ServiceNow vs TOPdesk comparison

ServiceNow and TOPdesk are both solutions in the Help Desk Software category. ServiceNow is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.5, while TOPdesk is ranked #17 with an average rating of 7.5. ServiceNow holds a 13.1% mindshare in HDS, compared to TOPdesk’s 2.0% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of ServiceNow users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 84% of TOPdesk users who would recommend it.

ServiceNow

Read 224 ServiceNow reviews

22,688 Views
7,260 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

TOPdesk

Read 10 TOPdesk reviews

1,377 Views
1,074 Comparison Views

84% willing to recommend

ServiceNow

TOPdesk

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

ServiceNow and TOPdesk compete in the service management category. ServiceNow appears to have the upper hand with its highly customizable platform and comprehensive features, while TOPdesk offers simplicity and ease of use.

Features: ServiceNow features a highly configurable platform with a wide array of pre-built ITIL processes, integration capabilities, and strong community support. TOPdesk is known for its ease of use, intuitive interface, and straightforward ticketing features.

Room for Improvement: ServiceNow is criticized for its complex licensing model, high costs, and usability challenges, which can lead to system disruptions. TOPdesk could improve its reporting tool, integration with tools like Microsoft Teams, and its relatively rigid structure.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ServiceNow offers flexible deployment options, including public, private, hybrid clouds, and on-premises environments. However, its customer service is seen as inconsistent. TOPdesk primarily offers on-premises deployment and has experienced declining technical support responsiveness.

Pricing and ROI: ServiceNow is considered expensive with a complex licensing model, offering a potentially positive ROI for larger enterprises. TOPdesk provides more affordable pricing with straightforward value through essential features, appealing to smaller companies.

To learn more, read our detailed ServiceNow vs. TOPdesk Report (Updated: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

ServiceNow vs. TOPdesk

January 2026

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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

ServiceNow

Ranking in Help Desk Software

1st

Ranking in IT Service Management (ITSM)

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

224

Ranking in other categories

IT Asset Management (1st), Rapid Application Development Software (2nd), No-Code Development Platforms (1st)

TOPdesk

Ranking in Help Desk Software

17th

Ranking in IT Service Management (ITSM)

14th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Help Desk Software category, the mindshare of ServiceNow is 13.1%, down from 24.2% 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.

Help Desk Software Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
ServiceNow	13.1%
TOPdesk	2.0%
Other	84.9%

Help Desk Software

Featured Reviews

Shafqat Paracha

General Manager at sPerception IT

Adopting flexible workflows with customized automation delivers measurable benefits

There are things that I would like to see improved in ServiceNow, such as the pricing, as it is a very costly solution compared to other tools. Additionally, its presence in the local market is very limited; in Pakistan, for example, I don't see any vendor or distributor of ServiceNow available. They need to increase their sales spectrum globally so people can easily access them and engage them for client meetings and more. From a functionality perspective, the features in ServiceNow are acceptable as, at the moment, the ITSM modules rank highly, being 13 plus Pink Elephant certified, which is a good aspect to have. When providing advice to users, I would suggest they consider making strategic decisions about their per user pricing since it is very high. In our region, people normally start with 5 to 10 users, but the per user price is quite steep. Moreover, ServiceNow does not charge based on data uploaded or downloaded, so they should reconsider their pricing and data policies to align better with the financial capabilities of the region.

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

"Overall, I rate ServiceNow 10 out of 10."

"I like that it's always up and running."

"Great that it's knowledge-based and you can use the flows in ServiceNow."

"The impact of ServiceNow's self-service portal on IT staff dependency levels has shown a dramatic improvement."

"It facilitates the monitoring of major incidents and provides insights into the effort expended to resolve each incident."

"ServiceNow is a cloud-based platform, so people won't need to worry about investing on hardware to host it. Being on the cloud, it is available 24x7. It's scalable, stable, and multifeatured, with a straightforward setup and good technical support."

"I like that in ServiceNow creating workflows is simpler than that in HP Service Manager. Also, I really like the customization feature. It allows us to customize the service portal and permits us to do a lot of customization per business needs."

"The feature that I have found most valuable from ServiceNow is the ability to assign sub-tasks to different teams, including problem tickets and the regular and chain tasks."

More ServiceNow pros

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

"TOPdesk is overall very stable."

"Its ITSM approach is quite useful."

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

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

"When it comes to implementing new features, they listen to what their customers want via a suggestion forum that they have."

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

"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."

More TOPdesk pros

Cons

"One thing I don't care for is the reporting and the way it functions."

"We would like to have an Asset Management and/or Project Management feature enabled in this version and in the IT Service Management edition."

"If you have advanced questions, technical support often doesn't know the answer."

"We are struggling with the scheduling part, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it is a ServiceNow issue. It could be the way we have configured it. We don't have it configured in a way where you can schedule a support call with our end users. We are looking for more automation in the box and the chat feature."

"The challenge with ServiceNow lies in its expansive portfolio of services. It can be complex, and users may find it expensive and challenging to understand. There is a need for a configurator within ServiceNow that guides users on how to utilize the tool effectively. This configurator should provide insights into licensing, team requirements, and the best licensing model based on whether companies prefer ownership or consumption-based models."

"There is a need to learn scripting because as in the case of all the ITSM tools, scripting is needed for customization. If you're not very comfortable with scripting, then you may feel that you cannot do everything in ServiceNow without learning scripting."

"I know that discovery tools are not meant to be simple, but somehow, if they could make it more simple and robust, that would be great."

"They need to be providing vendors and implementation partners with materials and guidance on implementation."

More ServiceNow cons

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

"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."

"This solution is modular so you only buy what you need, but I prefer what some companies are doing where they include everything in the package."

"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."

"The solution's change management could be better."

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

"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

"While the option exists to pay for a monthly license, we are dealing with large enterprises and these typically involve multi-year licenses of ten or five years, at a minimum."

"The licensing cost is based on your partnership with ServiceNow and what you have selected for implementation. There is an annual license cost which is calculated based on your number of devices."

"It is fairly expensive."

"The platform offers a free trial, by providing a free developer instance once you sign up."

"The product cost is higher than that of other vendors."

"The price could be a little lower for the solution. Many of my customers have issues with the licensing process, they have to make it easier and straightforward."

"It is an expensive platform."

"Getting the solution up and running is expensive."

More ServiceNow pricing and cost advice

"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."

"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."

"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."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Government

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	55
Midsize Enterprise	35
Large Enterprise	166

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

Questions from the Community

Which solution is better for developing non-ITSM applications: OutSystems or Service Now?

The short answer is that OutSystems is far better for 2 main reasons. Firstly, with Service Now you are locked into that platform for good. The business model is to lock in and then keep pumping th...

See all answers

Would you choose ServiceNow over Microsoft PowerApps?

Hi Netanya, I will choose ServiceNow because ServiceNow is a very good tool compared to Microsoft PowerApp. Because ServiceNow has a very strong module (Performance Analysis) reporting which will ...

See all answers

What do you like most about ServiceNow?

The solution has a user-friendly interface.

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 the library require many steps instead of simple actions like drag and drop. This...

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 particular person or visiting their desk, I ask employees to raise a ticket for servi...

See all answers

Comparisons

BMC Helix ITSM vs ServiceNow

Compared 6% of the time

IBM Maximo vs ServiceNow

Compared 4% of the time

JIRA Service Management vs ServiceNow

Compared 4% of the time

Pega Platform vs ServiceNow

Compared 4% of the time

Microsoft Dynamics CRM vs ServiceNow

Compared 4% of the time

More ServiceNow Competitors

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

GLPI by Teclib vs TOPdesk

Compared 6% of the time

ProProfs Help Desk vs TOPdesk

Compared 5% of the time

More TOPdesk Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

ServiceNow

January 2026

Download ServiceNow product report

Buyer's Guide

Help Desk Software

December 2025

Download TOPdesk product report

Overview

ServiceNow is a cloud-based task-management platform that specializes in IT operations management (ITOM), IT services management (ITSM), and IT business management (ITBM). ServiceNow allows users to manage their teams, projects, and customer interactions using a variety of different plugins and apps with which it easily integrates.

ServiceNow offers prebuilt applications to support any process, as well as a framework and tools that allow you to build your own.

ServiceNow’s service management solutions include change, request, incident, problem, and cost management, as well as HR, IT, field service, and facilities management solutions. They also cover business management solutions such as vendor performance management, financial management, performance analytics and project portfolio suite, as well as governance, risk, and compliance.

“The Smarter Way to Workflow”

ServiceNow’s activities, processes, and tasks are overseen as part of a comprehensive managed workflow that supports such features as real-time collaboration, communication, and resource sharing. ServiceNow’s suite of products allow for operation using serverless computing, and include the categories of Business Apps, Customer Service, HR, IT, and Security.

ServiceNow can be used to support most workflows because of the wide range of tools it offers. These include on-suite ticketing tools, predictive modeling to manage workflows, and benchmarking for the tracking of progress. ServiceNow can assist with artificial intelligence and machine learning processes and can be used to organize the cases of a help/service desk as well as for instance management and problem management. It also smoothly integrates with many legacy systems.

ServiceNow offers service management software for industries including:

Cloud services
Education
Financial services
Government
Healthcare
Manufacturing
Telecommunications

Reviews from Real Users

PeerSpot users prefer ServiceNow to its competitors because of its scalability, stability, and ease of use. It helps everyone in the company to be on the same page by creating a single source of record across all departments. One user stated that “I’ve definitely used over 20 project management solutions, but they can't be compared with ServiceNow.” Another said that “ServiceNow is an industry leader in multiple areas and provides an excellent ROI.”

ServiceNow

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

TOPdesk

Sample Customers

AAA, AstraZeneca, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Broadcom, Christus Health, Epicor, Equinix, GE Capital, Intuit, KPMG, Loyola Marymount University, OshKosh, Quantas, RedHat, Royal Bank of Scotland, Swiss Re, U.S. Department of Energy, Safeway, Yale University, and Zillow

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

ServiceNow vs. TOPdesk

January 2026

Free Report: ServiceNow vs. TOPdesk

Find out what your peers are saying about ServiceNow vs. TOPdesk and other solutions. Updated: January 2026.

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