BMC FootPrints Service Core vs ServiceNow comparison

Why PeerSpot?

BMC Helix and ServiceNow are both solutions in the IT Service Management (ITSM) category. BMC Helix is ranked #27, while ServiceNow is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.6. Additionally, 90% of BMC Helix users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of ServiceNow users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

ServiceNow and BMC FootPrints Service Core are competing products in the IT service management solutions space, with ServiceNow having the upper hand in pricing and support, while BMC FootPrints Service Core stands out for its comprehensive feature set, appealing to those seeking feature-rich solutions.

Features: ServiceNow offers a scalable cloud-based platform with strong workflow automation and robust customization capabilities, making it suitable for enterprises needing extensive process integration. BMC FootPrints Service Core features an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, customizable dashboards, and extensive reporting tools, which make it attractive for businesses focusing on adaptability and user-driven customization.

Room for Improvement: ServiceNow could improve by reducing its high initial setup costs, expanding flexible deployment options, and enhancing manual integration processes for businesses not prioritizing automation. BMC FootPrints Service Core may need to boost its cloud capabilities, streamline automation functionalities, and provide more comprehensive support options to compete effectively with its counterpart's automation and integration offerings.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ServiceNow offers a cloud deployment model known for swift implementation and consistent support, reducing infrastructure burdens. BMC FootPrints Service Core provides both on-premises and cloud options, offering flexibility in deployment and satisfactory customer service. ServiceNow facilitates a smoother setup process with significant support, whereas BMC’s versatile deployment options offer adaptability for varied infrastructure scenarios.

Pricing and ROI: ServiceNow typically involves higher initial setup costs but focuses on automation and integration that can lead to substantial ROI over time through reduced operational inefficiencies. BMC FootPrints Service Core presents more affordable upfront costs with ROI driven by its customizable features and adaptability. The primary pricing distinction lies in ServiceNow's long-term efficiency gains versus BMC's cost-effectiveness and feature-driven ROI outlook.

To learn more, read our detailed BMC FootPrints Service Core vs. ServiceNow Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

BMC FootPrints Service Core vs. ServiceNow

September 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Automation Anywhere

Featured Reviews

Venkat Sivaprakash

Management Consultant at Accenture

Has significantly improved document-driven workflows and reduced processing time across finance and HR functions

Automation Anywhere has evolved significantly and upgraded itself to provide agentic AI and AI-based automation solutions for document automation. The product has matured considerably over time. We can create workflows that can call an API. We can include prompts in particular workflows for ChatGPT-related functions, connecting to an LLM and RAG to perform tasks. For document automation, modern features are available to train documents, ensuring high accuracy and repeatability over time. The system is very easy to use. I recently completed a course in document automation, typically designed for people involved in coding and technical aspects. Though I understand coding comprehensively, I don't do actual coding. The course was very accessible. Currently, extensive coding isn't necessary due to the hybrid model incorporating GenAI aspects, low-code, no-code capabilities, APIs, and numerous pre-built objects in Automation Anywhere. The features include GenAI-driven prompting methods and workflow creation capabilities. In these workflows, we can create decision boxes and call APIs without coding. We simply pull objects, drop them, connect them, and add minimal coding when needed. The most crucial aspect isn't coding but rather sizing the automation and fleshing out the details. Automation Co-pilot takes notes and performs automated analysis. It can extract details from videos, summarize conversations, and provide detailed information. During calls, it identifies instructions and performs tasks such as preparing reports and reconciliation. Automation Anywhere can also connect with Microsoft Co-pilot. Through Co-pilot, real-time operations can be executed, allowing direct interaction between vendors and automation through this component.

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reviewer1765752

System Engineer at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees

A flexible, comprehensive, integrated IT service and asset management platform with good technical support

We use BMC FootPrints Service Core to manage network issues, infrastructure issues, software issues, and ERP. We also use it to manage our facility. So, we do some work orders and also use it as an extra ticketing system Technical support is good. It would be better if it were more…

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Hemanthreddy Vakiti

Data engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

Structured workflows have improved SLA compliance and now support prioritized incident handling

I think the licensing and pricing of ServiceNow is quite expensive compared to other tools. For large organizations, it is acceptable, but specifically for small and medium organizations to track incidents or change requests, ServiceNow is quite expensive. Sometimes performance can be slow when workflows and integrations are configured for complex tasks. For advanced customizations or advanced features which we rarely use, the documentation is not up to standard. The documentation needs to be improved for advanced customization features. However, the platform is stable overall and the features are quite good. The user experience and performance concerns I mentioned are areas I want to be improved. When many workflows and interactions are configured, performance is slow. For the features it is providing, it is quite expensive. If these performance features are improved, we can easily pay that price and get the return on investment.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The ease of access and deployment are the most valuable features."

"We have been able to take resources that have been doing manual work and putting them into more productive work."

"Our clients are always happy with the product and its performance."

"We've had many sit-down conversations with the Automation Anywhere team when we were testing out the document automation. We gave them feedback about potential enhancements, so when we launched our most recent document automation use case, the capabilities were already there. We didn't need to come up with a workaround or put the project on hold because the things we needed were unavailable. That commitment to customer success stands out because they know that without us, the product won't succeed."

"Of the bots which work, they have automated three of the most time consuming tasks and completely freed up one person to do real work."

"Compared to before, when processing a document took around three hours, we now complete it in one to two minutes thanks to Automation Anywhere and the latest document automation technology, saving around two hours and 55 minutes per user, which is a significant saving."

"Just for this use case, we had around 300 tickets coming in every month. We went live last month and the tickets went down to around 80 as of August 20th. While it might touch around 100, over a period of around six months it will become zero because we have not removed all the legacy data. We are just doing it from the go date of when we went live. The target is that it will be zero after three months. So, it's working well."

"Automation Anywhere is very good for rapid development. It has all the capabilities in terms of giving a stable automation framework. It has very cool technical capabilities, like MetaBots, dev controls, and object cloning."

More Automation Anywhere pros

"Implemented system-wide process for approving and tracking "employee move" requests for over 15,000 employees."

"This is certainly a solution that I recommend for big enterprise."

"It is stable and its technical support is good and quick."

"I have used Tier II BMC support a few times. They were very responsive and recreated my environment in their lab to support me."

"Technical support is good."

"We can track issues easier and run reports on issues to see if there are patterns."

"Now all IT related issues, problems, changes and even projects are more controlled using Footprints."

"I like the fact that FootPrints is a relational database, so every item in the database can be linked to another. This helps create history and audit trails for each CI."

More BMC FootPrints Service Core pros

"As far as I'm aware, it scales beautifully, you just throw another stack or two or 20 at it and off you go."

"I think the technical support is pretty good. They can be a little bit slow sometimes, but overall I think they're good."

"The main improvement is the integration of several business processes."

"The workflow capability for easy setup is powerful."

"We are very happy with the product."

"It offers ready-built automation and simpler configuration for workflows."

"One of the biggest features is its flexibility."

"ServiceNow was the first true enterprise to service management platform."

More ServiceNow pros

Cons

"They could improve around continuous integration, e.g., Jenkins and GitHub, stating how you could use those products and integrating them into Automation Anywhere."

"We'd like to see more AI features."

"We are having some challenges when it comes to stability."

"Sometimes, the files are getting corrupted and this causes us a lot of trouble."

"When working with Excel, unlike other tools such as UiPath, Automation Anywhere does not have the standard variables for .Net data types."

"It still uses old, deprecated Microsoft components that have an end date."

"The product's technical support could use improvement."

"One area that Automation Anywhere can improve is the debugging experience."

More Automation Anywhere cons

"The workflow should be made to be more user-friendly. It should also have more granular scalability."

"Reporting could be improved along with the option to create more fine tuned reports and to create specific fields for each type of ticket."

"It would be nice if they added the ability to go directly to a form via a deep link URL."

"The pricing could be a little lower and the product should cover more iTel versions."

"To improve the product for our usage, the pricing maybe could be a bit lower."

"We need more customizable reporting functionality. We could also use more collaboration of service desk tickets. This will allow for two departments to share the same information, track the progress of the total task scope no matter how complex the request is."

"It is pretty clunky and not very intuitive. Even though I have used it for many years, I don't think it is a very good ITSM platform in general. In the telecom space, a lot of telco providers use this solution, but from my perspective, it is not very user friendly. It is a bit more laborious. There are still too many human touchpoints. There can be a little bit more automation. It would also be good to integrate it with other tools. Integration is quite difficult, especially in the telco space."

"We need more customizable reporting functionality."

More BMC FootPrints Service Core cons

"I find the pricing of ServiceNow to be high and somewhat reasonable."

"The customer service of the product right now isn't very good. It's an aspect they really need to improve."

"Transparency in the pricing model needs to be improved."

"There is a need for bug or error tracking in ServiceNow."

"The standard UI is very restricted. It doesn't look as good, compared to Remedy. Building your own UI requires some additional coding..."

"CA didn't really know what was going on and a lot of the stuff they promised was really not working properly."

"Its setup is tough. It takes a lot of knowledge and a lot of experience."

"I do not have particular details, but what I heard from my boss is that it's not a cheap solution, especially when you want to roll out to more people or more colleagues in an organization."

More ServiceNow cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"They give us a good deal on the licensing because we bundle and customize things. If you ask to get a bulk business deal, you will receive more benefit. If you take other products from the suite, like IQ Bot, you can also receive a deal on the licensing."

"We are restricted to use one license on one PC. However, if my license is not working, I want to be able to use it somewhere else. This would be a nice improvement to the licensing, as other competitors in the market have better licensing terms."

"We're just starting to renew our license, and we were quoted $115,000 without the IQ Bot. The IQ Bot is another $30,000. This is with very limited pages, as we go through our first projects. The majority of the cost was for ten days of onsite training."

"The pricing is fair. My company is part of a big organization, so the pricing is very advantageous."

"Automation Anywhere falls within a mid-range price point when compared to other RPA tools on the market."

"It is not too expensive, but there are many tools available in the market that can provide the same functionality at a cheaper price."

"I have heard that Automation Anywhere is expensive."

"I don't agree with the IQ Bot licensing costs, which depends on the consumption of the document rather than per bot or user. This is confusing for me, because most of the cases for us in a possible future scenario, there would be a lot of invalid data to be scanned to get to real data. E.g., we would have to supply approximately 100 pages of scanned data to extract two pages of original data. In these type of cases, the IQ Bot might be a costly venture."

More Automation Anywhere pricing and cost advice

"Our costs are well over $250,000."

"Cost was on par with other service desk products, and well below Remedy, while still being a BMC product."

"The licensing for FootPrints is a perpetual license with an annual support fee."

"This solution has good pricing."

"It's sold as a less expensive solution, but it has to be highly modified. That's where you get into the cost."

"We know that ServiceNow is not cheap, it's more expensive than other solutions. But we are trying to increase our ability to handle tickets so that the cost per ticket is less."

"The first impact for the customer is that it is expensive, but do not forget that it is a solution that includes infrastructure; a single cost, easy to justify."

"$230 per user."

"The licensing cost is based on your partnership with ServiceNow and what you have selected for implementation. There is an annual license cost which is calculated based on your number of devices."

"It is an expensive platform."

"The licensing expenses are excessively high."

"Certainly, from a product-platform perspective, the price is not too bad."

More ServiceNow pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Construction Company

20%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Outsourcing Company

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	158
Midsize Enterprise	82
Large Enterprise	558

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	57
Midsize Enterprise	35
Large Enterprise	179

Questions from the Community

How good is Automation Anywhere for RPA processes?

It depends on your use case. Is it simply to automate a couple of processes? Is it to augment a human team? AA is ver...

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How good is Automation Anywhere for RPA processes?

From my experience using AA tool, it depends on the applications that you want to automate, because there some applic...

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How good is Automation Anywhere for RPA processes?

It is a highly preferred RPA tool. You can check my Automation Anywhere Review to know more.

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Which solution is better for developing non-ITSM applications: OutSystems or Service Now?

The short answer is that OutSystems is far better for 2 main reasons. Firstly, with Service Now you are locked into t...

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Would you choose ServiceNow over Microsoft PowerApps?

Hi Netanya, I will choose ServiceNow because ServiceNow is a very good tool compared to Microsoft PowerApp. Because ...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ServiceNow?

ServiceNow operates on a subscription-based pricing model with custom pricing based on modules, users, and business r...

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Comparisons

UiPath Platform vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 12% of the time

Blue Prism vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft Power Automate vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 5% of the time

AutomationEdge vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 3% of the time

Appian vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 2% of the time

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BMC Helix ITSM vs BMC FootPrints Service Core

Compared 14% of the time

Rezolve.ai vs BMC FootPrints Service Core

Compared 12% of the time

Zendesk vs BMC FootPrints Service Core

Compared 4% of the time

TOPdesk vs BMC FootPrints Service Core

Compared 4% of the time

Hornbill Systems Supportworks vs BMC FootPrints Service Core

Compared 3% of the time

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IBM Maximo Application Suite vs ServiceNow

Compared 7% of the time

BMC Helix ITSM vs ServiceNow

Compared 4% of the time

Zendesk vs ServiceNow

Compared 4% of the time

JIRA Service Management vs ServiceNow

Compared 3% of the time

Freshservice vs ServiceNow

Compared 3% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Automation Anywhere

September 2026

Download Automation Anywhere product report

Buyer's Guide

IT Service Management (ITSM)

August 2026

Download BMC FootPrints Service Core product report

Buyer's Guide

ServiceNow

August 2026

Download ServiceNow product report

Also Known As

Automation Anywhere, Testing Anywhere, Automation Anywhere Enterprise, Agentic Process Automation System (Now Certified for WorkSpaces)

FootPrints Service Core

No data available

Interactive Demo

Automation Anywhere

Demo not available

BMC Helix

Demo not available

ServiceNow

Overview

Automation Anywhere offers ease of use, robust system connectivity, and GenAI-driven document automation through a cloud-native platform, significantly enhancing productivity across multiple industries with advanced AI features.

Delivering a comprehensive suite of tools designed for easy integration and rapid deployment, Automation Anywhere drives efficiency by reducing costs and automating repetitive tasks. Its cloud-native platform supports broad industry adoption, including advanced AI features like process automation and Co-Pilot, streamlining complex workflows with minimal technical skills required. Users benefit from robust integration capabilities, which facilitate seamless interaction with multiple systems. However, there is room for improvement in areas such as user-friendliness for beginners, stability, flexible licensing, and enhanced OCR functionality. Organizations in sectors such as banking, finance, manufacturing, and healthcare gain from the improved operational efficiency and ROI Automation Anywhere offers.

What are the important features of Automation Anywhere?

Ease of Use: Simplifies automation tasks with a user-centric interface.
Robust Connectivity: Provides seamless integration with multiple systems.
GenAI-Driven Document Automation: Leverages AI to automate document management.
Process Automation & Co-Pilot: Enhances workflow automation with advanced AI.
Cloud-Native Platform: Enables rapid deployment and integration.

What benefits should be evaluated in reviews?

Time Savings: Automation drastically reduces manual processing time.
Cost Efficiency: Decreases overall operational costs by automating tasks.
Productivity Enhancement: Streamlines workflows with AI-driven tools.
Improved Integration: Enhances ability to work with multiple systems.
Scalability: Supports growth with a flexible cloud-native architecture.

In the insurance industry, Automation Anywhere is utilized for automating processes such as enrollment management and compliance checks. Its applications extend to supply chain management, financial transactions, and business performance monitoring across sectors like banking, finance, manufacturing, and healthcare, helping organizations to automate routine tasks, improve efficiency, and reduce costs.

Automation Anywhere

BMC FootPrints Service Core is a comprehensive tool that aids in incident, problem, and change management while offering customizable views and integration options.

Valued for its customizable home views and flexible database relations, BMC FootPrints Service Core excels in stability and responsive technical support. With capabilities for email automation, survey integration, and report creation, it enhances IT service management and business process efficiency. The solution supports ticket status updates with minimal downtime and accommodates multiple administrators across workspaces. Pink Elephant certification and smart IT features broaden its appeal for IT departments.

What are the key features of BMC FootPrints Service Core?

Incident Management: Tracks and resolves service desk tickets efficiently.
Problem Management: Identifies and mitigates underlying issues to prevent recurrence.
Change Management: Helps assess and handle changes seamlessly in the environment.
Customizable Views: Offers tailored dashboards for user-specific information.
Email Automation: Facilitates swift communication and response handling.

What benefits or ROI should users look for in reviews?

Stable Performance: Ensures reliable operation for consistent IT services.
Responsive Support: Provides timely technical assistance to resolve issues.
Administrative Flexibility: Allows versatile control across different workspaces.

In industries like IT services and HR, BMC FootPrints Service Core supports managing service desk tickets, tracking assets, and resolving issues in network, infrastructure, and software areas. Its functionalities also extend to HR issue tracking, service requests, and contract management, facilitating both on-premises deployments and ITIL process implementations such as Service Request and Service Catalog Management.

BMC Helix

ServiceNow offers customizability and cloud-based integration that sustains operational efficiency. Enabling change and incident management, it accelerates workflow automation and project management without downtime issues, serving deployment needs for IT service and productivity enhancements.

ServiceNow stands out with its adaptable workflows and cloud-native infrastructure, boosting IT service, project, and asset management. Known for its robust incident and change management, the platform addresses business needs through its user-centric design and extensive integration options. By facilitating seamless IT operations and automation, ServiceNow empowers businesses to enhance productivity and efficiency. Regular updates ensure users benefit from the latest features without service interruptions, although pricing and licensing complexities demand attention. Users seek improved reporting tools and a more intuitive design while expressing interest in refined mobile functionality and better documentation.

What are the key features of ServiceNow?

Customizability: Enables tailored workflows to align with business processes.
Cloud-Based Integration: Allows seamless updates and operational sustainability.
Incident and Change Management: Supports efficient handling of IT-related issues.
Automation Capabilities: Automates repetitive tasks, enhancing productivity.
User-Friendly Design: Simplifies navigation and improves user interaction.
Comprehensive Reporting: Provides detailed insights for better decision-making.

What benefits and ROI should users anticipate from ServiceNow?

Improved Efficiency: Streamlines processes and reduces manual efforts.
Enhanced Productivity: Automates tasks, enabling focus on strategic initiatives.
Seamless Operations: Integrates across departments for unified management.
Effective IT Management: Smooth incident, change, and problem resolution.
Cost and Time Savings: Reduces operational costs through efficient workflow management.

ServiceNow finds implementation across industries like IT, HR, asset management, and help desks, addressing ticketing and configuration needs. Businesses use its dashboard for tracking performance metrics, enhancing decision-making in departments like HR service delivery. Its adaptability also makes it suitable for industries requiring robust operational management and process automation, driving efficiency and growth.

ServiceNow

Sample Customers

Google, Linkedin, Cisco, Juniper Networks, DellEMC, Comcast, Mastercard, Quest Diagnostics

Cast & Crew

AAA, AstraZeneca, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Broadcom, Christus Health, Epicor, Equinix, GE Capital, Intuit, KPMG, Loyola Marymount University, OshKosh, Quantas, RedHat, Royal Bank of Scotland, Swiss Re, U.S. Department of Energy, Safeway, Yale University, and Zillow

Buyer's Guide

BMC FootPrints Service Core vs. ServiceNow

September 2026

Free Report: BMC FootPrints Service Core vs. ServiceNow

Find out what your peers are saying about BMC FootPrints Service Core vs. ServiceNow and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.

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