IT service management, or ITSM, describes the practice of designing, implementing, managing, and optimizing IT services so that you can achieve your operational goals. Covering a wide range of IT service tasks, ITSM improves your user experience so your IT team can become more efficient, productive, and ultimately more effective.
Given its importance, you may be looking for the best ITSM tools available today. You’ve come to the right place: We’ve reviewed third-party review sites, such as G2 and Capterra, weighed each vendor’s pros and cons, and now present this comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about IT service management solutions.
Table of Contents
Best IT Service Management (ITSM) Tools
- NinjaOne
- SolarWinds Service Desk
- Jira Service Management
- Cherwell Service Management
- SysAid
- Vivantio
- HaloITSM
- Atera Helpdesk Software
- ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
- InvGate
What is IT service management, and do I need it?
Essentially, ITSM describes the management of end-to-end IT service delivery to meet your business goals—but it goes far beyond resolving day-to-day IT issues. Rather, it deals with every necessary IT service to keep your operations running smoothly while providing real business value to your end users.
Because ITSM is a collection of critical business processes to manage and support your IT services, modern companies need to use ITSM tools to maintain their competitive advantage in their respective industries. As such, ITSM is an indispensable process-based approach that allows you and your IT team to consistently and reliably deliver excellent services to your internal and external stakeholders.
Think about it this way: ITSM tools address the ever-evolving IT industry needs. Most of us are no longer bound to our office and can work remotely from anywhere. In today’s flexible work world, companies need to manage and support more devices across the globe—and be efficient in doing so.
With more of us benefitting from a hybrid workforce, IT needs have become more complex, creating issues that traditional IT management solutions can no longer handle. Modern problems need modern solutions, and ITSM allows you to easily address these complex demands.
What is ITSM software?
ITSM software is any tool that helps you realize your ITSM strategy. The best ITSM software can automate ITSM processes, improve efficiency, and strengthen employee productivity. Ideally, it should include preconfigured roles, workflows, and templates that simplify processes so your end users can focus on higher-value tasks.
There is a common misconception that ITSM is just a glorified helpdesk or service desk tool. To clarify, ITSM software does include ticket management but also covers incident management, reporting, IT asset management, and knowledge management, among other things. Remember: The primary goal of any IT service management tool is to optimize the management of every IT resource for every user within an IT network.
Because service management is such a crucial part of an organization, choosing a vendor offering integrated solutions is advisable—offering ITSM as part of its holistic endpoint management software.
This way, you can work on a platform with everything you need without looking for other third-party vendors.
5 important features of a good IT service management tool
It’s worth noting that no two ITSM software are the same. While all vendors generally offer the same core functionalities, they differ in reliability, speed, and integration capabilities. When using the guide, it’s always a good idea to think about your specific ITSM requirements and what you need your ITSM tool to achieve or resolve. List all the features and functions you need, match those with your current and expected IT budget, and see how each vendor fits those conditions.
1. Straightforward deployment
Recall that ITSM is intended to make work more efficient, so it only makes sense that it should be simple to deploy and use. Your IT service management solution should be quick to activate and fully functional. If possible, you should also find an ITSM software vendor that offers free and unlimited training and support.
2. User-friendly
Similarly, any good ITSM solution should be user-friendly, even for less experienced IT technicians. It’s a great idea to choose software with self-service FAQs and a helpdesk portal where your users can find the solutions they need when they need them.
3. Flexibility
All businesses are dynamic, and your ITSM software needs to grow with you and meet your demands as you scale. The best ITSM tools can easily adapt to your changing needs, constantly and consistently offering value to your IT team. Likewise, It may be prudent to check if your desired vendor has a transparent product roadmap so you can determine if their business trajectory aligns with your current goals and if they have maintained flexibility throughout the years.
4. Integration
Your IT service management tool is only as good as its ability to operate and function within your existing system and other business applications. Try to look for software providers that offer a single, unified platform with multiple integrations so that you have all the tools you need to begin optimizing your processes from day one.
5. Total cost of ownership
At the end of the day, your ITSM solution should be cost-effective so that you can also meet your financial goals. Consider the full life cycle of your intended IT service management solution, including the upfront cost and any additional expenses for maintenance, support, and potential upgrades. When needed, regularly revisit your IT budget and see whether you are still maximizing it and receiving a favorable return on investment.
Now that you know the basics, let’s explore the top ITSM tools on the market.
Best ITSM tools
All G2 & Capterra ratings data as of April 2024.
1. NinjaOne
NinjaOne is the world’s most trusted endpoint management company that offers comprehensive ITSM tools to make you and your team more efficient. By automating the hardest parts of IT, NinjaOne’s IT operations management software can deliver visibility, security, and control over all your endpoints. Its solution allows you to easily monitor and manage your Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints in a single pane of glass—giving you the 360-degree visibility you need to look into the health and performance of all your IT assets.
Designed by IT for IT, NinjaOne was built by an expert team that has over a century of combined experience in IT management. The lightweight yet powerful platform gives you everything you need, including dozens of out-of-the-box automation (such as scripts, patching, and tasks) to deliver unmatched services to your managed endpoints while also reducing cost. The numbers speak for themselves:
- 97% customer satisfaction score (CSAT)
- 95% of all Ninja clients report increased IT efficiency after only a few days of using the platform.
- 94% reduced ticket volumes and ticket resolution times
- 93% saved time on patching
- 71% replaced more than four tools with NinjaOne
With a healthy obsession for your success and a continuous QA process considering your feedback in its product roadmap, NinjaOne maintains the ITSM tool of choice for over 20,000 customers in over 80 countries.
NinjaOne reviews on G2
| Category | NinjaOne Rating |
| Overall | 4.8 out of 5 (1,102) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 9.6 |
| Quality of support | 9.4 |
| Ease of Admin | 9.3 |
| Ease of Use | 9.3 |
Number of 2024 G2 awards: 9
NinjaOne reviews on Capterra
| Category | NinjaOne Rating |
| Overall | 4.8 out of 5 (204) |
| Ease of Use | 4.8 |
| Customer Service | 4.8 |
| Features | 4.5 |
| Value for Money | 4.7 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 93% |
Streamline your IT service management with NinjaOne today.
Schedule a 14-day free trial or watch a demo.
2. SolarWinds Service Desk
SolarWinds Service Desk is a cloud-based IT service management platform that helps IT teams of all sizes maximize their productivity and accelerate resolution with its fast time-to-value. its solution integrates with dozens of business applications so its customers can begin optimizing their performance from deployment.
SolarWinds Service Desk follows a pay-per-technician pricing model that is billed every month.
SolarWinds Service Desk reviews on G2
| Category | SolarWinds Service Desk Rating |
| Overall | 4.3 out of 5 (703) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 9.1 |
| Quality of support | 9.0 |
| Ease of Admin | 8.9 |
| Ease of Use | 9.0 |
Number of 2024 G2 awards: 1
SolarWinds Service Desk reviews on Capterra
| Category | SolarWinds Service Desk Rating |
| Overall | 4.6 out of 5 (570) |
| Ease of Use | 4.6 |
| Customer Service | 4.7 |
| Features | 4.4 |
| Value for Money | 4.5 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 87% |
3. Jira Service Management
Jira Service Management, by Atlassian, is a well-known service management solution for fast-growing hybrid teams. Its ITSM solution helps your team plan, assign, track, report, and manage work from a single console. It also offers software development, customer support, and decent integrations.
Currently, Jira offers two hosting options, cloud and self-managed, and four-tiered pricing models for up to 20,000 agents.
Jira Service Management reviews on G2
| Category | Jira Service Management Rating |
| Overall | 4.2 out of 5 (763) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 8.6 |
| Quality of support | 8.2 |
| Ease of Admin | 7.7 |
| Ease of Use | 8.1 |
Number of 2024 G2 awards: 1
Jira Service Management reviews on Capterra
| Category | Jira Service Management Rating |
| Overall | 4.6 out of 5 (650) |
| Ease of Use | 4.3 |
| Customer Service | 4.3 |
| Features | 4.5 |
| Value for Money | 4.3 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 84% |
4. Cherwell Service Management
Cherwell Service Management by Ivanti is a service desk solution a complete IT service desk, Cherwell Service Management also includes incident and request management, configuration management, and IT asset management, among other features.
Cherwell Service Management reviews on G2
| Category | Cherwell Service Management Rating |
| Overall | 4.0 out of 5 (169) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 8.9 |
| Quality of support | 8.1 |
| Ease of Admin | 8.2 |
| Ease of Use | 7.6 |
Number of 2024 G2 awards: 0
Cherwell Service Management reviews on Capterra
| Category | Cherwell Service Management Rating |
| Overall | 4.4 out of 5 (163) |
| Ease of Use | 4.3 |
| Customer Service | 4.3 |
| Features | 4.3 |
| Value for Money | 4.4 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 84% |
5. SysAid
Marketed as a “next-gen IT service management”, SysAid uses generative AI to streamline IT operations and help IT technicians focus on high-value tasks. SysAid is more commonly used by mid-sized businesses to mature organizations that need assistance in managing more complex projects.
The comprehensive solution empowers IT admins to focus on their core competencies and deliver better IT service to their end users.
SysAid reviews on G2
| Category | SysAid Rating |
| Overall | 4.5 out of 5 (670) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 9.1 |
| Quality of support | 9.0 |
| Ease of Admin | 8.7 |
| Ease of Use | 8.9 |
Number of 2024 G2 awards: 0
SysAid reviews on Capterra
| Category | SysAid Rating |
| Overall | 4.6 out of 5 (440) |
| Ease of Use | 4.5 |
| Customer Service | 4.5 |
| Features | 4.5 |
| Value for Money | 4.5 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 88% |
6. Vivantio
Vivantio is built on ITIL 4 and is a configurable platform that enables your IT team to easily manage their workload and improve their efficiency. Its IT service management software helps increase productivity and is designed to mitigate risks and solve issues faster in a unified platform.
Vivantio reviews on G2
| Category | Vivantio Rating |
| Overall | 4.3 out of 5 (280) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 8.9 |
| Quality of support | 9.0 |
| Ease of Admin | 8.4 |
| Ease of Use | 8.6 |
Number of 2024 G2 awards: 2
Vivantio reviews on Capterra
| Category | Vivantio Rating |
| Overall | 4.3 out of 5 (177) |
| Ease of Use | 4.2 |
| Customer Service | 4.4 |
| Features | 4.2 |
| Value for Money | 4.3 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 83% |
7. HaloITSM
HaloITSM is an intuitive, ITIL-aligned service for mid-market MSPs that want to manage all their IT services from a single console. Its solution offers a wide range of ITSM tools, including incident management, service catalog, change control, asset management, and integrations.
HaloITSM charges per named agent license or concurrent seats, with additional add-ons, such as Halo Asset Discovery and Halo Remote Control, billed separately.
HaloITSM reviews on G2
| Category | HaloITSM Rating |
| Overall | 4.8 out of 5 (16) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 9.8 |
| Quality of support | 9.7 |
| Ease of Admin | 8.9 |
| Ease of Use | 9.8 |
Number of 2024 G2 awards: 0
HaloITSM reviews on Capterra
| Category | HaloITSM Rating |
| Overall | 4.7 out of 5 (35) |
| Ease of Use | 4.6 |
| Customer Service | 4.7 |
| Features | 4.7 |
| Value for Money | 4.6 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 90% |
8. Atera Helpdesk Software
Atera is a full RMM that offers ITSM tools to help IT businesses improve their IT service delivery. Its solution operates on proactive management, allowing users to preemptively address issues before they turn into bigger problems.
Atera considers itself an all-in-one IT platform that monitors unlimited devices with pay-per-technician pricing.
See how Atera compares with NinjaOne or read a more in-depth analysis of Atera competitors.
Atera reviews on G2
| Category | Atera Rating |
| Overall | 4.6 out of 5 (453) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 9.3 |
| Quality of support | 9.1 |
| Ease of Admin | 9.0 |
| Ease of Use | 8.9 |
Number of 2024 G2 awards: 1
Atera reviews on Capterra
| Category | Atera Rating |
| Overall | 4.6 out of 5 (344) |
| Ease of Use | 4.7 |
| Customer Service | 4.5 |
| Features | 4.3 |
| Value for Money | 4.7 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 90% |
9. ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is comprehensive IT service management software designed to design, automate, deliver, and manage critical IT and business services. It combines IT asset management, IT service management, and CMDB with enterprise service management capabilities to deliver an all-in-one solution.
ServiceDesk Plus is available both on-premises and in the cloud.
See how ManageEngine compares with NinjaOne or read a more in-depth analysis of ManageEngine alternatives.
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus reviews on G2
| Category | ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus Rating |
| Overall | 4.2 out of 5 (223) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 8.2 |
| Quality of support | 8.1 |
| Ease of Admin | 8.4 |
| Ease of Use | 8.6 |
Number of 2024 G2 awards: 1
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus reviews on Capterra
| Category | ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus Rating |
| Overall | 4.6 out of 5 (206) |
| Ease of Use | 4.3 |
| Customer Service | 4.2 |
| Features | 4.3 |
| Value for Money | 4.3 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 83% |
10. InvGate
InvGate is a flexible service management solution that offers IT service management, enterprise service management, and IT asset management in a unified dashboard. Its service desk is marketed for mid to large companies that want more efficient IT service delivery, especially for ticketing, workflows, and analytics.
Its ITIL-ready solution follows a pay-per-agent pricing model that is billed annually.
InvGate reviews on G2
| Category | InvGate Rating |
| Overall | 4.7 out of 5 (19) |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? | 9.2 |
| Quality of support | 9.1 |
| Ease of Admin | 9.4 |
| Ease of Use | 9.4 |
Number of 2024 G2 awards: 0
InvGate reviews on Capterra
| Category | InvGate Rating |
| Overall | 4.5 out of 5 (14) |
| Ease of Use | 4.5 |
| Customer Service | 4.1 |
| Features | 4.3 |
| Value for Money | 4.3 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 84% |
Comparison of Best ITSM solutions (G2)
| Category | NinjaOne | SolarWinds Service Desk | Jira Service Management | Cherwell Service Management | SysAid | Vivantio | HaloITSM | Atera Helpdesk Software | ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus | InvGate |
| Overall | 4.8 out of 5 (204) | 4.6 out of 5 (570) | 4.5 out of 5 (650) | 4.4 out of 5 (163) | 4.6 out of 5 (440) | 4.3 out of 5 (177) | 4.7 out of 5 (35) | 4.6 out of 5 (344) | 4.4 out of 5 (206) | 4.5 out of 5 (14) |
| Ease of Use | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.5 |
| Customer Service | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| Features | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| Value for Money | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| Likelihood to Recommend | 93% | 87% | 84% | 84% | 88% | 83% | 90% | 90% | 83% | 84% |
Final scores and summaries of ITSM tools
| Vendor | Final Score | Summary |
| NinjaOne | 4.11 | NinjaOne is a market leader in IT service management because of its integrated solution that gives you full visibility and control over your entire IT infrastructure. |
| Jira Service Management | 3.46 | Jira is a solid alternative for larger IT teams that want to accelerate the work between development, IT, and business teams. |
| SolarWinds Service Desk | 3.20 | SolarWinds is a good option for small to medium-sized MSPs that want a single console to streamline and organize their tickets and requests. |
| SysAid | 2.78 | As a well-known ITSM tool, SysAid offers advanced features and good UI and UX. That said, some users on G2 say that the solution could improve some of its configurations. |
| Atera Helpdesk Software | 2.26 | Users on G2 appreciate Atera’s pricing model, especially if they are smaller MSPs. That said, Atera can become pricey if you intend on growing your business soon. |
| Vivantio | 1.65 | Vivantio is an up-and-coming ITSM tool that scores high for its customer support and user-friendliness. It is best suited for SMBs. |
| ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus | 1.49 | ServiceDesk Plus is a useful ITSM tool for mid-market MSPs. It offers a variety of tools that help with day-to-day tasks. |
| Cherwell Service Management | 1.18 | Cherwell is a flexible and feature-rich ITSM that is better suited for smaller MSPs looking for a user-friendly solution. |
| HaloITSM | 0.69 | HaloITSM is a good option for smaller, leaner MSPs that want a simple ticketing and incident management tool. |
| InvGate | 0.64 | With its tight integrations with IT asset management and change management tools, InvGate is a better fit for larger organizations and enterprises. |
Our rankings formula
To derive the final score for each vendor, we employed a weighted formula that takes into account various metrics. Here’s how it breaks down:
Final Score = w1 * G2 Overall Star Rating + w2 * Capterra Overall Star Rating + w3 * G2 Total Number of Reviews (Scaled) + w4 * Capterra Total Number of Reviews (Scaled) + w5 * G2 Total Number of Awards
Where:
W1 = .25 * G2 score
W2 = .25 * Capterra score
W3 = .2 * Number of G2 reviews
W4 = .2 * Number of Capterra reviews
W5 = .1 * Number of G2 awards
Finding the best ITSM tools for your business
Investing in IT service management software is the first step towards greater efficiency, lower costs, and higher end-user satisfaction—but how do you choose the right one? When is the right time to implement it? The truth is that all companies are dynamic, so there is never a “perfect” ITSM solution or the “perfect” time to implement one.
That said, you can work with the most suitable solution for your business by considering your needs and what your ITSM tool wants to do. The right ITSM tool will dramatically improve your processes and lead to a faster return on investment.
