BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy) vs. ServiceNow IT Service Management

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)
Score 7.0 out of 10
N/A
BMC Helix ITSM replaces Remedy. It is a broad suite of ITSM, tools with strong integrations to other BMC tools and in-built ITAM. The product is used mainly by global brands and is offered in on-premise and SaaS configurations.N/A
ServiceNow IT Service Management
Score 8.4 out of 10
N/A
ServiceNow is a fast-growing service management provider that went public in 2012. Built on the ServiceNow Now Platform, the IT Service Management bundle provides an agent workspace with knowledge management, and modules supporting issue tracking and problem resolution, change, release and configuration management, and (on the higher tier ITSM Professional plan) ITAM and software asset management.
$10,000
per year
Pricing
BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)ServiceNow IT Service Management
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Starting Price
$10,000.00
per year
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)ServiceNow IT Service Management
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)ServiceNow IT Service Management
Considered Both Products
BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)
Chose BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)
  • BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy) is so much more stable and better structured than MSP
  • MSP has slowness issues if not implemented correctly
  • BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy) has gotten better consistently with the cloud offering
Chose BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)
Moving to Helix from on premises Remedy provides all the same benefits of ServiceNow with most of the existing customisations we have developed over the last eight years. There was no feature we needed that ServiceNow provided that Helix could not provide.
The biggest factor …
Chose BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)
Comparing the two, they are quite similar in terms of options available and functionality. I prefer using BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy) as it is easier to customise the tool and has a better user interface. BMC Helix ITSM is the tool used across the business and also by many of our …
Chose BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)
ITIL Process management and compliance is stellar in Helix ITSM, when compared to the competition. The presentation layer at the time of writing (Q4 2019) was catching up with the competition, but not quite there. CMDB management and presentation was lagging behind ServiceNow. …
Chose BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)
If you are unable to use a cloud solution, the BMC Remedy IT Service Management Suite is the best option on the market.
Chose BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)
Both of these tools can do the job well. But, ServiceNow is open to more issues when modifications are needed. ServiceNow is pure JavaScript, So if you are now fluent in JavaScript you are open to many issues. BMC/Remedy is module driven and creates JavaScript from the module …
Chose BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)
BMC Remedy is a more mature product with more complex and business savvy features built into the platform. BMC has been an outstanding business partner and has taken the time to understand our business. They are a trusted IT partner. ServiceNow has the advantage of being a PaaS …
Chose BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)
ServiceNow provided a much cleaner web user interface, however it would not allow us to make the same customizations we have in Remedy.
Chose BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)
Remedy has the option to create new applications, new forms, and fields easily. The other products very often need an expert. With Remedy you can take some online courses and learn by your self.
Chose BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)
BMC ITSM is the most mature and proven IT service management tool available. Recent advances in the product's architecture and features make it a clear choice for a rapidly changing IT and business environment. The support and relationship resources that BMC provides give …
Chose BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)
I have evaluated ServiceNow.

Remedy was far superior in completeness of predefined workflow. There was a lot that would have had to be built to assure company standards were followed, that reporting would be meaningful and ITIL process was followed to the level required.
Chose BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)
BMC Remedy ITSM should be on your short list if you are considering a robust solution in an on-premise model. The implementation community is very strong and mature. BMC still has the broadest suite of complementary IT Operations add-on products which are still currently …
ServiceNow IT Service Management
Chose ServiceNow IT Service Management
Our Company uses Service now for a long time. I have seen the evolution and honestly the product has recently surprised me. The improvements have been incredible in terms of speed and ease of use. My team is very happy with the product. The interaction has improved remarkably …
Chose ServiceNow IT Service Management
This software was used previously. the software was not easy to configure like servicenow and the visual dashboards and the ui experience was less appealing compared to ServiceNow. ServiceNow offers a lot pf features which can be used across the industry. Gives better …
Chose ServiceNow IT Service Management
Integrations with other products are very easy in ServiceNow IT as compared to other tools. Support is amazing comparatively. Transparency and flow of work are clearly visible. It has Multiple features and we can customize them as well. The search feature can be improved a …
Chose ServiceNow IT Service Management
Very few or not used in my current organization, so I can't comment much on it.
Chose ServiceNow IT Service Management
We tried out BMC, but after looking at ServiceNow, it was clear that it didn't have all the available integrations that we were hoping for at the time time. It was a good option but lacked a few key things that we, as an organization was looking for to have an all in one …
Chose ServiceNow IT Service Management
Both platforms were very well tested, widely used solutions for managing enterprise IT services in the industry. ServiceNow was the more future-proof of the two, giving our organization more value by integrating into the tools we already have. Remedy remains a monolithic …
Chose ServiceNow IT Service Management
ServiceNow leads the industry for a reason, they are simply the best in the space. The tool is modern, hosted, updated regularly, and has over 1000 out of the box connectors for other popular products. The tool really does it all and provides a ton of functionality to end users …
Chose ServiceNow IT Service Management
ServiceNow is BY FAR the best I've used. KACE and Remedy are hard to use and in my experience, don't meet user needs. ServiceNow lets you customize to such a granular level that it's hard to miss anything. Truly the best.
Chose ServiceNow IT Service Management
ServiceNow is a much more complete, robust, cloud-based product than BMC Remedy. The ServiceNow interface and customization tools are very robust allowing customization as needed.

Because the Remedy interface is a bit more simplistic, it is likely a better solution for a quick …
Chose ServiceNow IT Service Management
The base cloud solution covers the majors needs of the organization, giving the opportunity to deploy the ServiceNow solution very quickly, in weeks, rather than months as is the case with with BMC Remedy.
Chose ServiceNow IT Service Management
ServiceNow is very easy to understand, use, automate, and integrate. It provides various other exceptional features.
Chose ServiceNow IT Service Management
ServiceNow is a platform for service management, this is the big separator between the competitors. It is not simply an ITSM tool, and most organizations need a single pane of glass. This allows for all service management to live in one tool, which is the nirvana that most …
Chose ServiceNow IT Service Management
Very similar products. SN was easier and faster to implement using Covestic. Though the initial implementation was rushed into for us so we didn't get advantage of many features of the product initially. But after a couple of years of using it on a regular basis and using more …
Chose ServiceNow IT Service Management
The question for an enterprise IT department today is... do I choose:- BMC Remedy ITSM - ServiceNow - BMC RemedyforceYour unique needs, implementation partner options and organizational DNA will drive the decision.
Chose ServiceNow IT Service Management
Flexibility to have own "home page views"; better Catalog; uses latest technology
Chose ServiceNow IT Service Management
HP Service Manager, IBM Tivoli, BMC Remedy, CA Unicenter. None of these tools provided the open usability and configuration possibilities that ServiceNow has. They also do not have the integration between all the processes to the extent that ServiceNow has.
Top Pros
Top Cons
TrustRadius Insights
BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)ServiceNow IT Service Management
Highlights

TrustRadius
Research Team Insight
Published

BMC Helix ITSM (formerly Remedy) and ServiceNow IT Service Management (ITSM) are cloud-based ITSM platforms designed to help IT departments manage service requests, resources, and configuration items. BMC Helix ITSM is generally simpler to use and set up, while ServiceNow ITSM has more customization options and configuration management database (CMDB) features. 

On TrustRadius, both platforms are used primarily by enterprise-level organizations, whose IT needs and budgets are substantial enough to warrant complex, comprehensive ITSM solutions.

Features

Although both BMC Helix ITSM and ServiceNow ITSM are highly flexible and configurable to meet a business’s needs, they each have a few unique advantages.

BMC Helix ITSM is designed with ease of use in mind. Tickets are easy to modify and view at all stages of the submission process, and the incident search function is quick and accurate. The platform includes multiple options for workflow triggers and automation, such as automatically recording a ticket’s solution to a knowledge base visible to both users and IT employees. BMC Helix ITSM’s report templates help make reporting simple and fast, especially if users need to generate similar reports regularly.

ServiceNow ITSM offers an extremely detailed platform, with a high level of flexibility and customization. It excels in its CMDB functionality, giving users detailed searching, filtering, and interdependency options. Users who need to create many similar tasks appreciate its “shopping cart” feature that allows them to configure multiple tasks with repeated information and make necessary tweaks before submitting them all with a single click. The individual overview makes it easy for each user to see which tickets are assigned to them and gauge their workload.

Limitations

Despite the strengths of each platform, BMC Helix ITSM and ServiceNow ITSM have a few limitations as well.

Overall, BMC Helix ITSM doesn’t offer the same level of detail as ServiceNow ITSM. Its CMDB management and interface options aren’t as powerful, and some users wish for more configurable service level management (SLM) options. Its reporting templates may make it easy to generate standard reports, but those reports may not be as granular as users like. Some customers have also experienced slowdowns when generating and exporting reports.

Individuals using ServiceNow ITSM, on the other hand, can get bogged down by its intricate configuration possibilities. If the platform is not carefully set up by experienced professionals, the resulting system can be clunky, frustrating for new users, and ill-equipped to meet a company’s needs. Some businesses have had to hire external consulting firms to assist with implementation or to re-configure the platform. ServiceNow ITSM is also expensive to begin with, but it can get even pricier. The vendor charges additional fees for some services and features, like advanced customer support and integrations with applications like Microsoft Teams.

Pricing

Both BMC Helix ITSM and ServiceNow ITSM offer pricing via a customized quote from their sales and implementation teams. Interested buyers can contact each vendor for pricing information.

Features
BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)ServiceNow IT Service Management
Incident and problem management
Comparison of Incident and problem management features of Product A and Product B
BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)
7.5
45 Ratings
8% below category average
ServiceNow IT Service Management
8.3
67 Ratings
2% above category average
Organize and prioritize service tickets7.544 Ratings8.966 Ratings
Expert directory7.931 Ratings7.650 Ratings
Service restoration6.939 Ratings7.655 Ratings
Self-service tools9.043 Ratings9.064 Ratings
Subscription-based notifications7.034 Ratings7.662 Ratings
ITSM collaboration and documentation8.043 Ratings8.359 Ratings
ITSM reports and dashboards6.343 Ratings8.861 Ratings
ITSM asset management
Comparison of ITSM asset management features of Product A and Product B
BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)
8.6
41 Ratings
5% above category average
ServiceNow IT Service Management
8.5
60 Ratings
4% above category average
Configuration mangement9.138 Ratings8.259 Ratings
Asset management dashboard8.938 Ratings8.658 Ratings
Policy and contract enforcement7.731 Ratings8.752 Ratings
Change management
Comparison of Change management features of Product A and Product B
BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)
7.7
42 Ratings
8% below category average
ServiceNow IT Service Management
8.1
61 Ratings
3% below category average
Change requests repository7.942 Ratings7.661 Ratings
Change calendar8.139 Ratings7.455 Ratings
Service-level management7.141 Ratings9.157 Ratings
Best Alternatives
BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)ServiceNow IT Service Management
Small Businesses
Agiloft Flexible Service Desk Suite
Agiloft Flexible Service Desk Suite
Score 9.0 out of 10
Agiloft Flexible Service Desk Suite
Agiloft Flexible Service Desk Suite
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Agiloft Flexible Service Desk Suite
Agiloft Flexible Service Desk Suite
Score 9.0 out of 10
Agiloft Flexible Service Desk Suite
Agiloft Flexible Service Desk Suite
Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Ivanti Neurons for ITSM
Ivanti Neurons for ITSM
Score 9.1 out of 10
Ivanti Neurons for ITSM
Ivanti Neurons for ITSM
Score 9.1 out of 10
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User Ratings
BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)ServiceNow IT Service Management
Likelihood to Recommend
7.3
(50 ratings)
8.3
(78 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(6 ratings)
9.0
(13 ratings)
Usability
6.5
(3 ratings)
6.3
(11 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
8.1
(9 ratings)
7.3
(22 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
1.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
6.6
(2 ratings)
10.0
(3 ratings)
Configurability
5.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
7.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
8.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy)ServiceNow IT Service Management
Likelihood to Recommend
BMC Software Inc.
Large complex organisation, with complex technology that needs to manage Technology Services. It is very flexible and able to manage a large complex environment but the knowledge required to set this up correctly (foundation data and configuration) is the key factor for success. It can integrate with many other systems and tools and integrate data from many sources - whether that be AWS cloud, or an on premises bespoke system. I would not recommend for a Small Organisation without the resources to set up and maintain the underlying foundation data and configuration.
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ServiceNow
In our organization, we are using ServiceNow extensively. Change Management, Incident Management, Problem Management, Time tracking are few modules which we use extensively. This sort of model will work for any product or service based companies as the product is built on ITIL framework. So this product will be suited for small or large scale companies to better organize and add controls and track SLA's for technology or business process.
Read full review
Pros
BMC Software Inc.
  • Integration with monitoring software like SolarWinds. where Remedy can transform notifications to work orders and assign to respective teams.
  • Detailed Customization capability to fit the exact needs of the organization.
  • Change management calendar, which integrates change orders from all organization departments and facilitates the scheduling process of project managers.
  • It can be offered as a cloud-based service, where you don't need to worry about server maintenance or database backup.
Read full review
ServiceNow
  • When I have a number of requests to make, for example a request to add a dozen or so user accounts to more than one group account in Active Directory , I can put all the needed information into the initial form, add it to my "shopping cart" and all of that information remains on the screen for the next item for which I only need to edit a few items (like the AD group name in this example), and keep adding them to the shopping cart until I have them all. When I "Check Out" each of those items is generated as a separate task under the one request. It simplifies and expedites the creation and tracking of these kinds of requests.
  • I can easily and quickly see what tickets are currently assigned to me in order to prioritize them and remain aware of my workload.
  • Numerous fields for CIs can be used when trying to find the entry for a particular item. For example, IP Address, server name, raw text, classification, and so on.
  • To help with making sense out of related tasks, when a task is assigned to me and I need to open another task for a different team to work in order to complete my task, I can open a sub-task from my ticket so that the relationship between the two can be pulled up later into reports. For example, I may have a task to build a new vm, and need to open tasks for networking, security accounts, software installation and so on. By opening sub-tasks from my assignment, the time spent by all parties concerned is tied together for more meaningful cost accounting.
Read full review
Cons
BMC Software Inc.
  • The interface (ironically). My company has made an attempt to replace the "classic" Remedy interface with some more functional, modern, but Remedy set to a particular look and feel (and consequently, functionality)
  • The API is hidden from the user: There exists an API for Remedy, that would make my job TONS easier, as I like to perform actions on Remedy in bulk (and therefore - programmatically). Exposing a user API is very much mainstream these days, so Remedy relying on its interface to perform ITIL is very limiting
  • By extension- the result of Remedy's interface is that it becomes very "click-happy": little buttons, and links stuffed into every corner of the screen, with options API logically together. API is old, but it still feels very rushed.
  • The primary tool for most of my ITIL operations is: searching. API of searching goes into finding assets, checking in equipment, finding users, tickets, etc. What Remedy could very much benefit from a "Google" -like interface
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ServiceNow
  • It is hard to find areas for improvement, the tool is very powerful. That said, building the CMDB still involves some manual interaction which was not how it was presented in demos.
  • The CMDB data is almost too deep and detailed. When you build the relationship map it can be so large that it is overwhelming. You can limit this, but the default maps are massive if you are discovering lots of device classes.
  • The product is expensive. Since they are the leader in the industry and the product has tons of features, they definitely charge for it!
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Likelihood to Renew
BMC Software Inc.
We have been customers of BMC for well over 7 years now and our corporation is tightly integrated with BMC and multiple solutions they offer us.
Read full review
ServiceNow
To be completely honest setting up a new ticketing system can be a pain in the ass. Once you have it setup and customized the way you want it, you don't want to switch unless you're unhappy with the product. Unless future releases and updates really muck the system up, I wouldn't change.
Read full review
Usability
BMC Software Inc.
At least Remedy is all contained in a single platform, so the interface is consistent. Also, the most heavily performed functions are generally usable. However, to use some of the more advanced modules can be a bit more cumbersome (such as Change Management and CMDB (Not Including ADDM)). So, overall BMC Remedy ITSM is better than some applications like CA SDM or HP SM, but not quite on par with ServiceNow.
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ServiceNow
The dashboard is so confusing, [there are] many clicks to open a task and search by a ticket. The Enterprise customisation [we did] has finished to kill the software and creates a really bad experience on a daily basis. [It is] So slow, and so many clicks to process a ticket. Works only on IE so, that [should] make you realize that [it] is a bad idea.
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Reliability and Availability
BMC Software Inc.
No answers on this topic
ServiceNow
We have never had any issues with ServiceNow's availability that I am aware of in the two years I have been using it.
Read full review
Performance
BMC Software Inc.
No answers on this topic
ServiceNow
For a massive system, page loads are reasonably quick, including searches.
Read full review
Support Rating
BMC Software Inc.
The support is good in overall resolving the issues and even in the deployment phase. We are able to use it in production without any trained in-house engineer as the support team gets the job done. We can say that experts completed the deployment for us, and now it is functional.
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ServiceNow
I would give it this rating because we have had no major issues with the support for ServiceNow after we implemented it at our organization. They seem to respond promptly and efficiently if we ever do need to open a support case with them about an issue we are having.
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Online Training
BMC Software Inc.
No answers on this topic
ServiceNow
To type in what should be a text box, you have to click an empty cell, a tiny text box pop up opens with a check box and an X. You the. Type in the text box and have to click the check mark. If you have a bunch of fields to fill out, doing this is very annoying. Absolutely know thought went in to this. I'm sure somebody in marketing thought it was a good idea. It wasn't.
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Implementation Rating
BMC Software Inc.
Satisfied because I didn't have to do it!
Read full review
ServiceNow
Without exception, every client I have worked with has been very happy with their resulting product. While this is partly due to my work, I must point out that the platform is the winning decision, not the implementer.
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Alternatives Considered
BMC Software Inc.
The decision to select BMC Remedy was made prior to my employment. We did conduct an RFC process for a new ITSM platform and BMC was considered but not selected. We looked at several platforms and ended up choosing Ivanti Service Desk (previously LANDESK) due to the features, ease of customization and price.
Read full review
ServiceNow
We used to use Jira to handle service tickets but it's way too robust for something this straightforward. Due to the nature of Jira, you needed to already have a lot of documentation and knowledge about who should be assigned the ticket, so the lift of creating a ticket was time consuming.
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Scalability
BMC Software Inc.
Again, always room for improvement, but a very stable product none-the-less.
Read full review
ServiceNow
ServiceNow works as an enterprise solution.
Read full review
Return on Investment
BMC Software Inc.
  • When I was in Management discussion calls, and all the team is happy while using BMC Remedy so I don't find any specific negative impact on our organization.
  • I really enjoy Smart IT as the tool of choice for our incident management team.
  • Visibility of tickets is key. All support staff users can see tickets in consoles they have access to.
Read full review
ServiceNow
  • Overall ServiceNow has a positive impact on getting the SLA of tickets down in supporting our customers.
  • One negative impact has been the amount of time to get the product to produce an ROI, it's almost too big to fail and too big to replace. You almost become committed to the product. Good or bad.
  • Another negative impact would be if you track metrics of employees and time tracking, there is a lot of scenarios where engineers will track time on tickets but not get credit for closing them as the assignee function of tickets can only be tied to one user and credits only the engineer who closes the ticket.
  • Another positive impact would be the level of security for permissions and scaling the workloads is robust and you will get out of the system what your team is willing to put in.
Read full review
ScreenShots