ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus vs Console

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus9.1Visit Console8.6Visit

Higher score ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus #2 in AI IT Service Desk Software 9.1/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 2 of 6 features Visit ManageEngine

vs

Console #6 in AI IT Service Desk Software 8.6/10 Pricing on request ✓ 5 of 6 features Visit Console

• ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus fits best

  Value-focused teams needing full ITSM

• Console fits best

  AI-native internal service desks

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	ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus 9.1/10 Visit ↗	Console 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.1	8.6
Ranking	#2 in AI IT Service Desk Software	#6 in AI IT Service Desk Software
Best for	Value-focused teams needing full ITSM	AI-native internal service desks
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$13/user/mo	Pricing on request
Free plan	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted, Mobile	Cloud
Platforms	Web, Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android	Web
Support	Phone, Email	Email, Docs
Integrations	15 integrations	600+ integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus 2/6 · Console 5/6
AI ticket triage	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
AI knowledge answers	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Employee service portal	Not checked yet	—
Workflow approvals	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
SLA management	✓	✓
IT asset management	✓	✓
Specs
Request channels	Not checked yet	Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, email
Our review
Pros	Free Standard license for up to five technicians Covers help desk, assets, CMDB, SLAs, workflows, and approvals Web, mobile, API, cloud, and self-hosted deployment options	AI intake, categorization, prioritization, routing, and knowledge answers Native Slack and Teams ticket synchronization with natural-language support Playbooks, approvals, SLA tracking, assets, and access governance
Cons	Higher tiers are needed for asset, change, project, and CMDB features Pricing varies by edition, technician count, assets, deployment, and billing The free license is limited to one service desk instance	Contact-sales pricing makes plan comparison less direct No employee service portal in its category fit Workflow value depends on connected systems and configured playbooks
Our verdict	ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is an IT service management platform for IT and enterprise service teams. It combines incident and service request management with a self-service portal, knowledge base, SLA management, asset management, CMDB,… Read the review →	Console is an AI-native IT service management platform for organizations that want to automate employee support requests. Employees can submit requests through Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, and email, while Console uses natural… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus — where it wins

  • Free Standard license for up to five technicians
  • Covers help desk, assets, CMDB, SLAs, workflows, and approvals
  • Web, mobile, API, cloud, and self-hosted deployment options

  Where it doesn't

  • Higher tiers are needed for asset, change, project, and CMDB features
  • Pricing varies by edition, technician count, assets, deployment, and billing
  • The free license is limited to one service desk instance

• Console — where it wins

  • AI intake, categorization, prioritization, routing, and knowledge answers
  • Native Slack and Teams ticket synchronization with natural-language support
  • Playbooks, approvals, SLA tracking, assets, and access governance

  Where it doesn't

  • Contact-sales pricing makes plan comparison less direct
  • No employee service portal in its category fit
  • Workflow value depends on connected systems and configured playbooks

• ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus9.1/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A broad ITSM suite with free entry, asset management, CMDB, automation, and AI features.

  Visit ManageEngineFull verdict →
• Console8.6/10 · Pricing on request

  A strong AI-native service desk for teams centered on chat-based employee support.

  Visit ConsoleFull verdict →