Comparing ServiceNow Competitors: Which One Fits Your Business?

ServiceNow is a powerful platform, but for many businesses, it has become expensive, complex, and slow to adapt, and many organizations are actively looking for ServiceNow competitors.

These are typically ServiceNow alternatives that are easier to deploy, cost-effective, and built for modern workflows to automate repetitive requests, reduce ticket volumes, and deliver faster resolutions.

In this article, we compare the top ServiceNow competitors and help you choose the right fit for your business while also exploring how AI-first platforms like Thunai simplify service management and drive real efficiency.

Introduction to ServiceNow

• The technological environment of 2025 shows a shift where business automation and digital workflows are the foundation of business survival. ServiceNow has moved from a specialized tool for IT service tasks into a wide enterprise system.
• It currently holds 44.4 percent of the global market among the top ten vendors. The path of the company includes a move toward Agentic AI to link technology, employee, and customer workflows into one intelligent system.
• The global market for these services reached 11.4 billion USD in 2024 and may pass 14 billion USD by 2028. ServiceNow now supports digital operations for over 7,400 global businesses.
• This growth comes from the Now Platform, which gives a unified cloud system to manage business processes across IT, HR, and customer service. As businesses face pressure to give smart solutions, ServiceNow has positioned itself as the leader for digital change using releases like Washington DC to add generative AI features.
• However, the size and the difficulty of the platform mean that smaller or fast moving businesses may find the high total cost and the difficult learning process to be a problem. In 2025, ServiceNow alternatives are gaining ground by giving clear pricing, faster setup cycles, and specialized features for specific business models.
• This report provides an analysis of the market and the primary serviceNow competitors.

Overview of ServiceNow functionality

The functional system of ServiceNow rests on the Now Platform. It uses one data model and a central configuration database to keep data the same across all applications. This design removes the data silos that occur when IT teams use different, disconnected tools.

Why Businesses Choose ServiceNow

• Large businesses select ServiceNow for the growth potential of the platform and the ability to combine separate business processes into one system. 
• In large firms, the cost of managing many different tools for HR and IT often costs more than the licensing fees for ServiceNow. 
• ServiceNow is often seen as the market leader due to its position in analyst reports.   
• The company uses a 5 step setup method that includes a baseline assessment, fast configuration using templates, and constant improvement. 
• This method allows North American businesses to get a high return on investment, such as 35 to 60 percent faster resolution for service requests. 
• ServiceNow gives a private cloud instance for each customer to allow for better security and data control.   
• The ServiceNow ecosystem includes a large network of consultants and partners who make certain that setups meet goals and follow ITIL standards. 
• For businesses in regulated fields such as finance or healthcare, ServiceNow meets standards like FedRAMP and gives strong risk management features.  

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Identifying ServiceNow Competitors

As service management changes, more businesses are looking at other options. While ServiceNow is the market leader for enterprise automation, the search for serviceNow alternatives occurs because of the high cost of starting. 

Identifying serviceNow competitors requires understanding a business's budget and maturity. The market in 2025 has different groups: enterprise challengers, agile solutions for mid-market teams, and AI platforms.

The choice of a ServiceNow alternative also depends on whether the business needs only IT tools or a wider system for Enterprise Service Management. 

Businesses that use only a small part of ServiceNow but pay for the whole package often look for these options.   

Definition of ServiceNow Competitors in the ITSM space

• A ServiceNow competitor in this market is a software platform that helps plan and control IT services for customers and employees. 
• To compete with ServiceNow, a platform must give more than a simple ticketing system, and it should give a full set of tools for incident, problem, change, and asset management.   
• In 2025, the standard for competition includes AI automation where platforms must fix issues automatically and give predictive data. 
• ServiceNow competitors are also judged on their low-code features that allow business users to change workflows without technical staff. 
• As the market moves to Enterprise Service Management, a serviceNow competitor's strength is judged by how well it works for departments outside of IT like HR or facilities.   

Importance of Exploring ServiceNow Alternatives

• The high cost and the administrative work required for ServiceNow have made looking for ServiceNow alternatives a priority for many IT leaders. 
• One reason businesses look for competition is the difficulty of setup 
• ServiceNow Competitor often needs months of work and a full technical team before it goes live.
• This delay can be a problem for fast moving businesses that need results now.   
• Clear pricing is another factor. 
• ServiceNow pricing is often not public and involves custom quotes that go up as features are added. 
• In contrast, many ServiceNow alternatives give per-agent pricing for more predictable budgets.
• Some businesses find the ServiceNow interface difficult to use, which leads to lower usage by employees. 
• By looking at other companies, businesses can find modern tools that give the needed features at a lower total cost.   

Key Players in the ServiceNow Competition

1. Thunai

Thunai is an agentic AI platform that acts as a central information hub for a business. Developed by Entrans, it changes separate data from CRM systems, emails, and wikis into one memory. 

Thunai solves the data silo problem by taking in information from many sources and fixing contradictions, which lowers AI errors by 95 percent.   

Features and benefits

The platform has three parts: the Thunai Brain for knowledge, AI agents, and workflow tasks. Unlike other platforms that need manual work, Thunai AI voice, chat, and email agents handle the first parts of a support request in over 150 languages.

Thunai agents understand intent in natural language and talk to systems through APIs. They can perform multi-step tasks like creating a Salesforce account and then generating a NetSuite invoice.   

Pricing structure

Thunai has a tiered model based on the level of automation a company needs. 

The platform also has a free tier for businesses to test basic AI agents with limited use. Enterprise setups can cost from 15,000 USD to over 150,000 USD.   

2. Zendesk

Zendesk is a competitor in the customer and employee support market. It is used by businesses that want a polished user interface. It has developed into a service management system that can handle IT workflows.   

Features and benefits

Zendesk has an intuitive workspace that needs little training. The ticketing system allows for logging and tracking incidents across email, chat, social media, and phone.   

Multi-channel Support

• Gives a unified view of all interaction channels including email, chat, and social messaging.   
• Helps agents respond faster to complaints posted on social media platforms.   
• Authorizes a smooth experience for users regardless of the communication method they select.   

Automated Workflow Management

• Uses business rules and triggers to automate ticket routing and status updates.   
• Sends automatic notifications and alerts to keep users and agents updated.   
• Lowers human workload by handling repetitive tasks without manual effort.   

Self-Service Options

• Gives users access to a full knowledge base and FAQ section to fix issues on their own.   
• Includes community forums where users can find answers from other members.   
• Uses AI answer bots to deflect common questions before they become tickets.   

Advanced AI Copilot

• Gives agents real time help by suggesting answers from the knowledge base.   
• Automatically creates summaries of long ticket threads to save time for staff.   
• Predicts customer sentiment and intent to help agents respond better. 

Zendesk may lack the depth in change management or complex configuration databases found in ServiceNow.   

Pricing structure

Zendesk has two product lines: the Customer Service Suite and the Employee Service Suite.

Advanced AI features cost an extra 50 USD per agent per month.   

3. Freshservice

Freshservice is a competitor for businesses that want enterprise power without high difficulty. It is for fast growing businesses that need to start quickly.   

Features and benefits

Freshservice has a modern interface and a logic that allows a business to be ready in weeks. It follows ITIL and gives tools for incident, problem, change, and asset management.   

Freddy AI Features

• Uses AI for auto-triage and categorization of tickets to speed up routing.
• Gives predictive SLA insights to help agents meet time targets.   
• Authorizes agent assistance by drafting responses based on previous fixes.   

Orchestration Center

• Includes over 750 pre-built links to popular tools like Slack, Zoom, and Salesforce.
• Allows for code-free setup of workflows that talk to external software.   
• Gives a central hub to manage all third party app connections in one place.   

Visual CMDB

• Finds hardware and software assets automatically through network scans.   
• Maps relationships between assets to show how changes affect the whole system.   
• Tracks the full life cycle of assets from the time of purchase until retirement.   

Project Management

• Links IT service requests directly with project tasks to keep teams on the same page.   
• Includes team dashboards that show progress on both support and development goals.
• Authorizes planning and tracking of software releases to avoid system downtime.

The mobile app is fast, but it may lack some features for complex administration.   

Pricing structure

Freshservice uses a clear tiered model.

Other costs include transaction packs for automation and asset packs for larger inventories.   

4. Jira Service Management

Jira Service Management is a top choice for teams that value speed and connection between IT and software development.   

Features and benefits

The platform is on the same system as Jira Software, which makes it good for DevOps teams. It allows IT teams to track service requests and development tasks together.   

DevOps Connection

• Links incident tasks with developer tools like Bitbucket and GitHub.   
• Helps IT and development teams talk to each other inside the same tool.   
• Allows staff to track service requests and bug fixes in a single view.   

Incident Management

• Includes schedules for on-call teams and automatic alerts for serious issues.   
• Allows for real time status tracking so users know when a fix is coming.   
• Supplies incident war rooms where multiple teams can work together to fix outages fast.   

Federated Data Model

• Authorizes teams to build custom workflows and request types to match their own processes.   
• Uses a low-code drag and drop editor to change forms without technical help.   
• Keeps different department workflows separate while staying linked to the main business goals.   

Atlassian Intelligence

• Creates summaries of long tickets in plain language to help agents catch up.
• Uses AI virtual agents to handle common questions and lower ticket volume.
• Drafts responses to users based on internal company data.

It has a shorter setup time, often under 6 months.   

Pricing structure

JSM has clear per agent pricing and a free tier for small teams.

Users who only request or approve services are free.   

Comparing Features: ServiceNow vs. Competitors

The choice between ServiceNow and ServiceNow competitors involves a trade between high power and business speed. ServiceNow gives the most features but needs more work to maintain. ServiceNow Competitors offer faster results and modern interfaces.   

Main functionalities comparison of ServiceNow Competitors

• All players handle incident management, but differences appear in the depth of asset tracking and automated fixes. 
• ServiceNow leads in depth with automated discovery patterns that capture routers, switches, and virtualization layers. 
• It provides 35 to 60 percent faster resolution times through its Now Platform.   
• Jira Service Management uses the Insight system for asset tasks, which is good for tracking up to 50,000 objects with lower cost. 
• Freshservice uses a visual system that learns from past incidents to provide resolution data for agents. 
• Thunai moves beyond tracking by creating an information hub that resolves data contradictions across many tools, which lowers AI hallucinations by 95 percent.

Core functionalities comparison

All players handle incident management, but differences appear in advanced ITIL processes.

Usability and user experience

• Usability is a main area of difference. 
• Freshservice scores 9.2 out of 10 for ease of use on G2, which is higher than the 8.5 score for ServiceNow. 
• ServiceNow has a Confusing dashboard for some users, requiring many clicks to open a task or search for a ticket. 
• In contrast, Jira Service Management has a collapsible sidebar that provides clearer wayfinding and a unified feel across Atlassian products.   
• Zendesk provides a polished interface that gives users an overview of tickets and performance metrics at a glance. 
• It is favored for needing almost no training for end-users. Jira Service Management also scores 8.0 for ease of setup, compared to the more involved process for ServiceNow. 
• Thunai changes the user experience entirely by using AI voice and chat agents to talk to users, removing the need to fill out complex forms.  

Integration capabilities

Connection is a main area for competition. The ServiceNow hub is effective but technical to set up, often needing scripts. 

It connects to old systems but is less for popular SaaS tools.   

• Freshservice gives over 600 connections for Slack, Zoom, and Salesforce.   
• Jira Service Management has over 5,000 apps in its market and links to developer tools.   
• Zendesk has open APIs to link with over 1,000 tools.   
• Thunai performs tasks across different tools by calling APIs in a sequence without manual help.   

Pricing models comparison Between ServiceNow Competitors

In 2025, businesses want predictable costs. ServiceNow pricing is often not clear and can be hard for mid-market budgets. Others use per agent models.

How to Choose the Right ServiceNow Alternative for Your Business

Selecting a serviceNow alternative needs an analysis of business requirements and long term goals.   

Assessing organizational needs

A business needs analysis is mandatory. Companies must decide if they need only IT ticketing or wider service management.   

1. DevOps Alignment: If the team needs to work with developers, Jira Service Management is the best choice.   
2. Customer Experience: If the service desk is for brand identity and needs many channels, Zendesk is the choice.   
3. Fast Results: If the business needs to be live in weeks, Freshservice is the choice.   
4. AI Automation: If the goal is to lower ticket volume through AI agents that use an information hub, Thunai is the choice.   

Budget considerations

Evaluating total cost of ownership is necessary. Businesses must check hidden costs for setup, administration, and add-on fees.   

1. Small Teams: Should select free or entry tiers that cover basic SLAs.   
2. Growing Businesses: Should look for platforms with clear scaling, like Freshservice or JSM.   
3. Regulated Industries: May need enterprise tiers or hybrid platforms like BMC Helix for data rules, even if the cost is higher.   

Evaluating trial versions

Using free trials or demos is the only way to check if a platform matches business needs. During a trial, businesses should test:   

1. AI Performance: Use your own guides and history to see how well the AI fixes queries.   
2. Ease of Configuration: Have IT staff try to build a workflow or connection without help; if they find it hard, the cost will be high.   
3. Utility: Test if HR or Facilities teams find the portal easy to use; if they do not, the platform will fail as a wide system.   

Finding Your Ideal ITSM Solution With Thunai AI

In 2025, ServiceNow is the standard for large enterprise workflows, but it is not the only way to get service quality. 

The growth of competitors like Jira Service Management, Freshservice, and Zendesk gives businesses the flexibility to choose tools that prioritize speed and user experience. 

AI platforms like Thunai are changing the market by moving toward autonomous problem-solving.

Want to see Thunai in action? Book a free demo!

FAQs about ServiceNow Competitors

What are the main reasons to consider ServiceNow alternatives?

The reasons include high total cost, unclear pricing, and a long setup period that needs months and technical consultants. Many businesses find they use only a small part of the features but pay for the whole package. Some teams find the interface difficult to use, which lowers employee usage and productivity.   

How do I select the right competitor to ServiceNow?

Start with an analysis of business needs, looking at team size, setup speed, and goals such as DevOps or customer support. Small businesses should look at low maintenance tools like Freshservice or Zendesk, while developer teams should look at Jira Service Management. For businesses wanting AI for ticket resolution, Thunai is a primary choice.   

What is the best way to evaluate the features of each competitor?

The best method is a trial period using real business tasks. This allows the IT team to test connections, customization, and AI performance. Businesses should also read user reviews on sites like G2 and get detailed pricing to calculate the total cost over a 3 to 5 year period.