The best ServiceNow alternatives in 2024

ServiceNow is a software company that offers a cloud-based platform for automating IT management workflows. This SaaS solution is touted for developing and operating applications that are workflow-focused. It is a ticketing tool that processes and categorizes employee and customer service requests. It allows users to present tickets for a variety of issues, such as incidents, changes, problems, and other needed services.

ServiceNow offers specialized service management software for specific industries including financial services, healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing, public sector, plus technology, media, and telecommunications. While 85% of Fortune 500 companies utilize some form of ServiceNow, its big model is focused on large customers and it does not offer capabilities for SMB users.

The benefits of ServiceNow

ServiceNow offers a wide range of benefits that can enhance workflow efficiency, increase productivity and cost savings, plus improve service delivery and customer satisfaction across various departments within an organization. Here's a breakdown of some key advantages:

Enhanced workflow efficiency:

• Automation: ServiceNow automates repetitive tasks such as password resets, service requests, and incident approvals. This frees up IT staff to focus on more strategic initiatives and reduces the time it takes to resolve issues.

• Streamlined processes: The platform provides a centralized location to manage all service requests, incidents, changes, and approvals. This eliminates the need for manual processes and paper trails, leading to a more efficient workflow.

• Improved visibility: ServiceNow offers real-time dashboards and reports that provide visibility into IT operations, resource utilization, and service levels. This allows organizations to identify bottlenecks and make data-driven decisions for improvement.

Increased productivity and cost savings:

• Reduced errors: Automation and standardized processes help to minimize human error, leading to fewer rework scenarios and faster issue resolution.

• Self-Service Portal: Empowering users with a self-service portal allows them to find answers to common questions, submit requests, and track their progress without needing IT intervention. This reduces the burden on IT staff and improves overall productivity.

• Improved Resource Management: ServiceNow helps organizations optimize resource allocation by providing insights into workload distribution and team performance. This can lead to cost savings through better resource utilization.

Improved Service Delivery and Customer Satisfaction:

• Faster Resolution Times: By automating tasks and streamlining workflows, ServiceNow helps organizations resolve incidents and service requests faster. This leads to improved service levels and increased customer satisfaction.

• Enhanced Communication: The platform facilitates communication and collaboration between IT teams and end-users with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams and Asana. Knowledge bases, self-service portal, ticketing system and automated notifications ensure everyone is on the same page and allows for faster issue resolution.

• Proactive problem management: ServiceNow offers features, like incident trend analysis and root cause analysis (RCA) to identify potential problems before they occur. This allows for preventative maintenance and minimizes downtime, leading to a more reliable IT infrastructure.

Freshservice Features: IT Service, Asset and Operations Management

Freshservice offers a comprehensive suite of features that cater to various aspects of IT service management, asset management, and operations management. Here's a breakdown of some key functionalities:

• ITSM(IT service management): Freshservice is a comprehensive IT service management (ITSM) solution specifically designed to support businesses in effectively managing their IT infrastructure and services including:

• Automated workflows for approvals, notifications, and escalations

• Self-service portal for users to submit requests and track progress

• Knowledge base for storing and sharing solutions to common issues

• SLA management to track adherence to service level agreements

• Reporting and analytics to gain insights into IT service performance

• ITIL Processes: Freshservice aligns with ITIL best practices, allowing organizations to implement processes for:

  • Incident management: Restore normal service operation after an incident.

  • Release management: Improve communication and collaboration between development, testing, and operations teams for a better user experience.

  • Problem management: Identify the root cause of incidents and prevent recurrence.

  • Change management: Manage changes to the IT infrastructure in a controlled manner.

  • Service request management: Fulfill user requests for new services or access.

ITAM (IT Asset Management):

• Asset Discovery and Tracking: Freshservice helps discover and track hardware, software, and other IT assets throughout their lifecycle. This includes:

  • Create a normalized inventory of assets by connecting with existing endpoint management tools, levering powerful automated asset discovery.

  • Track asset lifecycle, warranty, cost and create automated reminders to keep your team informed.

  • Get a 360° view of the entire SaaS ecosystem.

  • Optimize license usage, eliminate waste and automate your SaaS management.

ITAM (IT asset management):

• Asset discovery and tracking: Freshservice helps discover and track hardware, software, and other IT assets throughout their lifecycle. This includes:

• Create a normalized inventory of assets by connecting with existing endpoint management tools, levering powerful automated asset discovery.

• Track asset lifecycle, warranty, cost and create automated reminders to keep your team informed.

• Get a 360° view of the entire SaaS ecosystem.

• Optimize license usage, eliminate waste and automate your SaaS management.

ITOM (IT operations management):

• Preventive maintenance: Provides features to schedule and track maintenance tasks, minimizing downtime and ensuring optimal IT infrastructure health.This allows for:

• Reduce noise and make sure your team focuses on what’s important so they can resolve issues quickly.

• Reduce downtime by automating alert playbooks for certain events.

• Fully automate simple processes to reduce manual work and ensure consistency.

Freshservice for Business Teams:

Freshservice isn't just for IT teams! It offers a feature called Workspaces that allows business teams like HR, Finance, Facilities, etc., to manage their own service requests and workflows within the same platform IT uses.

Here are some key benefits of Freshservice for Business Teams:

• Streamlined service delivery: Business teams can create a dedicated workspace with pre-configured service catalogs and workflows for their specific needs. This allows employees to easily submit requests (e.g., requesting new office supplies, onboarding a new hire) and track their progress.

• Improved employee experience: Employees have a central location to submit requests and access knowledge base articles, improving self-service capabilities and reducing reliance on IT for basic tasks.

• Enhanced collaboration: Freshservice fosters communication and collaboration between business teams and IT. Teams can easily track requests, share updates, and ensure a smooth resolution process.

• Data security and control: Workspaces provide granular access control, ensuring business-sensitive data stays secure while still allowing for seamless collaboration across departments.

• Increased efficiency: Automating routine tasks and workflows frees up business team members' time to focus on more strategic initiatives.

Here's how Freshservice caters to business teams:

• Business agent licenses: These are add-on licenses for non-IT staff who will use Freshservice within their workspace.

• Pre-built workspace templates: Freshservice offers pre-configured templates for common business functions like HR, Finance, and Facilities, making setup quick and easy.

Limited access: Business agents can only access tickets and tasks within their designated workspace, ensuring data security.

What are the drawbacks of ServiceNow

ServiceNow updates, while bringing new features and improvements, can present some challenges. Here's a breakdown of why feature updates can be tricky:

Costly investment:

• Budget constraints: ServiceNow is expensive, especially for smaller companies. Licensing fees can be high, and additional costs may incur for customization, integrations, and ongoing maintenance. 

Unexpected Issues:

• Addressing regressions: New features or changes in core functionalities might introduce unintended consequences. Thorough testing becomes crucial to identify and address regressions before they impact live operations.

Downtime and disruption:

• UpdatewWindows: ServiceNow upgrades often require downtime for the platform. This can disrupt critical workflows and user productivity, especially if not carefully planned and communicated.

Training and user adoption:

• Learning curve: New features often come with a learning curve for users. Training and support materials might not be readily available, leading to a period of decreased efficiency while users adjust.

Change management:

Resistance to change: Users accustomed to the old way of doing things might resist adopting new features. Effective change management strategies are necessary to ensure a smooth transition.

What should you look for in a ServiceNow alternative?

The main reasons for seeking service desk software alternatives to ServiceNow may be due to the high price point, the complexity of the product, or the requirement for features that ServiceNow does not offer. Here are characteristics you should look for when you pursue a ServiceNow alternative:

Integration capabilities: The service desk alternative should integrate effortlessly with other tools that the team uses, including knowledge management platforms, CRMs, marketing automation, or communication apps.

Customizability and scalability: The tool should be customizable to match your specific workflows and be scalable to grow with your needs as your business expands.

Reporting and analytics: All-inclusive reporting and analytics attributes are necessary for tracking the progress of support tickets, recognizing bottlenecks, and making data-driven choices about service quality.

User-friendly interface: A service desk tool that is intuitive to traverse and use to propel an increase in adoption rates within the service team and enhance productivity.

Pricing: Study the pricing options of the service desk tool. It should offer excellent value for its features and fit your budget.

Customer support: A dependable customer service delivery team can be priceless when encountering problems or needing assistance with your service desk tool.

The 7 best ServiceNow alternatives

Freshservice

Freshservice provides a cloud-based IT service management (ITSM) solution with service desk functionalities. Through intelligent ticketing capabilities, Freshservice can create modern experiences for employees and a unified service management system. It ensures that teams are able to work more efficiently with enhanced project management and overall improved employee and customer satisfaction levels. It offers a user-friendly experience that helps employees work across channels. With AI-driven and robust integrations and workflows, it is able to streamline ticketing processes and consolidate monitoring and analytical data into one central platform. 

Key features include:

• Automated ticket routing for incident management - track and manage tickets from multiple channels with one inbox

•  ITIL-compliant knowledge base to support agents and self-service

• Agent collision detection to ensure that multiple agents do not work on the same ticket by accident.

• Easy-to-use dashboards

• Time tracking sets deadlines for ticket response and the solution based on different categories or business hours.

• 360-degree reporting and analytics

• Multichannel access

• AI and automation capabilities - Provide quick, consistent responses to frequently asked questions by creating pre-formatted replies.

Advantages:

Freshservice offers a comprehensive range of benefits to enhance the efficiency of IT problem resolution. Its intuitive interface allows for effortless tracking of tickets, improving response times to IT concerns. Designed specifically for IT issue resolution, its ticketing system allows for effective problem-solving. Freshservice also offers advanced analytics and reporting tools, providing detailed insights into IT management activities. The addition of AI and automated processes boosts the platform's productivity through the automation of routine tasks.

Why customers rave about Freshservice:

Freshservice delivers a seamless, comprehensive service experience that enables employees to work from anywhere at any time efficiently. The platform stands out for its robust integrations and workflows, establishing a unified system consolidating discovery and monitoring tools. Organizations that adopt Freshservice benefit from operational efficiency, which can ultimately lead to increased revenue. 

Jira Service Management 

Jira Service Management was launched by an Australian company and is used in project management such as bug tracking and release management. It is readily equipped with tools for service management, work management, and product discovery. Jira Service Management helps teams customize workflows, track and manage agile projects, estimate stories, report on agile metrics, and more. 

Key Features:

• Tracks IT assets (hardware, software, etc.) and their lifecycle, ensuring optimal utilization and facilitating maintenance.

• Self-Service Portal empowers users to find answers to common questions and troubleshoot issues on their own, reducing reliance on IT support.

• SLA Management allows you to define and track service level agreements (SLAs), ensuring IT delivers services that meet user expectations.

• Provides insights into IT service performance, helping identify areas for improvement.

• Tailor workflows to your specific needs, ensuring a smooth and efficient service delivery process.

Pros 

• Instant ticketing for better problem-solving 

• Highly customizable and built for both Scrum and Kanban with multiple agile tools

• Easy tracking of bugs and issues in-app

Cons 

• Lacks deep customization capabilities

• No out-of-the-box service catalog or inventory management (requires customization/configuration changes to implement)

• Lacks native AI capabilities and features and offers limited workflow automation

Pricing

A free pan is available for up to 3 agents. The Standard plan is $17.65 per user per month, while the Premium plan is $44.27 per user per month. The Enterprise plan is billed annually and negotiated with the Jira sales team. 

SysAid 

SysAid helps IT teams easily and efficiently manage tickets, tasks, workflows, and self-service requests. It provides one system to centralize all assets, and generative AI helps to integrate service management with SysAid Copilot. 

Key Features:

• Ticket routing automation so that issues are resolved promptly 

• Detailed asset management

• Self-service automation with automated password reset

• Ticket tracking and Service Record Resolution process tracking through the Ticket Journey Monitor ticket process

• Remote control capabilities 

Pros:

• Several ticket creation options and detailed customization for personalized templates, emails with expected resolution dates, ticket categorization, and more

• Advanced reporting produces detailed reports 

• Codeless configuration for UI 

Cons:  

• The software is difficult to use, and tickets cannot be updated when another agent has modified it

• Reporting presentation and detail needs improvement

• The interface can be complex at times

Pricing

Pricing starts at $79 per month per user. 

BMC Helix ITSM

BMC Helix is a comprehensive ITSM suite offering a wide range of functionalities, including incident, problem, change, asset, and service request management.

Key Features

• Comprehensive ITSM functionalities out-of-the-box

• ITIL process automation and best practice workflows

• Self-service portal and mobile app for user convenience

• Artificial intelligence (AI) for automating tasks and improving issue resolution

• Strong integrations with various enterprise systems

Pros: 

• Robust feature set for organizations with complex ITSM needs

• Strong ITIL alignment and process automation capabilities

• Scalable to accommodate large enterprises

Cons:

• Can be complex and expensive to implement and maintain

• Less customization flexibility compared to some other options

• May be overkill for smaller organizations with simpler needs

Ivanti Service Desk

Ivanti is a cloud-based ITSM solution offering core functionalities like incident, problem, change, and asset management.

Key Features:

• User-friendly interface with drag-and-drop functionality

• Ticketing system with automations and self-service options

• ITIL process management and reporting capabilities

• Asset management with discovery and tracking functionalities

• Integrates with various third-party tools and platforms

Pros:

• Easy to use and deploy, especially for cloud-based environments

• Good balance of features and affordability for mid-sized businesses

• Offers strong mobile device management (MDM) capabilities

Cons:

• Limited customization options compared to some competitors

• May not be suitable for very large or complex organizations

• Feature set might not be as comprehensive as higher-end solutions

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

An affordable ITSM solution, ManageEngine offers core functionalities like incident, problem, change, as well as asset management.

Features:

• Cost-effective solution with good value for basic ITSM needs

• Ticketing system with automations, self-service portal, and mobile app

• Asset management with discovery, tracking, and reporting capabilities

• ITIL process support and built-in reports

• Integrates with various third-party tools and platforms

Pros:

• Affordable pricing and good feature set for smaller businesses

• Easy to set up and use with a user-friendly interface

• Offers mobile app for technician and user convenience

Cons:

• Limited customization options compared to some competitors

• May not scale well for very large or complex organizations

• Reporting and analytics functionalities might be less robust than higher-end solutions

4me

A cloud-based IT asset management (ITAM) solution with integrated service desk functionalities.

Features:

• Strong ITAM focus with asset discovery, tracking, and lifecycle management

• Integrates with ITSM functionalities for incident, problem, and change management

• Self-service portal for users to submit requests and track assets

• Reporting and analytics for IT asset optimization

• Strong focus on mobile device management (MDM)

Pros:

• Excellent ITAM capabilities with comprehensive asset lifecycle management

• Integrates well with basic service desk functionalities

• User-friendly interface and mobile app for convenience

Cons:

• Service desk functionalities might not be as comprehensive as dedicated ITSM tools

• May be overkill for organizations without complex IT asset management needs

• Pricing might be higher compared to some basic service desk solutions

How to choose a ServiceNow alternative

Why should you look for ServiceNow alternatives? While ServiceNow is a valuable tool, several competitors may now offer more value for your time and money and be a better fit for your business needs. In today’s fast-paced world, you just do not have the time to visit dozens of websites and compare different software providers. 

1. The first step in choosing an alternative is to examine the key features and drawbacks of the competition as we just did for you above.

2. Next, we recommend narrowing the field to the three competitors that seem to be the best fit for your business. Then, prepare a list of your business goals, highlighting the features that are most crucial to you. Complete your preparation by identifying five questions to determine how each platform will meet your expectations and where they might fall short.

3. Finally, schedule a demo or conference call with each of your three selections. Share your business goals with each of the three potential solutions and pose your questions. After you complete all three presentations, construct a grid of pros and cons so that you can analyze which solution matches your needs.

Why do customers leave ServiceNow?

Limited configuration in the management process

Limited configuration options in the management process can frustrate customers, as they may feel constrained in tailoring ServiceNow to their specific needs. This limitation can hinder their ability to optimize workflows and processes to align with organizational requirements. When understanding configuration management processes is neglected, inconsistent data use and increased manual efforts may be relied upon.

Lack of sufficient training and resources

A lack of sufficient training and resources can also drive customers away from ServiceNow. Without adequate guidance on how to effectively utilize the platform's features and functions, users may struggle to realize ServiceNow's full potential. This can lead to decreased productivity and the pursuit of alternative solutions. 

Some poorly designed workflows

Poorly designed workflows can decrease efficiency and complicate user adoption of the platform. Inexperienced consultants with insufficient knowledge or experience can lead to ITSM challenges and decreased efficiency with workflows. Working with experienced ServiceNow consultants and properly documenting workflow can help alleviate this issue. 

Doesn’t have comprehensive configuration management tools

A lack of comprehensive configuration management tools can lead to more manual errors in asset identification and management. Without comprehensive configuration management tools, it is difficult to maintain consistency and improve scalability. This limitation can hinder users' ability to adapt ServiceNow to evolving business needs. 

Take your ITSM to the next level with Freshservice today!

Elevating your ITSM to the next level is made easy with Freshservice. This modern and comprehensive ITSM platform offers a range of advanced features and capabilities designed to enhance efficiency, improve service delivery, and boost user satisfaction. Freshservice empowers IT teams to deliver exceptional support through a user-friendly interface that streamlines IT operations.

But what truly sets Freshservice apart is its industry-leading omnichannel integration. Freshservice seamlessly connects various communication channels – email, phone calls, chatbots, social media – into a unified platform. This allows your IT team to see all user interactions, regardless of channel, in one place. Imagine a technician resolving an incident reported through a chat window while referencing previous email exchanges or social media posts about the same issue.This streamlined approach eliminates the need for users to repeat information and ensures context is preserved across every touchpoint. The result? Faster resolutions, happier users, and a more efficient IT team.

In addition to omnichannel integration, Freshservice provides modules for incident management, problem management,change management, service request management, and asset management. This ensures comprehensive and integrated solutions for your business, all within a single, user-friendly platform.

Freshservice goes beyond traditional ITSM with automation and AI smarts. It automates routine tasks, freeing your IT team for complex issues, and accelerates resolutions with features like intelligent routing. But Freshservice does more. Its built-in AI, Freddy, proactively identifies and resolves problems before they hit users. Imagine Freddy analyzing tickets and logs to detect potential issues, triggering alerts or suggesting solutions – all to prevent disruptions.

Freddy AI also empowers users with self-service options like AI agents and chatbots that answer questions,troubleshoot issues, and deflect tickets, reducing the burden on IT and improving overall productivity. Robust reporting and analytics provide actionable insights to continuously improve your ITSM processes, ensuring your IT services deliver superior value. Freshservice empowers you to transform your ITSM, creating a smoother experience for everyone. Overall, Freshservice empowers businesses to take their ITSM capabilities to new heights and deliver superior IT services to their stakeholders.