The best ITSM tool depends on the size and shape of your IT team: an open source service desk suits technical teams who'll host it, a cloud ITSM suits growing businesses, and an enterprise platform suits large organisations standardising IT. Ten options follow in no particular order.
IT service management is how an IT team takes requests, fixes problems and keeps track of the kit everyone relies on. An ITSM tool gives that work a front door, a queue and a memory, so nothing gets lost in someone's inbox.
The ten ITSM tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, from open source service desks to enterprise platforms. Every description comes from the vendor's own site, read this week. If security incidents are part of your remit, my explainer on what ransomware is and how to protect yourself is worth sharing with the team.
ITSM tools at a glance
In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site names a free plan, a free tier, a free portal or an open source edition. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freshservice | AI-powered ITSM platform | Simple IT service for growing firms | Not stated |
| GLPI | Open source ITSM and asset tracking | Tickets and assets on open source | Yes |
| HaloITSM | Workflow automation and ITSM | One platform across departments | Trial only |
| Ivanti Neurons for ITSM | Modern IT service management software | Scaling from tickets to full processes | Not stated |
| Jira Service Management | Service management from Atlassian | Teams already on Jira | Not stated |
| ServiceNow | Enterprise ITSM platform | Large enterprises standardising IT | Not stated |
| SolarWinds Service Desk | IT service desk software | Service desk alongside monitoring | Not stated |
| TOPdesk | Service management for several departments | IT, facilities and HR in one desk | Not stated |
| Xurrent | AI-powered service and incident management | Service management with incident response | Not stated |
| Znuny | Open source service desk | Former OTRS Community Edition users | Yes |
Ten ITSM tools to consider
Freshservice
Best for: Growing businesses that want an ITSM platform with incident management, on-call and dependency mapping that's simple to run.
GLPI
Best for: IT teams that want open source helpdesk, asset tracking and financial management for tickets, assets and expenses.
HaloITSM
Best for: Organisations that want IT service management plus workflow automation that can stretch across the whole enterprise.
Ivanti Neurons for ITSM
Best for: Enterprises that want flexible, proactive service management that can start with tickets and scale to advanced processes.
Jira Service Management
Best for: Teams already using Jira that want IT support and service management on the same AI-powered platform as development.
ServiceNow
Best for: Large enterprises that want a full IT service management platform and plan to standardise service processes on it.
SolarWinds Service Desk
Best for: Hybrid IT teams that want a service desk from a vendor that also covers observability and monitoring.
TOPdesk
Best for: Organisations that want one service desk shared by IT and other departments, so work doesn't drop at the handoff.
Xurrent
Best for: IT teams that want service management and incident response together, with free self-service for all users.
Znuny
Best for: Teams that ran the old OTRS Community Edition and want an open source service desk with long-term support.
Help desk, ITSM or enterprise service management?
A help desk handles tickets: someone has a problem, IT fixes it. ITSM adds the wider practices, such as incident, problem, change and asset management. Enterprise service management stretches the same tools to HR, facilities and other teams that take requests.
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A small business often needs a good help desk with asset tracking. Larger organisations with change approvals and audits need the full ITSM toolkit.
Plan incidents before they happen
The NCSC advises organisations to plan their response to cyber incidents in advance, because good incident management will reduce the impact when incidents happen.
Your ITSM tool is where that plan lives day to day. Write down what counts as a major incident, who's called, how you communicate and how you review afterwards, then configure the tool to match. A tool can't invent the process for you.
Questions to ask ITSM vendors
- Which ITSM processes are included, and which are add-ons?
- How easy is the self-service portal for non-technical staff?
- Can other departments use it for their own requests?
- How does it track assets and link them to tickets?
- Can we self-host, or is it cloud only?
- How long does a typical migration from our current tool take?
Features that make IT calmer
- Self-service. Staff fix common issues without a ticket.
- Asset links. See which laptop or licence a ticket involves.
- Clear priorities. Urgent work rises to the top.
- Reports. Spot repeat problems worth fixing for good.
When an inbox stops working for IT
If requests get lost, nobody knows who's handling what, or the same problem keeps coming back without a fix, it's time for a service desk. The change is often felt within days, because everyone can see where their request stands.
Do you make ITSM tools? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing an ITSM tool
Map how requests reach IT today, including the emails, chats and corridor conversations. Choose the tool that makes the most common requests easiest for staff to raise, because a service desk people avoid is just a very organised inbox.
Start with incidents, requests and assets, and add change and problem management once those run smoothly. When you're ready to automate the routine, my guide to AI workflow automation has ideas you can adapt.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ITSM tool?
It's software that helps IT teams manage service requests, incidents, problems, changes and assets in one place, usually with a self-service portal.
What's the difference between a help desk and ITSM?
A help desk focuses on tickets. ITSM covers the wider set of IT service practices, including change, problem and asset management.
Is there free ITSM software?
Yes. Some service desks are open source and free to run yourself. Check the free plan column in the table for each one.
What is ITIL?
ITIL is a widely used framework of IT service management practices. Many ITSM tools are built around its processes.
Can ITSM tools be used outside IT?
Yes. Many are used by HR, facilities and other teams that handle requests, often called enterprise service management.
How do I get staff to use the service desk?
Make raising a request quick, publish helpful self-service answers and reply fast, so the portal becomes the easiest route.
