Freshservice vs OpenText SMAX

Freshservice8.8Visit OSOpenText SMAX8.5Visit

Higher score Freshservice #4 in IT Service Catalog Software 8.8/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 1 of 5 features Visit Freshservice

vs

OS OpenText SMAX #5 in IT Service Catalog Software 8.5/10 Pricing on request · 14-day trial Free trial✓ 1 of 5 features Visit OpenText SMAX

• Freshservice fits best

  Growing IT teams wanting broad ITSM value

• OpenText SMAX fits best

  Enterprises needing comprehensive ITIL service management

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Freshservice 8.8/10 Visit ↗	OSOpenText SMAX 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.8	8.5
Ranking	#4 in IT Service Catalog Software	#5 in IT Service Catalog Software
Best for	Growing IT teams wanting broad ITSM value	Enterprises needing comprehensive ITIL service management
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	$19/user/mo	—
Free plan	—	—
Free trial	14 days	14 days
Free trial length	14 days · no card needed	14 days
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Email, Community	Docs
Integrations	2 integrations	5 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Freshservice 1/5 · OpenText SMAX 1/5
Request portal	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Approval workflows	✓	✓
Eligibility rules	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Fulfillment automation	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Service ownership	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Catalog item limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Service catalog, portal, approvals, SLAs, CMDB, and asset management Mobile apps, APIs, and integrations across business and cloud platforms Clear annual plans with a 14-day trial and $19 starting price	Broad ITIL-aligned catalog, incident, change, knowledge, and CMDB capabilities Codeless workflow configuration with self-service portal and mobile apps AI-assisted change analytics plus multi-tenant deployment support
Cons	No perpetual free plan Service catalog and SLA management start on the $49 Growth plan Enterprise pricing is custom, while some AI features are add-ons	Pricing requires a sales conversation rather than a published entry price The hosted trial lasts 14 days and there is no permanent free plan Its broad scope may exceed the needs of teams seeking a narrow catalog tool
Our verdict	Freshservice is a cloud-based IT service management platform for IT teams and enterprise service departments. It brings incident, problem, change, asset, service catalog, knowledge management, workflow automation, reporting, and employee… Read the review →	OpenText SMAX, now presented as OpenText Service Management, is an IT service management platform for organizations coordinating IT services, assets, configuration items, and broader enterprise services. Its scope covers ITIL-aligned… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Freshservice — where it wins

  • Service catalog, portal, approvals, SLAs, CMDB, and asset management
  • Mobile apps, APIs, and integrations across business and cloud platforms
  • Clear annual plans with a 14-day trial and $19 starting price

  Where it doesn't

  • No perpetual free plan
  • Service catalog and SLA management start on the $49 Growth plan
  • Enterprise pricing is custom, while some AI features are add-ons

• OpenText SMAX — where it wins

  • Broad ITIL-aligned catalog, incident, change, knowledge, and CMDB capabilities
  • Codeless workflow configuration with self-service portal and mobile apps
  • AI-assisted change analytics plus multi-tenant deployment support

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing requires a sales conversation rather than a published entry price
  • The hosted trial lasts 14 days and there is no permanent free plan
  • Its broad scope may exceed the needs of teams seeking a narrow catalog tool

• Freshservice8.8/10 · 14-day trial

  Broad ITSM coverage with service catalogs, automation, assets, approvals, and AI.

  Visit FreshserviceFull verdict →
• OSOpenText SMAX8.5/10 · Pricing on request · 14-day trial

  A broad ITIL-aligned platform for enterprises that need catalog, workflow, CMDB, and change control.

  Visit OpenText SMAXFull verdict →