Freshservice vs. ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus vs. ServiceNow: A Comparison

We shall be looking at three of the most popular IT service management (ITSM) platforms in the enterprise today. In particular, we shall be looking at  Freshservice, ManageEngine ServiceDesk, and ServiceNow and find out what makes them different from one another and which platform is suite for your business’ particular ITSM needs.

Availability

 

Freshervice is a web-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) program so users can access it by logging in to the Freshservice website, regardless of the device or operating system being used in accessing the site.

While ServiceNow and  ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus are also accessible as web-based services, they also offer mobile-based applications via iOS, iPadOS, and Android. And among the three, only ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus offers a Windows application.

ITSM Feature Set

 

Both Freshservice and ServiceNow offer a rich, full ITSM feature set that includes asset tracking, change management, configuration management, contract/license management, incident and problem management, project management, release & deployment management, and a self-service portal. ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus meanwhile does not offer asset tracking, project management, and release & deployment management features.

IT Service Feature Set

 

Freshservice and ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus offer a comprehensive IT Service feature set that includes contract management, IT asset management, knowledge management, release management, service reporting, and ticket management. Meanwhile, ServiceNow is missing the contract management and release management features.

Help Desk Feature Set

Freshservice offers a full help desk feature set, with the added support to set up help desk for multiple brands or products, a feature that is missing with the other two platforms. ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus even misses on other key help desk features that include incident management, live chat, and alerts/escalation.

Issue Tracking Features

Only Freshservice offers a full set of issue tracking features from assignment management to escalation management and task management, as well as issue auditing and issue scheduling features, the ability to create a knowledge base and log recurring issues.

 

Integrations

On paper, ServiceNow offers the most app integrations as it lists integrations with over 800 apps. However, Freshservice offers integration to massive marketplaces, which in turn provides third-party integration with even more apps. For instance, Freshservice’s integration with SentinelOne provides integration with other security tools while integration with Slack opens the door for further integration with other collaborative tools.

 

Customizability

While all platforms offer some degree of customization, Freshservice offers a more comprehensive and intuitive experience. For one, Freshservice offers a lot of KPIs that can be easily customized. The service also offers a wide range of built-in, customizable workflow automation templates.

Pricing

All ITSM platforms have a trial version available for potential users to try their respective services. After the end of the trial period, ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus charges $120/user/year while ServiceNow charges $100/month.

One thing to note about Freshservice’s pricing model is that it charges based on the number of administrative agents who are users with access to the full feature set. Users who are only allowed access for selected features on the platform are actually not charged for their use at all. Even for administrative agents, the pricing is only at $19/agent/month.

Training Provided

All  ITSM platforms offer documentation and webinars to help users familiarize themselves with them. But Freshservice and ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus have the distinction of offering live online and in-person training sessions.

Conclusion

Each ITSM platform has its strengths that fit the needs of each organization. But for organization looking for a robust, full-featured solution, Freshservice stands out from the crowd at a pricing that is reasonable to address the needs and situation of any enterprise.