ServiceNow has been a dominant player in the IT Service Management (ITSM) landscape for years. But as digital transformation accelerates and IT teams diversify, many organizations — from startups to global enterprises — are rethinking their toolkit. High costs, complex deployments, and a growing pool of modern, modular competitors are prompting businesses to evaluate more flexible alternatives.
At SaaSworthy, we’re seeing a growing trend: companies are seeking more agile, cost-effective, and integration-friendly ITSM solutions. Whether you’re building out a new help desk system, expanding internal service delivery, or replacing legacy IT workflows, there’s a rising class of platforms ready to meet your needs.
But before we dive in, here is our shortlist of top IT service management software:
Table of Contents
Best Alternatives to ServiceNow in 2025
| Product | Starting Price | Free Trial | Cloud-Based | ITIL Support | Custom Workflows | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jira Service Desk | $21/agent/month | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | DevOps & Agile Teams |
| Freshservice | $29/agent/month | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | Growing IT Teams |
| ManageEngine SDP | $495/year (5 users) | ✔️ | ✔️ / ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | SMBs & Government |
| SolarWinds SD | $19/agent/month | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | Simple IT Ticketing |
| Ivanti Neurons | Custom | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | Remote-first Enterprises |
| BMC Helix | Custom | ❌ | ✔️ / ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | Large Enterprises |
| EasyVista | Custom | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | International Teams |
| Microsoft SCSM | Included in suite | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | Microsoft-First Enterprises |
| TeamDynamics | Custom | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | Education & Public Sector |
| IBM Control Desk | Custom | ❌ | ✔️ / ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | Compliance-Focused Enterprises |
Jira Service Desk
Jira Service Management empowers IT teams with agile tools to streamline incident, change, and asset management. It’s tightly integrated with the Atlassian ecosystem, allowing seamless collaboration across DevOps and support. Ideal for fast-moving tech teams needing real-time coordination.
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Best for: DevOps-heavy teams and software-driven organizations
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Pricing: Starts at $21/agent/month
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SaaSworthy Insight: Jira SM offers one of the most seamless DevOps integrations for agile IT teams.
Pros:
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Easy integration with Jira Software, Bitbucket, Confluence
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Highly customizable workflows
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Affordable for small to medium teams
Cons:
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Requires setup expertise
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Can be overwhelming for non-technical users
Freshservice by Freshworks
Freshservice offers modern ITSM with AI-powered automation, intuitive UI, and strong analytics. It combines incident, asset, and project management, making it ideal for growing businesses looking to scale internal IT support.
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Best for: Mid-sized IT teams and fast-growing companies
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Pricing: Starts at $29/agent/month
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SaaSworthy Insight: A modern UI, AI automation, and Freshdesk compatibility make it a smart upgrade for existing Freshworks users.
Pros:
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Built-in AI and analytics
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Great UX for agents and requesters
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Good integrations with other Freshworks tools
Cons:
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Limited customization in lower tiers
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Reporting features can be enhanced
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is an ITIL-ready solution catering to SMBs and public institutions. It covers incident, problem, and change management with both cloud and on-prem options. Its affordability and depth of features make it a solid choice.
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Best for: SMBs, public sector, and budget-conscious enterprises
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Pricing: Free for up to 5 technicians; paid plans from $495/year
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SaaSworthy Insight: A hidden gem for budget-conscious buyers who still want full ITIL coverage.
Pros:
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Available on-prem and cloud
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Deep asset and CMDB capabilities
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Local language support in many regions
Cons:
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Outdated UI in some modules
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Longer learning curve
SolarWinds Service Desk
SolarWinds Service Desk is a lightweight ITSM tool for fast-growing teams. With customizable workflows and a clean UI, it makes ticketing, asset tracking, and service catalog management easier to adopt.
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Best for: SMBs seeking ITIL-aligned ticketing without complexity
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Pricing: Starts at $19/agent/month
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SaaSworthy Insight: With fast onboarding and a clean UI, SolarWinds is great for lean teams that need results quickly.
Pros:
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Simple UI and fast deployment
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Custom forms and self-service portals
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Affordable for most teams
Cons:
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Less suited for enterprise-scale customization
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Basic automation compared to peers
Ivanti Service Manager
Ivanti Service Manager offers advanced automation and proactive diagnostics for modern IT operations. It brings endpoint and service management into one interface, with strong capabilities in remote-first environments.
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Best for: Proactive IT support and hybrid endpoint management
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Pricing: Custom enterprise pricing
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SaaSworthy Insight: Ivanti shines in self-healing IT and preventive diagnostics, ideal for remote-first organizations.
Pros:
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Advanced automation and self-healing features
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Endpoint management integration
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Scalable across IT ops and security
Cons:
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Requires strong internal IT maturity
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Complex initial setup
BMC Helix ITSM
BMC Helix delivers comprehensive ITIL service management at scale. It supports cloud, on-prem, and hybrid deployment with AI-driven capabilities that simplify operations in highly complex environments.
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Best for: Large enterprises with complex service workflows
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Pricing: Custom pricing based on modules and deployment type
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SaaSworthy Insight: BMC’s mature architecture and AI capabilities make it a go-to for regulated industries and massive service environments.
Pros:
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Robust ITIL-aligned modules
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Strong knowledge base and user portals
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Flexible deployment (cloud, hybrid, on-prem)
Cons:
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Complex implementation cycle
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Higher learning curve for admins
EasyVista
EasyVista simplifies service management with a no-code platform and multilingual support. It’s designed for rapid deployment and ease of customization, making it a strong choice for international teams.
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Best for: Fast deployments and international teams
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Pricing: Custom enterprise pricing
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SaaSworthy Insight: EasyVista is a strong pick for global rollouts with multilingual support and low setup friction.
Pros:
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Low-code/no-code customization
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Quick onboarding
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Excellent multilingual capabilities
Cons:
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Limited third-party integration
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Smaller community and ecosystem
Microsoft System Center Service Manager (SCSM)
Microsoft SCSM is an ITSM tool built for organizations heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. It integrates with System Center and Active Directory to support ITIL processes.
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Best for: Microsoft-heavy enterprises with ITIL focus
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Pricing: Included in System Center suite licensing
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SaaSworthy Insight: Best leveraged when your infrastructure already depends on the Microsoft stack.
Pros:
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Strong integration with Azure/AD
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Built-in ITIL modules
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Part of enterprise-grade toolset
Cons:
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Dated UI
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Limited flexibility compared to cloud-native rivals
TeamDynamics
TeamDynamics combines project management and ITSM in a single platform. It offers customizable workflows and is widely adopted in education and government sectors for its flexibility.
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Best for: Education sector and public services
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Pricing: Custom pricing
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SaaSworthy Insight: TeamDynamix is gaining traction for combining service and project management under one roof.
Pros:
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Built-in project portfolio management (PPM)
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Strong onboarding and customer support
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Designed for cross-departmental use
Cons:
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Pricing not public
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Smaller integration marketplace
IBM Control Desk
IBM Control Desk is a powerful ITSM platform tailored for enterprises with strict compliance needs. It offers granular configuration capabilities and scales well in regulated industries.
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Best for: Complex, compliance-heavy enterprises
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Pricing: Custom quote-based
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SaaSworthy Insight: IBM is best suited for large orgs that need granular control and deep configuration capabilities.
Pros:
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Customizable workflows
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Integrates with other IBM tools
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Enterprise-grade support
Cons:
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High resource and training requirements
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Slower performance at scale
How SaaSworthy Selected These ServiceNow Alternatives
To help users discover the best ServiceNow replacements, we ranked tools based on:
| Criteria | Weightage (%) | What We Looked For |
|---|---|---|
| User Adoption & Popularity | 25% | Overall product momentum, SaaSworthy traffic, and peer usage volume. |
| Feature Coverage | 20% | Breadth and depth of ITIL modules, automation, reporting, and workflow capabilities. |
| Ease of Use & Onboarding | 15% | Setup speed, learning curve, and accessibility for non-technical teams. |
| Pricing Flexibility | 15% | Transparent plans, modular pricing, and value for money for mid-size teams. |
| Security & Compliance | 10% | Support for industry regulations, audit logging, access control, and encryption. |
| Customer Feedback & Reviews | 10% | Real user insights from SaaSworthy, Gartner, and review portals. |
| Integrations & Ecosystem | 5% | Ability to connect with DevOps tools, CRM, HR systems, and cloud infrastructure. |
FAQs: Choosing a ServiceNow Alternative
What is the most popular alternative to ServiceNow in 2025?
Atlassian Jira Service Management and Freshservice are among the top picks due to their ease of use, affordability, and developer-friendly ecosystems.
Which alternative offers the fastest implementation?
EasyVista and SolarWinds are known for their short time-to-value, with prebuilt templates and minimal setup required.
What’s the best low-cost alternative for small IT teams?
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus and Freshservice offer robust ITSM capabilities at budget-friendly prices — ideal for startups and SMEs.
Which tools offer the best DevOps integrations?
Jira Service Management leads the pack with seamless integration into the broader Atlassian suite. Ivanti and BMC also support extensive workflows and DevOps toolchains.
Is there an ITSM tool for hybrid cloud environments?
Yes. Ivanti Neurons, IBM Control Desk, and BMC Helix support hybrid deployments and are built to operate across cloud and on-premise infrastructure.
What’s a good ServiceNow alternative with strong asset management?
ManageEngine, Ivanti, and Matrix42 are all strong choices if asset tracking and endpoint management are top priorities.
Which platforms are ITIL-compliant out of the box?
ServiceNow, BMC, Ivanti, EasyVista, and Freshservice all adhere to ITIL best practices and offer modules for incident, change, and problem management.