ServiceDesk Plus is offered as both on-premises and cloud solutions. The following document will explain in detail the key differences between the 2 applications to help organizations make the right decision about adoption or migration. For a higher level comparison, visit this page.
The application is hosted internally on your own servers, which may involve some level of complexity. You will have complete access to the database and full control over the app customization and administration. Your organization is responsible for ensuring the security of the information stored in the application, privacy of your user data, security compliance, and application reliability. You need to manually upgrade to the latest versions of the application as and when they are released. This includes software, security, and maintenance upgrades. You can schedule backup for all your application files and configure a password to restore the data.
You can extend the capabilities of ServiceDesk Plus by configuring a variety of integrations with other ManageEngine/Zoho products and third-party applications.
The application comes in 3 editions—standard, professional, and enterprise. All 3 editions are offered in yearly and perpetual subscriptions on per technician per node (IT asset) basis as explained here. With a mulitlingual license, uou can get the application running in 37 languages besides English.
ServiceDesk Plus is available as a mobile app on Android and iOS.
We host, set up, and maintain your service desk application in the cloud securely. Once we set up your organization account, you can immediately access the application through a web interface, which can be launched on any standard browsers. We run the application for you, therefore reducing your administrative work and physical hardware expenditure. The application customization will be limited as you will not have access to the database. However, we do support on-demand customizations that are within the confines of our product scope and availability. The cloud application is designed to deliver high performance, stability, and reliability. You can check the operation status anytime. We regularly upgrade the application to the latest version without your intervention, so you always have access to the latest features and security updates.
We have implemented a comprehensive set of practices, technologies, and policies in our cloud infrastructure and solutions to ensure your data is protected. We have been committed to ensuring user privacy ever since the product inception, and we have made sure our product is GDPR compliant. We also help you meet the compliance regulations of your organization.
You can extend the capabilities of ServiceDesk Plus by configuring a variety of integrations with other ManageEngine/Zoho products and third-party applications.
The application comes in 3 editions—standard, professional, and enterprise. All 3 editions are offered in monthly and yearly subscriptions on per technician per node (IT asset) basis as explained here. With a multilingual license, you can get the application running in 21 languages besides English.
ServiceDesk Plus cloud is available as a mobile app on Android and iOS.
The following table lists the feature differences between ServiceDesk Plus on-premises and cloud solutions. More importantly, the table brings out the finer differences in the same feature present in both applications.
Incident Management |
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On-premises |
Feature/Functionality |
Cloud |
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Perform field updates and execute custom scripts under prespecified conditions. |
Form Rule |
Perform field updates under pre-specified conditions. |
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Single line, pick list, multi select, multi line, numeric, date/time, and decimal. |
Additional Field Type |
In addition to those present in on-premises, email, phone, currency, percent, web URL, auto number, check box, radio button, and decision box are supported. |
Service Management |
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Classify service category as IT or business type. |
Service Category Classification |
Not available |
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Available; configure response SLA and escalation; associate multiple SLAs to the template and allow requesters to choose SLA for a service request. |
Service SLA |
Available |
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Configure multi-level approval and approval settings in the service template. |
Approval Settings |
Available |
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Add checklists to the service template |
Checklist |
Not available |
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Actions fetched from integrations |
Template Action |
Not available |
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Enhances the look and feel of the page |
Form Customization |
Not available |
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Under pre-specified conditions, perform field updates and execute custom scripts. |
Form Rule |
Perform field updates under pre-specified conditions. |
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Use field update, custom functions, custom scripts, and negate rules to perform actions. Set up email and SMS notifications to be triggered. |
Business Rule
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Use field update, custom functions, and notifications as actions.
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Single line, pick list, multi line, numeric, date/time, and decimal.
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Additional Field Type |
In addition to those present in on-premises, multi select, email, phone, currency, percent, web URL, auto number, check box, radio button, and decision box are supported. |
Request Management |
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Build custom actions using custom script and class files.
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Request Custom Menu/Custom Menu for Requests |
Run a custom function, display a widget, or invoke a URL under pre-specified conditions. |
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Define custom trigger using custom script and class files and custom functions. Set up email notifications to be sent after the trigger is executed. |
Custom Trigger/Trigger |
Define trigger using custom functions, tasks, webhooks, and notifications. |
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Request custom functions built using Deluge scripting can be executed via Business Rule, Custom Trigger, and Request Life cycle to perform actions on requests, other modules, and external applications. |
Request Custom Function/Custom Function |
Custom functions built on Deluge scripting can be executed via Business Rule, Trigger, Request Life Cycle, and Custom Menu for Request to manipulate data within ServiceDesk Plus cloud and external applications. |
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Use custom functions, custom scripts, and negate rules to define the request's 'During' transition phase. Use custom functions and custom scripts to define the request's 'After' transition phase.. |
Request Life Cycle |
Use field update and process abort actions to define the request's 'During' transition phase. In the 'After' transition phase, send a notification, run a custom function, add a task, or trigger a webhook. |
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Use field Update, custom functions, custom scripts, and negate rule to perform actions. Set up email and SMS notifications to be triggered when the business rule is fired. |
Business Rule |
Update fields, execute custom functions, or send notifications using business rule actions. |
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Share requests with your requesters and technicians. |
Request Sharing |
Not available |
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Customize the request form and the details page for your technicians and requesters separately. |
Form Customization |
Not available |
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Add request checklists and mandate the checklist in closure rules. |
Checklist |
Not available |
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Configure service catalog, incident, task, and work log additional fields. |
Additional Field Type |
Configure request and task additional fields. |
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Available; configure private and public reply templates. |
Reply Template |
Available |
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Available; notify users when they are added or mentioned in comments in projects, milestones, and tasks. |
Notification Rule |
Available
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Available; mandate dependent requests' closure to close a request; auto-close requests after a specific number of days from approval denial by specifying closure code, closure comments, and resolution. |
Request Closure Rule
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Available |
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Available; option to move tasks to any 'Completed' status to mark completion. |
Task Closing Rule |
Available |
Knowledge Management |
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Available; like/dislike solutions, link solutions, add comments.
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Solution |
Available; option to show the requests resolved by using a specific solution; set expiry and review dates for solutions |
Asset Discovery |
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Agent based scan for windows machines. |
Asset Scan |
Probe scan for both windows machines and network devices. |
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Available |
Domain Configuration |
Available; comes with a few additional configurations. |
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Bring in your remote assets using probe. |
Distributed Asset Scan |
Not available |
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Supported by Endpoint Central and Web Remote. |
Remote Control |
Supported by Zoho Assist. |
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Option to retrieve and configure OIDs of product attributes from the respective MIB file. |
SNMP Configuration |
Available |
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Available; additional settings like WMI timeout, disable ping, automatic delta scan, delete/dispose assets that are not scanned in a given number of days, prioritizing sysName over DNSName, automatic software compliance calculation are present. |
Scan Settings |
Available |
Asset Management |
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Available |
Product Type |
Available; pictorial representation |
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Available; option to configure warranty and tax rate for products |
Product |
Available |
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Single line, pick list, multi line, numeric, date/time, and decimal. |
Additional Field Type |
In addition to those present in on-premises, multi select, email, phone, currency, percent, web URL, auto number, check box, radio button, decision box, and lookup field are supported. |
Software Management |
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Single line, pick list, multi line, numeric, date/time, add cost, and subtract cost. |
License Additional Field Types |
In addition to those present in on-premises, multi select, email, phone, and, web URL are supported. |
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Single line, pick list, multi line, numeric, date/time, add cost, and subtract cost. |
Agreement Additional Field Types
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In addition to those present in on-premises, multi select, email, phone, and, web URL are supported. |
Purchase Management |
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Record the approval process to issue purchase orders. |
Purchase Request |
Not available |
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Service that can be purchased using purchase orders. |
Vendor Service |
Not available |
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Single line, pick list, multi line, numeric, date/time, add cost, and subtract cost. |
Additional Field Type |
In addition to those present in on-premises, multi select, email, phone, and, web URL are supported. |
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Mandate additional purchase fields that need to be filled out before purchase order closure. |
Closure Rule |
Mandate default and additional purchase fields that need to be filled out before purchase order closure. |
Contract Management |
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Single line, pick list, multi line, numeric and date/time. |
Additional Field Type |
In addition to those present in on-premises, multi select, email, phone, and, web URL are supported. |
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Not available |
Restore Deleted Contract |
Restore deleted contracts. |
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Not available |
Contract History |
Track all contact-related activities. |
Problem Management |
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Not available |
Problem Template |
Create templates with boiler-plate information for frequently reported problems. |
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Not available |
Problem Life Cycle |
Use the visual process builder to define a resolution process for problems specific to your organization. |
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Single line, pick list, multi line, numeric and date/time. |
Additional Field Type |
In addition to those present in on-premises, multi select, email, phone, and, web URL are supported. |
Change Management |
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Supports a 6-stage change process with provision to add custom statuses under each stage. |
Change Process |
Supports a 8-stage change process with provision to add custom statuses under each stage |
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Available |
Change Workflow |
Available; a visual process builder on which you can create change workflows specific to your organization requirements; you can restrict change movement to the stages and statuses configured in the associated workflow. |
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Available; supports non-login approval |
Change Approval |
Available |
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Configure SLAs to define the change resolution time and escalations. |
Change SLA |
Not available |
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Create dynamic change templates using field and form rules. |
Field and Form Rule |
Not available |
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Define custom trigger using custom script and class files and custom functions. Set up email notifications to be sent after the trigger is executed. |
Change Trigger/Trigger |
Define trigger using custom functions, tasks, webhooks, and notifications. |
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Change custom functions built using Deluge scripting can be executed via change triggers to perform actions on changes, other modules, and external applications. The custom functions. |
Change Custom Function/Custom Function |
Custom functions built on Deluge scripting can be executed via triggers to manipulate data within ServiceDesk Plus cloud and external applications. |
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Not available |
Tasks |
Add tasks to change templates. |
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Single line, pick list, multi line, numeric and date/time. |
Additional Field Type |
In addition to those present in on-premises, multi select, email, phone, and, web URL are supported. |
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Not available |
Recover Deleted Change |
Recover deleted changes. |
Release Management |
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Not available
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Releases Template, Workflow, Roles, Stages, Statuses |
Available
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Not available |
Release Association with Assets and Configuration Items (CIs) |
Available |
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Not available |
System and Custom Notifications |
Available |
Project Management |
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Single line, pick list, multi line, numeric, date/time, and decimal. |
Additional Field Type |
Single line, pick list, multi line, numeric, date/time, multi select, email, phone, and, web URL. |
General Settings |
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Available |
Portal Settings |
Available as requester and technician portal settings with slight configuration differences. |
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Available; technicians can collaborate with other technicians one-on-one and in group; additional settings to manage users who can access live chat and the requests coming through live chat. |
Chat Settings |
Available; customize the chat button and the window. |
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Set up notifications to be sent to mobile app users. |
Mobile App Notification |
Not available |
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Not available |
Custom Action |
Custom actions include notifications, tasks, field update, custom functions, and webhook. |
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Not available |
Sandbox |
Isolated testing environment for the application. |
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Import and export different types of records from the respective modules. |
Data Import and Export |
Central Data Administration allows you to import/export all supported record types from single location |
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Not applicable |
Cloud Attachment |
Allow users to attach files from cloud. |
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Available for Dashboards; external widgets can also be added via URL. |
Widget |
Custom Widgets can be added to bring external services into ServiceDesk Plus cloud. Custom Widgets can be from Dashboards and Custom Menu. |
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Not available |
Connection |
A simple, secure authentication mechanism to connect ServiceDesk Plus cloud with external applications. |
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Not available |
Global Variable |
Define variables to store information that can be referenced or invoked for custom notifications and webhooks. |
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Page Scripts: Customize the application page-wise by modifying UI elements and functionalities. Custom Schedules: Perform customized actions periodically. Custom Functions (for requests and changes): Create functions to define business rules actions, custom trigger actions, and request life cycle actions. Custom Scripts (for requests and changes): Write scripts to define field and form rule actions, business rule actions, custom trigger actions, and custom menu actions. |
Script-based Customizations |
Custom Function: Create functions to define business rule conditions and actions, request life cycle actions, request trigger actions (for requests and changes), scheduled functions, callback functions, and custom menu for requests. |
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Available as an admin configuration (Preventive Maintenance Task); schedule and execute maintenance activities as tasks, periodically or once. |
Maintenance |
Available as a module; schedule maintenance activities to be auto-generated and executed as requests, periodically or once. |
Enterprise Service Management (ESM) Directory |
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Available under the ESM Directory. |
Application Settings |
Available under each instance. |
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Available |
Security Settings |
Basic security settings are available in Zoho Accounts admin console and in the backend. |
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Available |
Backup Schedule |
Cloud backup and disaster recovery are supported. |
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Available |
SSL Certificate Import |
Supported on demand. |
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Available |
Proxy Settings |
Not applicable |
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Available |
Performance Settings |
Not applicable |
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Available |
Translation |
Not applicable |
User Management |
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Import users from AD/LDAP. |
User Import |
Import users from Azure AD, Google Apps, and CSV files; use the provisioning tool to import user accounts from AD/LDAP and keep the accounts periodically synced. |
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Organizational, Regional, Site, and Departmental roles. |
Organization Role Level |
In addition to those present in on-premises, Group and User level roles are supported. |
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Available as user additional fields in single line, multi line, pick list, numeric, and date/time field types. |
User Additional Field Type |
Available as technician and requester additional fields; In addition to those present in on-premises, multi select, email, phone and web URL field types are supported. |
Integrations |
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Available |
Available |
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Available |
Available |
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Available |
Available |
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Available |
Available (for Mobile Device Manager Cloud) |
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Available |
Available |
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Available |
Available |
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Available |
Available |
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Not available |
Available |
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Available |
Available |
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Not available |
Available |
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Not available |
Available |
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Available |
API Integration |
Available |
Custom Application Platform |
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Not available |
Build Custom Apps |
Available |
Artificial Intelligence - Zia |
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Perform user's approval action based on email response. |
Automate Approval |
Not available |
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Not available |
Chatbot |
Conversational chatbot that answers direct questions, pulls up data from the application, and performs service desk actions. Available on web app and native mobile app. |
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Not available |
Custom Action |
Serverless Zia developer console to build custom Zia actions. |
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Zia assigns category and suggests template for requests. |
Field Prediction |
Zia assigns category and priority; Suggests sub-category, item, technician, and template for requests. |
User Survey |
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Available; define survey specific to service requests and incidents with custom email notifications. |
Survey Configuration |
Available |
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Exclude survey for requests that fulfill prespecified criteria. |
Survey Exclusion |
Available |
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Get detailed survey result graphs on user satisfaction level and response; use date, survey type, technician, and groups filters to narrow down specific survey reports. |
Survey Report |
Available
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