N-central review | TechRadar

N-able is a well-known name in the IT security industry with more than 25,000 MSPs and 8,000,000 managed endpoints. Its N-central RMM solution was voted as the #1 RMM platform for three consecutive years by CRN readers in 2021, 2022, and 2023. This goes to show the real-world effectiveness of the platform.

N-central’s workflow automation capabilities are second to none in the industry. It offers more than 650 built-in automation scripts – and you can also use its AI integration to create scripts from scratch. 

Additionally, it’s one of the very few platforms that allow you to test it out for 30 days before purchasing a plan. That said, its pricing is only available on request, meaning you’ll have to spend time with its sales team to work out a deal.

But is it the best network monitoring tool out there? We take a closer look…

N-central: Plans and pricing

N-central does not reveal its pricing on its website, so you’ll have to reach out to their sales team with your requirements to get a custom quote. This can be beneficial for large businesses that need a highly customized solution for endpoint management. However, small teams may have to negotiate well to secure a good deal.

With that in mind, one of the best things about N-central is its 30-day free trial – something we don’t often see in the RMM industry. This gives you the opportunity to try the platform before committing to a purchase.

Now, it may so happen that you’re already on an RMM contract and want to switch to N-central. In that case, N-central offers you a price of $1/month for 12 months if you show proof of existing contractual commitment. This is an excellent offering!

N-central: Features

N-central stands out from other RMM platforms thanks to its excellent patch management features. In addition to OS patches, you can also run automated patches for more than 100 third-party applications, such as Skype and Zoom. The platform also ensures you do not miss any patches, including OOB (out-of-band) patches released by Microsoft, outside of their patch schedules. 

The patch policies are also highly customizable – you can implement them either across the entire organization, a specific department, a group of devices, or a single endpoint. Yes, other RMM platforms also allow you to automate a lot of workflows. However, N-central takes automation to the next level by providing more than 650 pre-made automation scripts, which can be deployed as they come out of the box or downloaded and customized as per your requirements. 

From automatic patch deployment to self-healing and auto-remediation, there are a lot of repetitive processes you can automate. You can also create an automation script from scratch using N-central’s GenAI capabilities.

Even when you’re switching from an existing RMM system, the customer support team works with you to import your existing automations on N-central. 

In addition to the core functions of discovering and monitoring all kinds of devices in a given network, N-central also offers some handy add-ons. For instance, it has joined hands with SentinelOne to offer Endpoint Detection & Response functions. 

Its AI-based ransomware protection and behavioral AI engines go beyond just traditional methods of signature-based detections. It can also help you roll back data and recover lost files within minutes – without having to pay a dime to the threat actors. 

We also liked N-central’s Cloud Commander add-on, which lets you manage Windows, Intune, and Azure devices from the same dashboard. This makes onboarding a new client and assigning licenses as easy as filling out a single form. 

You do not need to add a new client to the Azure client directory, create a mailbox in Microsoft 365, or set up the user’s details like role, location, and phone number. With Cloud Commander, you’d simply need to select the organization and add the new user.

N-Central also supports remote Apple mobile device management (MDM), which comes laced with integrations like Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager. This makes the entire onboarding experience automatic and seamless and doesn’t require much interference from the IT team.

N-central: Interface and performance

N-central boasts information-dense dashboards filled with various color-coordinated charts that help IT teams and MSPs drill down on endpoint data in real time. There are dedicated information boards for various functions, such as patching, backup, reports, analytics, integrations, and so on – you’ll find all these options on the left-hand side panel. 

What’s more, you can also build a custom dashboard and choose between various data visualization charts, filters, and data inputs. We also found a lot of bar charts, pie charts, graphs, and other visual data representation tools, as well as a handful of filtering options, where you can view data by device type, OS name, customer, or site.

However, it’s worth noting that the text on these boards may seem a bit cluttered or tiny and requires that users spend some time getting a hang of how things work.

N-central: Security

N-able holds an ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification, which is also independently verified by Schellman & Company. The platform also complies with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (CCPA). These are proof that the platform complies with all legal regulations and frameworks while collecting and handling user data. 

N-able also pays special attention to its privacy-by-design policy, which ensures that all data collected by the platform is used for limited processing and only for the purpose it’s designed to be used. 

Seeing as it uses AI in various parts of its platform design, the company has also drafted a detailed AI policy to ensure transparency with its users and inform them how their data is being processed using AI tools. This is highly appreciated, especially in the modern cybersecurity landscape, which is rife with web scraping to collect vast amounts of data for AI development. 

N-central: Support

You can get in touch with an N-able representative through call, support ticket, or live chat. However, keep in mind that you’ll need to be logged in to your N-ableMe dashboard to do so. 

Moreover, N-able has an active resource center with hundreds of articles on various products, including N-central. There are also filters that can help you whittle down the products and topics you’re actually looking for. 

Lastly, ongoing live demos, which are completely free to join, will help you learn the ropes around the platform.

N-central: Final verdict

N-central is a popular RMM and security platform that stands out for its superior automation features. If you’re a large MSP or IT team looking to streamline workflows and endpoint monitoring, N-central’s 650+ automation scripts will be more than enough. Plus, its AI-powered monitoring and alert system prevents any vulnerability from seeping through your systems.

There are also several add-ons, like Endpoint Detection & Response, in collaboration with SentinelOne, which helps you detect and remove any malware attacks in real time with superior behavioral analysis. Additionally, a cloud management tool called Cloud Commander will help you manage Windows, Intune, and Azure environments from a single dashboard.

Overall, N-central’s basic RMM features are good enough for any small or mid-sized business. However, enterprise-level IT teams and MSPs may have to opt for some add-ons to derive the best value for their purpose. 

However, as is the industry’s norm, you’ll have to reach out to N-central’s sales team to get a custom quote, which will also depend on how well you’re able to negotiate. One of the best things about N-central is that you get a free trial of 30 days, which not too many RMM platforms offer.

N-central: FAQs

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