The 12 best ITSM software for IT teams in 2024 (buyer’s guide)

As IT organizations realize the benefits of IT service management software (ITSM), the global market size grows along with it. The 2021 estimate was $2.9 billion; it’s expected to increase to 5.3 billion by 2028.

Source

These days, ITSM software is a near-necessity thanks to its ability to streamline IT operations, enhance service delivery, and improve overall organizational efficiency. These tools eliminate the various manual and repetitive tasks of IT management, allowing organizations to focus on more strategic initiatives.

Dozens of ITSM tools are available, meaning IT organizations must compare the available options to determine which one provides the most value. To help you with that process, here are reviews and comparisons of the 12 best ITSM tools available today.

What is ITSM software?

IT service management (ITSM) software helps organizations provide IT services to meet the needs of their customers—whether they are internal (such as employees) or external (such as clients). These tools provide a centralized system for managing and automating various IT processes like ticketing, incident management, change management, and so on.

Some ITSM tools combine various capabilities onto a single platform, providing a more unified approach to managing IT infrastructure. Other ITSM tools focus on one specific area, such as service desk or incident management.

Types of ITSM tools

ITSM tools vary widely and can include service desk, incident, problem, change, and configuration management capabilities. To help you understand each of these, let’s look at them in more detail.

Service desk management

A service desk tool, also known as a helpdesk or IT ticketing, manages all communication between users and the IT team. These tools’ main features are a ticketing system for managing and tracking user requests, as well as a self-service portal that allows users to find answers independently.

Incident management

Incident management tools detect IT incidents—such as software glitches and network outages—and work quickly to restore operations to minimize business disruptions. A few of the key features include incident logging, priority determination, and escalation procedures to ensure critical issues are addressed within a reasonable timeframe.

Problem management

Problem management aims to identify the core issue underlying recurring incidents and prevent them from happening again. This is done through root cause analysis, which uncovers why IT issues occur and provides insight on how to stop them.

Problem management tools with AI-based predictive analytics enable IT teams to manage problems proactively. This gives IT teams a considerable advantage since they can identify potential issues before they escalate into major incidents.

Change management

Change management monitors and controls changes to IT systems, services, and configurations with the aim of minimizing risks and service disruptions. It ensures that all changes—whether related to software, hardware, or processes—undergo systematic approval, implementation, and review.

The main goal of change management is to ensure that changes are introduced smoothly and safely.

Configuration management

Configuration management involves maintaining detailed records of IT infrastructure components such as computer systems, servers, network devices, and applications. This process involves tracking the configuration of each asset, documenting its relationships with other components, and monitoring any changes made. Automation is essential for configuration management. It reduces human error and ensures that all assets are tracked accurately and updated consistently.

Why you need an ITSM tool

ITSM tools offer IT teams considerable power that can yield many benefits, practically making them an essential technology. Let’s look at each of these in depth. 

1. Keep up with the current trends

The integration of AI in ITSM is no longer a trend; it’s starting to make a real impact. According to a Gartner prediction, 70% of organizations will implement structured infrastructure automation to improve efficiency and flexibility by 2025. This is up from 20% in 2021. Investing in a robust ITSM tool that offers strong AI and automation features will help IT teams fulfill the full promise of that prediction.

2. Streamline repetitive tasks

ITSM tools enable users to streamline and automate various tasks using AI and automation. The best tools support task automation like responding to tickets, detecting threats in real time, and monitoring network performance. 

As a result of these improved processes, IT teams can spend more time on strategic initiatives instead of manual and repetitive tasks.

3. Better cybersecurity measures

RMM software is a critical component of a strong ITSM solution. It allows IT teams to proactively monitor and manage their IT infrastructure remotely. It monitors network performance and security in real-time and alerts users of potential problems. This enables quick identification and resolution of issues before they impact operations.

The best IT service management tools offer AI capabilities to help prevent cyberattacks. AI-powered security systems detect threats faster than ever, enabling early detection of threats.

4. Scalability

ITSM tools are meant to scale with a user’s growth. As a client base increases, it’s easy to add more customer profiles, manage a higher volume of requests, and integrate additional services without compromising performance.

5. Reduced costs

With automation and AI on ITSM tools, IT teams can track, optimize, and plan resource usage. They can also eliminate repetitive and manual tasks. Both these improvements save users significant amounts of money.

The 12 best ITSM tools for IT teams in 2024

ITSM software allows IT teams to improve efficiency, streamline service management, and resolve incidents faster. Here are the best options in today’s market.

1. Atera

Atera is an all-in-one IT management platform for IT departments and MSPs. It combines key IT management tools into one platform, such as RMM, helpdesk and ticketing, asset management, patch management, and reporting. 

Atera is the first IT management platform to incorporate AI into the platform through Atera Copilot. Atera Copilot improves nearly all aspects of IT management and enables tenfold efficiency for IT technicians. AI capabilities include instant ticket summaries, real-time device troubleshooting, scripting, and more.

For additional functionality, Atera integrates with a variety of third-party tools.

Features and capabilities

While a few IT management platforms provide similar capabilities, Atera’s AI-powered ones set it apart. For instance, Atera’s AI-powered ticketing system provides instant ticket summaries that include a clear overview of the problem.  The AI tool can suggest solutions and even resolve the problem automatically.

Atera’s RMM tool offers proactive issue detection by monitoring the network performance and health in real time, then alerting technicians when problems arise. To take it one step further, Atera Copilot offers a hands-off approach to troubleshooting issues with automatic issue detection and resolution.

Pricing and value for money

Atera uses a transparent pay-per-technician pricing model, meaning users can add unlimited endpoints/devices at no additional cost. This differs from most competitors that use a pay-per-endpoint pricing structure.

Atera’s standard pricing plans for MSPs range from $129 to $209 per month; for IT departments, the range is $149 to $219. Atera Copilot and Atera’s Network discovery tool are available as add-ons.

Atera G2 rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars (600+ reviews)

What Atera users are saying on G2:

A G2 user explains how Atera has helped him manage his day-to-day tasks as a one-man IT team. Atera has saved him considerable time by automating tedious daily tasks like patch management, device troubleshooting, and scripting. When he first started using Atera, there were already a lot of features, but Atera kept adding more. The reviewer appreciates the fact that Atera doesn’t stay stagnant.

Atera Capterra rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars (380+ reviews)

What Atera users are saying on Capterra:

As an all-in-one solution, Atera combines RMM, PSA, remote access, and other capabilities—something a Capterra user appreciates. The reviewer also likes that Atera is cloud-based for remote IT environment monitoring. In addition, Atera’s remote configuration capabilities make it easy to access client devices for troubleshooting.

Atera pricing:

Atera’s pricing plans for MSPs:

• Pro: $129 per month, per technician
• Growth: $179 per month, per technician
• Power: $209 per month, per technician
• Superpower (Enterprise): Custom quotation. Contact sales for pricing.

Atera’s pricing plans for IT departments:

• Professional: $149 per month, per technician
• Expert: $169 per month, per technician
• Master: $219 per month, per technician
• Enterprise: Custom quotation. Contact sales for pricing.

Get started with Atera with a 30-day free trial, no credit card required!

2. ServiceNow IT Service Management

ServiceNow IT Service Management is an ITSM software with a wide variety of applications for managing IT services. The applications support processes such as change, problem, incident, and request management. Like Atera, ServiceNow uses AI to empower its users to be more efficient, and they can use AI for troubleshooting assistance.

ServiceNow integrates with third-party software, including Salesforce, Microsoft, Jira Software, Oracle, and more.

G2 rating: 4.3 out of 5.0 (800+ reviews)

Capterra rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 (30+ reviews)

ServiceNow ITSM pricing:

• Based on custom quotation. Contact the ServiceNow team to find out more.

3. SolarWinds Service Desk

One of SolarWinds’ products, Service Desk, is an ITSM solution that combines different features to streamline IT service management. One of its key features is incident management, which has built-in AI that helps resolve incidents quickly. ServiceNow also has an IT asset discovery tool for scanning a user’s network and reporting on connected devices.

Service Desk can integrate with other SolarWinds products—such as Dameware Remote Everywhere—for remote access and other capabilities. Integrations with third-party products like Slack and Microsoft Teams are also available. 

G2 rating: 4.3 out of 5.0 stars (700+ reviews)

Capterra rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars (500+ reviews)

SolarWinds Service Desk pricing:

• Essentials: $39 per month, per technician
• Advanced: $79 per month, per technician
• Premier: $99 per month, per technician

4. Jira Service Management

Jira Service Management is mainly known as a simple-to-use ITSM solution for IT and HR teams. It brings together key ITSM capabilities such as asset, request, incident, and problem management. The platform has a service desk tool for handling end-user support requests. Users can access knowledge-base articles that assist them in resolving common issues on their own.

Jira Service Management is primarily used by IT teams for basic IT management. For users seeking more advanced features, such as a strong RMM and remote access, it may not meet their needs.

G2 rating: 4.2 out of 5.0 (760+ reviews)

Capterra rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 (600+ reviews)

Jira Service Management pricing:

• Free: Free for up to 3 technicians
• Standard: $22 per month, per technician
• Premium: $49 per month, per technician
• Enterprise: Pricing based on custom quotation. Visit their website to learn more.

5. GoTo Resolve

GoTo Resolve is an IT management platform with RMM, IT ticketing, remote access, patch management, and reporting capabilities. It primarily focuses on RMM and offers proactive monitoring and alerting features. To resolve issues faster, users can automate troubleshooting tasks, such as system diagnostics and script execution.

GoTo Resolve uses pay-per-technician pricing, meaning users pay for the amount of technicians using the platform. However, it charges extra if users exceed a plan’s device limit. This is a slight drawback compared to platforms like Atera, which allow users to add unlimited devices at no extra cost.

G2 rating: 4.4 out of 5.0 (400+ reviews)

Capterra rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 (190+ reviews)

GoTo Resolve pricing:

• Standard: Starting at $57 per month, billed annually.
• Premium: Custom pricing. Visit their website to get the pricing.

6. Syncro

Syncro is an IT management platform for MSPs that combines RMM, PSA, and remote access capabilities. Users can remotely monitor client devices and set up remediations to automatically fix issues when an alert is created. 

Syncro incorporates AI in its ticketing system, allowing users to route tickets to the right technician and get AI-generated solution suggestions. Alternatives like Atera also incorporate AI into scripting and troubleshooting. Syncro can integrate with third-party tools like Slack, TeamViewer, and Stripe for more capabilities.

G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 (150+ reviews)

Capterra rating: 4.7 out of 5.0 (70+ reviews)

Syncro pricing:

• Basic: $139 per month, per user

7. NinjaOne

NinjaOne is an ITSM software best known for its RMM capabilities. Users can monitor and manage Mac, Windows, and Linux devices. The platform automatically alerts technicians when problems occur. The RMM tool has automation tools for patching, scripting, and issue resolution. It doesn’t have any AI capabilities to streamline IT management, which is a drawback.

NinjaOne uses a pay-per-endpoint pricing model, meaning users pay for the amount of endpoints/devices managed. This means costs can quickly add up—especially for users managing dozens of endpoints.

G2 rating: 4.8 out of 5.0 (1,000+ reviews)

Capterra rating: 4.8 out of 5.0 (200+ reviews)

NinjaOne pricing:

• NinjaOne prices per endpoint but does not make its pricing available publicly; pricing is based on custom quotation. To learn more, visit their website.

8. Datto

Datto offers various products for IT service management. Its most popular product is Datto RMM, which allows users to monitor and manage network devices remotely. The tool also includes patch management, remote access, and scripting capabilities. Combining it with Autotask PSA gives users access to service desk capabilities.

Users seeking comprehensive IT management will need to combine multiple Datto products. The downside of this approach is the increased price. All-in-one solutions such as Atera’s are much more cost-effective.

G2 rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars (300+ reviews)

Capterra rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars (100+ reviews)

Datto Autotask PSA pricing:

• Custom pricing available. Contact Datto’s sales team to get the pricing.

9. ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is a PSA software for MSPs. As its name suggests, it includes a service desk tool that helps manage end-user support requests. The service desk tool includes a self-service portal, knowledge base management, and a live chat feature. In addition, it offers IT automation capabilities such as ticket routing, alerting, and proactive maintenance.

ServiceDesk Plus can integrate with other ManageEngine products, like Endpoint Central or Site24x7, for increased capabilities. 

G2 rating: 4.2 out of 5.0 (200+ reviews)

Capterra rating: 4.4 out of 5.0 (200+ reviews)

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus pricing:

• Standard: Starts from $13 per month, per technician
• Professional: Starts from $27 per month, per technician
• Enterprise: Starts from $67 per month, per technician

10. SysAid

SysAid is an ITSM tool primarily focused on helpdesk and ticketing. The ticketing system is powered by AI, allowing technicians to resolve support requests and troubleshoot issues more quickly. In addition, SysAid has an IT asset management tool for managing IT assets. It works with the service desk tool by providing all asset information to resolve issues faster.

For IT ticketing, SysAid can be a suitable option. However, it lacks other features IT teams may need, such as a strong RMM and remote access. Users seeking these capabilities will need to integrate with third-party tools. The downside of this approach is the increased cost.

G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars (600+ reviews)

Capterra rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars (400+ reviews)

SysAid pricing:

• Based on custom quotation. Book a demo call with SysAid to receive pricing.

11. Ivanti Neurons for ITSM

Ivanti Neurons for ITSM’s key capabilities include helpdesk and ticketing, incident and problem management, change and release management, and automation and AI to eliminate repetitive tasks. The AI can also proactively detect and remediate issues. Users seeking asset management capabilities can add on Ivanti Neurons for ITAM.

According to user reviews, Ivanti Neurons’ main drawback is its steep learning curve. Given the sophistication of today’s modern ITSM tools, a complex interface is a notable disadvantage.

G2 rating: 3.9 out of 5.0 stars (150+ reviews)

Capterra rating: 3.8 out of 5.0 stars (10+ reviews)

Ivanti Neurons for ITSM pricing:

• Ivanti discloses its plan options on its website, but not the exact prices. To obtain them, visit Ivanti’s website.

12. Freshservice

Freshservice offers various tools to assist with IT service management. These include incident management, problem management, change management, and a service catalog. It also has an IT asset management tool that discovers assets, creates a unified view of them, and helps manage the lifecycle of assets.

Freshservice focuses mainly on the service desk aspect of service management, arguably leaving out other essential features. For users seeking capabilities like RMM or remote access, Freshservice may not be the best choice.

G2 rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars (1,000+ reviews)

Capterra rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars (500+ reviews)

Freshservice pricing:

• ITSM plans start at $115 per month, per technician.

How AI-powered solutions are transforming ITSM

Advanced AI technologies like machine learning enable ITSM tools to predict and prevent issues before they escalate, as well as automate routine tasks such as ticket resolution.

Atera is already a step ahead of this revolution by integrating predictive AI into its platform. Atera Copilot can detect anomalies and incidents in real time and issue warning signals as early as possible.
If you want to join Atera’s mission of revolutionizing IT management, sign up for the 30-day free trial. You can also contact our sales team for a custom demo.