Quick, name a popular software that can help your business with its general IT management and IT projects.
There are quite a few options out there: Our IT management software directory lists over 200 systems. But if I had to put money on the system you named, I'd put it on Atlassian's Jira.
Though Jira has a lot of great qualities and is a big name in the IT management sphere, Capterra recommends evaluating three to five systems when you're shopping for software to ensure that you pick the best possible solution for your team.
Below, I'll talk about why you should consider Jira as an option for IT management and dive into three other systems that might be a good fit for your team.
Here's a quick comparison chart of the four options discussed below (view the full chart here).
Why everyone loves Jira
Jira is popular because it can be used by so many people for so many different functions.
It offers a suite of tools that integrate with one another. Many, such as Bitbucket and Sourcetree, have IT developers in mind.
Your whole team can use Jira Service Desk to manage projects, collaborate, resolve help desk tickets, and generally manage and track all IT-related business processes. Developers can use Atlassian products that integrate with Jira to manage code, track bugs, and release changes.
In terms of functionality, it might be better to ask, "What can't Jira do?"
Jira's ITSM summary view (via Jira)
Jira's 136 reviewers echo this sentiment, with many of them citing the ability to customize the system to their team's needs as a huge pro. They also tend to agree that, once the system is set up, it's very easy to use, even if a bit of a learning curve exists at the beginning.
Jira Service Desk is also reasonably priced, especially for smaller teams, starting at $10 per month for up to three agents.
But is it right for your business?
3 Jira alternatives to help with IT management
Below, I've provided an overview of three IT management solutions that can rival Jira in terms of how well they can meet your team's needs.
To create this list of the best Jira alternatives, I considered the criteria listed below.
All of these software solutions have:
Solutions specifically designed for internal IT departments (as opposed to MSPs)
50 or more reviews on Capterra
At least a 4.5-star (out of five) average rating for overall, ease of use, and value reviews
At least six of the 11 features listed in Capterra's IT management software directory
Read on to see how these systems compare to Jira and what they have to offer your team.
Software options are listed by ranking, highest to lowest, based on the criteria above. Rating and review information is from time of publication.
1. Pulseway
Ticketing view in Pulseway (via Pulseway)
Like Jira, Pulseway is a business management platform that can be used specifically for IT management.
With its custom scripts, you can save your team time by automating day-to-day processes. Pulseway also offers remote access to all your connected IT assets, so you can see what's happening on your network in real time.
Finally, you can take advantage of Pulseway's REST and Cloud APIs to set custom notifications if your systems are failing or functioning below acceptable levels.
What Capterra reviewers like about the system: Pulseway has a 4.7-star average overall rating, the highest of all the systems in this piece. It's 64 reviewers have a lot of good things to say about the solution:
Great mobile app
Easy-to-use, intuitive UI
Works reliably
Improvements customers would like to see: Reviewers mention that some features can be difficult to find and that the system overall could use more robust reporting functionality.
Price: Pulseway starts at $1.32 per workstation, per month for its SaaS solution and $3.35 per server, per month for its on-premise option.
2. Samanage
Samanage's service desk incident summary view (via Samanage)
Samanage is another big name in IT, as it can be deployed across industries, including financial services and healthcare.
Samanage's IT management solution offers basic capabilities such as incident and asset management. It can also help track purchase orders and contracts, and constantly scans for security threats. The system offers a mobile app for management on the go and integrates with many other commonly used solutions.
What Capterra reviewers like about the system: With 422 reviews on Capterra, Samanage has the most user feedback of any system in this post. With so many people weighing in, you know that Samanage's 4.6-star average overall rating is well-deserved.
Users highlight some positive aspects of the system:
Easy to set up and deploy
Little to no learning curve when navigating the system for the first time
Great customer support team
Improvements customers want to see: Although the intuitive interface makes it easy for users to navigate the system, some reviewers feel that this makes the system feel too basic and simplistic. Users also mention that filtering options could be improved for more effective searches.
Price: Samanage starts at $29 per agent, per month for a package that includes basic help desk features. For a more robust IT management solution, look into their "Business" package, which starts at $59 per agent, per month.
3. Freshservice
Freshservice's workflow configuration
Freshservice's platform allows you to manage incidents, SLAs, assets, and all of your IT team's tasks and projects. Its automation feature helps you cut down on time spent on manual day-to-day tasks, and its data visualization tool compiles reports in a way that's both readable and helpful for analysis.
The system offers an iOS and Android app, and its gamification feature will help you motivate your team to get things done.
What Capterra reviewers like about the system: Freshservice has 275 reviews with an average 4.5-star overall reviews rating. Users like quite a few things about the system:
Friendly and helpful customer service
Intuitive user interface for end users and admins
Workflows are easy to configure
Improvements customers want to see: Reviewers note that, although the system overall is highly customizable, this doesn't extend to all features. They also note that the dashboard view could be improved for administrators.
Price: Freshservice starts at $19 per agent, per month with fairly basic ticketing features. Like Samanage, if you're looking for a more full-featured IT management system, check out their "Garden" package, which starts at $49 per agent, per month.
Pick the IT management software that's best for you
Whether it's Jira Service Desk, Pulseway, Samanage, Freshservice, or any of the other hundred systems you can use to manage IT, make sure you have your team's needs in mind.
When testing systems, make sure you know what your team's biggest pain points are so you can look for a system that best counters those stressful issues.
So head out into the big wide world of software and hunt down the solution that's best for your team. And if you can think of any Jira alternatives I didn't mention, let me know in the comments below.
More resources:
If you're not ready for a full IT management suite, look into some of these systems for asset management, ticketing, or network monitoring.