Microsoft System Center Orchestrator vs ServiceNow Orchestration comparison

Microsoft and ServiceNow are both solutions in the Process Automation category. Microsoft is ranked #20 with an average rating of 9.0, while ServiceNow is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.3. Microsoft holds a 0.9% mindshare in PA, compared to ServiceNow’s 4.3% mindshare. Additionally, 33% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of ServiceNow users who would recommend it.

Microsoft System Center Orc...

Read 2 Microsoft System Center Orchestrator reviews

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320 Comparison Views

33% willing to recommend

ServiceNow Orchestration

Read 16 ServiceNow Orchestration reviews

2,111 Views
1,574 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Microsoft System Center Orc...

ServiceNow Orchestration

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 17, 2024

Microsoft System Center Orchestrator and ServiceNow Orchestration compete in the IT service automation category. ServiceNow Orchestration has the upper hand due to its extensive feature set despite higher costs.

Features: Microsoft System Center Orchestrator provides robust integration within Microsoft ecosystems, enabling efficient automation in Windows environments. It excels in cohesive task automation and workflow management. ServiceNow Orchestration, on the other hand, is a cloud-based platform offering broad automation capabilities with extensive application integration, making it appealing for IT and business process automation. Its main advantage is the superior flexibility and wider range of features compared to SCO's integration strengths.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft System Center Orchestrator may require a complex setup, especially in non-Microsoft environments, but is supported strongly for such deployments. ServiceNow Orchestration's cloud-based deployment simplifies implementation across various IT ecosystems, with excellent service ensuring smooth transitions and operations. The key difference lies in ServiceNow's ease of deployment and versatile support versus SCO's focus on existing infrastructure.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft System Center Orchestrator generally entails a lower initial setup cost, suited for cost-sensitive organizations due to its competitive pricing aligned with Microsoft licensing. ServiceNow Orchestration, with a higher setup cost, promises a more compelling ROI for businesses needing comprehensive automation tools to boost operational efficiencies. The distinction is between SCO's cost-effectiveness and ServiceNow's higher returns through extensive capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft System Center Orchestrator vs. ServiceNow Orchestration Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft System Center Orchestrator vs. ServiceNow Orchestration

April 2025

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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

Microsoft System Center Orc...

Ranking in Process Automation

20th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

ServiceNow Orchestration

Ranking in Process Automation

11th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Process Automation category, the mindshare of Microsoft System Center Orchestrator is 0.9%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ServiceNow Orchestration is 4.3%, up from 4.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Process Automation

Featured Reviews

Dan Campeanu

Security Engineer at ProVision

Automates tasks and manages multiple servers from a central location

The initial setup was quite complex. It required careful preparation of installation steps, as many tasks were not automated as expected. Special attention was needed to prepare groups, users, and permissions at each step to ensure a smooth setup process. Please do so accurately to avoid having to start over. Challenges encountered during deployment included issues with installation and configuration and difficulties detecting machines and executing tasks as expected. Some solutions were found through trial and error during installation, while others were discovered through recommendations from other users. Despite these challenges, the deployment and rollout of Orchestrator took approximately one and a half months to ensure proper functionality.

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ShaheenKapery

Solutions Architect at Altron

Easy to integrate, stable solution and incredibly good customer service

It is a long setup. It was customized to our company's requirements. Bearing in mind that there is not just an IT team. You've got an IT team consisting of end-users, consulting, and user support sides. Install support, ServiceNow support, application support, and so on. What ServiceNow does is it's really good at getting the tickets to the right person. That's the power of it. There's no issue with it. But you need to set that up in advance. You need to know the structure and who is responsible for each task. The initial setup does take a long time, and the organization might face some issues. But once you've got that resolved, it's amazing.

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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

"It can manage multiple servers and workstations from a single location."

"Automation is the most valuable feature of the solution."

"It's probably the best product out there."

"Great with IT processes and business processes."

"Employee onboarding, de-boarding, and other service-provision features make the process easier and it saves us a lot of time."

"It's scalable."

"The solution effectively automates business processes."

"There are a lot of ready to use orchestration custom packs."

"This is a user-friendly solution where scripts can be made with ease. There are also many integration options, including Microsoft products, which gives the product a competitive edge."

"It is a very stable product, highly affordable."

More ServiceNow Orchestration pros

Cons

"I find the Orchestrator UI to be problematic."

"The product's management aspect needs enhancement."

"The deployment requires awareness among the project staff."

"It is a highly complex platform to work on."

"There can be gaps in integration."

"Efficiency of some features could be improved."

"We cannot perform GUI automation using the tool."

"There is still room for more integrations. Or, it would be nice to bundle multiple products together rather than selling everything as a model as that turns out to be a bit costly."

"There should be connectors to cover at least the top industry applications, and they should be easier to configure in a plug-and-play fashion."

"The third-party integrations are challenging when the tools are not from ServiceNow partners. This presents issues when integrating solutions from other vendors."

More ServiceNow Orchestration cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I give the cost of the solution a five out of ten."

"We obtained a license that bundled Windows Server with System Center at no additional cost."

"It is quite expensive because we've had some customers come back and say it's quite pricey because in order for them to go ahead with Orchestration, they must have already been paying for Discovery, service mapping, and a few other things."

"ServiceNow doesn't give a clear cost indication. They have different contracts with different organizations and it's all about negotiation, so you don't know how they are doing at the cost level."

"The solution is costly and orchestrations are very expensive."

"In terms of price, this solution is at the higher end of what you'll find."

"This is an expensive product, but it is the best in the market considering the features and lack of competitors."

"It is not very expensive."

"The cost of the solution is based on the number of plugins, conductors and integrations used and is charged annually. The licensing cause has been increasing gradually which makes it difficult to access. Initially offer free features but over the time the charges rise which make it an expensive solution with limited features. Along with that, the integration issues persist and require additional middle where and internet connectivity for effective usage."

"Pricing is custom to every customer."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

14%

Government

11%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

21%

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

Insurance Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft System Center Orchestrator?

It can manage multiple servers and workstations from a single location.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft System Center Orchestrator?

The platform was almost free of cost for us. We obtained a license that bundled Windows Server with System Center at no additional cost.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft System Center Orchestrator?

The product's management aspect needs enhancement. It affects the visibility of powerful scripts that were previously accessible. Furthermore, the focus is shifting towards cloud-based features, sp...

See all answers

What do you like most about ServiceNow Orchestration?

The interface of the solution is very user friendly and it is easily accessible via a simple URL. This makes it easier to complete the UI based tasks but using other features require expertise in l...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ServiceNow Orchestration?

The cost of ServiceNow Orchestration is considered medium; it is expensive but powerful. I would rate the pricing experience as a six out of ten.

See all answers

What needs improvement with ServiceNow Orchestration?

The third-party integrations are challenging when the tools are not from ServiceNow ( /products/servicenow-reviews ) partners. This presents issues when integrating solutions from other vendors.

See all answers

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Ivanti Automation vs Microsoft System Center Orchestrator

Compared 12% of the time

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Compared 12% of the time

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Compared 16% of the time

IBM BPM vs ServiceNow Orchestration

Compared 7% of the time

Temporal vs ServiceNow Orchestration

Compared 7% of the time

Nintex Process Platform vs ServiceNow Orchestration

Compared 3% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Process Automation

May 2025

Microsoft System Center Orchestrator report

Download Microsoft System Center Orchestrator product report

Buyer's Guide

ServiceNow Orchestration

April 2025

Download ServiceNow Orchestration product report

Also Known As

MS System Center Orchestrator

No data available

Overview

As an IT administrator, you probably perform a lot of tasks and procedures to keep your computing environment healthy. You may have automated individual tasks, but typically, not the whole process. With System Center - Orchestrator you tie disparate tasks and procedures together using a graphical user interface Runbook Designer to create reliable, flexible, and efficient end-to-end solutions in your IT environment.

Microsoft

ServiceNow is the fastest-growing enterprise cloud software company in the world above $1 billion (2018 revenue was $2.6 billion, up 36% year over year). We deliver digital workflows that create great experiences and unlock productivity to approximately 5,400 enterprise customers worldwide, including almost 75% of the Fortune 500.

ServiceNow

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

experian, BEACHBODY, HealthPartners, Banosoft

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft System Center Orchestrator vs. ServiceNow Orchestration

April 2025

Free Report: Microsoft System Center Orchestrator vs. ServiceNow Orchestration

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft System Center Orchestrator vs. ServiceNow Orchestration and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

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