Zendesk vs. ServiceNow

Businesses need software that can help them elevate service interactions while empowering employees to work more efficiently. The good news is you can prioritize the customer experience (CX) and strengthen employee satisfaction without breaking the bank—or requiring too much from your service team.

Zendesk and ServiceNow are two options that allow teams to achieve that. However, customers prefer Zendesk for our ease of use, fast time to value (TTV), service expertise, and more. Read on for an in-depth look at how Zendesk outpaces ServiceNow.

Ease of use

Zendesk is built with today’s users in mind—sleek, intuitive, and easy to navigate without hours of training. Every workflow, view, and interaction is designed for immediate productivity, helping agents, IT teams, and HR professionals resolve issues faster without getting lost in cluttered menus.

In contrast, ServiceNow’s outdated, admin-driven interface feels stuck in the past, and many agree it requires significant training to become a proficient user.

Agility and fast time to value

With Zendesk, you can get up and running quickly, onboard agents in record time, and adapt faster to change with simple implementation and a user-friendly interface. Our low-code environment allows teams to customize workflows and see their customer service ROI quickly. On the other hand, ServiceNow can be complex, with some users describing the software’s setup as a hassle and its implementation and configuration as difficult.

Service expertise and support

Zendesk is fully dedicated to delivering world-class service experiences across customer support, IT, and HR. Service isn't one of the many things we do—it's everything; it drives better outcomes, faster innovation, and deeper expertise where it matters most. ServiceNow, meanwhile, stretches its focus across IT, HR, CRM, supply chain, sales, and order management. This overcrowded portfolio means that ServiceNow doesn't have the same service-driven focus as Zendesk.

Lower total cost of ownership

Zendesk offers excellent total cost of ownership (TCO) with fast, low-cost implementations, minimal administrative overhead, and transparent, flexible pricing. Our intuitive design reduces the need for dedicated system admins or costly customizations. In contrast, ServiceNow often brings higher upfront costs, expensive implementations, ongoing admin requirements, and hidden expenses from add-ons and licenses, making the true cost of ownership significantly higher over time.

Modern, low-maintenance architecture

Zendesk has modern architecture built for agility, enabling fast customization, seamless integrations, and minimal maintenance overhead.

With over 1,800 pre-built apps and open APIs, Zendesk makes it easy to extend and adapt without adding complexity or cost. In contrast, ServiceNow’s rigid, aging platform often requires forced upgrades, can exhibit performance issues, and demands heavy maintenance, leading to downtime, disruption, and higher operational costs.

More in this guide

• At-a-glance comparison: Zendesk vs. ServiceNow
• What is the difference between Zendesk and ServiceNow?
• Zendesk vs. ServiceNow: Features comparison
• Pricing plans: ServiceNow vs. Zendesk
• Why businesses choose Zendesk
• Frequently asked questions
• Ready to try Zendesk?

Here’s a quick look at the capabilities of Zendesk and ServiceNow. We based all findings on customer feedback and extensive research.

What you need to deliver the best CX	Zendesk	ServiceNow
Ease of use	✔	✘
Complexity	✔	✘
Workflow automation	✔	✔
Omnichannel support	✔	✘
Self-service options	✔	✔
Reporting and analytics	✔	✔
Privacy and Security	✔	✔
Team productivity improvement	✔	✘
AI purpose-built for service	✔	✘
Advanced voice capabilities	✔	✘

Zendesk and ServiceNow are both customer service and IT service management (ITSM) platforms, but they differ in multiple ways:

• Focus: Zendesk is an AI-powered service software trained on billions of service interactions dedicated to providing customer and employee-first solutions to buyers, while ServiceNow is primarily an IT-focused service provider.
• Features: A robust suite of integration options and artificial intelligence (AI) tools, like AI copilot, allows Zendesk to deliver superior features across the board.
• Pricing: Zendesk focuses on open customer communication and offers transparent pricing, demos, and free trials, while ServiceNow requires customers to inquire about pricing plans.

Even with their similarities, Zendesk is unmatched in the high-quality support, service management, and reporting capabilities we provide to customers.

Below, we dive into the facts and features to compare ServiceNow vs. Zendesk and determine which is right for your business.

AI and automation

Omnichannel support

Automated workflows

Voice

Zendesk	ServiceNow
Support Team: $19 per agent/month Support Professional: $55 per agent/month Support Enterprise: $115 per agent/month *All plans are billed annually	Get a custom quote

At Zendesk, we prioritize a low TCO and provide every customer with transparent licensing and implementation fees. No matter which pricing plan you use, Zendesk customers receive payback in two months on average, according to the Total Economic Impact study by Forrester Consulting.

Unfortunately, ServiceNow’s pricing plans are not publicly available, so customers must create an account before speaking with a representative. However, it’s important to note that ServiceNow customers typically experience higher costs due to the necessity of dedicated administrative resources and implementation time. For instance, to hire one full-time administrator, most businesses will pay between $75K and $132K annually, according to Glassdoor.

From workflow automation to AI knowledge base options, learn what our customers have to say about why they choose Zendesk over our competitors.

DuPage County: Modernizing employee support and CX

“Zendesk has been instrumental in helping us deliver exceptional employee service. Zendesk has saved us both time and costs.”

-Debra Deacy, web services manager at DuPage County

Agoda: Improving employee service and efficiency

“We now use automation extensively to reduce the workload on our agents. We also make use of macros, automating certain categories of internal escalations and reassignments, helping us further speed up resolutions with less effort.”

-Andrea Sebestyen, senior project manager at Agoda

Eight Eleven Group: Scaling software with company growth

“We chose Zendesk because we viewed it as the best platform available to meet the needs of our employees. Thanks to the great support and adaptability of the software, we have been able to seamlessly evolve our use of it to meet the company’s needs.”

—Jake Baldwin, director of information technology at Eight Eleven Group