ServiceNow is a popular IT service management tool, but it is expensive and overwhelming for small to medium businesses. If you are on a tight budget or looking to lower ITSM license cost, you can consider the following ServiceNow alternatives which are cost-effective and easy-to-use.
Geekflare researched, tested and listed the best ServiceNow alternatives and competitors to help you choose the right ITSM solution based on key features, such as usability, ITIL compliance, integration capabilities, and customer support.
- 1. Freshservice – Best Overall for SMBs
- 2. ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus – Best for On-Premise ITIL
- 3. Jira Service Management – Best for Development and DevOps Team
- 4. Zendesk – Best for SaaS and Product Companies
- 5. BMC Helix ITSM – Best for Enterprise AI Features
- 6. SolarWinds Service Desk – Best for IT Service Desk
- 7. OpenText – Best for Large Business
- 8. SysAid ITSM – Best with Integrated ITAM
- 9. Ivanti Neurons – Best for Unified IT Management
- 10. Salesforce Service Cloud – Best for Self-service Support
- Show less
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1. Freshservice
Best Overall for SMBs
Freshservice is a unified IT management solution offering rich features for efficient IT service management and customer support. It streamlines your IT services with powerful automation and a no-code workflow.
Freshservice’s no-code platform offers rapid customizability. Its expert onboarding support makes deployment seamless. Besides, it integrates seamlessly with other IT tools to form a platform.
Freshservice is a powerful tool with numerous rich features. Its key functionalities include incident management, change management, problem management, asset management, a comprehensive ticketing system, a service catalog, and a knowledge base.
Overall, Freshservice manages your IT assets, deals with customer issues, and is always by your side with its 24/7 customer support and migration services.
Freshservice Pros
Powerful automation features that save time and reduce manual tasks.
Includes a wide range of incident, problem, and change management tools.
Usable on the go with Android and iOS applications.
Extensive 24/7 customer support and self-service portal.
Freshservice Cons
Advanced reporting and analytics are limited in basic plans.
Limited functionality in project management and dynamic field functionality.
Freshservice Pricing
| Plans | Key Features | Monthly Pricing/Agent |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | SLA management, Custom SSL, Knowledge base | $19 |
| Growth | On-call management, Approval Workflows, Cloud Management, MSP Mode | $49 |
| Pro | Extensive management options, Release Management, SaaS Management | $95 |
2. ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
Best for On-Premise ITIL
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is a full-stack IT service management tool for managing, designing, and delivering essential IT services. It combines IT service management, asset management, and CMDB management with enterprise service management.
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is a scalable and secure enterprise management solution that is available on-premise and in the cloud. It prioritizes privacy with no trackers or subprocessors.
The IT release management feature of ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus allows your organization to deploy IT upgrades faster and more seamlessly. Besides, you can customize its modules, forms, reports, and configurations.
The key features of ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus include problem management, service catalog, CMDB, enterprise service management, and space management.
Overall, ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus’s enterprise service desk enables your business to manage services across various departments, including non-IT teams such as HR, finance, and legal.
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus Pros
Easy to use and manage workflows.
Offers asset management and custom workflows.
Functional automation for task assignment.
Helpful SLA management and reporting features.
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus Cons
Initial configuration can be complex and time-consuming.
No multi-tenant capability for large-scale use.
Frequent updates can disrupt workflow.
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus Pricing
ManageEngine ServiceDesk plus pricing has three different plans available that offer pricing on a custom-quoted basis.
3. Jira Service Management
Best for Development and DevOps Team
Jira Service Management by Atlassian is a service management tool built on the Jira platform for all your business teams. It allows you to receive, manage, and solve customer issues in one place.
With 1000+ applications and integrations available on the Atlassian Marketplace, you can seamlessly customize Jira Service management to your needs. It has pre-configured customizable templates, request types, and workflows to make onboarding easy and fast.
Jira Service Management offers scalability with its rich features, such as request management, incident management, problem management, asset management, change management, configuration management, and knowledge management.
Jira is a good option for managing IT support requests and popular among product development organizations.
Jira Service Management Pros
Customizable workflows to fit different departmental needs.
Automated ticket routing for efficient issue management.
Strong project management capabilities with Kanban boards and task tracking.
Detailed and useful bug reporting, easy to report and keep on track.
Jira Service Management Cons
Search functions can be cumbersome and ineffective.
Configuration can be complex and may require dedicated administration.
Learning curve for advanced features can be steep.
Jira Pricing
| Plans | Key Features | Monthly Pricing/Agent |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Embedded knowledge base, Incident and problem management | $0 |
| Standard | Multi-channel support, Custom-branded help center, Unlimited email notifications | $19.04 |
| Premium | Align multiple teams, Deployment gating with CI/CD tools, Real-time incident monitoring | $47.82 |
4. Zendesk for Service
Best for SaaS and Product Companies
Zendesk is an IT service management tool that emphasizes customer support and interactions as much as it provides customers with powerful features. It offers fast, multi-channel global customer support via messaging, AI, automation, and its help center.
Zendesk also intelligently uses collected data to turn it into insightful reports and analytics, allowing you to make informed decisions about your business processes. Its robust features include intelligent routing, which transfers tickets to the best agents, and an AI-driven design that allows you to solve customer issues quickly and efficiently.
Zendesk Pros
Efficient ticket management and tracking.
Easy integration with other tools like Shopify and Asana.
Strong automation capabilities with triggers and macros.
Customer service performance analytics
Centralized multi-channel support (email, chat, phone).
Zendesk Cons
Limited customizability and flexibility in certain areas.
Support is now primarily available via live chat, not phone.
Complex reporting and analytics setup.
Zendesk Pricing
| Plan | Key Features | Monthly Pricing/Agent |
|---|---|---|
| Suite Team | AI agents, Ticketing system, Custom business rules | $55 |
| Suite Growth | Business hours, AI agents, Digital onboarding and adoption resources, Multiple ticket forms | $89 |
| Suite Professional | Custom and live analytics, AI add-ons, SLA, Multilingual support | $115 |
5. BMC Helix ITSM
Best for Enterprise AI Features
BMC Helix IT service management is a next-gen cloud-based solution with cognitive automation features to boost agent productivity. It integrates seamlessly with leading DevOps tools such as Jira and includes predictive service management capabilities.
BMC Helix ITSM offers cognitive email analysis, enabling automated actions, and provides a digital workplace with multi-channel self-service options. The digital workplace includes a chatbot that can be extended to Slackbot and Skype. You can also create and customize easily understandable detailed reports with drag-and-drop.
The key features that set BMC Helix ITSM apart from others include extensive change management, multi-cloud service management, IT asset lifecycle management, service request management, service level management, release management, knowledge base, and thorough documentation.
Overall, with scalable, personalized IT service management, BMC Helix ITSM keeps your organization ahead of the competition. Its AI-driven automation and intuitive UX ensure maximum customer satisfaction.
BMC Helix ITSM Pros
Seamless integration with tools like MS Office, Slack, MS Teams, Salesforce, and PeopleSoft.
Efficient automated assignments and bulk ticket handling.
User-friendly interface with customizable dashboards.
Cognitive automation features enhance decision-making and reduce manual intervention.
Strong support team and helpful automation for task assignments.
BMC Helix ITSM Cons
Complex configuration and steep learning curve.
Occasional system slowdowns and performance issues.
Lack of advanced debugging tools and insufficient support for modern web browsers.
BMC Helix ITSM Pricing
BMC Helix ITSM offers custom pricing for their services, with a free trial plan that includes limited features.
6. SolarWinds Service Desk
Best for IT Service Desk
SolarWinds Service Desk is an AI-powered, cloud-based tool for managing IT services. It’s useful for both small and large businesses. It connects easily with other SolarWinds tools and ChatOps tools using REST APIs.
SolarWinds Service Desk’s service catalog can help you provide better service to your business employees. It includes a CMDB (Configuration Management Database) to manage your service needs.
SolarWinds Service Desk’s unique, customizable reports, SLA (Service Level Agreement) management capabilities, and customer satisfaction scores can help you gain insights into your operations. The IT asset management feature allows you to manage the entire lifecycle and audit history.
Its mobile app allows you to manage your IT services and resolve issues. The service catalog also streamlines your business processes, automates manual tasks, and handles departmental approvals.
Furthermore, the other features include benchmarking, dashboards, an employee IT self-service portal, enterprise service management, a help desk knowledge base, incident management, risk management, procurement management, and Service Desk Chat.
SolarWinds Service Desk Pros
Highly efficient incident, problem, and change management.
Users appreciate its intuitive design and user-friendly interface.
Effectively handles incidents, problems, and change management.
Provides detailed tracking and management of IT assets, including audit history.
Service catalog helps automate business processes and departmental approvals.
SolarWinds Service Desk Cons
Limited automation in incident management
The platform limits field and section customization.
Users report lag and slow response times, especially with larger datasets.
SolarWinds Service Desk Pricing
| Plan | Key Features | Monthly Pricing/Agent |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | Incident and asset Management, SLA | $39 |
| Advanced | Advanced automation, API access, Enterprise Service Management, Network Discovery | $79 |
| Premier | Visual CMDB and Dependency Mapping, Advanced Support, Runbooks, License Compliance | $99 |
7. OpenText
Best for Large Business
OpenText™ Service Management Automation X (SMAX) is a comprehensive IT service management solution. It uses advanced AI and analytics to improve service delivery and simplify your service management operations.
SMAX combines your IT, asset, and enterprise service management in one platform. It focuses on user satisfaction and efficiency with a private generative AI (GenAI) virtual agent.
SMAX enables you to do many things, including codeless configuration, and offers effortless tasks and workflow setup. The user-friendly interface makes it simple to use. The use of AI and automation helps solve the incidents quickly.
Overall, SMAX is well-reviewed for its easy setup, user-friendly interface, and advanced features. Implementation time and return on investment can vary. Despite some challenges, it’s a popular choice for improving productivity and managing services across your organization.
OpenText Pros
Users find the tool very user-friendly and easy to navigate
Useful self-service portal and AI-driven support impress users.
Codeless configurations and built-in AI and analytics free up IT time and resources.
Users highly appreciate configuring workflows without coding.
OpenText Cons
Configuration may require a deep understanding of the system to meet specific needs.
Heavily relies on AI, which may not suit all environments or users.
Full deployment and setup can be time-consuming, especially for larger organizations.
OpenText Pricing
| Plans | Key Features | Monthly Pricing/Agent |
|---|---|---|
| SMAX Express | Incident and knowledge management, Change Management | $82 |
| SMAX Premium | Self-service portal, Service catalog, SLA management | $103 |
| AMX | Release management, Change and incident management | $82 |
8. SysAid ITSM
Best with Integrated ITAM
SysAid ITSM is a perfect IT service management tool for medium-sized IT businesses. It uses generative AI via SysAid Copilot to streamline IT services. Its modern and innovative templates help you get started instantly.
SysAid ITSM provides efficient service delivery across your business with advanced change, request, and problem management features. It automates workflows, tasks, tickets, and self-service.
SysAid ITSM provides the option to customize service desk items such as templates, forms, dashboards, and views. The SLAs and metrics are also highly customizable so that you can tailor them according to your needs. It also offers a collaboration platform that allows for the integration of all third-party apps and systems with minimal cost and fees.
SysAid ITSM Pros
Provides detailed information about a customer’s account.
Offers extensive customization options.
Excels in ticket tracking and management.
Integrates well with other tools, such as MS Teams and TeamViewer.
SysAid ITSM Cons
Email communication within SysAid can be clunky and difficult to read.
Reporting features could be more user-friendly and robust.
SysAid ITSM Pricing
SysAid offers custom pricing for their services.
9. Ivanti Neurons
Best for Unified IT Management
Ivanti Neurons is a state-of-the-art IT service management tool for IT and the enterprise. It can meet all your business requirements, whether for the IT helpdesk and support ticket solutions or more advanced service management tasks.
With Ivanti Neurons, you can save money by eliminating manual processes and automating workflows. Using its AI-powered service portals and chatbots also improves your user experience.
The automation features allow business managers to design and manage workflows without coding. It offers role-based dashboards that are also very useful for monitoring the quality of service delivery. Likewise, Ivanti Neurons can automatically detect and resolve customer issues.
Ivanti Neurons is equipped with powerful features to meet the business requirements of your mid-sized organization. It’s comprehensive, easy to use, and efficient in boosting productivity.
Ivanti Neurons Pros
Highly customizable, allowing tailored workflows and service requests.
The self-service portal enables users to enter their own data at any time.
HEAT Service Management is available both on-premises and in the Cloud.
Efficient asset management and software updates.
Strong automation capabilities streamline repetitive tasks.
Ivanti Neurons Cons
Technical complexity requires significant training and expertise.
Service requests and incidents are managed in separate areas.
Higher costs and limited support outside the US and Canada.
Ivanti Neurons Pricing
Ivanti Neurons offers custom pricing for their services.
10. Salesforce Service Cloud
Best for Self-service Support
Salesforce Service Cloud is an all-in-one comprehensive CRM suite built on the Einstein 1 platform. It facilitates personalized IT service management, from self-service to its contact center.
Einstein 1 in Service Cloud provides an out-of-the-box omnichannel customer experience via digital, voice, and video. Salesforce Service Cloud is a scalable tool that uses trusted AI and data and an AI-powered chatbot to handle common customer requests.
Besides, you can add voice to your digital channels to respond to customer queries faster. What’s great about Salesforce Service Cloud is that it enables you to use AI, automation, and CRM data to personalize your response to customer issues.
Salesforce Service Cloud is also equipped with other powerful features, such as a self-service experience and the capability to manage cases, knowledge, incidents, and assets centrally. You can also automate regular tasks and business processes to increase productivity. Moreover, its services can be extended to HR and IT support.
Salesforce Service Cloud Pros
Extensive customization options to align with business needs.
Robust set of out-of-the-box features for case and knowledge management.
User-friendly interface with easy navigation.
Enhanced analytics for managing support cases and client interactions.
Salesforce Service Cloud Cons
Complex and expensive for small businesses, especially the Enterprise edition.
Reporting and customization can be challenging and time-consuming.
Frequent updates and new features can be overwhelming to manage.
Salesforce Service Cloud Pricing
| Plans | Key Features | Monthly Pricing/Agent |
|---|---|---|
| Starter Suite | Case management, customization, Knowledge base | $25 |
| Professional | Computer telephony integration, Case swarming, Case routing | $100 |
| Enterprise | Customer service AI, Workflow automation | $165 |
Top ServiceNow Alternatives and Competitors Comparison
Here, we compare top ServiceNow alternatives and competitors on the basis of pricing, incident management, integrations, and workflows.
| ServiceNow Alternatives | Monthly Price/Agent | Incident Management | Integrations | Workflows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshservice | $19 | Automated Routing, Escalations | Jira, Salesforce, DevOps Tools | Drag-and-Drop Builder |
| ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus | $13 | Ticketing, Knowledge Base | Limited Pre-Built Connectors | Visual Builder |
| Jira Service Management | $19.04 | Incident, Problem, Change Management | Atlassian Suite, Slack, AWS | Customizable Automation |
| BMC Helix ITSM | Custom | Advanced ITSM Functions | Wide Range of Integrations | Highly Customizable |
| SolarWinds Service Desk | $39 | Incident and Change Management | REST API, AD, Slack | Custom Workflows |
| OpenText | $82 | Incident, Problem, Change Management | Enterprise Content Services, SAP | Custom Workflow Engine |
| SysAid ITSM | Custom | Incident, Service Request Management | LDAP, AD, REST API | Workflow Designer |
| Ivanti Neurons | Custom | Incident, Problem, Change Management | Ivanti Products, Microsoft 365, SCCM | Workflow Automation |
| Zendesk | $55 | Ticketing, Incident Management | Salesforce, Jira, Slack | Pre-Built and Custom Flows |
| Salesforce Service Cloud | $25 | Case, Incident, Problem Management | Salesforce Ecosystem, Third-Party Apps | Flexible Workflow Builder |
Drawbacks of the ServiceNow Platform
ServiceNow works efficiently as an ITSM and Enterprise Service Management tool. However, since it’s not a comprehensive ERP system, accounting tool, or inventory management tool, it may fall short if your business requires relevant features. Let’s look into some of its drawbacks:
- Limited ERP Capabilities: ServiceNow is not a comprehensive ERP system, accounting tool, or inventory management tool, which may limit its utility for businesses needing these features.
- Complex and Time-Consuming Setup: Initial configuration and setup can be complex and time-consuming without expert IT administration capabilities.
- Challenging Maintenance: Maintaining processes and workflows is tricky due to the platform’s extensive options and flexibility.
- System Slowness: The richness of options for customization and automation can sometimes result in system slowness.
- High Pricing: ServiceNow’s pricing can be high, making it less cost-effective, particularly for small-sized businesses.
- Complex Interface: The interface is complicated and has a steep learning curve, making it difficult for new users to navigate and utilize it effectively.
What is the Difference between ITSM and ITIL?
ITSM (Information Technology Service Management) is the practice of managing IT services to maximize productivity and customer satisfaction within an organization.
ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library), on the other hand, is a set of best practices and a framework designed to help organizations achieve the goals of ITSM by providing industry-recognized strategies and principles.
While ITSM focuses on the operational aspects of IT departments, ITIL provides a broader, strategic view of how IT services align with overall business objectives. Let’s look into ITSM and ITIL core differences:
| Aspect | ITSM | ITIL |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Management of IT services | Best practices framework for ITSM |
| Focus | Processes, people, IT infrastructure | Best practices for ITSM implementation |
| Orientation | Operational and practical | Framework and strategy |
| Implementation | Specific to organizational needs | Industry-recognized standards |
| Scope | Specific IT service delivery | Broad IT service management |
Frequently Asked Questions
Some biggest competitors of ServiceNow include Freshservice, ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus, Jira Service Management, BMC Helix ITSM, and SolarWinds Service Desk.
ServiceNow’s most competitive advantage is its robust features that allow you to customize the tool according to your business needs.
ServiceNow is popular for its customizability, real-time visibility of IT operations, workflow automation, knowledge base, incident and change management, and the use of predictive intelligence with AI and Machine learning.
ServiceNow’s market share is 32.08%, making it currently the no. 1 ITSM tool available.