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Head-to-head · IT Help Desk Software

Freshservice vs SolarWinds Service Desk

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 9 checks side by side
Higher score Freshservice #2 in IT Help Desk Software 9.2/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 7 of 7 features Visit Freshservice
SolarWinds Service Desk #3 in IT Help Desk Software 9.1/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 7 of 7 features Visit SolarWinds

Freshservice leads on 1 check, SolarWinds Service Desk on 0, and 8 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 9 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreFreshservice · 9.2/10
  • Lowest starting priceFreshservice · $19/user/mo
  • Free trialboth

Freshservice scores higher on our rubric for it help desk software: 9.2 against 9.1 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #3.

Freshservice is cheaper to start at $19/user/mo against $39/user/mo.

Freshservice is the better fit for polished ITSM for growing teams. SolarWinds Service Desk is the better fit for enterprise ITSM with CMDB depth.

  • Freshservice fits best

    Polished ITSM for growing teams

  • SolarWinds Service Desk fits best

    Enterprise ITSM with CMDB depth

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 9.2/10 Visit ↗ SolarWinds Service Desk 9.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 9.1
Ranking #2 in IT Help Desk Software #3 in IT Help Desk Software
Best for Polished ITSM for growing teams Enterprise ITSM with CMDB depth
Pricing model Paid Paid
Starting price $19/user/mo (best) $39/seat/mo
Free plan — —
Free trial 14 days 30 days
Free trial length 14 days · no card needed 30 days
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Cloud, Mobile
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web, iOS, Android
Support Email, Community Email, Live chat, Phone, Community · 24/7
Compliance SOC 2, GDPR, SSO/SAML SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, 2FA
Integrations 2 integrations 200+ integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Freshservice 7/7 · SolarWinds Service Desk 7/7
SLA management ✓ ✓
Knowledge base ✓ ✓
Employee portal ✓ ✓
Asset management ✓ ✓
Single sign-on ✓ ✓
Approval workflows ✓ ✓
Mobile apps ✓ ✓
Our review
Pros
  • Covers incidents, problems, changes, assets, CMDB and service catalogs
  • Includes SLA tracking, approvals, automation and employee self-service
  • Supports web, iOS, Android, APIs and integrations with major business tools
  • Visual CMDB and dependency mapping connect assets with incidents.
  • Incident, SLA, change, asset, and service-catalog workflows cover core ITSM.
  • Web, mobile, API, and integrations support distributed service operations.
Cons
  • No perpetual free plan; paid plans start at $19 per agent monthly
  • Advanced ITSM capabilities begin on higher-priced plans
  • Freddy AI Copilot requires an add-on, while some AI features are Enterprise-only
  • Listed pricing starts at $39 per technician per month with annual billing.
  • There is no free plan for ongoing use.
  • AI incident features are limited to the Premier plan.
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 →

SolarWinds Service Desk is a cloud-based IT service management platform for IT teams and organizations supporting employees. It combines incident, problem, change, and release management with a service catalog, employee self-service…

Read the review →
  1. FreshserviceIT Help Desk Software 9.214-day trial
  2. SolarWinds Service DeskIT Help Desk Software 9.130-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Freshservice — where it wins

    • Covers incidents, problems, changes, assets, CMDB and service catalogs
    • Includes SLA tracking, approvals, automation and employee self-service
    • Supports web, iOS, Android, APIs and integrations with major business tools

    Where it doesn't

    • No perpetual free plan; paid plans start at $19 per agent monthly
    • Advanced ITSM capabilities begin on higher-priced plans
    • Freddy AI Copilot requires an add-on, while some AI features are Enterprise-only

  • SolarWinds Service Desk — where it wins

    • Visual CMDB and dependency mapping connect assets with incidents.
    • Incident, SLA, change, asset, and service-catalog workflows cover core ITSM.
    • Web, mobile, API, and integrations support distributed service operations.

    Where it doesn't

    • Listed pricing starts at $39 per technician per month with annual billing.
    • There is no free plan for ongoing use.
    • AI incident features are limited to the Premier plan.

More comparisons

All IT help desk software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update