--- title: "SmartDeploy Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Is SmartDeploy the right Disk Imaging solution for you? Explore 118 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/171214/SmartDeploy/reviews/" page_type: "reviews" language: "en" --- SmartDeploy 4.8 (118) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/171214/SmartDeploy/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated August 26th, 2026 # Reviews of SmartDeploy Ease of use 4.8 Customer Service 4.8 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews SS Simon S System Admin and Account ManagerInformation Technology and Services, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “SmartDeploy is an excellent solution for IT teams looking for a powerful, flexible, and efficient way to manage deployments.“ October 2, 2024 RK Raheel K Software developerComputer Software, Self-employedUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “The only real con is that it costs more than other solutions, but you definitely get what you pay for with this product.“ August 31, 2021 RK Raheel K Software developerComputer Software, Self-employedUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “It has an extraordinary UI contrasted with other imaging arrangements, and organizations are quick and practically blunder free.“ August 31, 2021 HC Heather C Business Systems SpecialistGovernment Administration, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The major cons I have with it is that it often conflicts with antivirus software and drivers do not always apply or are available.“ February 5, 2021 David J Desktop Engineer LeadFinancial Services, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Their licensing site makes it easy to reclaim unused licenses and generate a report.“ February 4, 2022 MM Monika M Network technicianEducation Management, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “It can't update my VM machine with updated software and windows.“ April 22, 2021 RK Raheel K Software developerComputer Software, Self-employedUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “SmartDeploy is extremely easy to set up and use, and there are numerous recordings and different assets on the off chance that you need help.“ August 31, 2021 MM Monika M Network technicianEducation Management, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “I have to do everything manually and deployed again.“ April 22, 2021 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 118 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Samuel L. IT Director Law Practice Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Constantly getting better!" January 29, 2019 5.0 Overall - Excellent. Support has always been great and I'm very satisfied with the product. Highly recommend! Pros SD is always improving on their product. It's easy to use and the user interface is simple. The time it takes to image a machine is minimal. Even though we tell our users that it takes longer to image a machine - because then they'll just start getting demanding if it takes longer than 3 hours. Cons I don't utilize it to it's full potential. That's more a con about me than the software. It may do this now, but creating a golden image from a live machine would be awesome. Or just being able to do an image of a live machine and then snaps. So if something happened to that computer, I could just reimage it with that backup image/snaps. Review Source Derrick H. IT Systems Analyst Semiconductors Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great imaging software, it will make you forget about all of the others!" January 23, 2019 5.0 I've been using SmartDeploy a little over two years now and continue to be amazed at the new functionality that continues to be released on a regular basis. They took the amount of time it used to take to complete a build of a new computer down drastically and we quickly had an ROI. Pros This software was very easy to use and learn. The software walks you through everything to setting up a reference virtual machine to capturing that reference machine. The support documentation is great and if needed, you can always reach out to their amazing support team. Cons No cons to add here, Smart Deploy continues to expand its capabilities and is always adding additional functionality. Most recently, cloud deployment options. Review Source KJ Kerry-Ann J. Systems Engineer Internet Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Good Product (Performs Better than Others)" July 8, 2019 4.0 Overall, it is a good value. The ability to connect it to the WiFi network without having to manual do it makes it worth it. Additionally, not having to worry about getting drivers as they have the most popular drivers within the library makes it better than other solutions on the market. Pros The product is easy to use and the ability to automatically connect to a WiFi network on deployment is a great feature Cons Sometimes devices do not get joined to the network for whatever reason. Also, you cannot have computers named in sequence upon deployment, instead they are automatically given random numbers. Unlike Acronis, which I could input computer names to be Laptop-Department{15} and it would named the computers Laptop-Department15, Laptop-Department16, Laptop-Department17, etc. SmartDeploy randomizes the number sequence. So, when you input the naming convention as Laptop-DepartmentXX, it names the device Laptop-Department84, Laptop-Department25, Laptop-Department40, etc. There is no sequence or logic to the number section. Additionally, you still have to do some prep work by making some changes in the Bios on newer machines in order to get the software to image to it. Also, when you select to log into an account after imaging, it seems that it creates a local account for the profile instead of using the domain account and then it does not join to the domain. Reason for choosing SmartDeploy SmartDeploy was selected over Acronis as it seemed like a better product. It already created the driver packages for you and you can easily deploy via network, USB, or Cloud while our other solution only allowed Network or USB. Also, the license details and the computers that were using that license is stored in one location for SmartDeploy while it is stored on the local computer of our other solution. Review Source Patrick D. Lead IT Operations Engineer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Deployments have never been easier!" June 8, 2020 5.0 Overall, I would recommend SmartDeploy to any IT professional as they have helped us with saving hours of IT overhead, saving costs and it's ease of use. I would choose SmartDeploy over again in a hearbeat. Pros We have multiple PC Vendors (Dell, Lenovo, etc.) which all required different drivers and was a headache for us to manage and implement (especially with new refreshes). Smart Deploy's ability for us to image devices without having to worry about drivers and ease of use / understand was fantastic. Cons There were a lot of pre-requisite software from Microsoft which we were required to install to get our SmartDeploy server up and running. We ran into some issues with software and compatibility, which was frustrating, however the Support team was very quick to respond and help resolve these issues very quickly. Review Source Eric B. Technician Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Incredible Asset!" January 29, 2019 5.0 We used a hard drive duplicator before implementing SmartDeploy. SmartDeploy has made our process for computer preparation much easier and faster. We utilize the software on a regular basis for new computers and also to prepare existing computers for the upcoming academic year. Support staff have been very helpful and I don't know if I could ask for anything more. Thank you for producing a remarkable piece of software. Pros Ease of use and functionality. SmartDeploy makes it very easy to deploy a golden image onto virtually any PC with its use of driver packs. Cons Nothing. The software has been very functional in our environment. Review Source Joshua F. Technical Support Specialist Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Imaging Software That Works" January 29, 2019 5.0 I've had the pleasure of using SmartDeploy for about 1 year now, and I don't regret a minute of it. The software is easy to use and setup, customer service is prompt and helpful, and the new features they add make it better each day. SmartDeploy is the best option for imaging that I've found. Pros SmartDeploy is easy to use and simple to manage. Cons Lack of reporting features...which they are starting to add. Review Source Andrew M. Director of IT Operations Higher Education Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Simplified our Image Deployment" January 29, 2019 5.0 I have nothing but praise for SmartDeploy. We maintain 600 PCs and keeping all of the many separate images we used to maintain up to date was an endless process of frustration. Our old process required that each manufacturer have its own image and we had a collection of legacy computers and images to maintain. Now we keep two images up to date, download the appropriate drivers for any new computers we purchase and we are ready to deploy. SmartDeploy also created a new driver pack for a legacy computer that needed to run an old OS for us and saved me endless headaches. Pros SmartDeploy made our imaging and deployment of PCs so easy. I still get nightmares about our previous system, but SmartDeploy has made updating our image and deploying it to computers very straightforward and the best of all uncomplicated. Cons The capture process is a little slow, but honestly that is it. I still get images updated and captured easily. Review Source Lloyd S. Computer Systems Administrator Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Makes standardizing PC's a breeze" January 30, 2019 4.0 I started using Smartdeploy 2 years ago (2016) and they have made many valuable enhancements since then. I manage a fleet of about 250 laptops with many makes and models in the mix. Having Smartdeploy has allowed me to push the imaging process out to the end user saving time and money in shipping costs. Pros \-Easy to use -Great Customer Support -Flexibility -Standardization -Platform Packs Cons \-Creating platform packs for custom systems is a little complicated -The cost, although being able to reclaim licenses from decommissioned PC's is a plus Review Source Roy O. Techinican Information Technology and Services Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "ease deployment by inverting image creation" July 2, 2019 5.0 we sell laptops to our customers, delivering software of their needs, smartdeploy helps us ease this, by premanufacturing images, and simplifying the process of preparing a computer for delivery Pros Smartdeploy is a deployment program easing deployment and integration process, by inverting the process, beginning in the image end, where you set up the golden image in a virtual environment, pack it up, download platform packs(driver packs) and if you want, specific application packs you make yourself or premade Cons its nothing to not like about it :) it solves most problems hassle free Review Source Richard W. Director of Information Technology, and HIPAA Compliance and Security Officer Education Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Excellent Deployment Tool" January 29, 2019 5.0 We used an deployment system that was written in-house, but when it needed updating it was much easier to move forward with SmarDeploy. We've been using it for 12 months, and have re-imaged all of the computers on our LAN. It is literally faster for us to re-image a computer than to run Windows updates if there is a Win10 feature update required. We do update our reference images monthly. Pros It's actually easy to use! I was surprised that I was literally able to learn how to use this system in about 3 hours. Of course, there was a lot of fine tuning. I really like how the platform packs make it easy to support the models of laptops and desktops we purchase. The support has been excellent. Cons I have had some issues with client agents getting updated on about 20 of my 100 computers, but other than that I have no complaints. Review Source MP Mark P. Applications Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Build a Virtual Machine then deploy to any hardware" January 30, 2019 5.0 Our company delivers software training and needs to deploy a single image to hundreds of machines multiple times a year. We primarily use offline USB deployment for this and it has worked extremely well over the past two years with very little issues or maintenance needed. We have a few dozen disparate sites and each site is maintained by a non-technical employee. They plug the USB drive into a computer and leave it alone for an hour. When they come back its fully deployed - like magic! This method offsets the installation of several software packages that would normally take several days. When deployment issues are experienced we ask the user to capture the logs and send them into SmartDeploy Support. They are incredibly responsive and helpful. Pros Being able to generate a single VM image and distribute it to hundreds of different computers (manufacturers and models) is revolutionary. Other software I've used requires you to have an image created on each type of physical hardware. This means you have to manage multiple images and have a spare of each type of computer just to maintain the system. Cons There are several deployment methods (USB drives, local network, cloud-based) that all work really well. When using the USB drive method, there isn't an easy way to update the boot software (e.g. WinPE) on the device or distribute new USB media. Shipping the USB drives works but is slow and expensive. Having the coworker at the remote office create a new USB drive is difficult because you have to walk them through installing the enterprise software which I don't necessarily want them to have access to. However, this is not undermining the huge benefits we see from using SmartDeploy. Review Source JB Jeffrey B. Technical Support Analyst Higher Education Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "SmartDeploy on College Campus" January 30, 2019 5.0 SmartDeploy has been a very appreciated resource in my department. As I'm the only one that creates/manages the images for all of the college-owned machines, it has made that part of my job much easier and more streamlined. Although I have had minor issues with the software in the year that I've been using it, the issues have been severely outweighed by the benefits it has provided. I haven't gotten the chance to work with the networking team on setting up the connectivity necessary for using some of remote management features, but I do look forward to taking advantage of those. Overall it's been a solid experience with my only real gripe being a lack of true documentation. I know there are articles but I've found a good portion of them lacking in the information that I needed. The good; however, is that technical support has been timely in getting around to my questions and answering them for me. Pros Ease of capturing VMs and deploying images Platform packs user interface image management and connectivity to the images after deployment Cons lack of documentation regarding differencing images lack of documentation/training for folks newer to image creation/SmartDeploy software Have had issues installing the SmartDeploy application on secondary machines in the past Review Source JR Jim R. Systems Enginner II/ Desktop Image Manager Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best imaging software out there. " January 29, 2019 5.0 My experience with SmartDeploy has been great. If I have an issue which is rare and it's always ends up being my fault because I did something wrong or stupid ( hahaha) they have ALWAYS fixed any issue I have had very quickly. I have never worked with better support on a product!! I am always praising the support when I am trying to get our clients to buy the product or if I am demonstrating the software. Pros The ease of imaging computers makes my job so much easier, no hunting around for different drivers for each different manufacture we have. One image for all of our computers makes it simple, fast and reliable. I have some of our clients using it now due to me bragging about it constantly. Cons I have no cons that I can think of. That is rare with most software. Review Source ZT Zack T. Supervisor, Desktop Support Telecommunications Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Ghost is a thing of the past....Smart Deploy is the future of imaging!!!" January 17, 2019 5.0 We have, literally, only been using Smart Deploy between 30-45 days (new to it all), but it has DRASTICALLY changed how fast we can pump out deployments of PC's. We had SO MANY issues with Ghost and their support was HORRIBLE!!! So far we have only had one ticket with Smart Deploy and they responded in a VERY timely manner and had an answer for us. Pros Complete ease of setup and ease of use. We love the fact that is now only takes us 6-7 minutes to image a PC for our company. The "no touch" and "click and go" functionality of the Smart Deploy imaging process is superb! Setting up and using a "reference" image to use on multiple platforms of hardware is a stellar part of the processes. I could go on and on and on.........JUST BUY THIS (and then shutdown your Ghost server!)!!!! It's the best thing you can have for an imaging solution for your IT department. Cons My team and I would like to see this software be able to keep data and programs in tact when we use it for upgrading purposes. We have a massive Windows 10 upgrade project that we need to accomplish before EoL of Windows 7 and this feature would save us time from having to run "manual" upgrades. I am sure I could come up with more idea's for this software, but I am pretty positive that Smart Deploy is already working on upgrades to this software. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Computer Technician Medical Devices Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Make your IT life easier and more efficient" January 23, 2019 5.0 Have a problem with a system and it could take over an hour to correct it if you are lucky? Just wipe it and reimage it - save yourself all of that wasted time... Pros SmartDeploy does it all, they keep the drivers up-to-date and even BIOS upgrades are automated in the process! So easy to use! Cons I can't think of a single thing... Review Source DM David M. Helpdesk Manager Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Good Platform" January 29, 2019 4.0 We are a MSP and deploy new PCs on a regular business. We tried several imaging methods and decided to go with Smart Deploy for its low cost and ease of use. We have greatly standardized our setups and in some instances, saved 6-8 hours of installing software. Pros Easy to use. Greatly reduces new PC Setup times, sometimes by several hours. Drives are included so we don't have to try and hunt them down. Custom driver packs are easy to create for one off custom built PCs Cons Extra steps to activate Windows after the image (We don't have Enterprise licensing) Requires LAN connection (I have heard Wireless is coming though) Review Source AG Amber G. IT Tech Medical Devices Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "SmartDeploy" March 14, 2019 5.0 My experience with SmartDeploy has been 100% positive. It has helped me in my job and has allowed me to image computers more effectively. I love that SmartDeploy can be used in any environment. Pros SmartDeploy is a must have. SmartDeploy has made imaging devices and upgrade a whole lot easier. Cons I have had no issues with using SmartDeploy. Review Source JM John M. technical support Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Great Imaging Solution!" February 4, 2020 4.0 We are moving away from using Ghost in our school system, and Smart Deploy has helped us simplify this process. Pros This product has simplified our imaging process by allowing us to move away from Ghost. Cons Keeping track of licensing is a little difficult at this point, however the team is listening and responded promptly to my concerns and is working on ways to simplify. Reason for choosing SmartDeploy Configuration manager is a very complex solution and Smart Deploy has a simplified interface and is very intuitive to use. Switched from [Ghost](https://www.capterra.com/p/151947/Ghost/) Ghost is an older imaging solution . Review Source Bradley T. Service Desk Analyst Management Consulting Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Amazing Product! Makes my life easy!" January 29, 2019 5.0 Pros We have utilized SmartDeploy for some of our largest clients, making the imaging process an overall smooth experience. We look forward to working with SmartDeploy in the future as well! Cons None to list as of yet! I am new with the company and so far have experienced only great things with the company. Review Source Leonardo C. Cloud Solution Analyst Management Consulting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Amazing Product!!" January 30, 2019 5.0 Pros Very fast and secure means of imaging in our corporate settings. Cons None to list! Once again an amazing product. Review Source Mike B. Technology Director Education Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Shouldn't be this easy but it is!" January 23, 2019 5.0 Pros I love the fact that I can create one virtual machine image that is device agnostic and then apply platform packs that contain all of the drivers for any machine I have. I also love that the licenses are perpetual. SmartDeploy has some more really need feature coming down the line that I am excited to start using such as the ability to deploy 3rd-party applications. Cons I honestly have not found anything that I do not like about SmartDeploy. This may be because I came from a Novell environment that used Zenworks for imaging but I think SmartDeploy holds it's own weight against any competitor. Review Source NJ Nicholas J. IT Manager Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Wow - Amazed" January 18, 2021 5.0 Time reduction, Resources and Costs as well as improved efficiency and ability to deploy remotely are all benefits of your IT department. Pros Its just so easy and powerful, such a joy to use. Cons Nope. Nothing I can think of not at least right now, but im sure they will come up with something cool soon! Always do. Review Source NJ Nick J. Systems Administrator Banking Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Windows 10 Upgrade Made Easy!" July 1, 2019 5.0 We went from taking almost a full day to get a new PC out to one of our branches to imaging computers for an entire branch in just a few hours! SmartDeploy got our image onto our drives in 10 minutes! I was blown away by the speed of this program and how easy it was to use it. We trained our entire IT department how to use it in just minutes. Can't imagine doing this upgrade project without SmartDeploy. Pros It is so easy to use once you get it configured. Cons We had one small issue with the driver for our new PC's not having the PXE driver in the package we downloaded, however this was resolved by SmartDeloy in minutes after reaching out to them for help. Review Source MS Mark S. Systems Administrator Construction Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Simple and Powerful Imaging Tools" February 19, 2019 5.0 SmartDeploy has cut several steps off our deployment process, helping to standardize our workflow and reduce the errors we were seeing in rolling out new machines. We're also deploying machines much faster as it takes fewer visits to websites for downloading drivers and software. Pros The product saves steps by joining a machine to a domain during the deployment process. SmartDeploy also gives several options for naming a machine during the deployment process. Driver management is simple. SmartDeploy keeps driver bundles for most industry standard workstation, so there's no need to check with every vendor. Cons The install was a little cumbersome. It needed to download separate tools from Microsoft instead of having them included in their installer. Review Source CJ Chris J. IT Technician Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Fast, Friendly and Intuative" January 30, 2019 5.0 Overall it has been an excellent experience. Turned out deployments into a stress free time of the year which compared to how things were done previously was night and day. Would recommend. Pros Given instructions (Video and Documentation) very clear and straight forward. Support for WDS integration Built in Agent and Console made deployment a breeze. Rapid deployment time using both Unicast or Multicast Speedy response from support (Time zone allowing) Frequent Updates Easy managment of drivers Cons Once deployment packages are created for the agent they automatically change to Unattended deployment. Would like to see an option to keep them attended. Sometimes Driver packs would require rebuilding due to version change, not that it took very long to rebuild. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.