What Atera (and most RMMs) do well
RMM platforms are MSPs' central tooling. The strengths:
- One pane of glass for monitoring + ticketing + RMM across all clients
- Remote desktop / scripting / patch management across endpoints
- Per-technician licensing aligns with billable resource model
- Atera specifically: integrated PSA + ticketing built in (vs N-able/NinjaOne which often pair with a separate PSA)
- M365 module includes basic user mgmt: create users, reset passwords, license assignment
- Cross-product reporting (devices, tickets, time, billing in one dashboard)
For an MSP running 50–500 client endpoints, an RMM is table-stakes infrastructure. UserDesk doesn't try to replace any of that.
Where RMM M365 modules fall short for delegation
The M365 modules bundled into Atera, N-able, NinjaOne, etc. are designed for MSP techs to do M365 work, not for the client's HR person to do it themselves. Specifically:
- No client-side portal. The M365 module lives in YOUR RMM dashboard. Your client's HR person doesn't log into Atera; they open a ticket that goes into Atera.
- Shallow feature surface vs dedicated tools. CIPP, UserDesk, ManageEngine, AdminDroid each go deeper on their specialty than Atera's M365 module goes on any of them.
- No delegation-specific role model. RMM tools have technician roles, not delegate-by-tenant concepts.
- Per-technician licensing. At MSP scale (5+ techs), per-tech pricing adds up — Atera Pro is ~$129/tech/mo, Power tier $209/tech/mo. A 5-tech MSP is $645–1,045/mo just on RMM tech licensing.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Atera (RMM + M365 module) | UserDesk |
|---|---|---|
Primary category | Full-stack RMM + PSA + ticketing + M365 | M365 delegation portal (focused) |
Who uses it day-to-day | MSP technicians | Client's HR / office mgr / team lead (non-IT) |
Client-facing portal Your client's staff logs in directly | No | Yes |
Pricing model | Per-technician/mo | Per-tenant/mo (per client tenant) |
Entry pricing | Pro ~$129/tech/mo; Growth ~$179; Power ~$209 | $79/mo per tenant Starter |
M365 user mgmt depth | Shallow — create user, reset pwd, basic license | Full delegation surface + templates + audit |
Onboarding templates | Limited | Yes |
Per-delegate audit | Tech-side activity logged in RMM | Per-portal-user view in UserDesk |
Endpoint RMM (devices, patches, scripts) | Yes | No |
Ticketing / PSA | Yes | No |
Remote desktop / Splashtop integration | Yes | No |
Conditional Access / Intune mgmt | Limited | Out of scope (CIPP territory) |
Comparison verified
When Atera is enough (no UserDesk needed)
Stay on Atera alone when MSP techs handle all M365 work themselves.
Atera's M365 module is enough if:
- Your tier-1 techs do every M365 admin task for clients
- Clients don't have HR/staff who want to self-serve M365
- Ticket volume on M365 is low enough that delegation isn't a priority
- You don't need onboarding templates or per-delegate audit
For very small MSPs (1–5 client tenants) where tickets are manageable in the RMM, adding a separate delegation tool may be premature.
When to add UserDesk alongside your RMM
Add UserDesk when client-side delegation would deflect ticket volume.
The signal you need UserDesk on top of your RMM:
- Routine HR-driven M365 tickets (password reset, new hire, license) eat your tier-1 queue
- Multiple clients have HR / office managers who could self-serve if given a portal
- You want to bill the per-tenant cost through to clients (or pocket the 20% referral commission)
- The M365 module in your RMM is too shallow for actual delegation workflows
- You want per-delegate audit visible to both you (MSP) and the client
Operational cost: $79/mo per tenant for UserDesk Starter on top of your existing RMM. Many MSPs pass the cost through to clients at markup as part of managed services — your cost effectively zero. Or claim 20% recurring commission via the referral program.
What about CIPP for the MSP-tech side?
For deeper MSP-tech work that Atera's M365 module can't handle (Conditional Access policy mgmt, Intune, GDAP-driven multi-tenant ops), CIPP is the standard answer. It's free, open-source, and beloved by MSPs for good reasons. See our UserDesk vs CIPP comparison for that split.
The common MSP stack:
- Atera (or other RMM) — central platform, RMM, PSA, ticketing, basic M365 actions for techs
- CIPP — deep M365 admin: Conditional Access, Intune, GDAP, cross-tenant reporting
- UserDesk — client-side delegation portal for the client's HR / office mgrs
These three tools don't overlap. Each does what it's best at. For MSPs at 5+ client tenants the combined stack is cheaper + more capable than trying to do everything in the RMM alone.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Does this comparison apply to N-able, NinjaOne, Datto RMM, ConnectWise Automate too?
Yes, broadly. All major RMM platforms include an M365 module of similar depth (basic user mgmt, password reset, license assignment). The specific feature gaps vs dedicated M365 tools are roughly equivalent across them. We picked Atera as the named comparison because they market the M365 module most aggressively, but the analysis holds for the others.
Q02Can I bill UserDesk through to my clients?
Yes. Two paths: (1) Mark up the per-tenant cost as part of your managed services agreement (most common — you bill the client $X/mo for M365 management which includes the UserDesk subscription bundled in). (2) Use the referral program: client pays UserDesk directly, you earn 20% recurring commission. Either way, no MSP-volume-discount on the UserDesk side per the M365 ISV ecosystem norm.
Q03Does Atera's M365 module conflict with UserDesk?
No. Both use Microsoft Graph with their own OAuth app consent — they don't share or modify each other's state. Your techs continue using Atera for endpoint management + ticketing + RMM; client HR uses UserDesk for self-service M365. No technical conflict.
Q04Do I need UserDesk if I have Atera + CIPP?
If your MSP techs handle all M365 work for clients and clients never want self-service, no. If routine M365 tickets dominate your tier-1 queue and clients have HR who could handle them, yes — that's the gap CIPP doesn't address (CIPP is MSP-tech focused) and Atera's module is too shallow for. UserDesk fills the client-delegation slot in the stack.
Q05What's the typical 3-tool stack cost for an MSP?
Rough budget for a 5-tech, 20-client-tenant MSP: Atera Pro ~$645/mo (5 × $129); CIPP free (self-hosted) or CIPP-Pro paid; UserDesk per-tenant at scale ~$1,580/mo (20 × $79 Starter), often billed through to clients. The UserDesk cost is the per-tenant scale — you bill it through and pocket the spread or claim referral commission. Net MSP cost is much lower than the stack-cost sticker.
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