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One platform to manage the entire IT device lifecycle
GET STARTEDUsing an IT asset management discovery tool to automatically identify hardware, software, cloud-based subscriptions, and more offers some impressive benefits.
It reduces your workload, increases accuracy, improves security, and provides an unparalleled level of asset visibility.
Below, you’ll find a full overview of today’s top asset discovery tools, along with their standout features and who they’re best suited for.
Platform Comparison of Asset Discovery Tools
Today’s Top Asset Discovery Tools
- Lansweeper
- NinjaOne
- Manage Engine IT Asset Discovery Tool
- ServiceNow Discovery
- Auvik
- Axonius
- Atera
- SolarWinds Service Desk
Best IT Asset Management Discovery Tools Compared
1. Lansweeper
Besides simply identifying assets, a critical part of accurate inventory management is ensuring there are no gaps that could create blind spots you’re not aware of. And that’s where this asset discovery tool excels.
In their own words, Lansweeper allows you to “automatically discover and catalog every connected technology asset, known or unknown, managed or unmanaged.”
This is where its real UVP lies — providing full visibility on every single asset, even if you weren’t initially aware of it. And it’s through this type of vulnerability scanning that really secures your IT environment.
While all of the asset discovery tools featured on this list are robust, Lansweeper is incredibly thorough and provides big-picture, detailed information on literally any type of device you can imagine.
From hardware and software to cloud-based assets to network equipment to IoT devices, everything is covered with this asset discovery software.
To ensure maximum accuracy, Lansweeper offers continuous discovery, where your database is automatically updated so that it’s always current.
This asset discovery tool is also one of the best in terms of integration capabilities, as it syncs with platforms like Asset Panda and Jira Service Management Assets.
If you’re dealing with a complex asset inventory and want a truly complete picture, Lansweeper is an excellent choice.
2. NinjaOne
NinjaOne is an asset discovery tool with a clear and simple goal. “Automatically find computers and other connected devices across your network and keep your IT asset inventory accurate with clear visibility into new and unmanaged systems.”
This is accomplished in three main ways.
First, NinjaOne seamlessly onboards new client networks, where your team can quickly scan to see what assets are currently connected within your network.
This allows you to build an accurate inventory and show you which devices, software, and cloud asset products need to be monitored.
Next, it detects unmanaged devices, similarly to Lansweeper. If, for example, new equipment is added without your IT team’s approval, you can pinpoint what it is and review it to ensure compliance.
Third, NinjaOne will keep your inventory continually updated with scheduled scans and its discovery agent.
So as your IT environment ebbs and flows, new assets are added, and old ones are removed, you’ll always have an accurate overview of what your current lineup looks like.
And to make things easy, this asset management software offers a centralized discovery view so, at a glance, you can see the asset management status so you’re always in control.
Because of NinjaOne’s thoroughness, it’s attractive for organizations with a remote-centric workforce.
3. ManageEngine IT Asset Discovery Tool
ManageEngine is an incredibly comprehensive platform and offers a full suite of products. And while asset discovery isn’t necessarily their bread and butter, they still have a highly respectable platform, which is why we’re including it on this list.
The ManageEngine IT Asset Discovery Tool does everything many companies need and offers some great key features, including:
- Network discovery
- Asset management
- Asset tracking
- Scheduled scanning
It also features remote control tools for streamlined device configuration, which can come in handy for remote employees. You can even sync all of your asset data from across multiple sites and aggregate it into a single location.
Besides that, this software asset management tool supports broader tasks like software license management and lets you schedule routine audits to ensure discovered assets are always up-to-date and new discovery data is added for crystal clear network visibility.
While it doesn’t have quite as many bells and whistles as some other asset discovery tools, it’s perfect for businesses that just need the basics and want to keep asset inventory simple and accurate.
4. ServiceNow Discovery
The first thing to know about this software asset management platform is that it’s mainly geared toward larger enterprise-level companies that not only need IT asset management but also need to go bigger and keep track of things like servers and IT infrastructure.
So if you only need the basics like managing a handful of laptops and mobile devices, ServiceNow Discovery probably isn’t the best fit.
But if your organization is enterprise-level or quickly scaling where you need the extra firepower, it may be right up your alley.
With that said, one of the key features of this asset discovery software is automated discovery, where you “gain agentless insight of your infrastructure and applications on-premises, in the cloud, or in containerized environments.”
Another is event-driven discovery, which automatically updates asset configuration events as they happen in real-time.
Beyond that, ServiceNow Discovery focuses heavily on continually identifying gaps in asset management, which results in improved workflows as time goes on.
And if you’re interested in adjacent services like certificate management, security management, and service mapping, this is definitely a platform worth considering.
5. Auvik
Let us start by saying that we love Auvik’s simple, straightforward tagline.
“Every device, site, and connection — clearly visible, always up-to-date.”
Further, they elaborate with four quick bullet points, stating:
- “Instantly create a live map of your network
- See every device and connection in one place
- Get automated alerts to detect issues fast
- Achieve full network visibility in under an hour”
If you’re looking to get your asset management up and running quickly for an in-depth snapshot of your asset inventory, Auvik is a network discovery platform to have on your radar.
It allows you to jump right in and flesh out your network with ease, while also offering detailed documentation for maximum visibility.
We also like that it performs continuous monitoring of your network through agentless discovery so you don’t have to worry about manually making edits whenever devices are added or removed.
And like allwhere, this is one of the asset discovery tools that lets you track devices as they approach their end-of-life for streamlined decommissioning.
6. Axonius
Axonius is an asset discovery software with three main goals — ensure complete asset inventory, maintain inventory recency, and reduce the number of unknown assets.
To achieve this, Axonius enables you to build an asset inventory and seamlessly track everything within it from a single resource, while performing continuous asset discovery.
The idea is to provide your team with a holistic view of every single asset, whether it’s hardware, software, cloud asset discovery, or anything else, so you have a strong foundation.
From there, it provides ongoing management so that your inventory is automatically updated as new assets are added, removed, or reconfigured.
The UVP of Axonius isn’t wildly different from any other of the asset discovery tools on this list. It’s just a fundamentally sound platform that checks all of the right boxes and allows you to manage your asset inventory while alleviating common friction points.
And like InvGate Asset Management, which received an honorable mention, this platform has some impressive integration capabilities.
In fact, “Axonius connects to 1,400+ data sources — from endpoint agents and cloud providers to SaaS apps and identity and access management solutions — and correlates everything into a single, reconciled asset record.”
If you want smart, capable network discovery software that cuts through the noise and provides actionable info, Axonius is a good choice.
7. Atera
Atera has everything you would expect in network discovery software.
You can use it to quickly detect assets with comprehensive network scanning and seamlessly add them to your IT network while including detailed asset information.
It allows you to conveniently monitor and manage devices from anywhere in the world through a centralized dashboard.
And it’s built to accommodate scaling so you can continually add new assets, as well as remove old assets that are no longer being used.
On top of that, Atera has some other key features, with one of the most noteworthy being patch management, where you can automate software patches remotely on your employees’ devices.
There’s also helpdesk and ticketing, where you can ensure rapid employee support to promptly resolve issues, which is perfect for boosting productivity.
We also like that Atera offers ultra-fast five-minute onboarding and the ability to monitor unlimited devices — all while offering a free 30-day trial on its software asset management platform.
8. SolarWinds Service Desk
The last of our asset discovery tools, SolarWinds Service Desk, is all about offering comprehensive, end-to-end asset management while keeping it simple.
On this platform, you get detailed insights on hardware, software, cloud asset products, and anything else that comprises your IT infrastructure from a single user-friendly cloud resource.
The discovery feature provides real-time visibility of everything in your organization’s IT inventory. And once your initial inventory is established, SolarWinds continually scans and automatically updates your inventory to reflect any changes.
And similar to allwhere, there’s an Asset Map tool that shows each device’s location, as well as the employee who has possession of the device, IP address, and more.
Service Desk is also designed to give you big-picture insights on asset utilization efficiency so you understand how your workflows could be optimized.
For instance, you can pinpoint assets that are seldom or no longer being used that you could potentially remove from your inventory to save money and reduce overhead.
If you’re looking to go beyond basic asset discovery and use a tool for broader purposes, SolarWinds can be a great choice.
Closing Thoughts
Using a discovery tool is widely considered part of IT asset management best practices. And if you have a remote or hybrid-heavy workforce, asset discovery tools are a must.
It’s just a matter of understanding how asset discovery tools work and choosing the one that best fits your organization’s exact needs and using it to continually refine your workflows.
If you’re having a hard time staying on top of your IT asset management, consider allwhere as your outsourced ITAM service and platform. Not only does allwhere’s platform integrate with many ITAM software tools, but our white-glove service takes the IT asset management services grunt work off your IT team’s plate.
