Best Jira Service Management Alternatives in 2024

Effective IT service management (ITSM) tools are essential for businesses striving to streamline operations and enhance productivity. While Jira service management is a widely used and trusted ITSM solution, there may be better fits for some organizations. As your business expands and adapts to new challenges, an alternative service management or ITSM platform better aligns with your evolving needs.

The 7 best Jira service management alternatives

Here are the 7 best Jira service management alternatives:

Freshservice for ITSM needs

Freshservice is a leading IT service management solution with various features that streamline processes across departments. Its cloud-based solutions ensure accessibility across devices, and scalable pricing plans make it suitable for businesses of all sizes. Freshservice excels at providing intuitive and user-friendly software solutions and is dedicated to customer satisfaction. 

Key features

• Modernize IT service with AI-driven management and intuitive service experiences.

• Streamline service efficiency with intelligent incident and problem management tools.

• Implement and manage SLAs and knowledge bases to improve service delivery and user self-help.

• Ability to offer a wide range of services through a unified, extensible service delivery platform.

• Automate IT operations, asset management, and monitor service health for comprehensive oversight.

Advantages

Freshservice has several advantages including its intuitive and user-friendly interface, making navigation and user experience seamless. Freshservice can also be easily extended across business teams, from IT to finance to human resources, so that multiple tools are not needed, and team efficiency is increased. It can provide unified service and operations management in one product experience with automated alert grouping, intelligent, alert management rules, on-call management, and more. Notably, Freshservice is renowned for its reliable and accessible customer support, guaranteeing timely assistance for its users. Offering various pricing plans, Freshservice accommodates businesses of all sizes, ensuring flexibility and scalability. Whether you are a small startup or a large enterprise, Freshservice ensures its platform can easily scale to accommodate your growth requirements with the flexibility needed to support expansion without compromising performance or user experience. Its modular design allows organizations to add or remove features as necessary so that the platform remains agile and can adapt to evolving workflows and processes. Continually updating its capabilities, Freshservice keeps pace with industry trends, allowing users to leverage the latest in service management innovations. Additionally, its sophisticated automation and AI-driven features simplify workflows, diminish manual tasks, and significantly increase team productivity. 

Why customers rave about Freshservice

Customers highly praise Freshservice for its exceptionally user-friendly interface, comprehensive features, and practical customer support. The platform's intuitive layout facilitates quick adoption and ease of use, boosting productivity and teamwork. Freshservice's commitment to offering accessible and dependable customer support ensures users consistently receive the help they need, fostering strong relationships and outstanding service experiences. Appreciated for streamlining business processes and delivering unmatched service quality, Freshservice stands out as a preferred choice for service management.

ServiceNow for ITSM needs

ServiceNow is a cloud-based platform that provides various IT service and operations management solutions. Businesses leverage ServiceNow to automate and streamline diverse business processes such as IT support, onboarding, and customer service. Its extensive feature set facilitates efficient workflow management and incident resolution.

Key features

• Provides a comprehensive suite for managing IT services, focusing on aligning IT services with business needs.

• Features extensive automation capabilities to streamline operations and reduce manual tasks

• Incorporates AI and machine learning for predictive analytics, enhancing decision-making and operational efficiency

• Highly customizable, allowing businesses to tailor the platform according to their specific requirements

• Robust incident management functionality to quickly resolve IT issues and minimize impact on business operations

• Offers tools for managing changes and releases in IT infrastructure, ensuring smooth and reliable deployments

• Comprehensive asset management capabilities for tracking and managing IT assets throughout their lifecycle

Pros 

• Highly scalable, making it suitable for large enterprises with complex needs

• Offers an all-in-one solution for IT service management, reducing the need for multiple tools

• Easily integrates with a wide range of other software and tools, enhancing operational flexibility

• Being cloud-based, it offers flexibility and accessibility from anywhere, facilitating remote work

Cons

• Its large list of features and customizability can make it complex to set up and use, requiring specialized skills

• Can be expensive, especially for smaller businesses or those with less complex needs

• The platform has a steep learning curve due to its comprehensive and sophisticated functionalities

• Highly customized or complex implementations can sometimes lead to performance issues

• Requires heavy reliance on ServiceNow for updates, support, and maintenance

Pricing

Pricing is customized and negotiated between users and ServiceNow.

SolarWinds (ITSM) for ITSM needs

SolarWinds offers comprehensive solutions for streamlining IT service management. Solarwinds has featured incident management, asset management, and more, providing versatile support for businesses of all sizes. With integration capabilities to access and leverage existing tools and customizable solutions for specific business needs, Solarwinds is a strong choice for organizations seeking to enhance ITSM capabilities. SolarWinds has an efficient ticketing system for a streamlined approach to resolving issues, and it is a popular choice for helping IT teams improve workflow efficiency and streamline tasks.

Key features

• Offers predefined SLA templates 

• Self-service portal with knowledge base functionality 

• Reporting and analytics functions that offer unique visualizations and real-time insights

• Provides a service desk equipped with integrated IT asset management and a service catalog

• Automated ticketing management for more efficient ticketing

• Remote control and screen sharing to access sleeping or powered-off computers

Pros

• Tools to organize and prioritize service tickets

• Easy setup and very intuitive, meaning users can spend less time on the setup process

• Tech support and other employees can communicate with private messaging options 

• It can refresh up-to-date tickets and has extensive ticket notification tools

Cons

• Although integration is available, it may require more customization and configuration compared to other software

• Filtering for ticket search needs improvement 

• SolarWinds offers integration with third-party tools, but integration may be challenging and require additional resources

• The interface may not be as intuitive or modern compared to some other ITSM software

Pricing 

Pricing starts at $39 per month per technician. 

Cherwell for ITSM needs

Cherwell is an ITSM tool known for its incident management, change management, problem management, and more capabilities. By streamlining IT processes, consolidating ticket management, monitoring incidents and issues, and facilitating knowledge sharing among team members, Cherwell proves to be a helpful resource for organizations searching for effective ITSM solutions.

Key features

• ITSM asset management with a database for reporting and tracking assets

• Has an IT service desk with a shared Configuration Management Database

• Incident management capabilities help to prevent disruption to business operations 

• Change management tools to facilitate planning, approval, and implementation of changes to IT systems

• IT asset management functions to track, manage, and optimize assets

Pros

• Omnichannel support for employees to make reporting and incident status checking easier

• Automation capabilities in ticket creation and categorization have helped to improve efficiency

• ITIL verified methods to better meet business needs

• Wide range of integrations and extensions

Cons

• Needs heavy customization and additional development resources to deliver results

• Mainly offers on-premise products they host for customers and is not an entirely a multi-tenant SaaS

• Product development and interface design seem outdated 

• Training may be necessary to understand some personal customization options 

Pricing

Pricing for Ivanti (who acquired Cherwell) starts at $189 per month. 

SysAid for ITSM needs

SysAid is an ITSM platform that helps businesses manage their IT infrastructure, from incident and problem resolution to change management and asset tracking. Its ITSM features, like automation and enhanced customization, help organizations improve efficiency and productivity to drive success. 

Key features

• AI and automation enable more efficient prioritization and assigning of tickets

• Third-party integrations to centralize apps and other tools under one platform

• Template, dashboard, and form customization for personalized experiences

• Customization of SLA and metrics to meet specific business needs

• ITIL package for better service management 

Pros

• Exceptional asset visualization capabilities and network detection tools

• Integration with popular services like Slack for better collaboration

• Flexibility of choosing cloud-based or on-premise deployment options for different preferences

• Intuitive user interface to simplify navigation 

Cons

• Difficulties in customizing reports can be present 

• Configuring templates may produce a learning curve and confusion

• Pricing can be too expensive for some startups with a lower budget 

• Limited reporting options 

Pricing

Contact SysAid to determine pricing options. Free trials are offered. 

Asana for service management needs

Asana is a project management platform that helps teams organize, track, and manage work efficiently. With an intuitive interface and customizable features, Asana helps teams collaborate for simple tasks or complex projects. Asana can assign tasks, set deadlines, track progress, and communicate with team members so that teams can be at their most productive. 

Key features

• Easily and quickly assign, prioritize, and track the progress of tasks in an extremely user-friendly interface

• View projects using lists, boards, or timeline views to better understand progress and deadlines

• Comment on tasks, share files, and communicate with teammates directly within tasks

• Tailor your project management workflows with custom fields and use templates to streamline project setup

• Seamlessly integrates with over 100 apps including Slack, Google Drive, and Dropbox

• Sync with external calendars for a comprehensive view of deadlines and meetings

Pros 

• Easy to navigate, making project management accessible to teams with varying levels of technical proficiency

• Adaptable to various project management methodologies like Agile, Scrum, or Kanban

• Low learning curve due to a lack of complexity but still powerful once learned and able to handle fairly large projects

• Offers a robust free version suitable for small teams or projects

Cons

• Advanced reporting features are mostly available in the paid versions

• While available, dependency tracking is less intuitive compared to specialized project management tools

• Essential features like advanced reporting and automation are behind a paywall, which can increase the cost for small businesses or startups

Pricing

A free plan is offered. The Starter plan is $10.99/month, while the Advanced plan is $24.99/month. The sales team must be contacted for pricing options for the Enterprise and Enterprise+ plans. 

Manage Engine 

ManageEngine streamlines asset and project management for support teams, enabling top-tier service delivery while minimizing expenses and complexity.

Key features 

• A unified IT platform incorporating ITSM, patch management, alert monitoring, and endpoint management for comprehensive control.

• Tailor-made support experiences with codeless, extensive, pre-built customizations.

• Smart automation for eliminating manual tasks, speeding up ticket resolution, and improving user satisfaction.

Pros: 

• Dedicated customer service

• Intuitive interface

• Enhanced ticket detail for faster resolution

Cons:

• Implementation requires ITIL framework knowledge

• Regular software updates necessary

Pricing

ManageEngine’s pricing includes Standard, Professional, and Enterprise tiers. Contact a sales rep for exact pricing.

Zendesk 

Zendesk offers a cloud-hosted customer service solution, featuring helpdesk, live chat, and tools for customer engagement, email marketing, and team interactions. It supports ticketing, help centers, messaging, community forums, and more, ensuring swift and effective customer support across multiple fronts.

Key features:

• A holistic platform for customer interaction and lead generation, merging chat, phone, email, and social media in one central hub.

• Advanced customization options and multilingual support to meet varied business requirements and serve international audiences.

• Service Level Agreement (SLA) management ensures prompt customer issue resolution.

• Collaborative ITSM and documentation resources for effective team problem-solving and information sharing.

• Efficient ticket management and response system for handling customer queries.

• Built-in knowledge bases for quick access to self-help and troubleshooting guides.

Pros:

• Quick to set up and straightforward to navigate

• Supports a wide range of communication channels including email, chat, and social media

• Offers live and online training options

Cons:  

• Complex pricing structure

• Not suitable for e-commerce or smaller businesses

• Extensive training required to master the software

Pricing 

Zendesk’s pricing starts at $25 per month for each agent on the Support Team plan, with Freshdesk Omni Team plan beginning at $69 per month per agent. Free trials are available.

Spiceworks

Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk streamlines customer support and IT service management with its efficient ticketing system. It offers centralized tracking, management, and categorization of support requests and tasks.

Key features

• Spiceworks enables real-time monitoring of network activities and bandwidth usage to help organizations maintain optimal performance and quickly identify any arising issues.

• The platform streamlines the ticketing process by employing automated routing tools that assign tickets to the appropriate personnel based on specific criteria, ensuring efficient resolution of issues.

• It offers comprehensive tools for tracking and managing IT assets, including hardware and software inventories, which facilitates better asset management and compliance.

Pros: 

• Automatic backups and maintenance by Spiceworks

• All plans are free of charge 

Cons: 

• Limited dashboard customization

• Restricted integration with other tools

Pricing

Spiceworks is a completely free tool with all features included. Users will experience ads throughout their experience. 

PagerDuty

PagerDuty aids IT alert management, offering service with its broad alert capabilities. From automated scheduling to incident escalation, PagerDuty ensures your alerts are timely and accurate.

Key features

• Automates scheduling and escalation for on-call management, directing alerts efficiently.

• Provides incident response tools like logs, timelines, and analyses for quick resolution and learning.

• Integrates with over 300 tools for a unified alert and incident management experience.

Pros

• Quicker incident responses with automated alerting and escalation policies, reducing downtime.

• Facilitates team collaboration during incidents with comprehensive communication tools.

• Detailed analytics and reports for monitoring incident patterns, response efficacy, and improvement opportunities.

Cons

• Steep learning curve due to the vast array of features and customization options.

• Potential for alert fatigue if not configured properly, leading to diminished alert sensitivity.

Pricing

PagerDuty offers a free plan for small teams (up to 5 users). Professional plans start at $21 per user per month, with 14-day free trials available for all tiers.

How to choose a Jira alternative for ITSM needs

1. Assess features offered and functionality: When considering ITSM tools, it is crucial to evaluate the features offered. Consider the features provided for incident, change, problem, and other management processes. It is also essential to consider the software's capabilities for integration and whether additional licensing is needed. Some standard features to look out for include self-service portals, a comprehensive knowledge base, incident tracking, and reporting capabilities.

2. Automation capabilities: Automation is key to ITSM solutions. Comprehensive automation capabilities mean more streamlined processes, reduced manual effort, and improved efficiency. Workflow automation, integration with IT operations management tools, and reporting and analytics automation are all automation capabilities to look out for. 

3. Knowledge management excellence: An effective ITSM solution should offer robust knowledge management capabilities to empower both your IT team and end-users with easy access to information. Evaluate the system's capacity to create, manage, and share knowledge efficiently, ensuring it supports continuous learning and reduces repetitive inquiries by providing relevant, up-to-date information. 

4. Advanced incident management: For an ITSM solution to be effective, it must include incident management features that enable quick routing of incidents, providing technicians with all necessary tools within a unified interface for rapid resolution. Assess the solution's ability to automate the categorization, prioritization, and assignment of incidents to reduce response times and improve service quality. 

5. Efficient workload management: A top-tier ITSM solution should offer robust workload management features that provide clear visibility into the assignments and responsibilities of your IT team. Evaluate the system’s ability to monitor individual and team workloads effectively, including the tracking of availability and the balanced distribution of tasks.

6. Determine your budget: Identify how much you're willing to spend on an ITSM tool. Pricing models vary widely, from free versions with basic functionalities to premium plans offering extensive features. Balance the features you need with the amount you can afford. Also, pay attention to added costs like customization, integration, and additional add-ons.

Jump start ITSM in your organization with Freshservice

Freshservice is a leading choice for ITSM needs, offering many features designed to streamline IT operations and increase user satisfaction. Freshservice is able to integrate with collaboration tools like Slack and MS Teams to provide comprehensive support, use AI to deflect tickets, encourage self-service capabilities, and more with integrated service channels. AI capabilities ensure prompt service delivery and incident management, and the Freshservice Orchestration Center is able to automate processes across multiple systems to support powerful workflows and reduce manual work. Freshservice’s AI engine Freddy assists users with making smarter service desk decisions and increasing agent productivity and is able to track service health and eliminate noise. Freshservice is also able to perform a root cause analysis to identify underlying issues and their impacts, symptoms, and proposed solutions. Gain comprehensive insight into change impacts through integrated Change Management.

With Freshservice, businesses can use contextual information from Configuration Management Databases (CMDB) and service desks to strategize and execute changes effectively.