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Flexera One vs ServiceNow Discovery comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 18, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

Flexera One
Ranking in IT Asset Management
13th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
SaaS Management Platforms (3rd)
ServiceNow Discovery
Ranking in IT Asset Management
5th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
40
Ranking in other categories
Server Monitoring (2nd), Cloud Resource Discovery Services (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the IT Asset Management category, the mindshare of Flexera One is 1.6%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ServiceNow Discovery is 5.0%, up from 2.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
IT Asset Management
 

Featured Reviews

Anne Watson - PeerSpot reviewer
Robust SAM Solution that is always a Step Ahead of the competition
There is room for improvement in the purchasing module. There are things I would change in that. Also, the automation components, like having the contracts, scheduling, and notifications embedded into the application, which they've been promising to do since 2014. There are some key things in there that make it clunkier than it should be. But overall, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Moreover, in additional features, I would like to see the reporting change. Eliminate Cognos and create a dynamic front end that allows for straight SQL queries, to get a more flexible and richer reporting module - especially for the Cloud version, FlexNet One; without having access to the SQL database for reporting, it makes it prohibitive.
Kaustubh Partha - PeerSpot reviewer
Scans servers and network devices through SNMP and reduces manual maintenance for our infrastructure team
I like how ServiceNow Discovery scans servers and network devices through SNMP. Most fields on our forms are auto-filled, reducing manual maintenance for our infrastructure team. Post Discovery implementation there is hardly any maintenance. There are three to four fields that are customized. Otherwise, 90% of the data is auto-filled. Discovery can also run in bulk, which is helpful for organizations that cannot run it during weekdays. With identification rules, if a configuration item (CI) isn't in the CMDB, you can simply add the IP address, and it will be automatically added based on criteria like name or serial number, making CMDB maintenance easier.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The best thing about FlexNet Manager for my clients is its strong grip on managing licenses and ensuring they stick to their contracts."
"It is a stable solution."
"So the solution has a really great licensing module, and they're constantly keeping up with the newest trends."
"I like the way it does its compliance. I like its discovery, and I like the fact that it keeps separate hardware and assets and provides easy accessibility to raw data."
"The most valuable feature is its integration with CMDB, as it collects all the data."
"I like ServiceNow Discovery's overall structure and the way data comes in without creating a different dashboard or interface."
"ServiceNow's Discovery feature is quite significant because it allows for service mapping and integrates with VIN management. It involves adding a business context to servers, routers, switches, and data centers. This means understanding not only what's installed on these systems and how they function together but also recognizing their significance in terms of business applications from the business's perspective and how they impact business processes and capabilities. So when we delve into these aspects and connect them to the essential components, it can help you engage in more meaningful discussions to enhance capacity management practices. In essence, it contributes to the overall IT portfolio, almost functioning as a business platform. This platform is accessible to users who leverage the data to initiate incidents, implement changes, and resolve problems. Consequently, consolidating all configuration items or assets into a unified platform makes sense, especially considering you already have Discovery in place. If the cost is reasonable, the other two components might not provide much value, except for their user-friendliness, which is often less important to leaders compared to the desired outcomes."
"The most valuable feature of ServiceNow Discovery is its performance."
"The biggest advantage of ServiceNow is the value that it brings."
"The service management and operations management modules are valuable."
"The best thing about Discovery is maintaining all the CIs in one place. I can sort the data, export it to Excel for manipulation, and build reports like how many computers or servers we have and their capacity."
"They provide the ability to see into the Discovery tools I want. They offer the best tool view."
 

Cons

"There is room for improvement in the purchasing module. There are things I would change in that. Also, the automation components, like having the contracts, scheduling, and notifications embedded into the application, which they've been promising to do since 2014."
"One area that could use improvement is the deployment of Flexera agents."
"The hardware and connectors in the product have certain shortcomings where improvements are required."
"They could improve their reporting. I'd particularly like them to allow you to schedule it."
"On the Software Asset Management part of it, I expect additional reconciliation and Discovery features there."
"ServiceNow Discovery could improve the interface. The navigation bar could improve. It would be helpful to have a landing page to go to find all the elements in one place."
"The initial setup could be made easier. We hired professionals to implement it, and they trained our employees for ongoing processes."
"The product should improve its customer interface, web interface, and front end. I would like to see the integration of keyboard chat with the solution."
"ServiceNow has a constant development environment. Hence they get constant bugs which result in incorrect performance. It should also improve customer service."
"Technical support has not been helpful when we have come across problems."
"They can expand on the plugins for some of the other tools."
"In terms of improvement, I would like for it to be possible to use without coding. I would like a dropdown so that every customer can do it easily for himself and can understand it."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I can say that from a price perspective, you can go for FlexNet Manager if you have a very small environment."
"It was certainly on a par with the price we were paying for Snow License Manager. It wasn't overly expensive."
"If the product is not deployed properly, it can be very expensive."
"ServiceNow Discovery has very broad pricing, so it becomes costly. It would be better if it had a pay-as-you-use licensing model because the total cost of ownership is quite high."
"The product pricing is fair and reasonable for the value it provides."
"It is an expensive product with a price that depends on the models that you wish to purchase."
"You need a subscription to ServiceNow Discovery, so you can use its features. You can also use specific plugins with the tool, and some of the plugins are free. I don't have information on how much my company pays for the subscription to ServiceNow Discovery."
"It's a bit expensive compared to other products in the market, but it's worth the money you pay because it's far advanced in terms of features, automation, and capabilities compared to other products."
"ServiceNow Discovery is expensive, but the company has a monopoly and we need to use the solution. We use it because we do not have a choice."
"ServiceNow Discovery's licensing is not a very small investment, but it definitely pays off."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Healthcare Company
7%
Retailer
7%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Healthcare Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for FlexNet Manager?
Based on the enterprise-level packages that my company purchases, I can say that from a price perspective, you can go for FlexNet Manager if you have a very small environment. ServiceNow is better ...
What needs improvement with FlexNet Manager?
The hardware and connectors in the product have certain shortcomings where improvements are required. FlexNet Manager's connectors are not that good, especially when compared to what Flexera provid...
What is your primary use case for FlexNet Manager?
During my tenure from 2018 to 2022 with Intel, my primary client was a global network with a significant presence in Europe, particularly Germany. I provided services using Flexera's FlexNet Manage...
What do you like most about ServiceNow Discovery?
The solution can prioritize the discovery of IP ranges. The product automatically places all Discovery CIs into the correct class within the CMDB.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ServiceNow Discovery?
The product pricing is fair and reasonable for the value it provides. However, it is important to factor in the ongoing maintenance costs, as the system requires professional upkeep to ensure optim...
What needs improvement with ServiceNow Discovery?
The continuous improvement in the quality and customization of the product features would be beneficial, particularly as more customers rely heavily on its capabilities.
 

Also Known As

FlexNet Manager Suite, FlexNet Manager Suite for Enterprises, Flexera SaaS Manager
No data available
 

Learn More

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Overview

 

Sample Customers

Foray Technologies, BMC
York, National Grid, DXC Technology, experian, BEACHBODY
Find out what your peers are saying about Flexera One vs. ServiceNow Discovery and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,020 professionals have used our research since 2012.