Zendesk vs ServiceNow: What is the Difference?

With the help of the right platform and trained employees, the company will be able to adjust its strategy, fix any pitfalls, and work towards achieving its goals. Our Zendesk vs ServiceNow comparison emphasizes improving customer relationship management.

So, what are the differences between Zendesk and ServiceNow as business software? What are the pros and cons of each one? Which one will work best for your business? Keep reading to learn more about both platforms.

Zendesk Overview

Zendesk is a leading cloud-based customer service software company founded in Denmark in 2007. As of now, more than 289,000 live websites currently use Zendesk.

According to the company, with the help of Zendesk, you can increase customer satisfaction by 25%. This is one of the key reasons why this platform is quite popular.

The platform offers IT and ticket tracking features to improve the experience of customers and customer service representatives. It also offers excellent integration with social media, messaging apps, and many integrated business solutions.

ServiceNow Overview

ServiceNow is a business workflow automation solution founded in California in 2004. It’s a cloud-based platform that helps anybody create and follow tasks, regardless of their experience level and the company’s size.

This platform mainly focuses on IT services, with special features to facilitate work in HR, process and case management, customer support, and security. With its ability to create tickets, ServiceNow is also popular as a field service management platform for customer relationship management. More than 30,000 companies use ServiceNow, and most of them are from the US.

Compare Zendesk vs. ServiceNow

By comparing Zendesk and ServiceNow, you’ll be able to pick the right platform for your business. But first, let’s look at a few common features that both applications share.

Zendesk and ServiceNow: Common Features

• Both applications are cloud-based SaaS solutions.
• These applications work with any browser or device, so they’re quite accessible.
• Every system comes with macros that help issue pre-made messages to help both users and customers understand how the platform functions.
• Both platforms offer some integrated solutions, although Zendesk offers more features in this aspect.
• Both leverage AI-driven automation, enhancing customer interactions through bots and virtual agents.
• Both provide omnichannel support, ensuring seamless communication across multiple channels.
• Both platforms allow for workflow customization to fit unique business needs.

What is the Difference between Zendesk and ServiceNow?

With only a few similarities, there are significant differences that set both Zendesk and ServiceNow apart. Understanding the differences between ServiceNow vs Zendesk will help you pick the right platform for your business operations.

Focus

Both Zendesk and ServiceNow can indeed serve CRM purposes, but the primary focus of each platform is different.

Zendesk is a popular option for ticketing, with unique integrations and supported apps that tackle other issues. So, you’ll have to pay for these bundles to access the features they offer.

ServiceNow’s primary focus is asset management, app development, and workflow automation. In a single app, ServiceNow allows the user to monitor product and asset management cycles and issue tickets for customer support.

User-Friendliness

Although both platforms are popular among tech-savvy users, Zendesk is definitely more user-friendly.

Zendesk shows simple tabs that allow less experienced users to find what they’re looking for quickly. So, for less tech-savvy users, Zendesk is better than ServiceNow.

ServiceNow, on the other hand, offers several dashboards with individual tasks and subtasks. As a result, it’s easy for a first-time user to miss some of its features because it has a more significant learning curve.

Support

Zendesk and ServiceNow offer efficient customer support solutions to users with multi-channel management features.

In addition to the regular communication channels, Zendesk provides a comprehensive customer portal, including a knowledge base and several in-person and online training options. Nevertheless, as a user, you should know that to access all these customer support features, you should subscribe to a higher tier of Zendesk.

Exporting Data

This feature is vital if you want to move from another platform to ServiceNow or Zendesk. ServiceNow has traditionally been better in this area, allowing users to export data to Excel and PDF formats with ease.

However, Zendesk has improved its data export options. Now, Zendesk offers a wider range of export features, allowing users to export data in formats like CSV and JSON through its API. This makes Zendesk a stronger option for businesses that need more flexibility or advanced data management.

While ServiceNow still offers solid export features, Zendesk’s recent upgrades in data export options provide more customization, which could be a deciding factor depending on your specific needs.

AI Capabilities

Both Zendesk and ServiceNow leverage AI to improve user experience and streamline support operations, but their applications of AI differ.

Zendesk incorporates AI-powered chatbots and automated ticket routing to enhance customer service by providing instant responses and directing tickets to the right agents. Zendesk’s Answer Bot, for instance, automatically suggests relevant articles to customers based on their inquiries, reducing response times.

On the other hand, ServiceNow focuses on AI for workflow automation and asset management. Its Virtual Agent uses AI to automate and resolve common IT service management (ITSM) tasks. ServiceNow’s AI-driven features help streamline operations across various departments, including HR, IT, and customer support.

Integration

Integrating a platform with different apps is necessary to improve the workflow and user/customer experience. Zendesk wins with multiple integrations that aim to offer users better and more features. Here are some of the best-integrated apps for Zendesk and ServiceNow.

Zendesk

• Proactive Campaigns for Zendesk is a messaging app that allows marketing teams to segment customers in your Zendesk database, create engaging templates, and send mass emails or SMS with a single click. It also streamlines replies and sends automatic personalized follow-ups on behalf of the user.
• Email Tracking for Zendesk is a practical app that tracks email activity, helping you assess your campaigns’ open and reply rates. It empowers users to be more proactive with leads, which is essential for converting them into paying clients.
• Video Reply for Zendesk is an app that facilitates better business deal introductions and follow-ups. It’s ideal for product demos and creating how-to guides. In the CRM context, video replies help build trust and resolve tickets faster.
• GDPR Compliance for Zendesk is an app that follows up with General Data Protection Regulations. So, make sure Zendesk users don’t break any laws. This app removes users’ personal data without affecting the essential information that can be used for business reporting. It also deletes all personal data from your Zendesk account for compliance. Moreover, it can be used as a storage cleaner with a freshly announced Attachment Redaction add-on.
• NPS and Survey for Zendesk helps you seamlessly collect customer feedback within the tickets. Integrating custom NPS and CSAT surveys into your workflow allows you to measure customer satisfaction and gain actionable insights.
• CRM and Deals for Zendesk is an app that nurtures leads and is more affordable than other Zendesk integrations. It allows users to get a clear view of how your business deals are evolving and standing to make better decisions.
• UpChat for Zendesk is an app that integrates with Zendesk Support and Zendesk Chat, allowing employees to communicate in real-time with customers and leave important notes about them. UpChat saves the company’s time and resources, as all information is stored in Zendesk Support.

ServiceNow

On the other hand, ServiceNow comes with extra built-in features since it has a broader scope. Yet, there are some helpful apps that integrate with ServiceNow for a better user experience.

Email Tracking for ServiceNow is an app that measures the time it takes for a recipient to open your email and send an immediate response. The app lets the company detect which emails have higher open rates to improve or modify an advertising or marketing campaign.

Zendesk vs ServiceNow: Pricing

It’s difficult to determine the winner in the ServiceNow vs. Zendesk pricing standoff, as Zendesk and ServiceNow have different pricing models.

Zendesk offers specific monthly and annual quotes with four different tiers to suit businesses of all sizes. All services can be tested for free, and more features are available with the higher tier.

ServiceNow differs as the app’s price depends on the company’s size and industry. So, if you want to buy ServiceNow, you have to contact the company for a custom quote that includes the features you want to use.

Zendesk vs. ServiceNow Comparison Chart

To help you quickly compare Zendesk vs ServiceNow, here’s a concise chart outlining the key features of both platforms.

Zendesk vs ServiceNow: Which is Right for Your Business?

Choosing between Zendesk and ServiceNow depends mainly on your company’s specific needs, size, and focus. While both platforms excel in managing customer support and operational tasks, they each shine in different areas:

• Zendesk is a versatile and user-friendly platform best suited for businesses looking for a strong customer service and ticketing solution with various integrations.
• ServiceNow is a robust enterprise-grade platform focused on IT service management, asset tracking, and workflow automation. It is ideal for larger organizations with complex IT operations.

So, if your business needs a simple, intuitive customer support system with strong CRM capabilities, Zendesk may be the better fit. However, for businesses requiring comprehensive asset management and IT workflow automation, ServiceNow is likely the better choice.

FAQs

Is Zendesk similar to ServiceNow?

While Zendesk and ServiceNow share some core functionalities, they cater to different business needs. Zendesk is a customer support and CRM platform focused primarily on ticketing, customer service, and engagement. ServiceNow, however, is an enterprise-grade ITSM (IT Service Management) tool with a broader focus on IT operations, asset management, and workflow automation.

Does Zendesk integrate with ServiceNow?

You can integrate Zendesk with ServiceNow in a few easy steps. However, checking the nature of the documents you’re integrating is essential, as apps don’t support the same documents. Luckily, Zendesk offers documentation that explains such integrations to help you manage your business operations flawlessly with Zendesk-ServiceNow integration.

Is Zendesk an ITSM?

Zendesk is not primarily an ITSM platform, but it can be used to manage certain IT service operations, especially within its customer support ticketing system. While Zendesk offers some ITSM functionalities (such as incident tracking and customer support), it lacks the full range of features typically found in dedicated ITSM tools like ServiceNow, which includes asset management, change management, and IT process automation.

Is ServiceNow cheaper than Zendesk?

No, ServiceNow is generally considered a more expensive platform than Zendesk, mainly because of its enterprise-grade capabilities and wide range of features aimed at IT service management, asset tracking, and process automation. The cost of ServiceNow can increase significantly based on the complexity of the features you need and the scale of your business.

Which is better, Zendesk or ServiceNow?

There’s no clear winner in the Zendesk vs ServiceNow comparison, as each software offers different advantages. This is why it’s important to understand the scope of every platform to pick the one that works best for your company.

If your main focus is CRM, Zendesk will be a beneficial platform. It’s easy-to-understand service desk software and comes with all the features you might need to deliver an excellent customer and user experience.

ServiceNow has a wider scope, as it’s mainly used for product and asset process management. However, you can still use it for CRM, which offers better importing and exporting solutions when you move from a current platform to ServiceNow.