9 best Freshworks alternatives for ITSM

Freshworks offers multiple products for businesses, but for IT teams, the main product is Freshservice. It helps IT teams manage tickets more efficiently, which is increasingly important, as 34% of support teams report an increase in ticket volumes while having fewer resources to handle them.

While effective for many, Freshworks users report a lack of IT management features, poor support, and a steep learning curve, which forces them to look for alternatives.

If you’re already a Freshworks user or just looking for alternatives, our article can help.

The best Freshworks alternatives are:

1. Atera
2. Zendesk
3. Jira
4. ManageEngine
5. SolarWinds
6. SysAid
7. ServiceNow
8. NinjaOne
9. BMC

The 9 best Freshworks alternatives for 2026

We have reviewed the nine best Freshworks alternatives, alongside their key features, pricing, and user reviews.

1. Atera

Atera vs. Freshworks: Key differences

1. Key features: Freshservice mainly focuses on ticketing and the asset management aspect of IT management, arguably leaving out other key features. In comparison, Atera’s all-in-one, Agentic AI platform combines RMM software, patch management, remote access, ticketing system, network discovery, and reporting into one platform, all powered by our AI agents.

Atera’s RMM makes it easy to manage your Windows, macOS, and Linux workstations, servers, and other network devices.

2. Agentic AI: Atera is powered by Agentic AI technology, which is capable of taking actions on behalf of a technician. Atera’s Robin handles 80% of your first-tier support by resolving technical issues, troubleshooting devices, creating step-by-step instructions, and installing pre-approved software.

Atera’s AI Copilot is technicians’ go-to IT companion for running and generating scripts, summarizing tickets, doing health checks, and more.

As a result of our autonomous IT agents, up to 40% of your IT workload is instantly eliminated, freeing up technicians for more strategic tasks.

3. Pricing: Atera’s pricing is based on pay-per-technician, which allows you to manage unlimited devices/endpoints for a fixed monthly cost. This differs from most RMM pricing plans with per-endpoint pricing.

4. User interface: According to G2’s comparison, both Atera and Freshservice have some of the highest ease of use ratings in the IT management space. With Atera, you can always get in touch with our 24/7 customer support if you have any questions.

Tip: Read more about Atera vs. Freshservice here.

Pricing and value for money

Atera pricing plans for IT departments:

• Professional: $149 per month, per technician
• Expert: $189 per month, per technician
• Master: $219 per month, per technician
• Enterprise: Custom quotation; contact sales to get pricing

Atera pricing plans for MSPs:

• Pro: $129 per month, per technician
• Growth: $179 per month, per technician
• Power: $209 per month, per technician
• Superpower (Enterprise): Custom quotation; contact sales to get pricing

4. Customer reviews and ratings

Atera’s G2 Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (900+ reviews)

What Atera users are saying on G2:

• “The interface is clean, which makes it easy to monitor devices, run scripts, manage tickets, and support clients, all from one dashboard,” a G2 user says.

• “Atera AI integrations really help our Level 1 technicians to succeed. The automation of scripts on alerts and Copilot pointing technicians in the right direction makes Atera a cut above the rest,” a G2 user says.

Atera’s Capterra Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (440+ reviews)

What Atera users are saying on Capterra:

• “Incorporating Atera’s AI assistant has brought about a delightful change in automating among my operations,” a Capterra user says.

• “Atera is helping us solve tickets in a very short space of time using their Copilot in the PSA that analyses a ticket, suggests solutions, and helps respond professionally,” a Capterra user says.

2. Zendesk

Similar to Freshworks, Zendesk is a low-cost service desk software for customer service teams. With it, you can build and customize ticketing workflows, monitor ticket status, and automate responses.

Zendesk also competes in the Agentic AI space, although its AI features mainly work within its ticketing system. Atera’s AI agents work across all our IT management features, including RMM, ticketing, remote access, and more.

G2 Rating: 4.3 out of 5.0 stars (6,000+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.4 out of 5.0 stars (4,000+ reviews)

Zendesk Pricing:

• Suite Team: $55/month/agent (billed annually).
• Suite Growth: $89/month/agent (billed annually).
• Suite Professional: $115/month/agent (billed annually).
• Suite Enterprise: Talk to sales for a customized quote.

3. Jira Service Management

Jira Service Management is an ITSM software that makes it easy to track and resolve IT incidents. From the same platform, you can manage problems and changes in your organization, track assets, and automate tasks.

Many users say Jira’s main drawback is the lack of advanced features. In comparison, Atera’s platform is not only easy to use, but all of our features are highly customizable.

G2 Rating: 4.2 out of 5.0 stars (750+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars (600+ reviews)

Jira Service Management Pricing:

• Free: Free for up to 3 technicians
• Standard: $22 per month, per technician
• Premium: $49 per month, per technician
• Enterprise: Pricing based on a custom quotation. Visit their website to learn more.

4. ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is a low-cost service desk tool that helps to automatically log incidents from multiple channels, carry out incident diagnosis, and escalate them based on predefined rules and priority levels.

For features like device monitoring, ServiceDesk Plus needs to be integrated with ManageEngine Endpoint Central. In comparison, Atera integrates all the same features into one platform, so you don’t need to pay for multiple subscriptions.

G2 Rating: 4.2 out of 5.0 stars (200+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.4 out of 5.0 stars (200+ reviews)

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus Pricing:

• Standard: Starts from $16 per month, per technician
• Professional: Starts from $33 per month, per technician
• Enterprise: Starts from $78 per month, per technician

5. SolarWinds Service Desk

SolarWinds Service Desk helps you manage all your organization’s incidents more effectively. This feature is accompanied by an asset management tool for tracking your hardware and software assets.

SolarWinds Service Desk doesn’t offer features like patch management and remote control. In comparison, Atera’s standard features include Atera’s remote access tool, patch management tool, and much more.

G2 rating: 4.3 out of 5.0 stars (700+ reviews)

Capterra rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars (500+ reviews)

SolarWinds Service Desk pricing:

• Essentials: $39 per month, per technician
• Advanced: $79 per month, per technician
• Premier: $99 per month, per technician

6. SysAid

SysAid is another ITSM software used by service desk teams for managing incidents. It helps you to quickly detect incidents, prioritize them based on the risk level, and perform a root cause analysis.

SysAid’s pricing is based on a custom quotation, which is a bit of a drawback. At Atera, we’re big advocates of transparent pricing, and all of our pricing plans are publicly listed.

G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars (700+ reviews)

Capterra rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars (490+ reviews)

SysAid Pricing:

• Based on a custom quotation. To get the pricing, submit your email on SysAid’s website.

7. ServiceNow IT Service Management

ServiceNow is not just an ITSM tool, but it’s one of its main features. With ServiceNow, organizations can set up advanced workflows for incident management, problem management, change management, and service request fulfillment.

Like many other alternatives, it doesn’t offer RMM or patch management capabilities. In comparison, Atera’s patch management tool is one of Atera’s many features in our all-in-one platform. 

G2 Rating: 4.3 out of 5.0 (800+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 (250+ reviews)

ServiceNow ITSM Pricing:

• Based on a custom quotation; contact the ServiceNow team to learn more.

8. NinjaOne

NinjaOne is an RMM and endpoint management tool for managing end-user devices, servers, VMs, and networking devices. You can easily deploy patches to devices, remediate issues, remotely access devices, and more.

While NinjaOne offers automation, no AI features are available for better efficiency. NinjaOne alternatives, like Atera, already offer Agentic AI for performing much of endpoint management tasks autonomously. 

G2 Rating: 4.7 out of 5.0 (2,000+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.8 out of 5.0 (220+ reviews)

NinjaOne Pricing:

• NinjaOne requires you to contact their sales team to get the pricing. To do this, you can fill out a form on their website.

9. BMC Helix

BMC Helix offers multiple products for service management, the main one being BMC Helix ITSM. With it, you can manage incidents, problems, changes, and service requests through one dashboard.

Like Atera, BMC Helix has introduced AI agents into its platform. For BMC Helix, they work primarily on the service desk function, while Atera expands its use across the entire IT operations.

G2 Rating: 3.7 out of 5.0 stars (280+ reviews)

Capterra Rating: 4.1 out of 5.0 stars (110+ reviews)

BMC Helix Pricing:

• To get the pricing, you need to request a form on BMC’s website.

The only Freshworks alternative with Agentic AI technology

Agentic AI is here to change how IT operations are managed, and Atera is at the forefront of this evolution with its two autonomous IT agents.

Instead of handling everything manually (such as solving tickets or troubleshooting devices), Atera’s AI agents take care of these repetitive tasks fully autonomously. From resolving technical issues, installing software, generating setup instructions, to proactively identifying issues, Atera’s Robin can do it all just like a technician would.

And we’re not the only ones to boast about our autonomous IT agents. G2 selected Atera as the #1 best AIOps tool for 2025, and Capterra added it to its Shortlist of the best AI tools for 2025.

So, if you’re ready to move from automated to fully autonomous IT, you can take advantage of Atera’s 30-day free trial here!

What is Freshworks?

Freshworks offers multiple products for customer service and employee engagement. The primary solution for IT teams is Freshservice, which enables them to resolve IT issues and track hardware and software assets.

What are the limitations of Freshworks?

We scoured G2, Capterra, and Reddit for reviews on Freshworks to see what the limitations and strengths of Freshworks are. This is what users said:

1. Missing IT management capabilities

Freshworks primarily focuses on the ITSM aspect of IT management, arguably overlooking other essential features, such as RMM software or patch management.

For example, one IT manager wished for remote access capabilities:

Another G2 user wished for more advanced customization of Freshworks:

2. Mixed reviews on Freshworks’ support

Many Freshworks users have mixed feelings about the available support, some saying it’s excellent and others saying it’s terrible.

For example, here’s what a few users on Reddit discussed:

One G2 user said there’s a language barrier with the support, which makes problem-solving more difficult:

Inconsistent support is definitely a drawback, especially as many Freshworks and Freshservice alternatives offer 24/7 support.

3. Steep learning curve

According to Freshworks users, its products have a steep learning curve, particularly if you want to take the full potential of the software.

This is what one G2 user said:

Another user on G2 simply said, “It is a little complicated to learn.”

What are the strengths of Freshworks?

These are the strengths that users of Freshworks reported:

1. Third-party integrations

Freshworks has multiple products (e.g., Freshservice and Freshdesk), which integrate well together. In addition, there are third-party integrations, which help to extend the functionality.

One G2 user said, “We have been able to integrate FreshService with several monitoring tools.”

2. Easy-to-use interface

While this is standard in today’s IT management software, Freshworks is known for its intuitive user interfaces.

One user appreciated this and said, “Everything’s clean, organized, and you don’t need to be a tech wizard to figure things out.”

The pros and cons of Freshworks: An overview

To conclude the two above sections, 

The pros of Freshworks:

• Third-party integrations that extend the functionality
• Easy-to-use interface

The cons of Freshworks:

• Misses key IT management features
• There are mixed reviews of the customer support
• There’s a steep learning curve