SolarWinds Service Desk vs ServiceNow
Help Desk/Support pricing comparison · 2026
SolarWinds Service Desk costs $39–$124/user/mo, while ServiceNow is quote-based. These products use different pricing models (Per-seat subscription vs ), so a direct price comparison isn't meaningful — costs depend on usage volume and mix.
S
SolarWinds Service Desk
SolarWinds Service Desk is a cloud-based ITSM platform with three per-technician tiers (Es
verified 4d ago
$30K
$130K
ServiceNow
ServiceNow does not publish public pricing — all plans are quoted by sales based on your o
verified 5mo ago
$30K
$130K
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
Advanced
$30K/yr
year 1 license · $99/seat
Custom pricing
Custom
all tiers are quote-only
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
No Vendr data
—
Not in Vendr's deal flow
Median annual
$130K/yr
Vendr · n=82
avg 8% negotiated
REF · 01
Sources & confidence
Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.
Where this data comes from
Vendr · TrustRadius · Reddit · BBB · official docs
Sources
9 sourced facts
5 hidden-cost · 1 contract · 3 review platforms
Last verified
4d ago
Confidence
Limited confidence
Sources
11 sourced facts
6 hidden-cost · 4 contract · Vendr median
Last verified
4mo ago
Confidence
Limited confidence
REF · 02
Plans at a glance
Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.
Tier ladder
Click a tier to lock the cost row to it. Locking surfaces a tier-specific Visit CTA.
REF · 04
Contract terms
The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.
SolarWinds
ServiceNow
Auto-renewal
Yes
Yes
Cancellation
Customers are notified 60 days before renewal and can elect not to renew up to 30 days before the renewal date, though recent changes (as of September 2025) may increase notice requirements or eliminate time if expired.
—
Commitment
3-year subscription commitment
1 year typical, 3 year contracts common
Price escalation
10%+
10-90% annual uplift standard at renewal. Organizations report 10%+ increases as routine, with 20% common for 1-year renewals and 12% for 3-year renewals. Some customers see 20-90% rate increases per line item.
Can downgrade
—
No
REF · 05
What users say
Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.
User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
License cost is computed from publicly listed plans (real math, list price × seats).
Median annual cost is from Vendr's deal flow when available — see source badges.
Hidden costs and contract terms each cite their own sources. We do not invent composite scores.
VS
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | SolarWinds Service Desk | ServiceNow |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $39 /user/month | Custom |
| Advanced | $99 /user/month | Custom |
| Premier | $124 /user/month | Custom |
Contract Terms
| Term | SolarWinds Service Desk | ServiceNow |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-renewal | Yes | Yes |
| Cancellation | Customers are notified 60 days before renewal and can elect not to renew up to 30 days before the renewal date, though recent changes (as of September 2025) may increase notice requirements or eliminate time if expired. | — |
| Minimum commitment | 3-year subscription commitment | 1 year typical, 3 year contracts common |
| Price escalation | 10%+ | 10-90% annual uplift standard at renewal. Organizations report 10%+ increases as routine, with 20% common for 1-year renewals and 12% for 3-year renewals. Some customers see 20-90% rate increases per line item. |
| Can downgrade | — | No |