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SCOM vs ServiceNow IT Operations Management comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 23, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
6.7
SCOM users see value in centralized monitoring, SLA compliance, cost efficiency, but face challenges with latency and database performance.
Sentiment score
7.4
ServiceNow IT Operations Management delivers ROI with enhanced efficiency, visibility, reduced staffing needs, but initial returns may vary.
It reduced staffing needs from four full-time staff to fewer due to automation.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.8
Microsoft SCOM support is generally positive, offering responsive service and resources, though satisfaction varies among users.
Sentiment score
6.4
ServiceNow IT Operations Management support is knowledgeable but inconsistent, with quick responses for some and delays for others.
They often treat issues in isolation, not considering how one problem might relate to another.
They respond promptly when we call to open a ticket.
The response time of technical support could be improved.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.9
SCOM scales effectively in large environments, performing well in Microsoft settings but has limitations with non-Microsoft device monitoring.
Sentiment score
7.6
ServiceNow IT Operations Management is scalable, integrates easily, ideal for large enterprises, but incurs substantial licensing costs.
It integrates with every single tool, even external tools.
ServiceNow ITOM scales very well to small and medium businesses.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
SCOM's stability depends on configuration, showing improvements and reliability in newer versions with proper maintenance despite occasional glitches.
Sentiment score
7.8
ServiceNow IT Operations Management is reliable and efficient, praised for stability but minor performance issues occur with complex setups.
SCOM is a bit unstable lately, primarily due to a lack of resources.
Since it is a Platform as a Service (PaaS) or Software as a Service (SaaS) solution, I consider the stability to be very high, rating it ten out of ten.
 

Room For Improvement

SCOM users criticize its cost, complexity, weak monitoring, slow performance, and inadequate third-party integration and multi-tenancy features.
ServiceNow IT Operations Management needs improvement in affordability, integration, AI capabilities, user interface, automation, customization, and simplicity.
I would like to see a software-as-a-service version in Azure to eliminate the need for on-premise infrastructure.
SCOM is likely to be phased out in favor of more compatible tools like Icinga for application monitoring or when moving to cloud solutions like CloudWatch and Azure.
A more streamlined configuration process tailored to use cases and industry would be beneficial.
There is room for improvement in service mapping within ServiceNow ITOM.
We are facing difficulties with service mapping of CIs from the end users, and are seeking help from third-party vendors.
 

Setup Cost

SCOM's pricing is cost-effective within Microsoft Enterprise Agreements, though licensing calculations can be complex with potential additional costs.
ServiceNow IT Operations Management is costly but valued for its benefits, offering customizable and negotiable pricing models.
The pricing model offers scaling where not everything consumes a license equally, providing more value across different business areas.
ServiceNow's pricing is expensive.
 

Valuable Features

SCOM offers deep integration and flexible monitoring for enterprise environments, with robust reporting, alerting, and seamless Microsoft service integration.
ServiceNow IT Operations Management streamlines operations with Discovery, Service Mapping, and strong CMDB integration for efficient asset management.
It assists me in detecting server downtime and delivers basic performance monitoring right out of the box.
SCOM integrates several systems and offers correlation features, like setting up everything around Active Directory or DNS.
ServiceNow IT Operations Management influences ITSM processes by automating them and aiding in detecting and resolving IT issues to improve performance, reliability, and uptime.
The performance analytics of ServiceNow was especially beneficial for setting thresholds, aggregating, and correlating infrastructure data.
ServiceNow IT Operations Management is able to connect to our assets on our network using the Microsoft Fabric and identify these assets, populating them in the CMDB.
 

Categories and Ranking

SCOM
Ranking in Event Monitoring
5th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
82
Ranking in other categories
Network Monitoring Software (16th)
ServiceNow IT Operations Ma...
Ranking in Event Monitoring
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
42
Ranking in other categories
Cloud Management (9th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (10th), AIOps (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Event Monitoring category, the mindshare of SCOM is 8.9%, up from 8.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ServiceNow IT Operations Management is 18.9%, up from 17.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Event Monitoring
 

Featured Reviews

MarcMermuys - PeerSpot reviewer
Has efficient monitoring with robust integration capabilities
We use SCOM to configure different monitors using several management packs. It integrates systems like Active Directory and correlates them, and it is used for monitoring and managing systems SCOM allows integration of several systems, providing correlation between different systems such as…
PriyankaBachu - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides templates which reduces duplications in rule configuration
Currently, we are integrating LogicMonitor with ServiceNow IT Operations Management to manage IT event management and auto-ticketing for alerts from the monitoring tool to ServiceNow The solution is saving time by providing templates, reducing duplication in rule configuration, and offering…
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Event Monitoring solutions are best for your needs.
853,868 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
15%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Healthcare Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about SCOM?
The tool helps to monitor Windows servers. It offers alerts from a central location.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SCOM?
I am not aware of the exact pricing as it is managed by my supervisor. As an academic institution, we receive substantial discounts.
What needs improvement with SCOM?
SCOM is likely to be phased out in favor of more compatible tools like Icinga ( /products/icinga-reviews ) for application monitoring or when moving to cloud solutions like CloudWatch and Azure ( /...
What do you like most about ServiceNow IT Operations Management?
From my perspective as an asset manager, the most valuable feature of the solution is the configuration management portion, where I can actively add something to the database.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ServiceNow IT Operations Management?
ServiceNow's pricing is expensive. We consider it a Tier 1 product, but it requires significant investment.
What needs improvement with ServiceNow IT Operations Management?
ServiceNow ( /products/servicenow-reviews )'s pricing is expensive. A more streamlined configuration process tailored to use cases and industry would be beneficial. We needed some external help to ...
 

Also Known As

System Center Operations Manager, SCOM 2012
ServiceNow ITOM
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Dialog Telekom
servicenow, TransAlta, NATS, Symantec
Find out what your peers are saying about SCOM vs. ServiceNow IT Operations Management and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
853,868 professionals have used our research since 2012.
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