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Appian vs ServiceNow Now Platform comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 5, 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
6.9
Appian boosts profits and digital transformation, reducing costs by 85%; organizations report high adoption and variable ROI satisfaction.
Sentiment score
6.8
ServiceNow provides ROI through metrics, AI tools, and efficiency, benefiting larger enterprises despite cost concerns for smaller ones.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.4
Appian support is efficient and well-rated, but complex issues may face delays, while resources and community are valuable.
Sentiment score
7.2
ServiceNow technical support is highly rated but lacks in basic support, often relying on internal teams for quick assistance.
Their customer service is responsive, and the team is very prompt for support.
Appian has a community where I can put my questions.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.4
Appian is scalable for medium to large entities but can face challenges with complex processes, data volumes, and costs.
Sentiment score
7.9
ServiceNow Now Platform is scalable, integrates seamlessly, supports thousands of users, and offers flexibility with straightforward licensing.
Initially, without much coding, I can easily handle five thousand records.
Users can build and modify the platform according to their needs.
It is easily scalable and very powerful in this direction.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Appian is praised for high stability and uptime, with minimal issues when following best development practices and architecture.
Sentiment score
8.4
EMEA users praise ServiceNow Now Platform for 99.9% reliability, consistent uptime, multilingual support, and seamless daily performance.
It depends on how it has been designed and how it has been configured.
I haven't had any situations where it would be unavailable for our calls, so I don't have complaints there.
 

Room For Improvement

Appian users want better UI customization, integration, scalability, flexibility, cost-efficiency, support, collaboration, and enhanced case management features.
ServiceNow users seek better licensing clarity, UI, integration, programming support, and technical support due to cost and customization issues.
If there is a very complex process that includes a lot of data transitioning and memory-centric processes, it consumes a lot of memory.
Historical data isn't as easily available as expected and it requires buying additional licenses for more features.
It lacks support for rollbacks in case of complex customer processes.
The user interface could be modernized and made more attractive for users.
 

Setup Cost

Appian pricing is moderate to high, with cost-effectiveness in cloud solutions and flexibility in its regional licensing model.
ServiceNow is costly due to variable licensing and module fees, making it less flexible for smaller organizations.
On the pricier side, both Appian and Pega are enterprise-level solutions, placing them on the slightly higher side.
ServiceNow Now Platform is an expensive product.
ServiceNow Now Platform falls within the more expensive tier of a product.
 

Valuable Features

Appian's low-code platform accelerates app development with user-friendly tools, automation, and integration, enhancing productivity and efficiency.
ServiceNow Platform enhances efficiency with workflow automation, integration, scalability, and user-friendly interfaces for comprehensive service management.
I can create tables, perform database-related activities, and create multiple tables.
It is easy for me to define the process and create configurable workflows.
It is extremely powerful and very much customizable, which allows for quick building of solutions around it.
The text-to-code feature is particularly useful for turning natural language instructions into recognizable code on the ServiceNow platform, aiding both implementation teams and customers.
The most valuable features are the ease of use, stability, and the ability to change or upgrade seamlessly.
 

Categories and Ranking

Appian
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
5th
Ranking in Low-Code Development Platforms
4th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
61
Ranking in other categories
Business Process Management (BPM) (6th), Process Automation (5th), Process Mining (6th)
ServiceNow Now Platform
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
11th
Ranking in Low-Code Development Platforms
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
47
Ranking in other categories
No-Code Development Platforms (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Rapid Application Development Software category, the mindshare of Appian is 9.6%, up from 8.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ServiceNow Now Platform is 1.7%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rapid Application Development Software
 

Featured Reviews

Srimanta Pandit - PeerSpot reviewer
Flexible, improves operational efficiency, and reduces the time taken to complete processes
The solution’s turnaround time for development is better compared to other tools. The solution enables fast development. The traceability of the processor is good. There is much more governance and regulations on the processers. The tool reduces the time of the processes by 30% to 40%. The solution’s low-code aspect has greatly impacted the development and deployment speed. One of the major reasons we are using the product is that we can reuse the modules. The developers can reuse all the modules. It enables us to make subsequent developments in less time. The prebuilt modules can be deployed within two to three weeks. The tool is very flexible. Compared to other platforms, the Appian product team was agile in quickly customizing things for us.
Fabio QUINTANILHA - PeerSpot reviewer
Allows for seamless integration and sharing of common features
The initial setup is straightforward. There are limited access. If you choose not to use scripts, you can still configure the majority of the settings on the platform. The technical aspect of implementing changes is governed by change management processes. Even simple features require careful consideration of communication, documentation, and governance. Despite the setup being relatively straightforward and typically taking one to two weeks to complete once the desired outcome is identified, the implementation phase can often extend for a month or two due to various factors. I rate the initial setup a nine out of ten, where one is difficult, and ten is easy.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
30%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
6%
Financial Services Firm
18%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Which do you prefer - Appian or Camunda Platform?
Appian is fast when building simple to medium solutions. This solution offers simple drag-and-drop functionality with easy plug-and-play options. The initial setup was seamless and very easy to imp...
Is Appian a suitable solution for beginners who have no additional preparation?
Appian is actually pretty big on educating its users, including with courses that reward you with certifications. There is a whole section on their company’s website where you can check out the edu...
Is it easy to set up Appian or did you have to resort to professional help?
We had some issues when we were setting up Appian. It was quite surprising, since this is a low-code tool which, in its essence, means it is meant for business users and inexperienced beginners. So...
What do you like most about ServiceNow Now Platform?
The integration with other tools is pretty good.
What needs improvement with ServiceNow Now Platform?
The analytics should be more readily available on the base product. Historical data isn't as easily available as expected and it requires buying additional licenses for more features.
 

Also Known As

Appian BPM, Appian AnyWhere, Appian Enterprise BPMS
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Hansard Global plc, Punch Taverns, Pirelli, Crawford & Company, EDP Renewables, Queensland Government Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning (, Bank of Tennessee
experian, beachbody, health partners
Find out what your peers are saying about Appian vs. ServiceNow Now Platform and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
842,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.