CloudStack vs ServiceNow IT Operations Management comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Apache and ServiceNow are both solutions in the Cloud Management category. Apache is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.2, while ServiceNow is ranked #17 with an average rating of 8.1. Apache holds a 2.2% mindshare in CM, compared to ServiceNow’s 1.6% mindshare. Additionally, 94% of Apache users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of ServiceNow users who would recommend it.

CloudStack

Read 34 CloudStack reviews

4,483 Views
4,349 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

ServiceNow IT Operations Ma...

Read 46 ServiceNow IT Operations Management reviews

9,711 Views
2,525 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

CloudStack

ServiceNow IT Operations Ma...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 17, 2024

CloudStack and ServiceNow IT Operations Management compete in the cloud services and IT operations management sectors. ServiceNow IT Operations Management generally has the upper hand due to its comprehensive features that justify its higher price and implementation costs.

Features: CloudStack offers scalability, an open-source architecture, and support for multiple hypervisors, which attracts organizations seeking flexibility and cost-efficiency. ServiceNow IT Operations Management provides excellent integration capabilities, automation, and advanced analytics, offering deeper insights and operational efficiencies.

Room for Improvement: CloudStack could benefit from enhanced integration options, expanded customer support services, and improved network management features. ServiceNow IT Operations Management may need refinements in user interface simplicity, reduction in setup complexity, and cost optimization for smaller enterprises.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ServiceNow IT Operations Management is designed for structured deployment and ongoing support, integrating well into enterprise systems despite significant initial setups. CloudStack focuses on a quicker, more agile deployment process with basic customer support aimed at ease and efficiency, making it ideal for rapid deployments.

Pricing and ROI: CloudStack offers lower setup costs due to its open-source nature, resulting in a more predictable path to ROI. ServiceNow IT Operations Management requires higher initial investment, reflecting its extensive capabilities, but promises greater long-term ROI for those prioritizing feature richness over initial expense savings.

To learn more, read our detailed CloudStack vs. ServiceNow IT Operations Management Report (Updated: November 2026).

Buyer's Guide

CloudStack vs. ServiceNow IT Operations Management

November 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 920,769 peers since 2012

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

CloudStack

Ranking in Cloud Management

8th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

ServiceNow IT Operations Ma...

Ranking in Cloud Management

17th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Event Monitoring (5th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (16th), AIOps (4th)

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Cloud Management category, the mindshare of CloudStack is 2.2%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ServiceNow IT Operations Management is 1.6%, down from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Cloud Management Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
CloudStack	2.2%
ServiceNow IT Operations Management	1.6%
Other	96.2%

Cloud Management

Featured Reviews

Tharun Kumar Reddy Thamatam

Senior Infrastructure Consultant at Infosys

Achieving seamless infrastructure management with optimized network and user access controls

I believe enhancements could be made in CloudStack, particularly in the management servers. I had the opportunity to collaborate with one of the Apache CloudStack developers, leading to the installation of additional agents for better information retrieval from hypervisors. We implemented configurations, ensuring consistency across hosts and VMs. We also utilized Ansible or YAML files to automate password upgrades during patching activities and database management, showcasing our customization efforts for improvement. For future releases, it would be beneficial if Apache enhanced CloudStack by integrating alerting systems directly. We've had instances where hypervisors experienced overloads without prior alerts, so proactive alerts within the tool would better prepare us for addressing issues swiftly, preventing disruption in business operations. A portal summarizing system metrics alongside alert capabilities would greatly enhance our operational efficiency.

Read full review

Abhay Bapnaa

Associate Vice President at AWL

Unified workflows have centralized ticketing and have provided real-time visibility across companies

ServiceNow IT Operations Management can be improved by focusing on adoption, as some companies still use other tools, and we had to onboard them initially, addressing challenges such as data migration and consistency, especially since we have 14,000 users in my group company utilizing this for multiple purposes, emphasizing workflows defined so that onboarding processes can be streamlined into a single tool. To improve ServiceNow IT Operations Management, I believe incorporating natural language processing is essential, allowing users to type queries such as 'I need this' and receive responses based on AI and data. Furthermore, enhancing analytics is crucial, as we have seven years of data providing a substantial history of past ITSM and non-ITSM business tickets that can help predict and reduce the volume of calls.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Everything in CloudStack works effectively."

"This is one of the major products that help to handle all of the NFV Infrastructure management services (IaaS), and it has helped us to quickly gain understanding and feel more powerful with respect to virtualization."

"The APIs for automation in CloudStack are excellent; everything is API-driven, and while the API is very rich and hard to learn, you can do everything you would want to do, including everything in the user interface and more."

"Cloud computing has improved the way our organization functions."

"The initial implementation process was quite good."

"We like the virtualization capabilities."

"CloudStack is simple to stand up and get off the ground in a hurry."

"Multiple types of hypervisor support, multi-zone support, and VPC are great valuable features."

More CloudStack pros

"From my perspective as an asset manager, the most valuable feature of the solution is the configuration management portion, where I can actively add something to the database."

"The auto remediation feature has been most valuable. They have also introduced an AOP feature of ServiceNow that we are keen to explore."

"The solution allows you to subscribe to the all required ITSM modules, asset discovery and service mapping on a single platform, its guided setup provides easy implementation process and I found these features most valuable."

"It provided out-of-the-box integrations, requiring only minimal effort, typically a couple of days, to massage those systems into a seamless operation."

"The way this solution has helped us is that it improved our communication."

"I am impressed with the tool's ability to track information in an easy way."

"It helps streamline management and processes."

"The end-to-end ticketing process is most valuable in ServiceNow IT Operations Management because its notification feature is excellent in keeping all users informed on the next step compared to BMC. I also like that ServiceNow IT Operations Management is very user-friendly."

More ServiceNow IT Operations Management pros

Cons

"The product does not have an easily implementable payment gateway."

"Factors that need improvement are: Visualization in terms of the resources usage. The user interface. Providing best error feedback to the users."

"The upgrade process can be improved further."

"For future releases, it would be beneficial if Apache enhanced CloudStack by integrating alerting systems directly. We've had instances where hypervisors experienced overloads without prior alerts, so proactive alerts within the tool would better prepare us for addressing issues swiftly, preventing disruption in business operations."

"The installation of CloudStack can be quite challenging because you need a good understanding of the product before starting."

"The numerous, multi-layered drill-down menus make it difficult to find one simple knob to turn."

"I think that container technology in CloudStack is an area that needs to be improved."

"VPN P2S is cutting all connections except the CloudStack environment for the user when he is connected. I would like to have VPN like Cisco's AnyConnect."

More CloudStack cons

"The setup and deployment could be simplified, and the pricing could improve."

"I would like more manual issues to have automated report-facing options."

"The out-of-the-box reporting feature has room for the improvement, it can be make more user friendly as other tools."

"In providing for customers, I think that the cost of ServiceNow is quite high."

"The pricing is high."

"The licensing model of the product is a bit rigid, and it can be a bit difficult to downscale if your needs change while also being expensive."

"The pricing of some modules is higher because they are sold in packages. If we need something specific, we cannot take it individually."

"I advise others not to customize a lot while using the solution."

More ServiceNow IT Operations Management cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"CloudStack is an open source solution, so you don't need to pay anything for it. When our company develops something specially for CloudStack, it is donated to the Apache Software Foundation and provided to anyone that wants to use it."

"There is no license, so the product is free unless you are buying professional technical support services."

"The solution is open-source and free."

"Give an effort to planning. If possible, contract a specialized consultant company for the initial setup and knowledge transfer."

"The Apache CloudStack is open source, so you do not have licenses to purchase."

"It is a 100% open-source solution needing just an Apache license. Also, there are no hidden fees to be paid."

"As far as I know, CS is still free of charge. If you want to pay some money, Citrix Cloud Platform is based on CS, I think. As for hypervisors – everything as usual, you need to pay for VMware and vCenter. As for XenServer, recently they changed the free feature list, so you may need to pay some money to get useful features like XenMotion."

"CloudStack is an open-source product."

"There are additional costs, you have to pay more for everything."

"The solution is costly compared to the products offered by its competitors."

"The solution offers yearly licenses and a subscription model for add-on features."

"We obtained discovery licenses at about seven dollars Australian per unit, which we found to be reasonable and competitive."

"It is expensive. It is around 10 Euros per server per month."

"While not entirely sure, I believe the solution costs at least a million dollars annually."

"The pricing is high and may be excluding the small to medium-sized enterprise businesses."

"ServiceNow IT Operations Management is a costly solution. I'd rate the price at ten, on a scale from one to ten with one being the lowest and ten being the highest price. Some clients do have a problem with the price, but most find that the solution is worth the cost."

More ServiceNow IT Operations Management pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Computer Software Company

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	13
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	12

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	12
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	29

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for CloudStack?

CloudStack is open-source, so there is no cost apart from learning. Billing solutions, if outsourced, come at a moderate cost.

See all answers

What needs improvement with CloudStack?

Enhancements for CloudStack can focus on integrating more hypervisors, as mentioned regarding current features. We're working on a new feature that will allow for certain limited functions, but ove...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for CloudStack?

My usual use cases for CloudStack involve an AWS style private cloud or public cloud. I can deploy an AWS style cloud using the open source tool that is CloudStack. The use case depends on the cust...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ServiceNow IT Operations Management?

Regarding pricing, while I initially felt the prices were high when we moved, I now see that it is reasonable considering that we are not just using an ITSM tool; we are improving processes and com...

See all answers

What needs improvement with ServiceNow IT Operations Management?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for ServiceNow IT Operations Management?

As an implementation expert and former CIO, I handled implementation from an IT best practice perspective for different companies.

See all answers

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Compared 6% of the time

Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure vs CloudStack

Compared 5% of the time

Persistent Intelligent Cloud (PiCloud) vs CloudStack

Compared 5% of the time

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OpsRamp vs ServiceNow IT Operations Management

Compared 4% of the time

Moogsoft vs ServiceNow IT Operations Management

Compared 3% of the time

ignio AIOps Platform vs ServiceNow IT Operations Management

Compared 3% of the time

IBM Turbonomic vs ServiceNow IT Operations Management

Compared 3% of the time

Splunk ITSI (IT Service Intelligence) vs ServiceNow IT Operations Management

Compared 3% of the time

More ServiceNow IT Operations Management Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

CloudStack

October 2026

Download CloudStack product report

Buyer's Guide

ServiceNow IT Operations Management

October 2026

ServiceNow IT Operations Management report

Download ServiceNow IT Operations Management product report

Also Known As

Vmops, Cloud.com

ServiceNow ITOM

Overview

CloudStack offers an easy-to-manage platform compatible with multiple hypervisors, enabling seamless networking and efficient workload scaling. Its advanced APIs and open-source nature facilitate automation and customization, making it ideal for extensive cloud environments.

CloudStack is recognized for ease of setup, robust networking, and hypervisor compatibility. Supporting a range of workloads, it scales efficiently, offering flexible features like VM migration, private networking, and multi-zone support. Its user-friendly open-source design aids troubleshooting and customization, making it ideal for managing broad cloud deployments. Despite needing upgrades in interface and integration with third-party vendors and container technology, CloudStack remains a strong choice for businesses seeking effective virtualization solutions. Improvements in documentation, regional management, and emerging tech support would enhance usability and performance.

What are CloudStack's notable features?

Hypervisor compatibility: Supports diverse virtualization technologies for flexible deployment.
Robust networking: Ensures reliable and scalable network infrastructure management across zones.
Advanced APIs: Facilitates automation and integration to streamline cloud operations.
VM migration: Enhances operational flexibility with seamless virtual machine relocations.
Private networking: Provides secure and isolated network environments for critical tasks.
Multi-zone support: Offers scalable solutions for distributed cloud management.

What benefits and ROI should users consider?

Open-source model: Allows extensive customization without licensing costs, enhancing ROI.
Ease of management: Simplifies operations, reducing time and resources spent on maintenance.
Scalability: Enables growth and adaptability, fostering agility in expanding businesses.
Flexibility: Supports various workloads and environments, meeting diverse operational needs.

CloudStack is implemented across industries, used in managing virtual environments, offering IaaS in public, private, and hybrid cloud models. Companies use it for internal virtualization and customer service, integrating with hypervisors across data centers to orchestrate virtual machines and support development and testing globally.

Apache

ServiceNow IT Operations Management offers a scalable platform for managing IT infrastructure with features like discovery, dashboards, and service mapping. Ideal for incident, change, and problem management, it enhances operational efficiency and reduces IT service downtime.

ServiceNow IT Operations Management provides comprehensive solutions for consolidating events, automating workflows, and monitoring IT systems. Users utilize it for managing ticketing systems and conducting impact analysis through service mapping. The platform supports integrations with other modules, boosting efficiency with its intuitive interface. While highly functional, improvements in interface design and pricing are necessary, especially in integration with non-IP devices and cloud providers. Enhanced AI, machine learning, and discovery and monitoring functions are also needed.

What are the most important features?

Discovery: Automatically detects and maps IT infrastructure components.
Dashboard: Offers out-of-the-box reports through a user-friendly interface.
Service Mapping: Aids in assessing the impact of IT changes.
Event Management: Consolidates events for better management.
Orchestration: Streamlines automation processes to optimize workflows.

What benefits or ROI should be expected?

Scalability: Supports dynamic growth in IT operations.
Enhanced Efficiency: Improves workflow automation and event management.
Reduced Downtime: Minimizes service interruptions to maintain productivity.
Cost Reduction: Lowers operational costs by optimizing resources.

IT Operations Management by ServiceNow is widely implemented across industries like finance, healthcare, and manufacturing to optimize IT processes, enhance monitoring, and streamline infrastructure management. It is particularly effective in automating workflows and improving service reliability.

ServiceNow

Sample Customers

GreenQloud, Exoscale, TomTom, ASG, PC Extreme, ISWest, Grid'5000

servicenow, TransAlta, NATS, Symantec

Buyer's Guide

CloudStack vs. ServiceNow IT Operations Management

November 2026

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