OpenText Service Management (SMAX) vs TOPdesk comparison

OpenText Service Management...

Read 10 TOPdesk reviews

1,377 Views
964 Comparison Views

84% willing to recommend

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 28, 2025

TOPdesk and OpenText Service Management (SMAX) are competing in the IT service management category. While TOPdesk is praised for its pricing and customer support, OpenText SMAX stands out for its extensive features, suggesting it's a worthy investment despite higher costs.

Features: TOPdesk's valuable features include its user-friendly interface, process efficiency enhancements, and flexibility accommodating diverse needs. On the other hand, OpenText SMAX is recognized for its advanced automation capabilities, robust integration options, and wide application across IT environments.

Room for Improvement: TOPdesk could enhance integration capabilities, improve reporting features, and offer more advanced customization options. OpenText SMAX can improve in areas such as simplifying deployment, offering more competitive pricing, and enhancing their user interface for easier navigation.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: TOPdesk boasts a straightforward deployment process with solid customer service, ideal for organizations seeking quick implementation. OpenText SMAX requires more resources for deployment but balances this with exceptional customer service tailored for managing complex solutions.

Pricing and ROI: TOPdesk is commended for its competitive setup costs and attractive ROI for budget-conscious businesses. Despite its higher initial cost, OpenText SMAX offers substantial ROI through long-term efficiencies and a rich feature set, appealing to organizations needing comprehensive service management solutions.

To learn more, read our detailed OpenText Service Management (SMAX) vs. TOPdesk Report (Updated: December 2025).

OpenText Service Management (SMAX) vs. TOPdesk

Download the complete report

Helped 881,082 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

OpenText Service Management...

Ranking in IT Service Management (ITSM)

9th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

TOPdesk

Ranking in IT Service Management (ITSM)

14th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Help Desk Software (17th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the IT Service Management (ITSM) category, the mindshare of OpenText Service Management (SMAX) is 2.3%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of TOPdesk is 2.0%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

IT Service Management (ITSM) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
OpenText Service Management (SMAX)	2.3%
TOPdesk	2.0%
Other	95.7%

IT Service Management (ITSM)

Featured Reviews

HiteshKumar

Technical Lead at Bharti AXA Life Insurance

Supports seamless ticket routing and team collaboration across departments

Maybe something in OpenText Service Management (SMAX) is not perfect. Some small changes could be done. There could be improvements in workflow changes. When a customer needs to change a workflow issue, we can change the workflow relationship accordingly. A customer might need a workflow where if I accept the permission, then close the ticket, and the escalated ticket is not directly assigned to anyone. Different scenarios require different workflow configurations.

Read full review

Martina Peneva

People Technology Lead at Scandinavian Tobacco Group

Implement service management changes while addressing UI improvements

Topdesk's user interface makes it easy to handle requests and escalate them to other groups or reassign them when working on a single ticket. Additionally, the service management tool in HR allows for a change in delivering services, replacing email communication with ticket raising. The knowledge library enables the local HR to store and share relevant information and frequently asked cases, enhancing collaboration. The ticket system also facilitates escalating cases to other involved departments. IT, HR, and some other teams primarily use this system.

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

"This is a cordless application that can be used throughout any organization."

"The customization features are quite good, and we have a very good local vendor helping us in this regard."

"OpenText Service Management Automation X provides valuable features such as topic analytics for incident and problem management. It also includes natural language processing for analyzing technical descriptions. Additionally, it features a virtual chatbot capable of processing natural language to interact effectively with end users. This service enhances customer support and is not subject to the limitations often found in offerings from other vendors."

"The most valuable features of Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX) are that it is user-friendly, easy to configure, and adaptable."

"OpenText Service Management (SMAX) is effective for all sectors, such as IT and HR."

"The product provides an interface for the end users to make requests."

"The tool is very easy to use."

"It offers a range of tools for sales and configuration. It's like a business process improvement platform, suitable for various lines of business operations."

"TOPdesk is overall very stable."

"The most valuable feature of TOPdesk is the reports."

"It is an easy-to-use solution."

"This solution has provided me with a well-defined process and interaction, compared to my previous tool, GLPI."

"Its ITSM approach is quite useful."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is the ticketing feature."

"Change management is the most critical feature."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is the incident management module."

More TOPdesk pros

Cons

"OpenText Service Management (SMAX) has some stability challenges that are crashable and not stable at times."

"The product's connectivity with third-party products is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"The tool has negatively impacted our productivity."

"The contract management feature can be improved."

"The initial setup of Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX) is complicated, but once it is set up the configuration is straightforward to adapt to the users' or customers' needs."

"The solution lacks sufficient documentation."

"The reporting functionality is not the best as it is not easy to use."

"Change management implementation, facility management, and making reservations on assets can be improved."

"The solution should be made more user-friendly."

"One of the disadvantages of TOPdesk is the reporting tool. It is very poor and not in real-time. You do not always receive the correct information."

"It is time-consuming to add new users."

"If I open a ticket on the infrastructure team, I can't move it to the financial team for them to manage the ticket."

"All companies have processes that need to be adjusted. When you have a change, you need to name it, and many companies have a set of changes you can use. It would be helpful if there were more space in TOPdesk to name the change or use metadata to record the kinds of changes."

"An operator is also a user but requires creating two different records."

"From a UI perspective, there is room for improvement. It sometimes takes many steps to do something simple, like creating or moving a knowledge item."

More TOPdesk cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The cost of the license for SMAX varies depending on the configuration, including the number of seats for users and the customer's specific requirements. It's not a fixed cost and can vary."

"The solution is somewhat cheaper than the competitors."

"The solution's pricing is reasonable and not expensive."

"There are three fee options to choose from for a company and these options compared to market prices are very high. For example, if I use one of the first options for 10 assets, then it costs 20,000 Euros. If you went to competitors, then you pay less."

"TOPdesk's pricing is cheaper than Jira's."

"Compared to other products in this segment, I think that they are priced well and not too expensive."

"The cost of the solution on a yearly basis is $20,000. Technical support is not extra. It's included in the yearly cost. Updates are also included. The solution is good at keeping its product up to date."

"The solution is inexpensive compared to competitors."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which IT Service Management (ITSM) solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Government

Computer Software Company

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

13%

Educational Organization

11%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	7

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?

The tool is very easy to use.

What is your primary use case for Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?

OpenText Service Management (SMAX) is what I refer to when I say SMAX, and it is from OpenText. I work with OpenText Service Management (SMAX) and other tools. OpenText Service Management (SMAX) ca...

What advice do you have for others considering Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?

OpenText Service Management (SMAX) is effective for all sectors, such as IT and HR. OpenText Service Management (SMAX) is good, and I do not see any negative side. It is possible to discuss some ot...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for TOPdesk?

The solution's pricing is reasonable and not expensive.

What needs improvement with TOPdesk?

From a UI perspective, there is room for improvement, as some tasks like creating or moving a knowledge item within the library require many steps instead of simple actions like drag and drop. This...

What is your primary use case for TOPdesk?

I use Topdesk to change the way we deliver our services in HR to the business. Instead of writing an email to a particular person or visiting their desk, I ask employees to raise a ticket for servi...

ServiceNow vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Comparisons

Compared 27% of the time

JIRA Service Management vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 18% of the time

Ivanti Voice vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 18% of the time

BMC Helix ITSM vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 11% of the time

Clarity SM vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 3% of the time

More OpenText Service Management (SMAX) Competitors

ServiceNow vs TOPdesk

Compared 23% of the time

JIRA Service Management vs TOPdesk

Compared 14% of the time

Freshdesk vs TOPdesk

Compared 8% of the time

Zendesk vs TOPdesk

Compared 7% of the time

Clarity SM vs TOPdesk

Compared 3% of the time

More TOPdesk Competitors

Product Reports

IT Service Management (ITSM)

Download OpenText Service Management (SMAX) product report

OpenText Service Management (SMAX) report

Help Desk Software

Download TOPdesk product report

Also Known As

OpenText Service Manager, Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)

No data available

Interactive Demo

OpenText

Demo not available

Overview

OpenText Service Management Automation X delivers efficient service management automation with user-friendly configurability across IT, IoT, HR, and finance sectors. It enhances business processes through integrated incident management and natural language processing with virtual chatbots.

OpenText SMAX blends user-friendly design with broad language support and robust storage. It enables organizations to deploy in both on-premise and cloud environments using Kubernetes. SMAX excels in business process improvement, incident management, and uses intelligent agents for autonomous alerts and issue resolution. However, it requires enhancements in integration capabilities and documentation, third-party product connectivity, and contract management. Users face challenges with process automation and search functionality, demanding greater customization and flexibility.

What are the key features of OpenText SMAX?

User-Friendliness: Simplifies service management across departments.
Configurability: Allows customization to meet specific needs.
Adaptability: Effective across IT, IoT, HR, and finance.
Language Support: Broad language capabilities for diverse users.
Storage Capabilities: Efficient and reliable data management.
Process Improvement: Tools for streamlining business operations.
Incident Management: Effective handling and resolution of issues.
Natural Language Processing: Chatbots that enhance customer support.
Automation: Facilitates seamless logistics and service catalog management.

What benefits and ROI should users evaluate?

Enhanced Efficiency: Streamlines service management processes.
Improved Customer Support: Virtual chatbots provide superior assistance.
Scalability: Adaptable to growing business needs.
Cost Reduction: Optimizes resource usage and reduces operational costs.
Employee Onboarding: Simplifies and accelerates onboarding processes.

Banks and telecom companies primarily employ OpenText SMAX for service management automation, leveraging its ESM and ITSM capabilities. Deployed on-premise and via cloud, organizations in regions such as Saudi Arabia focus on integrations and upgrades, using SMAX as an end-user portal for incident management.

OpenText

Excellent service management made easy : Happy customers are the goal of every supporting department. We understand. That’s why we’ve created a solution that helps you improve customer communication, manage workflows and keep track of assets. But above all: our software is simple and attractive. This not only makes it pleasant to use, but also quick to adopt. You’re looking to deliver excellent service from day one – and TOPdesk is here to help. TOPdesk delivers one integrated service platform for IT, FM, HR and other Service departments with a build Self Service Portal, asset management, reporting and integration platform( see also our TOPdesk Marketplace for selection of connectors). Some key features include : Call Management, Incident and Service Request Management, Service Catalogue, Asset & Configuration Management, Problem Management, Change Management, Project Management, Operations Management, Reservations Management, Stock & Order Management, Contract Management and SLA's, Survey Management, Self Service Portal, Form designer, Portal designer, Event & Action Management, Knowlegde Base, Report wizards, Resource Management, Barcode, CAD and Exchange integration TOPdesk helps you streamline your ITIL, Agile, Sox, KCS, ASL/BISL, GDPR compliance Result at our global customer base : 98% customer retention rate 99% of our implementations within budget and timeframe 90% up and running within 3 month NPS score of 35 (4500 cusotmers) 98% customer recommondation score 4,7 score at Gartner Peer Insights Our ecosystem consist of : 4500 customers across 45 countries > 300.000 daily users > 15.000.000 supported end-users 40+ partners What makes TOPdesk unique? • ITIL-based modules for all your service needs: from Ticket and Asset Management to Reservations Management • License based on end users or service agents, whateveris best for you • Unlimited number of assets or self service users • Easy to implement: get up and running quickly • Choose between on-premises or SaaS

Sample Customers

Zurich Airport, Envirosuite, Norsk Helsenett, Achmea, University of Milan, World Vision, Petroleum Development Oman, Court of Justice of the Federal District and Territories (TJDFT).

City of Amsterdam, University of Edinbroughm, IKEA, KLM Catering Services, FloraHolland, BOVAG, PostNL, Total, Hilton, Oce, Canon, Agip, Compass Group, Serco, Danone, BMW, Eneco, And many more.

OpenText Service Management (SMAX) vs. TOPdesk