As organizations strive to optimize their IT Service Management (ITSM) practices, the multitude of options available in the market can make the decision-making process overwhelming. Among the choices, the comparison between TOPdesk vs. Freshworks' Freshservice has emerged as a crucial focus for IT decision-makers searching for the perfect ITSM platform.
In this blog post, we’ll conduct a thorough comparison of both platforms, exploring their unique strengths and areas where improvements can be made.
Beyond this comprehensive ITSM tools comparison, we’ll introduce you to an alternative solution that redefines the boundaries of ITSM innovation: InvGate Service Desk. This transformative service desk software embraces the essence of digital transformation, offering streamlined functionalities and a profound opportunity to elevate your IT operations to new heights.
Continue reading to gain valuable insights and make a well-informed choice to propel your organization toward ITSM excellence.
Table of contents
- TL;DR
- What is TOPdesk?
- What is Freshworks?
- Considering InvGate Service Desk as an ITSM solution alternative
TL;DR
- TOPdesk offers a comprehensive ITSM solution with an intuitive interface and robust collaboration tools. However, it seeks improvements in reporting and setup processes.
- Specializing in customer engagement software, Freshworks provides scalable solutions with commendable integration capabilities. Nonetheless, users highlight pricing concerns and feature limitations.
- InvGate Service Desk, in contrast, stands out in ITSM with robust ticketing features, adaptability, and cost-effectiveness. Offering no-code/low-code options and Spanish support, it emphasizes top-tier ITSM solutions.
Most looked-at features by buyers
When potential buyers evaluate IT Service Management solutions, they focus on specific features that align with their organization's needs. Understanding these desired features is crucial for making well-informed decisions.
Let's delve into the key factors that potential buyers commonly consider when comparing ITSM tools.
- Insightful reporting - Buyers look for help desk software with powerful reporting tools like dashboards and reports, providing valuable insights into their IT operations and performance. This data-driven approach facilitates informed decision-making and continuous service improvement.
- Scalability - Organizations with changing needs prioritize solutions that can adapt to their growth and accommodate customization. The solution should allow the creation of custom fields, workflows, and extensions/plugins, enabling them to tailor the software to their unique business requirements.
- Support automation and Workflow Management - Buyers actively seek software solutions that offer automation capabilities to optimize routine tasks such as ticket routing, approvals, and escalations. These automation features contribute to increased efficiency and productivity.
- Customization and flexibility - Buyers seek software solutions that offer customization options, enabling them to tailor the platform to their business needs. This flexibility ensures the software aligns with their unique workflows and processes, enhancing user satisfaction and overall effectiveness.
- Self-service portal and knowledge base - Including a self-service portal is highly valued as it empowers end-users to independently resolve common issues and find relevant information without requiring direct assistance.
- Optimized IT service catalog - Organizations often require a streamlined IT service catalog, providing a centralized platform for users to request specific IT services or resources. This feature simplifies service requests, enhances visibility, and aids in effective Service Delivery Management.
- Ticket Management solution - Buyers place great importance on a comprehensive Ticket Management System within the help desk software. This feature facilitates effective tracking, assignment, and resolution of customer inquiries and support requests.
- Efficient IT Asset Management - Users prioritize software that offers robust ITAM capabilities to maintain accurate inventories and optimize resource utilization within their organizations.
- User experience and interface - Buyers value ease of use and interface design. They prefer a user-friendly platform with an intuitive interface that promotes user adoption and productivity. Mobile accessibility is also significant for organizations with remote or mobile workforces.
- Seamless integration capabilities - Integration with other systems and applications is a critical requirement for buyers, ensuring smooth data flow and process automation. The ability to integrate existing tools and platforms is highly valued for improved efficiency and a unified user experience.
- Pricing and support - Buyers consider the cost-effectiveness of the solution, including licensing models, subscription plans, and additional costs for features or users. The availability of reliable customer support, comprehensive documentation, and accessible training resources also play a significant role in the decision-making process.
- ITIL compliance - Adhering to ITIL best practices is a priority for many organizations. Buyers may prioritize solutions that support ITIL processes, such as Incident Management, Problem Management, Change Management, and Asset Management.
What is TOPdesk?
TOPdesk IT Service Management, a software developed by the Dutch company TOPdesk, aims to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of IT support services. This comprehensive platform merges customer requests, IT assets, and workflows, streamlining the support process for IT agents and ensuring a seamless and satisfactory customer experience.
TOPdesk ITSM enables organizations to effectively handle a range of IT service activities, including Incident Management, Problem Management, Change Management, and Request Management, all in a highly productive manner.
What users like from TOPdesk
TOPdesk IT Service Management has garnered positive feedback from its customers and earned recognition from esteemed sources like Gartner for its remarkable benefits. Below are several advantages that have been highlighted.
- All-in-one tool for Service Management - TOPdesk ITSM is an all-in-one solution for Service Management, providing organizations with a comprehensive and integrated platform to meet their IT service needs.
- Intuitive interface and user-friendly experience - The software has an interface that is both intuitive and user-friendly, enabling IT agents to navigate effortlessly and complete tasks with ease.
- User-friendly self-service portal - The self-service portal is designed with customers in mind, providing a user-friendly experience for requesting assistance or reporting issues effortlessly.
- Seamless collaboration capabilities - The platform facilitates smooth communication and efficient troubleshooting through its collaboration features, promoting teamwork among operators and different departments.
- Stability and reliability - The software ensures stability and reliability, guaranteeing uninterrupted delivery of IT services.
- Responsive customer support - Prompt and helpful customer support is a hallmark of the platform, ensuring that any issues or concerns are quickly addressed with efficient response times.
- Asset Management and Inventory Management - The software includes comprehensive ITAM functionality and Inventory Management, offering IT departments a holistic view of their assets.
- Powerful engine and dynamic features - The tool comes equipped with a powerful engine and dynamic features, enabling efficient and effective IT Service Management.
- Configuration and customization options - TOPdesk ITSM offers high configuration and customization, empowering organizations to tailor the software to their specific needs and requirements.
- API capabilities for automation and integration - The platform provides API capabilities that enable automation and seamless integration with other systems, streamlining ITSM processes.
- Information provisioning - TOPdesk keeps organizations up-to-date with information about new features, ensuring they stay informed about the latest developments.
What users don’t like from TOPdesk
While TOPdesk exhibits notable strengths, there are specific aspects that have drawn concerns and dislikes from customers, as highlighted in analyses from sources like Gartner. Here are several dislikes that have been brought up.
- Front-end aesthetics and customization issues - Some users have faced challenges with front-end aesthetics and customization options, negatively impacting their experience. Improving these aspects would enhance visual appeal and user satisfaction.
- Improvement needed in reporting and dashboard options - Users desire improved reporting and dashboard options to gain more valuable insights and data. Enhancing these features would provide users with greater analytical capabilities.
- Implementation delays and consulting service issues - Certain users have experienced delays during implementation and encountered problems with consulting services, affecting the software's adoption. Addressing these concerns would improve the overall implementation experience.
- Complexity in setup and configuration - Certain functionalities pose challenges during setup and configuration, resulting in time-consuming and frustrating experiences for users. Streamlining these processes would be beneficial.
- Functionality and usability improvements needed - Certain software modules or components require further development to address user feedback, enhancing their functionality and usability for improved performance.
- Knowledge Management and Change Management systems challenges - Some users have encountered issues with the Knowledge Management and Change Management Systems, indicating a need for further development to enhance their effectiveness.
- Outdated appearance - Customers have expressed dissatisfaction with TOPdesk's outdated appearance, suggesting that a modernized look and feel would significantly improve the user experience.
- Lack of flexibility in personal and group settings - The software's personal and group settings lack flexibility, limiting user customization options. Greater flexibility in these areas would enhance customization possibilities.
- Slow release of updates for Asset Management - The release of updates for Asset Management has been slow, hampering the ability to stay up-to-date with the latest developments. Expedited update releases would ensure users benefit from the most recent enhancements.
- Missed features compared to competitors - Users have noticed that TOPdesk lacks certain features or functionalities, affecting its competitiveness in the market. Implementing these missing features would strengthen the software's offering.
- Challenges with creating email triggers - Users have reported difficulties in creating email triggers based on workflows, leading to communication delays. Streamlining this process would enhance overall efficiency.
- Inconvenient task separation - The separation of tasks across different modules can be inconvenient and confusing for users. Simplifying and streamlining task organization would enhance user experience and productivity.
What’s TOPdesk’s argument over Freshworks?
TOPdesk's argument over Freshworks centers around emphasizing its unique strengths and advantages compared to Freshservice. While recognizing the positive aspects of Freshservice, TOPdesk aims to position itself as a superior choice for organizations seeking comprehensive and efficient IT Service Management solutions.
- All-in-one solution - TOPdesk provides organizations with a comprehensive and integrated platform to meet all their IT service needs. This means that users can access a wide range of functionalities and tools within a single system, eliminating the need for separate applications or integrations.
- Intuitive interface and user-friendly experience - TOPdesk emphasizes its user-friendly interface, which enables IT agents to navigate effortlessly and complete tasks with ease. The platform's design prioritizes ease of use, ensuring that users can quickly adapt to the system and maximize their productivity.
- Stability and reliability - TOPdesk addresses the concerns raised about platform stability in Freshservice's case. It highlights its own commitment to ensuring stability and reliability, guaranteeing uninterrupted delivery of IT services.
- Powerful engine and dynamic features - TOPdesk emphasizes its powerful engine and dynamic features, which enable efficient and effective IT Service Management. The platform's capabilities are designed to optimize IT operations and enhance overall efficiency.
- Responsive customer support - TOPdesk underscores its responsive and helpful customer support as a hallmark of their service. The platform is committed to promptly addressing any issues or concerns raised by customers, ensuring a satisfactory user experience.
- Configuration and customization options - Another strong point in TOPdesk's argument is the platform's high level of configuration and customization. This allows organizations to tailor the software to their specific needs and requirements, ensuring a more personalized and adaptable solution.
- API capabilities for automation and integration: - TOPdesk highlights its API capabilities, which facilitate automation and seamless integration with other systems. This streamlines IT Service Management processes and enhances the overall efficiency of IT operations.
What is Freshworks?
Freshservice, a product developed by Freshworks, is a cloud-based platform specifically designed to aid small to medium-sized businesses and large enterprises in effectively managing their IT services. The platform offers a wide range of features, including IT Asset Management, incident and service request resolution, workflow automation, and a comprehensive knowledge base.
What sets Freshservice apart is its user-friendly interface, which has earned it an impressive rating of 4.5 out of 5 from Gartner. This high rating makes it a dependable choice for organizations seeking to streamline their IT operations and provide exceptional service to their employees.
Freshworks, the company behind Freshservice, was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in San Mateo, California, USA.
What users like from Freshworks
Freshservice has received positive feedback from users, a sentiment supported by reputable sources like Gartner and G2. The platform's advantageous features include.
- User-friendly interface - The platform's interface is highly praised for its user-friendly design, enabling seamless navigation and maximizing productivity for users.
- Automation and Workflow Management - Users appreciate Freshservice's automation capabilities, which streamline processes and enhance efficiency through workflows, automated responses, and escalations.
- Ticketing system - Users commend Freshservice's ticketing system for its effective management, tracking, and collaborative capabilities. It ensures swift resolution of customer queries and issues.
- Knowledge base - The platform's knowledge base feature is highly regarded for empowering customers to access self-help resources, reducing the need for repetitive support requests.
- Customer support - Freshservice's customer support has been recognized for its responsiveness and helpfulness. Knowledgeable teams promptly address concerns, leading to a satisfactory user experience.
- Mobile app - Freshservice's mobile app is considered convenient for on-the-go ticket management and access. It provides a similar user experience to the web version and facilitates efficient remote support.
What users don’t like from Freshworks
Despite Freshservice having various strengths, users have also expressed concerns and dislikes about specific aspects of the platform. Notably, analysis from sources like Gartner and G2 has highlighted the following drawbacks as reported by users.
- Steep learning curve for advanced features - While users find the basic features user-friendly, some encounter difficulties when navigating and utilizing the advanced functionalities.
- Platform stability - Users have encountered stability issues, including occasional system glitches, slow performance, and downtime.
- Limited reporting and analytics - Some users have pointed out that Freshservice's reporting capabilities could be improved as the available options are limited.
- Integration challenges - Users have experienced difficulties when integrating Freshservice with third-party tools or systems.
- Limited customization - Some users feel that the platform lacks customization options, particularly in ticketing workflows and interface personalization. They desire more flexibility to tailor the software to their specific needs.
- Pricing structure - Certain users find Freshservice's pricing structure expensive, especially when additional features or agent licenses are required. They seek more transparent and flexible pricing options.
- Search functionality - Some users have faced challenges with the search feature, making it difficult to find specific information or tickets.
What’s Freshworks’ argument over TOPdesk?
Freshworks' argument over TOPdesk focuses on highlighting the unique strengths and advantages of Freshservice as a leading IT Service Management platform, differentiating it from TOPdesk. While acknowledging TOPdesk's positive aspects, Freshworks aims to position Freshservice as a superior choice for organizations seeking a modern and intuitive ITSM solution.
- User-friendly interface and automation capabilities - Freshworks emphasizes Freshservice's user-friendly interface, which has garnered praise from users. The platform's design prioritizes ease of use, allowing IT agents to navigate seamlessly and efficiently manage tasks. Additionally, Freshservice's automation capabilities streamline processes through workflows, automated responses, and escalations, enhancing overall efficiency.
- Ticketing system and collaborative features - Freshservice's ticketing system is highlighted as a key advantage, effectively managing, tracking, and collaborating on tickets to ensure swift resolution of customer queries and issues. The platform's collaborative features foster smooth communication and efficient troubleshooting among operators and different departments, promoting teamwork and timely issue resolution.
- Comprehensive knowledge base and customer support - Freshworks underscores Freshservice's comprehensive knowledge base, empowering customers to access self-help resources and reducing the reliance on repetitive support requests. The platform's customer support is recognized for its responsiveness and helpfulness, with knowledgeable teams promptly addressing concerns, resulting in a satisfactory user experience.
- Mobile app - Freshservice's mobile app is emphasized as a convenient tool for on-the-go ticket management and access, providing a similar user experience to the web version and facilitating efficient remote support.
Considering InvGate Service Desk as an ITSM solution alternative
While TOPdesk and Freshworks are prominent rivals in the ITSM sector, it is vital to explore alternative solutions that closely align with your organization's unique needs. In this regard, InvGate Service Desk stands out as a compelling and worthy option that deserves thorough evaluation.
Let's examine the beneficial features of InvGate Service Desk that make it an invaluable choice for fulfilling your ITSM requirements.
Exceptional user experience
InvGate Service Desk prioritizes delivering an outstanding user experience through meticulous design and adherence to UI/UX best practices. Its intuitive interface promotes quick adoption and reduces the need for extensive training, ensuring a user-friendly design that maximizes productivity.
Powerful Ticketing and Incident Management
InvGate Service Desk excels in delivering robust features for ticketing and incident management. It enables efficient tracking, collaboration, and resolution of tickets, empowering IT teams to handle and prioritize incidents effectively. Automated ticket routing, customizable workflows, and SLA Management enhance the efficiency of incident resolution processes.
Robust self-service capabilities
InvGate Service Desk offers a user-friendly portal, an extensive IT service catalog, and a knowledge base, empowering end-users to independently resolve common issues, access IT services, and utilize self-help resources. This reduces the burden on IT staff.
Customization and flexibility
InvGate Service Desk offers flexible deployment options, allowing organizations to choose between on-premise or cloud-based solutions. This adaptability ensures that the platform can cater to the specific requirements of different sectors and industries.
Simplified configuration and setup
InvGate Service Desk simplifies the configuration and setup process with a no-code/low-code approach. This streamlines the system's implementation, enabling users of varying technical expertise to adopt it easily. The platform offers straightforward configuration options that quickly leverage its robust ITSM capabilities.
Extensive reporting and analytics
InvGate Service Desk provides comprehensive reporting and analytics functionalities, offering valuable insights into IT operations and performance. The platform includes ready-to-use reports and customizable dashboards, enabling IT teams to analyze data, identify patterns, and make informed decisions to enhance their services.
Designed for ITSM and ESM
InvGate Service Desk is purpose-built for ITSM and seamlessly extends its capabilities to Enterprise Service Management (ESM). This empowers operational departments to enhance their processes and fully embrace the benefits of digital transformation, promoting streamlined workflows and comprehensive digital initiatives across all departments.
Comprehensive Asset Management
Integrating InvGate Service Desk with InvGate Insight provides organizations with a holistic view of their IT ecosystem, leading to improved service delivery and reduced downtime. InvGate Insight offers features such as IT Asset Discovery, Inventory Management, Software License Management, and maintenance schedules.
ITIL4 certification and ITSM excellence
InvGate Service Desk has received the prestigious ITIL4 certification from PINK Elephant, demonstrating its dedication to maintaining ITSM excellence. Whether organizations are embarking on their ITIL journey or handling intricate operations, InvGate Service Desk provides a user-friendly and feature-rich experience aligned with industry best practices.
Cost-effective solution with fast ROI and ongoing innovation
InvGate Service Desk offers a cost-effective solution without compromising functionality. It provides a comprehensive range of ITSM features at a competitive price, making it an appealing choice for organizations seeking affordability without sacrificing capabilities. Compared to alternatives like TOPdesk and Freshworks, InvGate Service Desk strikes a balance between cost and functionality.
The platform ensures a fast return on investment through efficient implementation processes, enabling organizations to experience its benefits within weeks. Additionally, regular feature updates keep users at the forefront of technology without incurring additional costs.
Next steps
When it comes to selecting the ideal ITSM solution for your organization, the comparison between TOPdesk vs. Freshworks has provided valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each platform.
However, as you’re making a crucial decision, it’s important to explore alternatives that closely align with your organization's unique needs. One such compelling alternative is InvGate Service Desk, a solution that offers streamlined functionalities and a strong emphasis on driving digital transformation within your IT operations.
Request our 30-day trial to grasp the transformative capabilities of InvGate Service Desk fully.
