ServiceNow vs. Ivanti vs. SmartSuite: Which One Is Better?

Both ServiceNow and Ivanti are well-known players in the ITSM industry: ServiceNow with its enterprise-grade depth and broad integration marketplace, and Ivanti with a stronger operational focus on endpoint management, asset visibility, and automation.

I know that choosing the right fit isn’t going to be easy. 

It will ultimately depend on your team’s size, budget, security posture, and how mature your endpoint/ITIL processes are.

➡️ In this detailed guide, I’ll break down the key capabilities, pricing structure, and testimonials for both tools to help you make an informed decision.

💡 I’ll also introduce you to a third option that combines flexibility, affordability, and ease of use in one comprehensive ITSM platform: SmartSuite.

TL;DR

✅ ServiceNow is ideal for enterprises looking for an ITIL-aligned ITSM platform with a broad ecosystem of modules (incident, change, asset, service management), best-in-class automation, and plenty of integrations. 

Despite this, the platform can be rather expensive and often complex to implement and maintain, according to users of the platform.

✅ Ivanti is a strong choice for organizations that want a tightly integrated IT operations stack where ITSM, endpoint management, asset discovery, and vulnerability remediation work from the same data model. 

However, extracting full value usually requires implementation effort and some admin resources, and teams should budget time for onboarding and training.

✅ SmartSuite is an all-in-one work management platform that goes beyond ITSM. The tool combines customization, templates, and built-in communication features at a significantly lower entry price and is ideal for both SMEs and enterprises looking to start with ITSM in days and not months. 

When compared to the 2 other solutions, its integration depth is currently more limited.

ServiceNow vs. Ivanti vs. SmartSuite: ITSM Features

TL;DR:

• ServiceNow comes with advanced ITSM modules for incident, change, problem, and asset management. The platform also excels with its deep ITIL alignment, extensibility, and comes with a large marketplace of integrations.
• Ivanti delivers an operations-first ITSM approach that bundles CMDB and asset visibility, unified endpoint management, automation (Neurons), and risk-aware patching. The tool is a strong fit when you need IT and SecOps to act from the same source of truth rather than using separate tools.
• SmartSuite offers a no-code, all-in-one IT service and project management software that helps you standardize service requests, ticketing, asset tracking, and internal IT projects. The platform stands out for teams looking to deploy their IT service desk sooner rather than later and standardize IT processes.

Let’s go over the 3 platforms’ features, starting with SmartSuite: 👇

SmartSuite’s ITSM Features

SmartSuite offers a no-code, easy-to-manage ITSM platform that helps you standardize critical IT processes, organise projects, and remove the traditional obstacles in the tech space.

Here’s a walkthrough of our solution for IT leaders:

Let’s go over the features that make SmartSuite the best choice for small and large IT teams looking for an ITSM software: 👇

All-In-One ITSM

SmartSuite helps both SMEs and enterprises manage their IT processes, projects, and assets in a single, unified solution.

Our no-code, easy-to-use tool lets you automate all technical processes with ease.

Here are the IT use cases that your team will get with SmartSuite:

• Manage critical IT processes: Manage data and IT workflows in one place, from deploying help desk and issue management solutions to ensuring core business operations stay uninterrupted.

• Track tickets & issues: Deploy a help desk and issue management solutions.

• Manage your IT assets and licenses: Track all of your IT assets, to whom they are deployed, and which tool versions are deployed.

• Manage internal IT projects: Your team will be able to plan deployments, schedule your teams, and monitor progress to ensure you deliver on time and under budget.

• Integrate with your existing systems and data to consolidate and centralize your data. 

• Automate for accuracy and efficiency: Remove inefficiencies and human error by automating repeatable workflows.
• You can monitor and report on your work with customizable IT dashboards: Track help tickets, work requests, and more in dynamic interactive dashboards.

Standardize Your Team’s IT Workflows

Your team can streamline request workflows with a centralized work request process. 

Our software lets you prioritize tasks, assign IT staff and ensure that you achieve SLAs.

Your team will also be able to monitor your IT department with flexible reports and dashboards that keep you updated in real time.

Apart from that, SmartSuite's no-code automation builder provides IT teams with a visual interface that makes it easy to respond to events and take action.

That means your team can customize your ITSM workflows without technical resources.

💡 Working on mobile? You’ll be able to stay connected to critical IT information, tickets and device information with our native iOS and Android apps.

It’s possible to use our mobile app to share files, images, updates and other feedback to resolve problems and close tickets.

Pre-built ITSM Templates

We have prepared a few ITSM templates for IT teams looking to get started right away, instead of building everything from scratch, such as an IT Help Desk.

Our ITSM template includes:

• IT Service Request Management, where your IT team can streamline work requests, automate repetitive tasks, and manage IT assets.

• IT Help Desk, which we built for internal IT departments looking to capture and resolve internal technology issues.

• IT Asset Tracker, where you can keep track of IT assets issued to employees or implemented in networks, facilities and workspaces.

You can customize our ITSM management templates here for your organization’s required use cases, including IT Security Policies, IT Security Audits, and IT Work Requests.

ServiceNow’s ITSM Features

Incident & Problem Management

ServiceNow offers an incident management software that helps you capture, prioritize, and resolve issues through a centralized interface. 

The platform supports automated workflows for escalations and SLA tracking, ensuring critical tickets are addressed promptly.

Its problem management capability lets you identify root causes of recurring incidents and maintain a known-error database, so your IT fixes can be applied faster next time a similar issue arises.

➡️ These modules streamline issue resolution and reduce downtime by enforcing ITIL best practices and providing agents with all the context needed to better close incidents.

Change & Asset Management

ServiceNow’s change management capabilities let you plan and authorize IT system changes with minimal risk. 

The tool provides structured change request workflows, integration with a Change Advisory Board (CAB), and a visual change calendar to avoid conflicts and schedule updates safely.

Alongside change management, the platform also includes a full asset management module that automatically discovers hardware/software and tracks inventory throughout its lifecycle. 

➡️ Your team will be able to monitor warranties, licenses, and contracts to ensure compliance and optimize your team’s usage.

CMDB & Service Mapping

At the core of ServiceNow’s platform is the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), which is a single source of truth for all IT components. 

The CMDB enables relationship mapping so your IT team can see dependencies between devices, applications, and services.

➡️ Before making any changes, your team can use the CMDB to predict how an update to one component might affect others (i.e., change impact analysis).

The software also offers service mapping that visually ties CIs (configuration items) to the services they support, providing you with a holistic view of the IT infrastructure. 

💡 What this means for your IT team is that you can drill from a service outage down to the underlying components and respond with minimal guesswork.

Ivanti’s ITSM Features

AI-Powered Automation & Bots

Ivanti leans heavily into automation through its Neurons platform, including its AI-driven bots that can classify and route incidents, run diagnostic workflows, and even self-heal endpoints before tickets are created.

➡️ What that means for you is that your repetitive tasks (e.g., password resets, common troubleshooting steps, basic remediation) can be fully automated.

In other words, reducing MTTR and pressure on your IT service desk. 

Your admins will be able to author no-code bots and chain them into workflows, so automation is reusable across IT and security teams.

Asset Discovery & IT Asset Management (ITAM)

Ivanti’s discovery tools automatically detect devices and map relationships across your network to provide your team with near real-time inventory and software usage visibility.

➡️ What stood out to me about this functionality is that the data feeds into ITAM capabilities so you can manage lifecycles, license compliance, and software spend with accuracy, instead of spreadsheets. 

Customers often use its discovery and ITAM together to prioritize risk (e.g., unpatched devices running critical software) and to drive software reclamation projects. 

💡 This visibility from Ivanti is exactly its core selling point for enterprises, as it reduces blind spots that cause outages or compliance gaps. 

Patch & Vulnerability Management (RBVM)

Ivanti combines patch orchestration and vulnerability data to close the loop between detection and remediation.

You and your team will be able to map CVEs to assets, schedule patch campaigns, and automate remediation workflows.

The tool ingests scanner output and third-party findings (or CSVs) so your non-standard sources can still feed into prioritization and patching workflows. 

➡️ I think of this capability as valuable for security teams that need to show risk reduction and patch compliance across heterogeneous environments. 

Integrations: ServiceNow vs. Ivanti vs. SmartSuite

SmartSuite’s Integrations

SmartSuite integrates directly with ITSM-related tools and offers additional connectivity through Zapier, Make, and native API support. 

The software covers the essentials for IT departments looking to centralize service workflows, compliance, and incident management without heavy setup, including:

• Microsoft Teams and Slack for communication.
• Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 for productivity.
• Okta for identity and access management.
• Jira for development and issue tracking.
• Zapier & Make for extended workflow automation.

ServiceNow’s Integrations

ServiceNow offers one of the broadest integration marketplaces with its connectors and APIs for virtually every enterprise system. 

From HR and finance to productivity and DevOps solutions, its ServiceNow IntegrationHub allows IT teams to unify workflows across business functions:

• Microsoft Teams and Slack.
• Jira and Confluence.
• AWS, Azure, and GCP.
• Splunk and Datadog.
• Okta and Active Directory.

➡️ Note: Some of ServiceNow’s integrations can require additional licensing costs.

Ivanti’s Integrations

Ivanti’s integrations are built around IT operations, endpoints, and security data.

The goal of the platform’s integrations is to pull accurate asset and telemetry into a single operational model and let automation act on that data. 

The platform’s typical integrations include:

• Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Azure AD and Active Directory, and Microsoft Teams.
• Jamf (macOS management) and other UEM/EMM platforms.
• ServiceNow (bi-directional ticket and CMDB sync) and Jira or Confluence for ticketing and dev workflows.
• AWS, Azure, and GCP for cloud asset and inventory visibility.
• Splunk, Datadog, and other logging platforms for event and alert ingestion.
• Vulnerability scanners such as Qualys, Tenable, and Rapid7 are used to map CVEs to assets.
• Identity providers like Okta and SSO integrations.
• Security vendors (e.g., CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Microsoft Defender and similar) for telemetry and remediation actions.
• Support for partner connectors and automation platforms via APIs, webhooks and vendor-built connectors.

➡️ My verdict is that Ivanti’s integrations are excellent for IT, SecOps and endpoint ecosystems where asset accuracy and automated remediation matter most, but not as broad across general business apps as an enterprise marketplace like ServiceNow.

Pricing: ServiceNow vs. Ivanti vs. SmartSuite

SmartSuite’s Pricing

SmartSuite comes with a free-forever plan that gives you access to 250+ automation actions, team collaboration, multi-dashboard views, and more.

There are four paid plans with a 14-day free trial (no CC required):

• Team: Starts at $12/user per month, including Gantt charts, timeline views, 5000 automation runs, and native time tracking.
• Professional: Starts at $30/user per month and adds two-factor authentication, Gmail & Outlook integrations, and unlimited editors.
• Enterprise: Starts at $45/user/month and includes access to audit logs, data loss prevention, and 50,000 monthly API calls.
• Signature: A custom plan tailored to your needs and team size with no predefined limits.

ServiceNow’s Pricing

ServiceNow’s pricing is not currently public, which means that you’d have to book a demo with their team to get a quote.

How Much Does ServiceNow Really Cost?

I did find ServiceNow customer and public reviews, which show that the average cost of ServiceNow contracts can range between $50,000 and $500,000 annually.

Source

According to insiders, the pricing structure depends on:

• The number of users/licenses you require.
• The types of product required (IT Service Management, HR Service Delivery, or Now platform).
• The level of support that you’ll need.
• The additional features or configurations.

Ivanti’s Pricing

Ivanti’s pricing, similar to ServiceNow's, is not currently disclosed.

However, 3rd party reviewers have found that there are 4 paid plans that you can choose from, including:

• ITSM Professional: Custom pricing, which gives you access to its service delivery, incident management, change management, request management, event management, and knowledge management capabilities, and more.
• ITSM Enterprise: Custom pricing, which adds HR service management, facilities service management, project and portfolio management, GRC, and security operations management capabilities.
• ITSM Premium: Custom pricing, which adds AI-guided ITSM, proactive service management, and access to its digital experience focus.
• ITSM Enterprise Premium: Custom pricing, which adds intelligent automation, full-service delivery, DEX, and extended service support for non-IT workflows.

➡️ I was not able to find verifiable information on Ivanti’s ITSM pricing like I was able to do for ServiceNow.

What are customers saying about ServiceNow, Ivanti, & SmartSuite?

TL;DR:

• ServiceNow users are fond of its enterprise-grade ITSM capabilities, no-code automation builder, and deep ITIL alignment. However, the tool can be complex, expensive, and requires significant time and expertise to implement.
• Ivanti customers like the platform’s asset visibility, automation, and consolidated endpoint and security feature set, but flag usability and the need for training.
• SmartSuite users like its user-friendly design, no-code customization, built-in collaboration tools, and strong value for money. That said, some reviewers note fewer native integrations for enterprise tools.

ServiceNow Reviews

G2 Rating: 4.4/5.

What users love:

• Powerful incident and workflow automation.
• Best-in-class tracking and reporting.
• Wide array of built-in ITIL processes and integrations.

‘’ServiceNow ITSM is very user-friendly and customizable. It helps automate repetitive tasks, manage incidents and requests smoothly, and improves overall productivity.’’ – G2 Review.

Common complaints:

• A learning curve and need for training (which can mean additional costs).
• High licensing and implementation costs have pushed some organizations to remove roles to keep costs down.
• Complexity of customization.

‘’As per my understanding, the per-user cost is very high for ServiceNow. We needed to remove a few of the roles because of the high cost.’’ – G2 Review.

Ivanti Reviews

G2 Rating: 3.9/5.

What users love:

• Highly customizable out of the box.
• Strong automation capabilities for employee onboarding/offboarding and other routine tasks.
• Good flexibility with APIs and integrations (e.g., ticketing and employee systems).

’’Being hosted by Ivanti makes life so much easier and all the different environments they provide you with to keep you in a great place at no cost. They are getting to a low-code/no-code environment.’’ – G2 Review.

Common complaints:

• Steep learning curve, as advanced features and customizations often take time and technical skill to implement.
• Some UI/UX aspects feel outdated or cluttered.
• Limited out-of-the-box integrations compared to larger ITSM competitors like ServiceNow.

‘’Even though the software is seeing some substantial development recently after having bought Cherwell Service Management, the solution still feels a bit dated in the admin and analyst part.’’ – G2 Review.

SmartSuite Reviews

G2 Rating: 4.9/5.

What users love:

• The platform has an intuitive, spreadsheet-like UI that is easy to get started with.
• Extensive customization and pre-built ITSM templates have helped teams get started in days and not months.
• Built-in collaboration and good value for money overall.

‘’I love how intuitive SmartSuite is from the moment you log in. It's easy to navigate, and the templates really made it simple to quickly realize all the potential ways to utilize the software. I love how easy it is to see progress on a project at any point, and how all files, communication and calendar are tied in within the task. So insanely simple, but there is so much you can do.’’ - Capterra Review.

Common complaints:

• Learning curve for advanced features.
• Per-user pricing can add up in costs over time for larger teams.
• Limited range of native integrations compared to other ITSM solutions on the market.

‘’While SmartSuite offers a good range of automation tools, we find that some essential automation features are not yet available. Enhancements such as more customizable workflow automation and integration with other automation platforms would be beneficial. These additions would reduce the need for manual interventions and increase efficiency across our operations.’’ – G2 Review.

Which platform should you choose for ITSM needs?

If you’ve read through the guide so far and still haven’t figured it out, here’s a quick use case summary to help you see the 3 ITSM platforms from a bird’s eye view: ⬇️

SmartSuite is the right choice if you:

✅ Are looking for an all-in-one IT service management solution with a user-friendly, no-code interface and drag-and-drop customization.

✅ Need an affordable ITSM solution that scales from small IT teams to enterprise IT departments.

✅ Look for ready-to-use ITSM templates (help desk, service requests, asset tracker) to get started in days and not months.

✅ Prefer built-in automation and customizable dashboards to monitor SLAs, tickets, and IT projects in real time.

✅ Need mobile access for your IT staff to resolve tickets, manage assets, and stay connected on the go.

SmartSuite isn’t the best option if you:

❌ Require a legacy ITSM vendor with a decades-long enterprise track record like ServiceNow.

❌ Are looking for deep, pre-built ITIL workflows.

❌ Require hundreds of native enterprise integrations (ServiceNow and Ivanti offer larger marketplaces as of 2025).

ServiceNow is the ideal choice if you:

✅ Manage IT operations at a large enterprise or across many departments and need a single, unified platform.

✅ Require a highly customizable, ITIL-aligned solution with enterprise-grade workflows.

✅ Have the budget and resources for a full-featured platform that can scale globally.

✅ Need advanced automation, AI-driven capabilities, and extensive integration options.

ServiceNow isn’t the best choice if you:

❌ Are a part of a small or lean IT department and require a simpler, quicker setup with lower cost.

❌ Don’t look for extensive customization or formal ITIL processes.

❌ Have budget constraints, as licensing and implementation costs are high, which is why some IT leads have been looking for ServiceNow alternatives.

Ivanti is the ideal choice if you:

✅ Need a platform that blends ITSM with endpoint management and security.

✅ Want deep automation capabilities to reduce ticket volume and speed remediation.

✅ Are looking to get accurate asset discovery & software inventory for compliance, reclamation, or risk prioritization.

✅ Run a large device estate and prefer consolidating UEM, patching, and ITSM under one vendor.

Ivanti isn’t the best choice if you:

❌ Need the broadest marketplace of pre-built enterprise integrations out of the box.

❌ Want a simple, ultra-lightweight ITSM tool with a zero learning curve.

❌ Are a small IT team looking for basic ticketing.

Set Up Your ITSM Workspace In Days & Not Months With SmartSuite’s Templates

If you’re an IT lead looking to build IT service management workflows, give SmartSuite a chance with our free plan and out-of-the-box ITSM templates.

SmartSuite’s work management platform for IT teams offers just the right customization, native collaboration and a library of 200+ project management templates to help teams create and maintain a project management workflow.

Here’s what's in it for your team when you try SmartSuite:

• Access to a free plan with features including multi-board views (Kanban, Chart, Map, Timeline, Card, and Calendar), 100 automations/month, and 40+ field types, including formula and linked record fields.
• No-code automation builder to set up to 500,000 trigger/action workflows.
• Built-in productivity tools, including time tracking, status tracking, and checklists.
• Team collaboration and planning tools such as whiteboards and SmartSuite docs.
• Resource management across projects and teams.
• 40+ field types, including the option to add your custom fields.

Sign up for a free plan to test the water or get a 14-day free trial to explore all its amazing features.

Or, if you’d like to talk to our team of experts, schedule a demo.

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