Qualys Exposure Management vs ServiceNow CMDB comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Qualys and ServiceNow are both solutions in the Configuration Management Databases category. Qualys is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.5, while ServiceNow is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.5. Qualys holds a 9.9% mindshare in CMD, compared to ServiceNow’s 19.5% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Qualys users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of ServiceNow users who would recommend it.

Qualys Exposure Management

Read 102 Qualys Exposure Management reviews

23,837 Views
477 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

ServiceNow CMDB

Read 34 ServiceNow CMDB reviews

2,298 Views
2,298 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Qualys Exposure Management

ServiceNow CMDB

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 13, 2026

Qualys VMDR and ServiceNow CMDB compete in the IT management and cybersecurity space, offering distinct functionalities. Qualys VMDR seems to have the upper hand with its robust vulnerability management features and real-time capabilities.

Features: Qualys VMDR provides comprehensive vulnerability management, scalable agent-based scanning, and integrated patch management, enabling detailed asset tracking. ServiceNow CMDB is renowned for its strong integration capabilities in IT service management, offering comprehensive asset tracking and service mapping features.

Room for Improvement: Qualys VMDR could enhance its user interface, asset tagging, and false positive management while improving reporting and dashboard functionalities. ServiceNow CMDB requires substantial customization, which can be costly for smaller businesses, and could benefit from improved discovery processes and third-party tool integration.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Qualys VMDR offers deployment flexibility across various environments but may need more responsive technical support. ServiceNow CMDB provides robust deployment options and excellent customer service but requires customization, which could complicate setup.

Pricing and ROI: Qualys VMDR can be expensive for small to mid-sized businesses, though it provides significant ROI through efficient vulnerability management. ServiceNow CMDB is also known for its high cost, especially for smaller enterprises, but delivers ROI to larger organizations by streamlining IT operations through its integration capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Qualys Exposure Management vs. ServiceNow CMDB Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Qualys Exposure Management vs. ServiceNow CMDB

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

Qualys Exposure Management

Ranking in Configuration Management Databases

4th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

102

Ranking in other categories

IT Asset Management (5th), Vulnerability Management (2nd), Container Security (11th), Risk-Based Vulnerability Management (1st)

ServiceNow CMDB

Ranking in Configuration Management Databases

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Configuration Management Databases category, the mindshare of Qualys Exposure Management is 9.9%, up from 4.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ServiceNow CMDB is 19.5%, down from 28.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Configuration Management Databases Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
ServiceNow CMDB	19.5%
Qualys Exposure Management	9.9%
Other	70.6%

Configuration Management Databases

Featured Reviews

Ajay Paul

System Engineer at a outsourcing company with 10,001+ employees

Vulnerability management has prioritized high‑risk patching and simplified bulk system reporting

The primary issue is with the reporting functionality. Even though we fix vulnerabilities, the reports do not reflect the changes immediately. Sometimes we need to manually run a script to scan the systems before Qualys Enterprise TruRisk Management will update the scan results. The main issue is the reporting delay, and sometimes the Qualys Enterprise TruRisk Management agent will not scan the system, which means we do not receive accurate reports in a timely manner. Additionally, there are many metrics for calculating vulnerabilities, such as the Qualys ID, severity scores, CVSS scores, and other metrics. The abundance of information can be confusing. These two aspects are the most significant negatives I have experienced with this tool.

Read full review

reviewer2782440

ServiceNow Consultant at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

Automation features and integrated service mapping have streamlined incident and change management processes

There is probably room for improvement in ServiceNow CMDB. I'm so immersed in projects and solving direct customer issues that I don't think too much about potential improvements. Maintaining an accurate and up-to-date ServiceNow CMDB can be challenging due to incoming data from various sources, but ServiceNow has been developing small AI components to help with data discrepancies and deduplication recently. They have also improved integrations with other tools, providing many out-of-the-box integrations to different monitoring tools and CMDBs, which previously required coding experience for custom integrations. They are moving towards a more low-code or no-code approach, which is part of their goal as a company.

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

"It's been the chosen solution year after year for vulnerability management and our vulnerability management program is centered around this tool."

"They also have threat detection which maps threats. There is a feed that comes from Qualys when a new vulnerability is found. It tells us which machines are infected with that vulnerability."

"The integrations for this solution are very good, as I use a different product for virtual patching of vulnerabilities and Qualys integrates well with that product."

"It's very configurable to adjust impact to systems."

"Qualys VMDR provides us with a quick response to threat findings through regular scheduled scanning, which improves our security operations."

"This solution gives us insight into our environment and improves our security. It helps us to maintain a good patching system whereby we know that XYZ is vulnerable within the system."

"If you are comparing Nexpose and Qualys, I would prefer Qualys."

"I find the solution's dashboard interesting...The response time is fine. You can pull up reports without dragging or consuming bandwidth."

More Qualys Exposure Management pros

"ServiceNow is quick to start up because it's on the cloud."

"We chose ServiceNow because it has more functionalities. It takes at least one week to be trained on ServiceNow, and it is easy to learn."

"One important element is automation. We can back up and manage multiple configurations. It also enables password self-service."

"The most valuable feature of ServiceNow is the user interface because you can customize or configure it directly from the user interface by using the mouse. It is easy to use even for non-IT people. You can also directly plug your ServiceNow instance within your Microsoft Active Directory and then retrieve all your users and groups. So, you can use the users and groups to put automation inside the application. When you have new hires, you can automate the group security and group attribution. It is very good in terms of performance. Its performance is almost 100%. Once, it took less than two minutes to back up and run an instance. It has very good reliability."

"I've realized that if you have a good full-fledged CMDB, being involved in understanding what causes problems is not very difficult."

"In ServiceNow CMDB, the most valuable features are the integration with external tools to gather and store asset data."

"ServiceNow excels in integration and is considered the best tool in the market for this purpose."

"ServiceNow CMDB is fully integrated and complete. ServiceNow has modules for everything an IT service company needs, and it's flexible."

More ServiceNow CMDB pros

Cons

"Qualys VM's scanner doesn't pick up every vulnerability, so we have to use multiple scanners to cover that gap."

"The only improvement I can think of is on the implementation side, otherwise the operation is fine."

"There are scenarios where a vulnerability is reported once yet not in subsequent scans, even if we have not fixed it."

"From the application security perspective, Qualys has a way to go."

"The support needs to improve a lot, their response is absolutely slow."

"Qualys VM's machine learning and artificial intelligence features could be improved."

"What we have found is that the solution is not closely tied with the patch management. It is okay with newer ones, like Windows 10 machines; it gives the correct patch. But for Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008, it does not give us the correct patch so we have to manually identify the patches. This is a major problem."

"Its integration with ServiceNow and other similar products is complicated and can be improved."

More Qualys Exposure Management cons

"If you have multiple tools that are going to ingest data into the CMDB, you need to be careful of what rules we write to ensure that they fall in place."

"There is some customization we need from the customer side."

"The platform's stability needs improvement."

"When running large queries within the system, it does have a tendency to bog down the system."

"There are some gaps in the technologies that can be solved. Operational technology isn't quite 100% there yet, but I hear it is on the roadmap. I would also like it to be cheaper."

"The initial setup can be very bad if the roadmap is not set up properly. You need a specialist to help you set up the roadmap."

"The pricing of ServiceNow products is suitable for large companies; it is a bit expensive for medium ones."

"In ServiceNow, we are not there yet. It's less mature."

More ServiceNow CMDB cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing and licensing for Qualys could be improved."

"Qualys VM is quite expensive. It's a subscription-based license, and it's yearly. Right now, it's open for me, and I don't have any limitations or caps on the licenses. They are seeing if the product is viable for 4500 users. I can add as much as I want, and at the end of the subscription, they'll let me know how many licenses were actually used and bill me accordingly. On a scale from one to five, I would give their pricing a three. It's still expensive."

"We do see over $100,000 in terms of price, for mid-size programs. You likely will pay more than $100,000 without any discount. It is a bit pricey."

"The pricing is very competitive."

"There are no additional fees in addition to the standard licensing fees."

"The solution is costly."

"The solution is expensive."

"The tool's pricing is expensive and I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten."

More Qualys Exposure Management pricing and cost advice

"The product is pricey."

"It is really expensive. I don't know actually how much it costs, but in 2016, when a client decided to move from an old solution to ServiceNow and had to choose a supplier for ServiceNow, I had heard that it could cost $10 per hour, which is really expensive. I am not aware of any additional fees to the standard licensing fees. There is no standard ServiceNow solution. When a company wants to acquire ServiceNow, they already know which module they will choose. In a basic package, you would have Service Catalog, Incident Management, and Change Management. These modules are usually required in an IT company."

"I would like it to be cheaper. If you've got a large environment, it can get quite expensive quite quickly. You still get a return on investment, but everybody has a tight budget. In terms of licensing, everything is pretty much known upfront. Being SaaS-based, there are no real additional gotchas that we came across."

"In comparison to the cost of other solutions, you get value for your money with ServiceNow CMDB. It could definitely be cheaper though."

"It is always fluctuating. It seems to change every six months. Every time they come out with a new iteration, it changes. It is pretty complicated, and they should improve it."

"The product price falls on the higher side of the spectrum."

"The market sees ServiceNow as the Ferrari in terms of pricing. It's at the very top, and its cost is very, very high."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Outsourcing Company

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

16%

Outsourcing Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	21
Midsize Enterprise	12
Large Enterprise	75

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	23

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Qualys VMDR?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing shows that we can consider both time and money saved.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Qualys VMDR?

I haven't explored Qualys VMDR's vulnerability lifecycle automation yet. One of my analysts mentioned that queries lack grouping operators in Qualys VMDR. From my experience, I would appreciate imp...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Qualys VMDR?

I have some understanding about PeerSpot, and I have visited the website. PeerSpot is similar to TrustRadius. It takes reviews from customers or end users who are using the tools and technologies i...

See all answers

What needs improvement with ServiceNow CMDB?

I believe that related to the solutions in the Now Assist platform, we can put more autonomy on that. Some reconciliation can be automated. AI Assist is the current improvement now. I don't have an...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for ServiceNow CMDB?

I primarily work with ITSM, HR, SPM, AI, Now Assist, CMDB, and CSDM modules, covering almost all of these areas. I use the integration with ServiceNow CMDB with all the processes that we have imple...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering ServiceNow CMDB?

I help customers evaluate their CMDB health. We use the CMDB health to make that analysis, to see the relationships, what is missing with the processes they have, and any mis-ownership issues. So, ...

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Qualys Exposure Management

October 2026

Download Qualys Exposure Management product report

Buyer's Guide

ServiceNow CMDB

October 2026

Download ServiceNow CMDB product report

Also Known As

Qualys VM, QualysGuard VM, Qualys Asset Inventory, Qualys Container Security

No data available

Overview

Qualys VMDR is a comprehensive cybersecurity tool offering vulnerability management, patch management, and continuous monitoring with real-time asset discovery. It delivers scalable, cloud-based solutions that enhance security operations without additional infrastructure.

Qualys VMDR provides a robust platform for enterprise security, integrating vulnerability management, compliance, and asset inventory for full visibility across cloud and on-premises environments. It features a comprehensive dashboard with threat intelligence-driven prioritization and remediation capabilities. Users benefit from accurate assessments via agent-based scanning and appreciate the intuitive, customizable scanning and reporting interface. However, there's room for improvement in false positive reduction, UI simplification, and integration capabilities, along with enhancements in asset management for large-scale deployments and the vulnerability database. Enhancing technical support speed, patch management, compliance standards, and inter-module navigation would further enrich user experience.

What are the key features of Qualys VMDR?

Vulnerability Management: Identifies and manages security vulnerabilities across environments.
Patch Management: Ensures systems are updated with the latest patches.
Continuous Monitoring: Offers real-time insights into security posture.
Asset Discovery: Provides up-to-date asset inventory and visibility.
Threat Intelligence: Enhances prioritization and remediation processes.
Customizable Dashboard: Facilitates easier scanning and reporting through an intuitive interface.

What benefits can users expect when evaluating Qualys VMDR?

Scalability: Cloud-based deployment offers easy, cost-effective expansion.
Accurate Assessment: Agent-based scanning keeps security data current.
Enhanced Security Operations: Comprehensive features streamline vulnerability management.
Advanced Reporting: Facilitates detailed insights for better security decision-making.

Qualys VMDR is widely used in industries needing stringent security and compliance measures, offering comprehensive vulnerability and compliance management. It is deployed to secure web applications, servers, and crucial assets, supporting a wide range of sectors by ensuring policy adherence and vulnerability tracking through its powerful cloud platform.

Qualys

ServiceNow CMDB offers a user-friendly interface with customizable features, seamless integration, reliable performance, detailed discovery tools, and robust data governance. It is essential for effective asset management and IT service optimization.

ServiceNow CMDB serves as a central management facility for configuration items supporting processes like incident, change, and asset management. It provides scalable tracking of IT hardware assets, integrates discovery, and manages relationships among configuration items to enhance infrastructure and service visualization. With strong data governance, automation capabilities, and integration with business modules, it supports cloud and on-premises environments effectively.

What are the most important features of ServiceNow CMDB?

User-Friendly Interface: Customizable and easy-to-navigate, allowing for efficient management.
Seamless Integration: Interfaces with Microsoft Active Directory and business tools effortlessly.
Automation Capabilities: Automates processes to enhance operational efficiency.
Reliability: Offers consistent performance and detailed discovery tools.
Data Governance: Strong regulatory compliance and data management.

What key benefits or ROI should users expect?

Asset Tracking: Centralized asset management with scalable solutions.
IT Service Management: Enhanced project and service portfolio management.
Centralization: Consolidates configuration data for improved decision-making.
Scalability: Adapts to growing business needs and large data sets.

ServiceNow CMDB is implemented across multiple industries to manage complex IT infrastructures. In finance, it supports asset tracking and compliance. Healthcare uses it for critical configuration management and reliable discovery. Tech companies benefit from its integration capabilities and process automation to maintain competitive edge.

ServiceNow

Sample Customers

Agrokor Group, American Specialty Health, American State Bank, Arval, Life:), Axway, Bank of the West, Blueport Commerce, BSkyB, Brinks, CaixaBank, Cartagena, Catholic Health System, CEC Bank, Cegedim, CIGNA, Clickability, Colby-Sawyer College, Commercial Bank of Dubai, University of Utah, eBay Inc., ING Singapore, National Theatre, OTP Bank, Sodexo, WebEx

Wayfair, Siemens, Allianz, Experian, Vitas Healthcare

Buyer's Guide

Qualys Exposure Management vs. ServiceNow CMDB

September 2026

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