Best 12 ServiceNow Competitors For Your Business in 2025

If you’ve used ServiceNow, you know it’s a powerful tool for managing IT services and workflows. But power doesn’t always mean perfection. For many businesses, ServiceNow can feel overwhelming with its complexity, steep learning curve, and a hefty price tag.

When I did my research, I found that many teams, especially small businesses, now seek simpler and more affordable solutions. They want to meet their needs without unnecessary complications.

The good news? There are several ServiceNow competitors that solve these problems.

Table of Contents

• What is ServiceNow?
• Why Look for a ServiceNow Alternative?
• Top 12 ServiceNow Competitors To Try
• How to Choose A ServiceNow Competitor For Your Business?
• The Right ServiceNow Alternative Can Transform Your Workflow
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is ServiceNow?

ServiceNow is a cloud-based service desk that helps businesses organize and automate tasks, especially in the ITSM functions. It offers robust features to streamline tasks like incident management, problem resolution, and change administration, all within a single interface.

Who can use ServiceNow? Let’s break it down with an example. 

Take a mid-sized tech company where the IT team often receives queries around like software glitches or login troubles. Tracking and managing these requests through emails or lengthy forms creates unnecessary chaos and delays.

ServiceNow streamlines the IT team’s workflow. By setting up an automated system with a self-service portal, the team ensures employees can log their issues directly and efficiently.

For example, if someone needs a password reset, the tool can help you automatically route this issue to the appropriate team, eliminating the need for manual intervention. IT teams can prioritize and resolve issues faster, while the portal keeps employees updated on the status—cutting down on repeated follow-ups and giving the IT team more bandwidth to focus on critical tasks.

While ServiceNow is best known for its IT service management (ITSM), it also caters to HR and customer support operations.

• HR teams can streamline employee requests, manage onboarding processes, and track employee issues.
• Its Customer Service Management (CSM) module enables businesses to assign and track customer queries.

Why Look for a ServiceNow Alternative?

Now, why would someone look for an alternative to such a versatile tool? The truth is while ServiceNow offers a wide range of features, some organizations struggle to make it work for their needs. Here’s why:

• Expensive pricing plans: ServiceNow doesn’t offer a fixed pricing plan. At the same time, its custom plan is quite expensive. G2 claims that their plans are 26% more expensive than other tools in the market.
  
  This can be a barrier, especially for smaller businesses. Here’s a reddit thread on the downsides of ServiceNow. Most people have mentioned their pricing to be super expensive. 

• Complex features and steep learning curve: The platform’s extensive features can be overwhelming, leading to a steep learning curve for new users. 

Steep learning curve for new users especially in Initial setup. There are certain features related to scripting knowledge, which may be difficult for non-technical users. Along with this, the expense can also be an issue for smaller sized businesses in addition to few of the out-of-the-box functions require a little bit adaptability.

–Himanshu B. | G2

• Performance issues: Some users report slow page loading times, which can hinder team productivity. 

Slow performance, especially when there is larger customer data in the instance we face performance issue

– ServiceNow user | G2

For many businesses, these factors are non-negotiable, and so they eventually start looking for alternatives. 

Top 12 ServiceNow Competitors To Try

ServiceNow might be popular, but it doesn’t suit everyone. Businesses often look for an alternative that better suits their budget, size, and workflow. Here’s a quick rundown at the top 12 competitors of ServiceNow that can help your team work smarter.

1. Hiver

Hiver is an AI-powered help desk software that looks and feels like your inbox. That means it’s incredibly intuitive to set up and use for teams that are already on Google Workspace or Microsoft.

The software lets you assign, track, and collaborate on any incoming request. Your team can also automate tasks and track performance metrics, without having to switch tabs.

Beyond meeting your ITSM needs, Hiver can also work well with your customer support, finance, and HR teams.

Key features:

• Shared inbox: Setup a centralized inbox like support@ or help@ where you can assign, track, and collaborate on email queries.
• Automation capabilities: Use rule-based automation to assign and tag incoming tickets, without any manual effort. For example, emails containing the word ‘Payment’ in the subject line or email body can be auto-assigned to the finance department. 
• Email templates: Create and share canned responses for frequently asked questions or standard replies, ensuring consistency and saving time.
• Notes and @mention: Add internal notes right beside the emails and use @mentions to loop in teammates, to collaborate and resolve queries faster. This way you dont have to clutter the email thread with CCs and forwards.
• Actionable analytics: Track key metrics like first response time, average resolution time, and volume of tickets – all within your inbox.
• AI capabilities: Hiver’s AI email summarizer can help you summarize emails into actionable insights. Its AI assistant, Harvey, automatically identifies and closes low-value requests, such as autoresponders. 
• 24/7 Support: Hiver offers round-the-clock customer support, ensuring you always get help when you need it.

Why is Hiver better than ServiceNow?

• Simple and Intuitive: ServiceNow’s robust features often come with a steep learning curve. On the other hand, Hiver keeps things very simple as its interface closely resembles your inbox. This lets your team get started in minutes without needing specialized training.
• Affordability: ServiceNow’s pricing often puts it out of reach for smaller teams whereas Hiver offers a free plan with essential features. Their paid plans are also quite budget-friendly and deliver good value for money.
• Focus on inbox: If email is your primary customer support channel, Hiver’s integration with your inbox would be beneficial. It turns your inbox into a fully functional helpdesk, something ServiceNow doesn’t do.
• Designed for diverse teams, not just IT: ServiceNow’s IT-centric focus makes it great for specific use cases, but Hiver caters to a broader range of teams, including customer support, finance, HR, and IT.

“Absolute game changer for our team”

The integration of Hiver into Gmail is hands-down the best feature. When searching for a shared inbox I did not want something that would require having yet another tab open. I needed something that would work with the system that my team was already using.

Patience S. | G2

Pricing:

Hiver offers a forever free plan. Paid plans start at $19/user/month.

2. Ivanti

If you’re looking for a tool specifically for your ITSM operations, Ivanti is a strong contender. It focuses on IT service management (ITSM) and helps businesses automate repetitive tasks, manage incidents, and track assets. 

Ivanti also offers features like unified endpoint management, which enables security teams to manage an organization’s devices from a centralized console. 

Key features:

• Neurons AI (Widget Generation): Offers AI capabilities that lets you generate reports and widgets with simple text commands. This way, you can avoid the hassle of manual configurations and code-based set-ups. 
• Survey creation: You can customize and personalize your feedback surveys. Choose your brand colors, reorder questions, and create rule-based surveys.
• Integration with MS Teams: You can connect to Microsoft Teams in case you want to integrate with your existing communication app.

Pros:

• Ivanti updates its platform every quarter. So you get to try out more features at no extra cost, keeping your system ahead of the curve.
• It is highly customizable to suit according to your business needs. 

Cons:

Users have pointed out that some features might be complex to use. 

…Some parts of the product are overly complex as it has been made to be flexible in five-thousand different ways if you want it to be. It needs a full reworking on the backend so you can find what you want in a much easier way without having to go to one place that takes you to another place that will tell you where you need to go to put your customer configuration in place.

Jesse M. | G2

Pricing:

The pricing plans are not explicitly mentioned on the website. You might have to contact their sales team to get a custom quote. 

3. Hornbill

Unlike traditional ITSM platforms, Hornbill prioritizes collaboration and simplicity. It offers a codeless design and is packed with powerful collaboration features. This combination helps teams to streamline workflows and resolve issues faster. 

With Hornbill, IT teams can manage service requests, incidents, and changes while working seamlessly across departments—all without requiring extensive coding or technical expertise.

Key features:

• Real-time collaboration: Offers built-in communication features, like activity streams and discussion threads, that allow teams to share updates, discuss cases, and collaborate on tasks within the platform. 
• Integrated knowledge management: Includes a powerful knowledge base feature that helps teams find solutions quickly. You can store FAQs, troubleshooting guides, and best practices to ensure faster issue resolution.
• AI for smarter operations: Offers AI-driven automation to handle repetitive tasks like ticket assignment and prioritization. 

Pros:

• Hornbill offers a user-friendly interface and codeless configuration. This enables teams to go up and running quickly, even without advanced technical expertise.

Hornbill offers a user-friendly interface and codeless configuration, letting teams get up and running quickly without needing advanced technical expertise.

…The people who implemented these automated processes on Hornbill were not IT staff in the main. That’s because this Service Manager has a great graphical interface and is relatively code-free, making it accessible to those of us who don’t read IT code books at bedtime!

Hornbill user | G2

• Users love their customer support. Also, Hornbill has its own community forum where users can help each other to solve issues related to the tool. 

Cons:

• Many users feel that Hornbill lacks dynamic reporting capabilities. They mention that the dashboards offer limited customization, and the widgets often fail to function as expected.
• It offers a project management feature that is quite glitchy. 

Pricing:

The pricing plans are not explicitly mentioned on the website. You might have to contact their sales team to get a custom quote. 

Recommended read: The Future of ITSM: Using AI for Smarter, Faster Service

4. SysAid

Another alternative to ServiceNow is SysAid. It streamlines ITSM operations by helping you track assets, automate workflows, and integrate asset data directly into tickets. This way your team can resolve issues faster with better context. It offers multiple customisation options and so it is beneficial for both small businesses and large enterprises. 

Key features:

• SysAid CoPilot: With Copilot, you can automate tasks like ticket assignments. It also helps resolve common queries, such as those regarding password resetting, login issues, and more. 
• Self-service portal: SysAid provides a portal where end users can log requests, track ticket status, and access FAQs. 
• Integration capabilities: SysAid’s chatbot seamlessly integrates with MS Teams. This allows end users to get quick answers by interacting with the bot, all within the familiar interface of MS Teams.

Pros:

• SysAid’s sales and tech support is quite proactive and accurate with their service.
• Offers robust customization options for businesses to personalize workflows and reporting dashboards to match their needs.

Cons:

• Some users struggle with the mobile app’s navigation. 
• Since it is highly customizable, teams may need extra training to fully use the advanced customization capabilities.

Pricing:

Pricing plans are not explicitly mentioned on the website.

5. BMC Helix

BMC Helix stands out as a strong alternative to ServiceNow, offering advanced AI-driven capabilities. Its robust automation features streamline workflows, reduce manual effort, and improve operational efficiency across IT service management tasks.

For instance, features like predictive monitoring and root cause analysis enable IT teams to proactively resolve issues before they escalate. Its low-code/no-code options lets businesses tailor and customize workflows easily.

Key features:

• Event and problem management: Resolve issues through AI-based contextual matching and natural language processing. You can also access unstructured data to provide accurate resolutions quickly.
• Service analytics: Leverage advanced analytics to measure metrics like event counts, service health score, service impact score, and more to improve operations and drive efficiency.
• Change and release management: Simplify change requests with guided processes, drag-and-drop calendars, automated collision detection, and more.
• Multi-cloud service delivery: Deliver services seamlessly across multi-cloud environments. It empowers IT managers to configure and manage multiple cloud-based services efficiently.

Pros:

• Customers love their AI-powered automation and multi-cloud service features. 

I really enjoyed Helix Service Desk because of the Multi Cloud Features, Cloud Provider Release, and Automated Actions.
EMANUELLE C. | GetApp

• Customers highly value the top-notch support team of BMC Helix ITSM for its prompt assistance, valuable guidance, and exceptional responsiveness to user needs.

Cons:

• Many users find BMC Helix to be an expensive solution to implement and maintain. Though their pricing structure is not mentioned on their website, G2 claims that their pricing is 21% more expensive than average ITSM tools. So may not be suitable for smaller organizations with limited budgets.
• Some users report that transitioning from existing systems, upgrades, and installations can be a complex process that may require additional purchases.

Pricing:

Tailored pricing for every organization. You need to contact their sales team to get a quote.

6. SymphonyAI

SymphonyAI is another ServiceNow alternative that can be used IT, HR and Finance teams. The software relies on predictive and generative AI to personalize user experiences, automate workflows, and optimize decision-making. Its USP is its AI-powered digital agent that helps you resolve issues, adapt processes, and scale operations faster. 

Key features:

• Unified service portal: Provides a centralized platform for end users to access services, submit requests, and find information from the knowledge base. For example, instead of emailing the IT team for help, an employee can quickly search the knowledge base or submit a ticket directly through this portal.
• AI-powered digital agent: Utilizes advanced natural language understanding to respond to common queries, suggest resolutions to agents, and automate routine queries. 
• Service automation: Automates task execution and scheduling without manual intervention. For instance, an IT team can automate weekly patch updates across all systems. 

Pros:

• The platform’s intuitive design and low-code customization are quite beneficial. It reduces the learning curve.
• AI-powered features help agents to stay efficient and improve productivity.

Cons:

• Users have reported challenges when searching for detailed information in their support articles.
• Integration options can be quite limited. Here’s a user review on the same lines I found on Gartner:

Pricing:

SymphonyAI offers flexible pricing plans tailored to organizational needs. Pricing details are not publicly available. 

7. TOPdesk

TOPdesk is a service management platform that is praised for its user-friendly interface. It helps businesses with their ITSM needs like managing incidents and tracking assets. The platform also offers self-service options to end-users through an intuitive interface.

Key features:

• Incident management: Helps you categorize, prioritize, and assign incoming tickets automatically. 
• Self-service portal: Lets end-users log tickets, read FAQs, and check the status of requests anytime. This lowers the volume of direct inquiries to the service desk.
• Manage organizational assets: Provides a detailed overview of organizational assets. You can track usage, user assignments, and network connections for better asset management.

Pros:

• TOPdesk has an intuitive interface that makes it easy for teams to adopt and use without extensive training.
• The platform offers a comprehensive set of features. It combines incident management, asset tracking, and self-service options in an all-in-one service management solution.

Cons:

• Advanced customization options are limited. Many users find it difficult to tailor their workflows to specific needs.

Pricing:

It offers 2 pricing plans, but the structure is not mentioned on its website. You have to contact its team to get a customized quote. 

8. SolarWinds

SolarWinds is an IT management platform that offers a suite of features to monitor, manage, and optimize IT infrastructure for businesses of all sizes. Its solutions include network performance monitoring, server and application monitoring, and database management.

Key features:

• Network Performance Monitor (NPM): Monitors devices and interfaces to get real-time insights into network performance, traffic patterns, and potential issues.
• Server and Application Monitor (SAM): Tracks the health and performance of servers and applications, so that your team can proactively address performance bottlenecks.
• Patch management: Automates operating system and application patching so that your systems are secure against vulnerabilities.

Pros:

• It is easy to use and highly customizable to fit your workflow needs
• Reporting capabilities are quite robust. Multiple visual options like graphs, pie charts, and maps make it easy to view performance at a glance. Here’s a G2 review by a customer

The features I like most are the pie charts and maps, they are very easy to read and you can glance at them to get a lot of info on my data.

Solarwind user | G2

Cons:

• Users have pointed out that the customer support is not that great and there is often a delay in response.
• Though its a robust tool, it is quite expensive, as per some users. There’s no fixed pricing, and you only get a custom quote.

Pricing:

Not explicitly mentioned on the website.

Recommended read: 10 Must-Have Customer Support Tools to Include in Your Tech Stack

9. Jira Service Management

Another competitor of ServiceNow is Jira Service Management. Developed by Atlassian, it is a robustIT service management (ITSM) solution that streamlines service requests, incidents, and changes. It integrates seamlessly with other Atlassian products like Trello and Confluence so that you can easily collaborate between development and IT operations teams.

Key features:

• Asset and Configuration Management: Offers a flexible data structure for tracking assets and configuring items. This feature helps understand service dependencies and manage resources. 
• Knowledge base integration: Integrates with Atlassian tools like Confluence to provide a centralized repository for documentation. This enables self-service support and reduces the volume of repetitive queries.
• Change management: You can assess, approve, and implement changes with minimal risk, with automated workflows and change calendars.

Pros:

• Offers a variety of useful features and automation capabilities. 

Jira Helps its organization with N number of features. Also,we can implement many automation things. Nowadays, it is helpful to all employees to see work details and tickets and get approval more easily.

Sangem P. | G2

• Jira boards give complete visibility to the team’s workload and allow project managers to track task status easily.
• It has a free plan which can be used by upto 10 users.

Cons:

• Many users feel that it has a steep learning curve, and so it gets difficult to make the best use of all the features.
• The user interface is not quite intuitive.

Pricing:

Offers a free plan for upto 10 users. Paid plans start at $20/user/month.

Recommended read: Best Jira Alternatives for Customer Support

10. ServiceDesk Plus

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is an IT service management (ITSM) solution that offers features like asset management and project management. Known to streamline IT support operations, ServiceDesk Plus has a user-friendly interface and robust automation features to enhance service delivery.

Key features:

• Incident management: Enables IT teams to track, manage, and resolve incidents with minimal downtime.
• Service catalog: Offers a customizable catalog of IT services for end-users to submit requests within the portal. This enables IT teams to manage service delivery easily.
• CMDB (Configuration Management Database): Tracks and shows relationships between IT assets. This way teams can better understand how outages or changes affect the business so that they can take quick decisions. 

Pros:

• The tool is very easy to use, and the ticketing functionality is very effective.
• Offers competitive pricing with different packages to suit different organizational needs and budgets.

Cons:

• Limited customization options.

It has some customization limitations has the console cannot be modified as per end users requirement. Also, there is customization complexity because it has some advanced options and features to be deployed.
Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Shraddha K. | G2

• Reports indicate that users find the tool difficult to integrate with some external software productivity tools.

Pricing:

Their pricing starts at $13/user/month and can go as high as $67/user/month.

11. Salesforce Service Cloud

Salesforce Service Cloud helps businesses manage and resolve customer inquiries across multiple channels. So, this tool is suitable not just for ITSM needs but also for your customer support operations.

It helps businesses with case management, setting up knowledge bases, and AI-driven features to streamline support operations and enhance customer satisfaction.

Key features:

• Centralized system: Enables support agents to efficiently track, manage, and resolve customer issues from a centralized platform.
• Omni-channel support: Allows businesses to engage with customers across various channels, including email, phone, chat, and social media.
• Automation and AI integration: Utilizes AI-powered features to automate routine tasks, predict customer needs, and deliver personalized experiences. For example, in an e-commerce set-up, their AI powered assistant, Einstein AI can analyze a customer’s past purchase history and browsing behavior to predict their next purchase

Pros:

• Service Cloud offers various useful AI functionalities that can reduce manual intervention of agents. For instance, Einstein AI can automate routine tasks and predict customer needs. They also offer Einstein Co-Pilot. With this the support agents receive real-time assistance during customer interactions, including recommended responses and next best actions to enhance customer experience. 
• It has its own user community that facilitates peer-to-peer support. Also, their support resources are quite extensive.

Cons:

• The platform’s extensive features and customization options may require significant time to figure out what works best for your team.

The Service clouds is so extensive in its features that you sometime tend to get lost from where to start, for this you need to have a proper strategy internally to define a roadmap that will provide you the necessary ROI in the shortest time.

Aamod J. | G2

• Their pricing structure can be a double-edged sword. While they offer flexible pricing plans, the tool can quickly become expensive with the add-ons you opt to use, such as the AI functionalities. 

Pricing:

Starts at $25/user/month and can go as high as $165/user/month. And if you want a package with AI functionalities, it can go upto $500/user/month.

How to Integrate Salesforce with Gmail?

12. Zendesk

Zendesk positions itself as a powerful customer service platform with AI functionalities. It offers customizable workflows and self-service portals to reduce agent workload. While its primary strength lies in managing and enhancing customer support experiences, it offers flexibility to adapt to ITSM use cases when needed. Zendesk is also known for its deep integration capabilities with other third-party tools. 

Key features:

• Omnichannel Support: You can manage customer interactions seamlessly across email, chat, phone, and social media from a single interface.
• Ticketing functionality: Streamline support requests by converting customer inquiries from various channels into tickets, which can be easily organized, assigned to agents, and tracked till the point of resolution. 
• Analytics and reporting: Offers advanced analytics to help you gain insights into  support operations. Measure key metrics such as ticket volume, first response time, resolution time, customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores, and agent performance. These insights can help you identify trends, address bottlenecks, and make data-driven decisions.

Pros:

• Offers Zendesk Marketplace through which you can integrate with over 1000 third-party apps including analytics, marketing, CRM software and more.
• Zendesk’s work scheduling feature lets managers track employee availability in real-time. 

The managers can determine the performance of the employees through it’s work scheduling feature like when an employee is taking chat he/she has to put the status on chat and like while doing tickets they have set tickets. This makes it easy for them to know the availability of person for chat and email.

Pallavi P. | G2

Cons:

• While Zendesk provides a wide range of features, some users report that certain functionalities don’t perform as expected. Also, delays in customer support responses often leave issues unresolved, which frustrates customers. Here’s a user review I found on Reddit along the same lines.
  
  The user faced issues with Zendesk after upgrading to a paid plan. They stopped receiving messages from Facebook and Instagram, even though the BOT continued to work.  They contacted support but received no helpful response for 30 days.

• Pricing plans and advanced features can get expensive, especially for small businesses. 

Pricing:

Starts at $55/user/month and can go upto #115/user/month.

Recommended read: Top 19 Zendesk Alternatives for 2025

How to Choose A ServiceNow Competitor For Your Business?

Finding the right ServiceNow alternative can feel overwhelming with so many options available. Focus on what your business needs most and avoid tools that are complex. 

Here’s a cheat sheet on how to make the best choice:

1. Choose an alternative with minimal learning curve: Choose a solution that your team can pick up quickly. For instance, if your team uses Gmail or Outlook, a tool like Hiver—which works directly within your inbox—can save time and eliminate the learning curve.

2. Prioritize features that solve your problems: Identify your business’s core needs and pick a tool that addresses them. For example, look for automation capabilities to take care of repetitive tasks. Also built-in analytics can help you identify performance and process gaps, and track performance.
   
3. Customize workflows to match your needs: Every business is unique, so find an alternative that allows you to tailor workflows and processes as per your requirements.
   
4. Check for affordability: Avoid overspending on overly complex tools. Consider platforms that offer scalable plans and free trials. Hiver, for example, provides a forever free plan.
   
5. Pick a tool with integration capabilities: Your chosen tool should easily integrate with your existing systems to enhance productivity. For example, Hiver seamlessly integrates with a wide range of tools like Trello, Slack, Zapier and more.
   
6. Verify customer support quality: Your chosen software should come with reliable, responsive customer support. Read reviews, ask for demos, and evaluate the vendor’s reputation for handling issues promptly.

The Right ServiceNow Alternative Can Transform Your Workflow

The perfect ServiceNow alternative is the one that can simplify processes, save time, and improve collaboration for your teams. So, focus on finding a tool that fits your workflow rather than one overloaded with features.

If you are looking for a simple and affordable solution, you can try Hiver. It integrates with your inbox and so, you don’t spend a lot of time setting it up. 

The best part? You don’t need to spend a fortune to manage customer queries. Hiver offers a forever-free plan, and its paid plans are quite affordable, making it an excellent choice for teams of any size.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is ServiceNow used for?

ServiceNow is a leading IT service management (ITSM) platform that helps businesses streamline workflows, manage IT services, and automate tasks. It supports various functions, including incident management, change management, and asset tracking.

2. Why should I consider a ServiceNow alternative?

Many businesses look for ServiceNow alternatives because it can feel overly complex, especially for smaller teams, and its pricing may not suit everyone. Alternatives often provide simpler interfaces, cost-effective plans, and tailored features that better match specific business needs.

3. What are the top features to look for in a ServiceNow alternative?

When choosing an alternative, prioritize features like ease of use, workflow automation, ticketing systems, and scalability. Also, check for integration capabilities with your existing tools and reporting features to track performance.

4. Can ServiceNow alternatives handle IT service management (ITSM)?

Yes, many alternatives offer ITSM capabilities, including ticket management, incident tracking, and workflow automation. For example, Hiver provides ITSM functionalities making it an efficient and user-friendly option.

5. Are there free alternatives to ServiceNow?

Yes, some ServiceNow alternatives, like Hiver, offer free plans. These free plans typically include core features, making them suitable for small teams or businesses with limited budgets.

6. How do I choose the right ServiceNow alternative for my business?

Start by evaluating your team’s needs. Look for tools that fit your workflow, provide the necessary features, and are easy to use. Consider cost, scalability, and customer support responsiveness when making your decision.

7. How does Hiver compare to ServiceNow?

Hiver offers a simpler, more affordable solution compared to ServiceNow. It can work on top of your inbox, eliminating the need for complex setups. Hiver is ideal for teams that rely on email for customer support and need a lightweight ITSM solution.