Take Control Reviews

Pros

Getting around the platform was easy and I never ran into outage issues while using it. It was also basic on system resources, largely because the software would frequently crash and fail to restart on its own. On top of that the pricing was very low and fit the budget well.

Cons

A recurring problem was the software randomly stopping on an endpoint and then not coming back up even after rebooting the computer. Support wasn't much help either since they were unable to resolve the issue. The application also couldn't deal with UAC prompts at all which made software installations and assisting users with requests basically impossible.

Pros

Everything you need is built in without overcomplicating things, unattended access, audio passthrough, file transfer and the rest are all there. It's a easy tool that simply works.

Cons

There isn't much to complain about although support from N-Able can sometimes be a weak spot.

Pros

Software is basic and simple and one of the most useful things is that it installs a Windows service that allows access without needing the person on the other side to accept or send requests. It's also convenient because the screen can be resized and file transfers work well even without logging into the remote machine.

Cons

First launch can be slow after the client downloads the one-shot access client and there are still too many steps the remote user has to go through to allow access.

Pros

Frequent updates help keep everything protected and it lets you connect to a customer's PC remotely so you can assist them as fast as possible.

Cons

Using the dual-screen option is a little awkward. If someone has two monitors, it would be better if both screens showed up automatically instead of making you switch back and forth.

Pros

What I really appreciate is the IT feature. It makes working with clients and providing remote assistance much more convenient. It's also very helpful when I need to access and work on my own machine from a distance.

Cons

Only downside is that it can take a little while to connect to the workstation even after the machine has already been powered on.

Pros

Getting this up and running is easy on both the technician side and the client side which saves time right away. The "911" or New Session feature is also really useful since I can send customers to a website to download and launch a temporary support session without much hassle. On top of that the reporting feature comes in very handy when it's time to handle billing.

Cons

One small thing that bothers me is that the software doesn't remember the screen size and window position. Because of that, I end up resizing the window quite often. It's a minor annoyance though and something I've been able to live with.

Pros

One of the biggest strengths here is the sheer number of ways it lets you run commands, help users and handle updates. On top of that the asset details N-able provides, like disk space, RAM usage and even available slots, CPU usage and program stats, are incredibly useful for tracking down the root cause of an issue within minutes most of the time. The remote control side is also loaded with options, from physical KVM-style access to command line and PowerShell execution, plus a built-in file browser which makes it an excellent all-around tool.

Cons

There are occasional hiccups I could do without. Every now and then the agent doesn't install correctly or a device takes a bit to show up but it happens infrequently enough that it's not a major problem. In most cases, reinstalling the agent clears it up.

Pros

Remote connections are fairly fast and stable and the connection alert appears as a centered pop-up on the screen which is really helpful when you need support quickly.

Cons

Chat feature is the weak point. The interface looks unattractive there's no way to open a chat on your own and you have to wait for support to message first before the conversation can begin. On top of that the buttons to show or hide the chat are hard to notice.

Pros

Unlike some other tools that run into problems on either PC or Mac, this one shows how well software can perform across both systems. The console is easy to use and there's even a USB-based version you can carry with you when needed. I also really appreciate that the subscription is priced per technician instead of per node which gives a small team a lot of flexibility while keeping the monthly cost flat.

Cons

Missing feature is rebranding. Most of our other platforms and service offerings include some kind of rebranding option and that's not available here. In our case, we mainly rely on it as a backup connection whenever our RMM remote access runs into issues.

Pros

It keeps the connection active even while I'm reconfiguring network settings, including switching between networks and VPNs.

Cons

Chrome screens and parts of some Windows screens are not visible. I've seen this happen on two laptops running Windows 10, one on version 1903 and the other on 1909 and I still need to contact support about it. Another problem is that after upgrading a PC from Windows 7 to Windows 10, it still appears as Windows 7 in the device list under the OS section.

Pros

After years with LogMeIn Central the price climbed to a point that just wasn't reasonable anymore. I tested a lot of other options and none of them really fit what I needed until I came across this one. It's been dependable and costs only a fraction of what I was paying for LogMeIn.

Cons

I'd still like to see more features added especially an MSI package that can be deployed through AD. The screen blanking function has also been a bit problematic although it has improved over time.

Pros

Compared with tools that only focus on the user desktop, this one gives much deeper access when connecting to a system, including a file browser, CMD/PowerShell windows and even a registry editor.

Cons

Feature it's missing is more interactive functionality, like a way to install software on the fly. That said, it still handles file transfers really well.

Pros

As a standalone tool it's a really good complement to N-Central. Although it does tie into N-Central the built-in version doesn't support ad hoc connections for systems that haven't already been added. Running it separately makes it possible to start sessions for users on machines that aren't yet in SolarWinds N-Central.

Cons

It's a little frustrating that we had to buy an extra add-on just to get ad hoc connections. That feature really feels like it should already be part of N-Central itself.

Pros

Everything about it just works. Connections are fast and it comes loaded with features like built-in multi-pane file transfer with multi-queue support, plus pause and resume. Automatic reconnect is really useful and I also appreciate how basic it is while still including integrated chat, a system shell, system information and a full audit trail.

Cons

On roughly 2-5% of installations there can occasionally be an issue with the integrated NCentral version of TC but every time I've seen that happen, a quick reinstall has fixed it without trouble.

Pros

From an IT support standpoint, this makes it simple to see all of our managed computers in one place. When a user runs into a problem the admin can launch it right away and view exactly what's on the user's screen which makes troubleshooting much faster. It also handles multi-monitor setups well which is a big plus.

Cons

Because the software is managed for us by a third party, we don't get direct access to the reporting side of it.

Pros

SolarWinds products have consistently been really useful especially for networking and Active Directory work. They provide a wide range of tools that help with everyday tasks and make day-to-day processes much more efficient when those jobs would otherwise take a lot of time.

Cons

One downside is that they tend to advertise their products a bit too heavily and often push their paid offerings.

Pros

Getting a trial started is quick and only takes an email address. The sales team replies fast without being pushy which was appreciated. The software also comes packed with a great range of features and tools that are really useful for IT support technicians.

Cons

What gets frustrating is that the remote computer locks automatically when a session ends. There may be a setting to disable it but it's not obvious at all and this really should be optional instead of the default behavior.

Pros

Once you get familiar with the interface the platform is pretty easy to navigate. The agent software installs without much hassle and it includes plenty of features that make managing a client's computer much easier. The Request Help option is especially excellent, you can just direct a client to the website and have them choose that option which lets you assist them without needing to install the agent first.

Cons

The agents do occasionally fail at random after updates but the newer "repair agent" feature makes fixing that issue pretty simple.

Pros

I really appreciate how quickly the remote access connects. Another big plus is the session recording feature since it helps showcase the work done and can even be useful for winning over more clients.

Cons

I honestly don't have any major complaints about MSP Anywhere. If I had to point out one downside, it would be that the interface feels very text-heavy and isn't that simple to use.

Pros

Pricing is excellent there's plenty of customization available and it's very user-friendly overall.

Cons

Setting up integrations can be challenging if you're not a developer although the documentation does help a lot.