Sync 365 vs ConnectActive by Nilear
Compared with ConnectActive by Nilear, Sync 365 provides a more streamlined ongoing Microsoft mapping path: save term, billing-profile, PSA-destination, and approval rules once, then let AutoMap apply them as matching subscriptions appear.
What Sync 365 does differently
A licence count is only the starting point. Sync 365 maps new subscriptions, builds the quantities your MSP sells, and routes each result to the right supported PSA record.
Major differentiator
Set the licence, commitment-term, billing-profile and PSA destination rules once. When matching subscriptions appear, AutoMap can apply those rules automatically or queue them for approval.
Custom licences
Create the active-user or managed-user count your MSP actually sells, then use it across related support, backup, security and filtering lines in the PSA.
Explore custom licence billing
Calculated custom licences
Add and subtract Microsoft licences, subscriptions, users, custom licences or fixed quantities to model bundles, included seats and overages before the result reaches the PSA.
Explore calculated billing
Filters and split billing
Split one Microsoft tenant into separate billable populations using office, city, state, country, department, company, domain, Entra ID group or custom attributes.
Explore filters and split billingAt a glance
Compare the jobs that determine billing accuracy: new-subscription mapping, custom and calculated quantities, split-tenant rules, Azure controls, and ownership of the final PSA record.
| What matters | Automates repeat billing workSync 365 | ConnectActive by Nilear | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary billing job | Microsoft billing automationA focused Microsoft billing layer for licences, Azure, managed users, contacts, and custom recurring services while the supported PSA remains the invoicing system of record.[6][2][5] | ConnectWise agreement automationConnectActive by Nilear: ConnectWise-centred contact synchronisation and licence- or user-based Agreement Addition automation.[7] | Start with the operational problem each product is designed to own before comparing individual features. |
| Configuration and repeat mapping | Reusable AutoMap defaultsSync 365 can create the billing profile while the PSA item is selected during initial mapping. AutoMap then reuses licence-term, billing-profile, company or filter-group destination, and approval defaults for matching new subscriptions.[1] | Per-licence configurationConnectActive by Nilear documents enabling Office 365 sync for the company, reviewing every active licence, ignoring excluded licences, setting invoice options and choosing an Agreement Addition for each mapped licence, then starting sync, completing final review, and committing. Mapped counts update automatically after setup.[8] | Reusable defaults remove repeated configuration decisions as new subscriptions appear, while an optional review queue preserves control. |
| New subscription mapping | Reusable subscription rulesAutoMap applies reusable Microsoft licence and commitment-term rules to matching new subscriptions, routing each to the configured billing profile and PSA destination automatically or pending review.[1] | Configured mapping updatesAfter final review and commit, ConnectActive by Nilear automatically updates the mapped Agreement Addition when Office 365 licence assignments change. Its public guide documents configured licence-to-addition mappings rather than the same reusable term- and destination-aware defaults AutoMap applies to matching new subscriptions.[8] | Automatic count updates and automatic mapping of newly appearing subscriptions remove different types of administration; buyers should test both. |
| Custom recurring services | User-driven service billingA configured Microsoft or managed-user count can keep support, backup, antivirus, security, filtering, and other related recurring PSA lines aligned.[2] | User-based agreement updatesConnectActive by Nilear supports user-based Agreement Addition updates, tiered pricing, and user lists. Buyers should test how one user count drives several different recurring products and customer-specific service rules.[7] | MSPs often sell a service bundle around each user, not only the underlying Microsoft licence. |
| Calculated quantities and overage | Calculated billing rulesCalculated custom licences add and subtract Microsoft licences, subscriptions, users, custom licences, or fixed values to produce bundles, included-seat deductions, and overage quantities.[3] | Expression builder not documentedThe reviewed ConnectActive by Nilear material does not describe an ordered add-and-subtract expression builder for bundles, included seats, overage, fixed values, or duplicate removal.[7][8] | The correct quantity may be a formula—such as protected mailboxes minus users already included in the bundle—not a copied vendor count. |
| Location, department, and split billing | Attribute-based split billingOffice, city, state, country, department, company, domain, Entra group, and custom attributes can split one tenant into separate billable populations and PSA records.[4] | Group and licence filtersConnectActive by Nilear documents group- and licence-based filtering for multi-company tenants. Sync 365 extends the comparison to office, city, state, country, department, company, domain, group, and custom attributes.[9] | One Microsoft tenant can represent several sites, departments, franchises, cost centres, or legal billing entities. |
| Azure consumption workflow | Azure review and postingAzure consumption can move through billing profiles, markup, billing-period review, approval or configured auto-approval, and supported PSA posting.[5] | Azure workflow not documentedConnectActive by Nilear focuses its public material on users, licences, contacts, and ConnectWise Agreement Additions rather than an Azure consumption, markup, approval, and posting workflow.[7] | Azure comparison should include data timing, markup, period review, approval, exception handling, and the final PSA record—not only ingestion. |
| PSA ownership and scope | Multi-PSA billing layerSync 365 supports ConnectWise Manage, Autotask PSA, and HaloPSA workflows while the PSA remains responsible for invoices.[6] | ConnectWise-native workflowConnectActive by Nilear is explicitly built around ConnectWise PSA; Sync 365 also supports Autotask PSA and HaloPSA workflows.[7] | Clear system ownership prevents overlapping automations and keeps finance confident about which record becomes the invoice. |
Beyond one-to-one sync
Start with Microsoft, managed-user or recurring-service data. Apply the commercial rule. Keep the related PSA lines aligned without rebuilding the logic in a spreadsheet each month.
Billing sources
Sync 365 billing rules
Automated PSA billing
Workflow differences
These are the practical differences to test with your own customer data—not a generic feature-score exercise.
AutoMap centralises the recurring decisions in reusable rules, then keeps applying them as matching subscriptions appear.
With Sync 365
Configure monthly and annual Microsoft commitment-term defaults, the Sync 365 billing profile, the company or filter-group PSA destination, and automatic or pending approval. Matching new subscriptions can then follow that route.[1]
With ConnectActive by Nilear
ConnectActive by Nilear documents enabling company sync, reviewing every active licence, ignoring excluded licences, choosing invoice options and an Agreement Addition, then selecting Perform Sync, proceeding to final review, and committing. The full sync then updates mapped licence counts automatically.[8]
Why it matters
The useful distinction is not whether a product can sync a count. It is whether the same configuration decisions must be revisited as the Microsoft estate changes, or new subscriptions inherit the right commercial and PSA-routing rules.
Turn the trusted user or licence count into the support, backup, security, and filtering lines the MSP actually sells.
With Sync 365
Custom licences can use managed users, filtered licences, minimums, exclusions, and customer rules. One configured count can drive several related recurring items through their billing profiles into supported PSA records.[2]
With ConnectActive by Nilear
ConnectActive by Nilear supports user-based Agreement Addition updates, tiered pricing, and user lists. Buyers should test how one user count drives several different recurring products and customer-specific service rules.[7]
Why it matters
A Microsoft seat count can be correct while the surrounding managed-service invoice is still wrong. Keeping related lines tied to one reviewed quantity reduces that drift.
Use ordered additions and deductions when the billable number does not exist in any single source system.
With Sync 365
Calculated custom licences can combine Microsoft licences, subscriptions, all users, custom licences, and fixed quantities. Rules can apply filters, configured duplicate removal, included-seat deductions, and a zero floor before mapping the result to the PSA.[3]
With ConnectActive by Nilear
The reviewed ConnectActive by Nilear material does not describe an ordered add-and-subtract expression builder for bundles, included seats, overage, fixed values, or duplicate removal.[7][8]
Why it matters
Finance gets an explainable recurring result for rules that otherwise tend to live in spreadsheet formulas, custom scripts, or month-end adjustments.
Keep one tenant while producing separate location, department, franchise, group, or entity-specific billing populations.
With Sync 365
Sync 365 can include or exclude users by Microsoft and Entra attributes, map each filtered population to the relevant PSA record, and use a separate AutoMap destination for each filter group.[4][1]
With ConnectActive by Nilear
ConnectActive by Nilear documents group- and licence-based filtering for multi-company tenants. Sync 365 extends the comparison to office, city, state, country, department, company, domain, group, and custom attributes.[9]
Why it matters
The tenant-wide total is often wrong for a multi-site or multi-entity agreement. Billing populations should reflect the customer structure that finance actually invoices.
Built around real MSP billing
Sync 365 customer stories show custom recurring rules and split-tenant billing working in live MSP operations.
Custom recurring billing
“Everyone can do 365 licensing. It’s the custom stuff I need.”
Chris F, Operations Director · Cleva Group
Read the Cleva Group storyOne tenant, many billing records
“There’s no way we would be able to service a customer like that manually.”
Sean Stuart, Operations Manager · IT Global
Read the IT Global storyCustomer-specific examples, not typical or guaranteed results.
Best fit
Choose around the system that should own the billing logic, the source data that determines quantity, and the amount of mapping or custom engineering your team wants to maintain.
Choose Sync 365 when
Sync 365 fits when the billing team wants fewer repeat configuration decisions as the Microsoft estate changes and matching subscriptions should inherit reusable term, billing-profile, destination, and approval rules.[1][2][3][4][6]
Choose the alternative when
ConnectActive by Nilear fits a ConnectWise-centred MSP that wants real-time contact alignment and straightforward licence- or user-based Agreement Addition updates, where company-specific mapping and final commit steps are acceptable upfront.[7][8]
Use a real customer in the demo
Use one real customer to compare Sync 365 with ConnectActive by Nilear: configure the customer from scratch, then introduce a new annual Microsoft subscription, a managed-user bundle, an overage calculation, and one filtered site. Count the initial configuration choices, then note which mapping, review, or exception steps—if any—repeat later.
How Sync 365 fits
The PSA stays in control of invoicing. Sync 365 owns the reusable mapping, quantity and review logic that prepares supported billing records.
Bring Microsoft 365, Azure, managed-user and supported PSA data into one billing workflow.
Use AutoMap, billing profiles, minimums, exclusions, filters and calculated custom quantities.
Check pending mappings, calculated quantities, billing changes and configured Azure approvals.
Update supported PSA billing records while the PSA remains the invoicing system of record.
Frequently asked questions
ConnectActive by Nilear is designed primarily for ConnectWise-centred contact synchronisation and licence- or user-based Agreement Addition automation. Sync 365 focuses on turning Microsoft and Entra data into mapped, filtered, custom, or calculated quantities while a supported PSA remains the invoicing system of record.[1][2][3][4][6][7]
For the documented Microsoft licence workflow, Sync 365 offers the more streamlined path for repeated mapping. AutoMap stores term, billing-profile, PSA-destination, and approval defaults and reapplies them to matching new subscriptions. ConnectActive by Nilear documents configuring and reviewing each company's active licences, invoice options, and Agreement Additions before final commit; it then updates mapped counts automatically. Actual onboarding effort will depend on each MSP's customer and agreement structure.[1][8]
In the public ConnectActive by Nilear material reviewed, we did not find the same documented combination of Microsoft commitment-term rules, Sync 365 billing-profile routing, PSA destination routing, and per-company automatic or pending approval. That is a documentation comparison, not proof that an unpublished capability does not exist; verify it directly.[1][8]
Sync 365 provides custom and calculated licence workflows for managed-user services, minimums, filters, additions, deductions, bundles, and overage. ConnectActive by Nilear should be tested with the same real customer rule so buyers can see where the source data, calculation, review, and PSA update live.[2][3][4][7][8]
Both products can update ConnectWise billing records. If evaluated together, assign clear ownership for contacts, licence mappings, Agreement Additions, and proration to avoid overlapping updates. Whichever design you choose, document the system of record and ensure two automations do not update the same customer quantity.[6][7]
Compare with your own billing data
Use one real Microsoft tenant, one new subscription, one custom quantity, and one PSA agreement to compare Sync 365 with ConnectActive by Nilear. See how much configuration is required initially—and what happens automatically the next time a matching subscription appears.
This buyer guide compares documented workflows rather than awarding a generic feature score. A capability not found in the public ConnectActive by Nilear material reviewed is labelled as such, not presented as proof that no private or newer capability exists. Product information was reviewed on. Confirm plan, region, integration and workflow details with each vendor before buying.