If you’re switching PSA, “time-to-first-invoice” matters more than glossy feature lists. Below is a clear, source-backed look at how quickly each platform typically gets an MSP live. We’ve grouped them by indicative onboarding speed and included what drives that speed: trial access, guided setup, partners, and data-migration paths.
Before diving into each vendor, let’s clarify what we mean by “fast onboarding”:
Time to minimal usable state: “Can I take tickets, log time, bill something?”
Time to full core configuration: Clients, SLAs, contracts, billing, integrations (RMM, accounting, etc.)
Ease and friction along the way: tool design, defaults, helper guides, migrations, partner dependency
Often, the difference between “fast” and “slow” is not the software alone, but how many moving parts (data, integrations, new workflows) your MSP carries into the project. So take the vendor timelines with a grain of salt: your own complexity matters most.
Also: small MSPs (1–10 techs) care more about “short ramp to sanity.” Large MSPs (20–100+) care more about stability, consistency, and avoiding misconfigurations.
With that frame, let’s dive.
The speed ladder (at a glance)
PSA
Indicative onboarding speed
Why it’s this fast/slow
DeskDay
Same day to a few days
DeskDay pushes same-day onboarding with no external consultants. A 14-day trial lowers the friction.
Zammad
~1 week (5–6 person-days)
Vendor KB states a typical implementation is ~5–6 person-days; a 30-day hosted trial also helps teams move quickly. (support.zammad.com)
SherpaDesk
Days to 1–2 weeks
Weekly onboarding webinars + optional paid sessions; 15-day trial and even a free-for-one-user plan encourage quick starts. (support.sherpadesk.com)
HaloPSA
4–12 weeks typical
Official free config sessions and Academy content help, but most real-world implementations use 16–20 consulting hours and land ~4–12 weeks. (HALO)
ConnectWise PSA (Manage)
4–12 weeks typical
CW’s own blog says an onboarding stage of 1–4 weeks, but partner checklists and user accounts place whole implementations at 8–12 weeks (30–90 days). (ConnectWise)
Autotask PSA
4–12 weeks typical
Datto notes you can compress into a week, but most split work across 4–8 weeks; G2 reviewers report ~3 months on average. (Datto)
Rev.io PSA
~4–8+ weeks (inferred)
Rev.io shares onboarding tips and a 30–60 day timeline for launching telecom offerings; PSA-specific timelines aren’t published, so plan for ~1–2 months. (rev.io)
Gorelo
Weeks (simple start)
Positions “simple onboarding with support from real humans”; free trial availability is cited across listings, but no official duration: assume weeks, not months. (Gorelo)
Deep dive: onboarding ease, obstacles, and ideal audience per PSA
DeskDay
Why it tends to onboard fast
DeskDay is “ready day one” with guided onboarding, smart defaults, no setup fees, and no consultant required.
Their support site shows a sequence of lightweight setup steps: adding customers, users, mail routing, connecting IT-Connect, etc.
The interface is modern, chat-centric, with fewer legacy cruft or deep customization that would slow you down.
They emphasize minimal contracts, no hidden complexity, and low friction to entry.
Why it might slow down
Because it’s newer, some edge features or integrations may be missing (so if you need a niche integration, you might have to build it or wait).
Who benefits
Small to mid MSPs (5–20 techs) wanting to go live quickly, with less internal overhead.
Teams that prefer simplicity over exhaustive flexibility.
MSPs migrating from ticketing or simpler tools, rather than full-blown enterprise PSAs.
Zammad
Why it’s relatively quick
The vendor documentation speaks in “person-days” for implementation, about 5–6 days typical for full setup.
Zammad is an open source / self-hostable (though also offered as a cloud SaaS), so you don’t always wait on vendor release cycles.
The architecture is leaner; less baggage, fewer modules to unpack.
Why it might slow down
If you have lots of custom fields, workflows, or require integrations to your other MSP tools, crafting those can stretch time.
Migrating historical ticket or contact data needs careful mapping.
Some features (especially advanced PSA modules) may require extensions or custom builds.
Who benefits
MSPs that want control (self-hosting), modularity, fewer dependencies, and that have some in-house capability.
Teams not pushing a dozen custom automations from day one.
MSPs comfortable doing some of the mapping/config work themselves.
SherpaDesk
Why it’s moderate to fast
SherpaDesk offers weekly onboarding webinars (fixed times) to walk new users through setup.
They maintain a “SherpaDesk University” program: self-paced videos, knowledge base, how-tos, etc., to flatten the learning curve.
The support site shows basic setup steps up front (forwarding emails, adding users, creating ticket status, adding asset fields) that are manageable and predictable.
You can optionally pay for a “one-on-one setup” to accelerate the process.
Why it might slow down
If your processes are non-standard (e.g., unusual billing rules, complex contract templates), you may need custom guidance or adjustments, which take skilled hours.
Some users mention that documentation is good, but they had to hunt for instructions for advanced features (e.g., contract billing mirroring older systems).
The pace is bounded by the weekly webinar and your team’s availability to attend.
Who benefits
Small to mid MSPs who want a balance: relatively fast ramp, but enough handholding to avoid missteps.
MSPs uncomfortable doing everything “by themselves” but who don’t want huge consulting overhead.
Teams that prefer structure (webinars, courses) rather than fully ad hoc trails.
HaloPSA
Why it’s slower by default
They sell onboarding packages: for example, via Gozynta, there is a “recommended onboarding” of 16 hours consulting/setup covering core modules, plus post-go-live refinement.
Their flexibility is high: many modules, deep workflow options, and custom automations. More choice means more decision points.
When migrating from complex systems (ConnectWise, Autotask, etc.), mapping client data, contracts, custom fields, and automations tends to take significant time.
Community feedback indicates that though ticketing often goes live early, full adoption (billing, contracts, sales automation) may stretch weeks or months.
Some MSPs note a steep learning curve because there are multiple ways to model a process.
Where speed gains happen
If your operation is simpler (few contracts, uniform billing, no heavy custom fields), the core setup can move faster.
If you’re using a partner who is already experienced with your stack, they can accelerate the mapping and config.
Who benefits
MSPs that intend to grow and need flexibility for evolving processes.
Teams that expect to scale across geographies or service lines and want a PSA that can adapt.
MSPs migrating from older complex systems who need both structure and power.
ConnectWise (Manage / PSA)
Why it’s slower by default
ConnectWise has a deep legacy and a lot of modules and configurations, so there are more knobs to turn.
Their own onboarding literature describes multi-step client onboarding processes with template project plans, automations, etc.
Their “Client Onboarding” pitch highlights automation (Sidekick, RPA), but the automation must be configured and workflows tailored per client.
The trickiest parts: migrating existing data (tickets, contacts, contracts), reconciling your legacy billing rules, integrating RMM and accounting, and training users on the full system workflow.
Because it’s a mature system, the barrier to entry is higher; mistakes today can produce messes later.
Where speed gains happen
If you limit scope initially: go live with core ticketing, then roll out billing and contracts in phases.
If you bring in a ConnectWise implementation partner with expertise in your pre-existing stack.
Using templated clients and standard SLAs across many clients reduces variance.
Who benefits
Larger MSPs (20–100+ techs) that need maturity, process security, advanced reporting, and deep integrations.
MSPs that already have disciplined project management and can stage the rollout.
Organizations where long-term stability and process consistency matter more than an immediate cutover.
Autotask
Why it tends to be slower
Autotask typically is used by MSPs with mature processes, so expectations are higher (variable billing, contract complexity, project modules).
Integrations are common (RMM, documentation tools, finance), and each must be configured carefully.
Community reports say that although ticketing may go live in weeks, complete adoption often takes 3 months or more. For example, a user said they took “almost two years to fully implement” Autotask features in their firm, but basic ticketing was used much earlier. Reddit
The migration path is complex if you have many clients, custom fields, historical data, and nonstandard workflows.
Where speed can improve
If you start light and layer complexity later (ticketing first, billing next).
If your partners or existing vendor support help with mapping.
If you have good documentation of your current processes and data formats upfront.
Who benefits
MSPs that have grown beyond basic tools and are ready for more robust features.
Firms that can afford a staged, careful implementation.
Teams willing to invest in training and change management.
Rev.io
What we know
Rev.io’s PSA is part of a unified stack including billing, payments, and automation, so internal coupling simplifies some cross-module setups.
Their workflow automation is built to touch onboarding, ticket routing, billing triggers, etc.
But we have found no published “time to onboard” commitments or packages.
Risks and unknowns
Because it’s ambitious (covering billing, payments, scheduling, etc.), each module might require configuration.
If you’re migrating from a different PSA or billing system, mapping and reconciliation may take time.
Where you need custom integrations or niche connectors, those may slow you.
But here’s the nuance: if your MSP already has complex billing rules, many clients with varied SLAs, multiple RMMs, or a legacy PSA to extract data from, the gap between rank 4 and rank 7 may compress. The trick is to define your minimal “go live” scope.
A decision framework for your MSP
To pick the right onboarding pace for your MSP:
Scan your complexity
Number of clients, contracts, SLAs
Custom billing rules or revenue models
Number of integrations to configure
Volume of historical data to migrate
Decide your roll-out phases Go live first with the essential functions (ticketing, time tracking, basic billing) and save advanced modules (automation, quoting, project workflows) for a later wave.
Check vendor support packages Paying for guided onboarding is often worth more than cutting corners and redoing misconfigurations later.
Choose a partner with relevant experience Even a fast tool slows down without a partner who knows your stack (RMM, accounting, integrations).
Set milestones and test early E.g., within week 1: tickets flowing. Within week 2: first invoice. That forces progress and exposes blockers.
Other factors that move the needle
Trial access Halo offers free configuration sessions during trial; SherpaDesk offers 15-day trials; Zammad has 30-day trials (or self-host); DeskDay has 14-day trials; ConnectWise/Autotask lean demo-first. Trials shorten discovery and de-risk fit.
Partner ecosystem Halo and ConnectWise have deep partner benches (Gozynta, TechPulse, etc.)—great for complex rollouts, but partner availability can add calendar time.
Published expectations Autotask is unusually candid about 4–8 weeks; ConnectWise publishes a 1–4 week onboarding stage but execution often runs longer. Zammad publishes 5–6 person-days, which is refreshingly specific.
Fast, but plan a real project: HaloPSA: you can move briskly with structure and a good partner; budget ~1–3 months.
Thorough, slower: ConnectWise and Autotask: powerful, phased, and typically ~2–3 months end-to-end.
Incomplete public data: Rev.io, Gorelo: messaging suggests straightforward starts; published, PSA-specific timelines are scarce. Treat as weeks, not days, unless your scope is minimal.
A simple decision rubric
If you need production ticketing and billing this week: Start with DeskDay or Zammad; trial, configure mail and SLAs, and ship.
If you’re standardizing many modules (quoting, contracts, billing, projects):HaloPSA, ConnectWise, or Autotask; but schedule a real implementation with milestones.
If telecom/usage billing is central: Evaluate Rev.io; confirm PSA onboarding timelines with their team before committing your go-live date.
If you’re small and cost-sensitive:SherpaDesk or Gorelo can be pragmatic. Trial first, then layer process as you grow.
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