ServiceNow vs Jira Service Desk Comparison: Which Is Better?

Quick Summary:

If you can’t choose between ServiceNow and Jira Service Management, don’t worry. In this article, we’ll compare these two giants to the tiniest detail to help you make a wise choice.

Spoiler alert: ServiceNow can handle tickets but features a complex interface, so it’s excellent for intricate ITIL processes. In contrast, Jira is simple, affordable, and flexible, with strong collaboration and automation features. Let’s learn more!

Managing services became a lot better and much easier when ServiceNow and Jira entered the market. However, they left many companies wondering which one is better for their business needs.

In this ServiceNow vs Jira Service Management comparison, we’ll discuss the pricing, features, and capabilities of both. And hopefully, by the end of this article, you’ll have a much easier time deciding which one is right for you.

What is the Difference Between ServiceNow and Jira?

The main difference between Jira and ServiceNow lies in their primary focus and use cases. ServiceNow is geared towards IT service management, while Jira is a more versatile tool used for project management and issue tracking across various domains. So, they’re both popular platforms with common features, serving different purposes.

Let’s dive deeper into these service management solutions!

As you can learn in our detailed ServiceNow review, ServiceNow is primarily a popular IT Service Management (ITSM) platform.

In fact, it’s the first cloud-hosted service desk that helps organizations manage their IT services and operations.

This ITSM solution is ideal for service teams with ITIL processes; it includes many features for incident management, problem management, change management, and other ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) processes.

Moreover, it has extensive workflow capabilities, allowing organizations to automate and streamline their IT processes.

On the other hand, Jira Service Management is designed by Atlassian. And it’s one of the best-known project management and issue-tracking tools and RMM software on the market.

While rooted in software development and widely used for managing agile development projects, Jira can be customized for various purposes beyond software development.

It’s often used for project management, bug tracking, and even as a helpdesk system. Jira’s flexibility and customizable workflows make it adaptable to different business needs.

You can learn more about Jira in our comprehensive Jira review.

ServiceNow vs Jira Comparison Chart

Here’s a quick overview of the features and capabilities of both platforms, which we’ll discuss below:

ServiceNow vs Jira Service Desk Pricing

When comparing the pricing of both platforms, we can conclude that Jira is a winner in this category for a few reasons.

Winner: Jira

First, Jira Service Management offers a free plan for small teams (up to ten users). However, Jira isn’t only suitable for small businesses; it also caters to the needs of companies with more than ten agents.

The Premium plan, tailored for robust ITSM needs, comes at a competitive $40 per agent per month.

Second, Jira is transparent when it comes to pricing. On the other hand, ServiceNow doesn’t display any pricing plans online. This means you must request a quote through a provided link, which makes things more complex for companies.

Moreover, ServiceNow determines pricing based on the size of the company, geographical location, and preferred products and packages.

So, we don’t know anything about ServiceNow’s packages or their starting price.

Jira vs ServiceNow Free Versions

We can’t even compare the free version of both platforms because ServiceNow doesn’t have one. The good news? They offer a 30-day free trial. So, Jira wins again! Let’s dive deeper!

Winner: Jira

Jira’s free plan supports up to 10 users with unlimited project boards, backlog and timeline features, reporting, insights, and 2 GB of storage, along with community support—a robust choice for smaller teams.

In contrast, ServiceNow lacks a free version but offers a 30-day trial. To start the trial, users can request and install a free application trial directly from their ServiceNow instance. While some applications may need vendor approval for the trial, this step is optional.

Customer Support

Both ServiceNow and Jira should provide better customer service.

Winner: Neither

Users have reported concerns about response times and accessibility when seeking support from ServiceNow, suggesting inconsistencies in their customer support.

On the other hand, some users have faced challenges in their interactions with Atlassian support, experiencing difficulties and delays in resolving their issues.

Jira offers a support portal where users can submit requests for assistance, report bugs, and find resources for both users and administrators.

They also provide a variety of resources, including a community forum, system status updates, and suggestions and bug reports, aiming to support users in different ways.

In summary, both platforms have areas where their customer support has been criticized, and users may encounter challenges in seeking assistance from either ServiceNow or Jira.

So, both should improve customer service.

Knowledgebase & Learning

Both ServiceNow and Jira offer robust knowledge management solutions.

Winner: Tie

ServiceNow’s Knowledge Management provides a base of clear articles for self-help and issue resolution. Users can access this library at any time, and existing customers have the option to activate the Knowledge Management Service Portal plugin.

The platform supports groups with assignments to individual managers.

On the other hand, Jira uses Confluence as a basic knowledge management platform. This allows service teams to have simple and rapid access to solutions.

Jira’s Knowledge Bases enable customers to use a knowledge library filled with relevant articles and FAQs to resolve issues.

Machine learning algorithms automatically surface related articles when users make inquiries, enhancing the efficiency of self-service.

Both platforms emphasize the importance of knowledge bases for quick access to information by users, workers, and agents.

Jira’s Confluence provides seamless integration of support documentation into IT workflows, while ServiceNow’s Knowledge Management extends capabilities with the activation of the Service Portal plugin for existing customers.

In summary, ServiceNow and Jira excel in knowledge management, offering users the tools they need for self-help, issue resolution, and efficient access to relevant information.

The choice between the two would depend on specific organizational needs and preferences.

Hosting and Deployment

If rapid deployment is a critical factor, then the quick setup of a Jira Service Desk platform in a matter of days may favor ServiceNow.

However, if the organization values hosting flexibility and has the capacity for a longer deployment timeline, Jira Service Management’s options of Standard, Premium, and Data Center may be more appealing.

Let’s learn more!

Winner: Tie

ServiceNow predominantly operates as a cloud-based platform, offering a self-hosted option as well.

Although self-hosting is less common, the Enterprise Cloud option caters to specific needs, especially in sectors like government or healthcare, providing ServiceNow with a diverse business model.

In contrast, Atlassian’s Jira Service Management offers two cloud hosting categories: Standard and Premium. Additionally, it provides a self-hosting option through the Data Center offering.

In terms of deployment, setting up a Service Desk is a relatively quick process, taking just a few days.

However, for a comprehensive IT Service Management (ITSM) solution, the deployment timeline is typically more extensive, ranging from 1 to 3 months.

This underscores the varying complexities involved in implementing robust ITSM software compared to the relatively swift deployment of a Jira Service Desk.

Each platform has strengths, and choosing the best ITSM platform hinges on the needs and preferences of the organization in question.

Set Up and Implementation

Regarding setup and implementation, Jira wins because the whole process takes less than two months. On the other hand, setting up and implementing ServiceNow has 4.5 months of implementation. Let’s learn all the details!

Winner: Jira

ServiceNow stands out for supporting organization-wide digital transformation and enhancing the ability to respond to industry shifts.

However, ServiceNow isn’t as straightforward to set up and implement successfully as some other applications, requiring specific skills. The focus is on launching the program rather than the implementation process.

On the other hand, Jira Service Desk excels in quick and efficient setup, making it a crucial choice, especially when considering customer issue tracking and knowledge building.

This is particularly beneficial for organizations where a shorter setup time is essential to avoid potentially severe consequences. The software’s configuration capabilities make it stand out in this regard.

Incident/Problem Management

In dealing with problems and incidents, problem management aims to handle their life cycles and prevent their recurrence.

It works to eliminate recurring incidents and minimize the impact of unavoidable ones. Here’s which wins this category:

Winner: Jira

ServiceNow offers powerful modules for incident and problem management, aiding in the identification of error causes.

It maintains comprehensive information about problems and provides convenient solutions, ultimately reducing the frequency and impact of incidents over time.

However, it’s worth noting that this robust functionality comes with a higher cost.

Jira Service Desk, on the other hand, offers adaptability to specific business needs over time. Users can create and track issues in a customized workflow, facilitating faster detection and investigation of problems.

This flexibility allows for quicker resolution and closure of issues, showcasing Jira Service Desk’s capability to tailor solutions.

Configuration Management

ServiceNow stands out as the winner for Configuration Management with a logically built representation of assets and services, detailed information storage in CMDB, and robust domain separation for enhanced control. Let’s see Jira’s offerings!

Winner: ServiceNow

ServiceNow’s Configuration Management represents assets and services logically, creating a structured view.

The Configuration Management Database (CMDB) stores detailed information about the organization’s infrastructure, simplifying issue detection.

Domain separation enables the division of data, processes, and tasks into logical domains, giving control over who can access specific data.

In contrast, Jira Service Configuration Management utilizes the services feature to register critical business and technical services. Insight, the application facilitating this, offers a flexible and open data structure.

Unlike traditional CMDBs, it empowers teams to control any resources vital to their service requests, incidents, and change management practices. This approach enhances flexibility and control over configuration and asset management.

Service Request Management

In the race for service request management, ServiceNow and Jira Service Management finish in a tie, each offering strengths in automation and collaboration and simplicity and effectiveness, respectively.

Winner: Tie

ServiceNow lets you easily create a user-friendly and thorough service catalog using guided design.

It adds chatbots to help employees quickly find answers, allows you to design workflows visually with drag-and-drop tools, and automates tasks in the service catalog.

Overall, it enhances collaboration, breaks down information silos, and simplifies the entire service request process by putting everything in one place.

Jira Service Management, while also effective, excels in simplifying service request management with its user-friendly client portals, customized forms, and automated workflows.

The winner depends on the specific needs and preferences of the organization.

If a comprehensive, all-in-one platform with advanced automation and collaboration features is a top priority, ServiceNow might be the preferred choice.

However, if simplicity, user-friendly interfaces, and effective service request management matter more, Jira Service Management could be the winner.

Jira vs ServiceNow Features & Functionality

Now, let’s dive into the showdown of crucial features and functionality between Jira and ServiceNow as these software giants go head-to-head in a battle of capabilities.

ServiceNow or Jira for Ease of Use

Let’s check out how easy it is to use ServiceNow and Jira Service Management.

Winner: Jira

Jira Service Management boasts a more accessible learning curve for IT workers compared to ServiceNow, designed with simplicity in mind for IT experts from various firms.

Jira’s web interface, clear and familiar for Atlassian clients, makes it user-friendly, whereas ServiceNow targets enterprises, so it’s less accessible to small or middle-sized businesses.

Jira vs ServiceNow AI Capabilities

Now, let’s see how both ServiceNow and Jira keep up with the rise of AI tools.

Winner: ServiceNow (for now)

ServiceNow currently leads the AI game with robust features like generative AI via Now Assist, providing functionalities beyond chatbots, such as natural language processing for tasks like summarizing documents, gaining real-time insights, and automating responses.

While Jira’s AI capabilities are still in development through Atlassian Intelligence, it’s expected to offer similar use cases, though potentially with some limitations compared to ServiceNow’s joint venture with NVIDIA and Accenture.

ServiceNow vs Jira Mobile Apps

The race concludes in a tie, as Jira’s project-centric mobile app excels in collaboration. At the same time, ServiceNow’s Now Mobile offers a versatile array of features, making both apps excellent choices for on-the-go users.

Winner: Tie

Jira’s mobile app excels in on-the-go collaboration and project management, allowing users to create, update, plan, track, and analyze effortlessly.

On the other hand, ServiceNow’s Now Mobile app provides a comprehensive set of features, enabling users to submit incidents, manage tasks, access company resources, and more from anywhere.

Jira’s focus is on streamlined project tasks and collaboration, while Now Mobile covers a broader spectrum, including issue reporting, knowledge base access, and task completion.

Jira’s mobile app stands out for its simplicity and efficiency in project-related activities. Meanwhile, ServiceNow’s Now Mobile offers a versatile solution for various tasks, supporting users in their day-to-day operations.

You can download both apps from Apple iOS and Google Android platforms.

Metrics and Reporting

Metrics and reporting matter as they provide insights, optimize performance, and uncover areas for improvement in business processes and team operations. Here’s which platform wins this category:

Winner: Tie

ServiceNow’s reporting faces challenges with historical data, but Metrics provides a standard out-of-the-box solution, and integrating with Power BI enhances reporting capabilities without extra cost.

In contrast, Jira Service Desk’s pre-built solutions enhance team performance. However, for more complex analytics, you should use BI tools like Power BI Connector for Jira; they offer customized features that broaden reporting.

In a nutshell, both platforms offer solutions to optimize reporting, with ServiceNow providing a no-code integration option for advanced features and Jira Service Desk utilizing add-ons for expanded reporting capabilities.

Process Automation

ServiceNow wins in comprehensive process automation with tools like Flow Designer and Process Automation Designer.

At the same time, Jira Service Desk excels in efficient customer service automation for small teams through well-defined rules. Let’s learn more!

Winner: Tie

ServiceNow Process Automation offers comprehensive tools for digitizing, visualizing, and managing workflows, facilitating long-term business process improvement through team collaboration.

Flow Designer and Process Automation Designer allow automation without coding, streamlining approvals, tasks, notifications, and record operations.

In the Jira Service Desk, automation rules require specific triggers and conditions for execution, enabling excellent customer service even with a small team.

While some basic rules may still require agent intervention, they significantly ease the support team’s workload, allowing them to focus on essential tasks rather than routine ticket refreshing and status checks.

The comparison highlights ServiceNow’s extensive capabilities for end-to-end process automation, while Jira Service Desk excels in providing efficient customer service through well-defined automation rules.

Agile Project Management

Both ServiceNow and Jira Service Desk embrace the Agile approach through Scrum, allowing efficient project and software development management with features like daily analysis and adaptability to changes.

Winner: Tie

ServiceNow stands out with a focus on chunking work among agents, ensuring a flexible workflow. On the other hand, the Jira Service Desk excels in custom orientation, a clear knowledge base, and responsiveness to workflow changes.

The winner depends on specific needs: ServiceNow for streamlined work distribution or Jira for customizable processes, making both platforms strong choices for Agile operations.

Scalability

Scalability matters because it helps handle more tasks as needed. Here’s which one wins this category:

Winner: Jira

Jira Service Management offers over 600 apps in the Atlassian Marketplace.

In contrast, ServiceNow faces challenges in scalability owing to a rigid architecture, limiting adaptability to the evolving demands of expanding organizations.

This distinction underscores Jira’s flexibility and rich app ecosystem, making it the preferred option for seamless scalability.

Jira Service Management vs ServiceNow Integrations and API

Jira wins this category because it has special connectors, lots of add-ons, and smooth collaboration tool integration, making it versatile for various projects.

As you can notice, the Jira Service Desk invests heavily in plugins and modules. Let’s learn more!

Winner: Jira

Jira’s API and integrations shine with unique third-party connectors in the Atlassian Marketplace, boasting over 2,400 add-ons.

It smoothly integrates with collaboration tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams for efficient team communication.

On the other hand, ServiceNow has several connectors, both standard and custom-built, providing seamless integration with other systems.

While Jira’s extensive Marketplace makes it more versatile, ServiceNow excels in facilitating efficient data exchange and workflow automation, enhancing overall operational efficiency for customers.

A Note on ServiceNow Jira Integration

The “ServiceNow Connector for Jira” Jira software extension enables Jira ServiceNow integration, ensuring seamless collaboration and data synchronization between the two platforms.

You can also integrate both platforms using other third-party solutions, such as Zappier.

ServiceNow vs Jira Service Management Updates

Updates matter as they ensure software remains secure, efficient, and equipped with the latest features. Here’s which platform releases regular updates:

Winner: Jira

Jira takes the lead in updates with regular releases, providing users with continuous improvements and features.

On the other hand, ServiceNow offers only two releases a year and patches in March and September, potentially leaving users waiting for extended periods for the latest enhancements.

Customization

When tailoring your IT Service Management (ITSM) tool to match your business processes, both Jira Service Desk and ServiceNow provide strong customization options.

Winner: ServiceNow

Jira Service Desk allows users to customize workflows, design ticket forms, and integrate various apps from the Marketplace.

However, there’s a learning curve for newcomers.

On the other hand, ServiceNow goes beyond ITSM with extensive customization options. The platform features a user-friendly design for configuring forms, workflows, and business rules.

It doesn’t just modify existing features; it empowers users to create custom applications that align precisely with your organizational DNA.

Regarding customization, ServiceNow stands out as a comprehensive canvas for enterprises, offering a seamless blend of depth and usability across diverse modules.

While Jira excels in flexibility, ServiceNow’s enterprise-grade customization covers a broader spectrum, making it the preferred choice for organizations seeking a unified and extensively customizable solution.

Jira or ServiceNow for Building Apps?

Both platforms let you play architect, but ServiceNow hands you the tools with less of a learning curve.

Winner: ServiceNow

Meet Forge, Jira’s app-building tool. It’s a coder’s paradise, letting you create apps using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. However, it’s like learning a new language for non-coders, making it a bit complex.

ServiceNow, on the other hand, has App Engine Studio for low-code app creation. Here, even non-coders can craft apps.

It’s a widget-based wonder, providing pre-built interfaces and templates. Minimal IT oversight is needed, making it a breeze for the non-tech-savvy.

ServiceNow takes the trophy for making app creation accessible to everyone, not just coding maestros. With App Engine Studio, it’s like turning your app-building dreams into reality without needing a coding dictionary.

Is ServiceNow Better Than Jira? Final Points

When comparing Jira Service Management vs ServiceNow, we can easily conclude that they’re both powerful in their own way.

And while tools like Jira Service Management share a thing or two with comprehensive solutions like ServiceNow, they still meet different business needs. Therefore, choosing the best helpdesk software depends on your specific requirements.

ServiceNow is good for handling tickets but has a complex interface. On the other hand, the Jira Service Management is user-friendly, works well with Atlassian products, and is cost-effective, saving users money.

Moreover, it’s easy to adapt to changing business needs and has a transparent pricing model without surprises compared to other platforms.

Use ServiceNow if you’re heavily into complex ITIL processes and need the features it offers; otherwise, the costs and configuration efforts might not be worth it.

Opt for Jira Service Management if you want a flexible solution that excels in collaboration, workflow automation, and integrations.

It’s great for all kinds of businesses, especially if you’re already using Atlassian products like Confluence and want smooth collaboration within your organization.