a well-regarded RMM platform with a strong reputation in the MSP market and a rapidly growing feature set. Remote support has historically been handled via third-party integrations; NinjaOne launched its own ad hoc remote support product, Quick Connect, in late 2024.

Best for: MSPs with large endpoint environments that need a strong RMM foundation and are comfortable managing remote support as a separate, modular add-on.

Key features:

• Comprehensive RMM with monitoring, alerting, patch management, and IT automation
• Ninja Remote (unattended access) included in base tiers; Quick Connect for ad hoc support priced separately
• MDM for iOS, Android, and Mac (Windows MDM not currently available)
• PSA module in early access as of May 2025
• Strong MSP features including multi-tenant management and white-label branding

Pricing: Per-endpoint pricing starting around $1.50–$3.75/device/month for RMM with remote access, depending on volume. Pricing is highly negotiable and vary based on region, making direct comparisons difficult.

Worth knowing: Quick Connect is still early-stage, and early user feedback has characterized it as functional but bare-bones compared to dedicated remote support platforms. NinjaOne also enforces minimum spending requirements that can be a barrier for smaller teams, and the lack of Windows MDM is a meaningful gap for environments with significant Windows endpoint management needs. NinjaOne primarily targets MSPs and typically will not sell directly to organizations already using NinjaOne through an MSP.

ScreenMeet

ScreenMeet is a cloud-based remote support tool built as a native in-platform experience inside ServiceNow, Salesforce, and Microsoft Dynamics 365. For teams whose entire support workflow runs inside one of those platforms, it removes the need to open a separate application to start a remote session.

Best for: Teams whose support workflow lives almost entirely within ServiceNow, where in-platform session initiation without a separate client download is the primary requirement.

Key features:

• Native integration with ServiceNow, Salesforce, and Microsoft Dynamics 365
• Co-browsing, screen share, camera sharing, and remote control in a single tool
• Unattended access available on the Enterprise IT Help Desk tier
• No end-user download required — fully browser-based

Pricing: Per agent per month on an annual subscription.

• Contact Center: $49 standalone / $59 with platform integration
• Contact Center with Remote Control: $79 / $99
• Enterprise IT Help Desk: $99 / $129, plus $1/device/month for unattended access.

Worth knowing: ScreenMeet's tight ITSM integration is both its differentiator and its ceiling. Starting an ad hoc session requires creating a ticket in ServiceNow first — a friction point customers have flagged when the fix is simpler and faster than the ticket creation itself. The product has limited enterprise security features, no live translation, no post-session survey capability, and reporting depth that falls well short of what a busy helpdesk needs for SLA visibility. As a ServiceNow add-on, it also lacks the platform breadth, unattended access depth, and general IT management features that a standalone solution provides.

Why IT Teams Choose LogMeIn Resolve Over ConnectWise

For MSPs running complex multi-client environments with the staff to manage it, pieces of the ConnectWise suite are purpose-built for that job. However, for internal IT teams and smaller or mid-sized organizations that need remote support, endpoint management, and ticketing without the operational complexity of an MSP platform, the math shifts.

Here are some common reasons teams make the switch:

They're paying for complexity they don't use.

ScreenConnect covers remote access but not endpoint management or ticketing. This requires layering Automate or ConnectWise RMM platforms that require dedicated administrators to run. LogMeIn Resolve covers all this in one product.

• Remote support, RMM, ticketing, and patch management in a single platform
• No separate tools to purchase, integrate, or maintain

Security architecture.

The 2024 vulnerability raised questions about ConnectWise's underlying architecture, exposing risk to the centralized model. Resolve's Zero Trust architecture stores no signature keys on the server-side, and every unattended session requires per-device verification — limiting the blast radius of any central server incident.

• Zero Trust architecture with per-device unattended session verification
• Stronger baseline posture for SOC 2, HIPAA, and PCI DSS environments

Built in AI workflows

LogMeIn Resolve has native practical AI workflows that eliminate manual note-taking and knowledge base creation for technicians to focus on what matters most. Technicians can get professional-grade reports in seconds with no manual report building.

• AI session recap, system info analysis, and error diagnosis included
• Real-time translation for multilingual or distributed support environments

For organizations evaluating ConnectWise and finding they need more than ScreenConnect alone, or for teams that took the 2024 vulnerability as a signal to revisit their remote access architecture, LogMeIn Resolve can be an excellent alternative.

Start a free trial and see how LogMeIn Resolve performs in your environment.