ManageEngine vs ServiceNow Compared 2023

Choosing an ITSM help desk software is quite overwhelming. With so many advanced software applications available on the internet, how do you pick one that ticks all boxes of your requirements and offers a seamless transition to the automated workflow?

ManageEngine Service Desk Plus and ServiceNow are the two most prominent names that pop up when it comes to ITSM software. Both are enterprise-level IT service management systems that offer a consolidated view of all your IT operations on a single screen.

But which is the best?

To help you make an informed decision, we’ve curated this detailed comparison guide that will walk you through the features and USPs of each software. Let’s start with an overview of each.

ServiceNow is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS company) that offers cloud-based software solutions designed for small, medium, and large-scale companies. It is for IT companies or businesses with extensive in-house IT departments that need a robust tool to manage all tickets and user concerns in one place.

These software applications simplify your IT management operations and can be integrated with a host of other tools, like customer relationship management, accounting, and HR management, to provide automated workflow.

ServiceNow has engineered a product that facilitates all management and security operations in a single unit. You can manage your workforce, ongoing projects, technical issues, security upgrades, and just about any kind of IT operation within this software.

ManageEngine is a cloud-based software provider that has introduced an all-in-one IT service management and monitoring tool for all sizes of companies. The software offers a clear and comprehensive view of all your organization-wide software and hardware assets.

It performs automated discovery of these assets, handles patch management, and offers your IT team a robust dashboard to check tickets. ManageEngine’s ServiceDesk Plus is for IT teams.

It offers functions like automating the process of assigning tickets to the available agents, prioritizing them based on their impact on the company, sending automated notifications to the users, and providing comprehensive reports.

ManageEngine is an all-in-one IT management software that provides identity and access management, security services, advanced IT analytics, app development, and enterprise service management.

Both ServiceNow and ManageEngine have a clear and intuitive interface. The products are clearly displayed.

ServiceNow has listed its features category-wise, making it easy for users to pick a suitable category and explore all features of the particular products.

ManageEngine also has a neat surface, but it seems a bit overwhelming due to its extensive range of services displayed on a single page.

Ticket management is an indispensable part of IT management software. It shows how well the user concerns are addressed, how long it takes you to resolve tickets, your response rate, and whether customers are satisfied with your agent’s response.

To satisfy the end user, your agents must resolve the ticket within 8:30 minutes. Fortunately, that’s one part where each software excels.

ServiceNow and ManageEngine have a built-in knowledge base that helps users find answers to their basic concerns. They have self-service portals, automated ticket-assigning options, ticket prioritization, and an option to integrate survey forms that collect user feedback.

ManageEngine is comparatively better in terms of automation. The software converts user queries through emails and live chats directly into tickets, assign them to the right agent, and classifies each ticket based on its nature, complexity, and other factors.

The best IT management software is one that allows you to set up the system on your own. ManageEngine is an excellent option if you don’t want to hire a third party to install and understand its features. Users also like the excellent scalability of the tool. You can easily go from 30 users to 300 to cater to the increasing business requirements.

ServiceNow is easy to integrate into your existing workflow, but the individual configurations are a bit challenging. Each feature needs to be manually configured, which often results in rework, inefficient set-up, and difficulty installing new features.

ManageEngine has categorized its plans into—on-premises software and cloud-based deployment. Startups and small businesses with 25 or fewer devices can use its Free version. You can upgrade your plan as your business scales.

The on-premise variant costs $495 annually for 50 devices per technician, while the cloud-based service is priced at $64 a month and $645 annually for the same device range. The price goes up with the number of devices per technician. You can choose from ManageEngine’s Standard and Professional Edition.

ServiceNow has not disclosed its pricing policy. You need to talk to their representative to get a quote.

Both ServiceNow and ManageEngine offer asset management solutions that help you discover all software/hardware assets within the organization and monitor their usage, license expiration dates, and any latest upgrades.

ManageEngine’s Asset Explorer is used for monitoring your assets throughout their lifecycle—from the planning phase to their disposal. You can monitor purchase orders, ownership costs, license updates, and all information about different assets in a single centralized unit.

ServiceNow also offers a robust asset management tool that tracks your assets deployed in the cloud and on-premises. You can automate the assets’ lifecycle and monitor their statutory and regulatory compliance.

ServiceNow is a better choice if you are looking for flexibility in ITSM software. It is compatible with an array of third-party software apps designed for a remote workforce, customer management, finance & accounting, and more.

ManageEngine also supports integration, but mostly with other ManageEngine software apps. Both can work well with other tools to streamline your workflow and ensure smooth IT management operations.

ServiceNow and ManageEngine are ITIL-aligned ITSM tools for IT help desks. They help automate most of your repetitive tasks and simplify IT management. Each software serves the same purpose, i.e., streamlining your IT business, but with different features and varying pricing policies. Considering the competitive features offered by both tools, we can’t pick one. The best for your business depends on your operation, budget, and IT services.