OpenText Service Management (SMAX) vs TOPdesk comparison

OpenText and TOPdesk are both solutions in the IT Service Management (ITSM) category. OpenText is ranked #12 with an average rating of 7.7, while TOPdesk is ranked #20 with an average rating of 6.0. Additionally, 88% of OpenText users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 84% of TOPdesk users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 29, 2026

TOPdesk and OpenText Service Management (SMAX) are competing products in IT service management. TOPdesk has an advantage in pricing and customer support, while OpenText SMAX stands out for its feature depth and overall value.

Features: TOPdesk offers valuable features such as self-service portals, incident management, and change management. OpenText SMAX provides advanced automation, machine learning, and topic analytics for incident and problem management.

Room for Improvement: TOPdesk could benefit from feature expansion, more advanced automation, and better AI integration. OpenText SMAX could improve ease of deployment, user interface design, and training resources.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: TOPdesk provides a straightforward deployment model with strong customer support. OpenText SMAX, while more complex to implement, offers optional modules and scalable solutions, aligning well with intricate IT environments.

Pricing and ROI: TOPdesk has lower setup costs and offers attractive ROI. OpenText SMAX, despite requiring a higher initial investment, provides compelling long-term ROI through its extensive functionality and automation tools.

To learn more, read our detailed OpenText Service Management (SMAX) vs. TOPdesk Report (Updated: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

OpenText Service Management (SMAX) vs. TOPdesk

June 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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HugoAlmeida

Head Of Delivery at Timestamp ITM

Centralized service processes have improved cross‑department visibility but reporting still needs work

The machine learning capabilities in OpenText Service Management (SMAX) are somewhat not published the way they should be. They work pretty well, but they are not used as much in the current experience of our customers. They have them; the solution has them, but they usually go a little bit below the radar in terms of visibility. I believe there is room for improvement when it comes to machine learning capabilities. OpenText Service Management (SMAX) has room to improve mainly on reporting components. The reporting components include dashboards, and while OpenText Service Management (SMAX) has a reporting module, it's somewhat limited, so I believe it has room to improve there, with more inclusion of artificial intelligence in the models and more in project management and portfolio management capabilities. We want to see better use and more functionalities enabled with the already existing capabilities such as AI and reporting in the next OpenText Service Management (SMAX) release, but one important thing we think should be included is a module for metrics, similar to Google Analytics, that focuses on the metrics of the tool usage. The module shouldn't just report on the components of OpenText Service Management (SMAX) but also track how the tool is used by end users, for example, what functionalities users utilize more frequently, the performance of those functionalities, and how long it takes them to open a ticket or log in, focusing on applicational monitoring metrics and performance management metrics.

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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.

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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 interface is a lot better than a lot of other tools which are out there."

"We have an automation that we just put in production where we are doing a double-blind quality review, and the bot is comparing the two entries and kicking out a large number of exceptions for human review, so we have saved a large number of hours every day by not having humans look at things that match."

"MetaBot is the most valuable feature. Other products have robotic functionality but MetaBot is a kind of functionality by which code is created... so business users who do not have coding knowledge can drag and drop."

"When I compare it with other RPA tools, Automation Anywhere seems pretty good. It's a user-friendly tool. Anyone can easily understand it. If there is an error, you can easily debug it from the developer level. In Automation Anywhere, the error handling happens in the easiest way. In case of an error, we send an email. It's not too difficult code to understand. There's only beginning and ending error handling, which is easy to understand."

"If you are looking for a fast solution using minimal resources not requiring an advanced programming skill set this is your product."

"We have the MetaBot feature, which is valuable because we can read reusable components in the MetaBot, then use them as a framework."

"The addition of excel advanced to directly append worksheets, add formulas, etc was very beneficial and made the code development faster."

"Automation Anywhere has improved our company a lot. The SLA of some tasks that we need to deliver to some clients has improved greatly."

More Automation Anywhere pros

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

"I've used this kind of application for more than 20 years and from my perspective, SMAX is one of the best products on the market."

"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."

"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."

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

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

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

"The tool is very easy to use."

More OpenText Service Management (SMAX) pros

"TOPdesk is overall very stable."

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

"Change management is the most critical feature."

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

"The most valuable feature of TOPdesk is its ease of use if you have implemented it in the right way. If you're not implementing it in the right way, then it's very difficult."

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

"Its ITSM approach is quite useful."

"As we have moved to an off-premises deployment, we get regular updates."

More TOPdesk pros

Cons

"Going on-cloud comes with security hiccups and concerns."

"We encountered issues during the upgrade of the framework. We were using the older framework of version 10.3.5. When we were upgrading, we were having a few issues in terms of getting the proper hardware and software prerequisites. For some things, like getting the controls of some of the application's tools, we were getting Automation Anywhere's help."

"As a developer, I find Automation Anywhere's bot editor riddled with minor workflow issues that hinder productivity."

"Unwanted windows are popping up. We have to train a bot to recognize the window if it comes up, know what it is, and click it. If it is interrupting our bot, I just want to avoid that window, because I am getting failed logs."

"Automation Anywhere has a lot of room for improvement. It is not customer-friendly."

"We have HTML mode and Window mode, but Automation Anywhere is limited in this. It would be better if they were able to provide different specification modes."

"The interface is not intuitive for business users who are used to seeing the process on a flow chart, like a Visio workflow diagram. This may be because of the nature of the way the interface is structured and the way the functions are built in list type of format."

"It could be improved in terms of the global analysis of all the issues caused by the dependency components. For example, if bots are running on virtual machines on Microsoft Windows 2019, sometimes an issue might come from the virtual machine. Automation Anywhere should work closely with Microsoft or any other editor with which there are some issues occurring and stopping the bots from running properly."

More Automation Anywhere cons

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

"The contract management feature can be improved."

"SMAX lacks in integrations as well as written documentation."

"The tool has negatively impacted our productivity."

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

"The solution lacks sufficient documentation."

"OpenText Service Management (SMAX) has room to improve mainly on reporting components. The reporting components include dashboards, and while OpenText Service Management (SMAX) has a reporting module, it's somewhat limited, so I believe it has room to improve there, with more inclusion of artificial intelligence in the models and more in project management and portfolio management capabilities."

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

More OpenText Service Management (SMAX) cons

"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."

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

"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."

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

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

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

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

"In some fields, it's just not good enough."

More TOPdesk cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"On average, a bot runner in Automation Anywhere can cost $5,000, while in Microsoft Power Automate, you can get most of the same functionality for $100."

"They all are very competitive today. At the end of the day, it boils down to the negotiations that happen and what type of partner you are."

"The cost can be reduced a little for users."

"It's a bit expensive compared to other RPA tools on the market."

"Because it reduced the time duration of our processes, our costs went down."

"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."

"I feel the cost of licensing is very high for the A2019 version."

"The Automation Anywhere license is affordable and not complex."

More Automation Anywhere pricing and cost advice

"The solution is somewhat cheaper than the competitors."

"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."

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

"The solution is inexpensive compared to competitors."

"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."

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

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

17%

Construction Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

11%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Educational Organization

10%

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	154
Midsize Enterprise	82
Large Enterprise	536

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	4

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

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.

See all answers

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

We mostly deal with OpenText Service Management (SMAX), Service Management, and UCMDB, the UD Discovery, Unified Disc...

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

We are still working with OpenText and Splunk. I remember that Splunk is now with what Cisco AppDynamics bought. We a...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?

OpenText Service Management (SMAX) is okay, not expensive and not the cheapest. It is overall good.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for TOPdesk?

The solution's pricing is reasonable and not expensive.

See all answers

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 t...

See all answers

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 parti...

See all answers

Comparisons

UiPath Platform vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 12% of the time

Microsoft Power Automate vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 10% of the time

Blue Prism vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 7% of the time

WorkFusion vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 2% of the time

Celonis vs Automation Anywhere

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ServiceNow vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 16% of the time

Ivanti Voice vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 12% of the time

JIRA Service Management vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 12% of the time

BMC Helix ITSM vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 6% of the time

Motadata ServiceOps vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 4% of the time

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ServiceNow vs TOPdesk

Compared 13% of the time

JIRA Service Management vs TOPdesk

Compared 9% of the time

LiveChat vs TOPdesk

Compared 6% of the time

ProProfs Help Desk vs TOPdesk

Compared 4% of the time

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus vs TOPdesk

Compared 3% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Automation Anywhere

June 2026

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Buyer's Guide

OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

June 2026

OpenText Service Management (SMAX) report

Download OpenText Service Management (SMAX) product report

Buyer's Guide

Help Desk Software

May 2026

Download TOPdesk product report

Also Known As

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

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

No data available

Interactive Demo

Automation Anywhere

OpenText

Demo not available

TOPdesk

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

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

TOPdesk enhances ITSM with valuable features like change management and incident management. Its modules support service level and asset management. Users find its interface effective for ticket handling and request escalation.

TOPdesk primarily supports IT service management across organizations, facilitating the complete ITSM lifecycle. It offers modules for change, incident, and configuration management, along with features for ticketing and asset management. The service management capabilities extend to HR, helping employees raise tickets efficiently. Some organizations utilize it for onboarding, offboarding, and maintaining a knowledge library. It addresses needs in project management and financial approvals.

What Are The Key Features of TOPdesk?

Change Management: Streamlines processes necessary for IT changes.
Incident Management: Ensures issues are tracked and resolved promptly.
Reporting Modules: Offers metrics on service performance.
Call Module: Manages customer interactions effectively.
Service Level Management: Monitors and maintains service quality.
Asset Management: Tracks and manages organizational assets.
Reservation Management: Simplifies resource reservations.
Ticketing Feature: Enhances departmental collaboration.
Knowledge Library: Facilitates information sharing across teams.

What Benefits Should Users Look For?

Improved Collaboration: Enhances communication across IT and HR.
Comprehensive ITSM Support: Covers incident, change, and configuration.
Streamlined Onboarding: Supports seamless integration for new employees.
Enhanced Project Management: Assists in managing extensive projects.
Efficient Request Handling: Simplifies ticket management processes.
Informed Decision-Making: Provides insightful reporting data.

TOPdesk is widely used in diverse sectors for ITSM. Organizations employ it for lifecycle management of IT services, leveraging its change and configuration modules. It aids HR departments in managing service requests and employee transitions, providing valuable support in IT and project management.

TOPdesk

Sample Customers

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

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.

Buyer's Guide

OpenText Service Management (SMAX) vs. TOPdesk

June 2026

Free Report: OpenText Service Management (SMAX) vs. TOPdesk

Find out what your peers are saying about OpenText Service Management (SMAX) vs. TOPdesk and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.

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