SCSM vs Zoho Desk comparison

Microsoft and Zoho are both solutions in the Help Desk Software category. Microsoft is ranked #12 with an average rating of 7.4, while Zoho is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.3. Microsoft holds a 1.6% mindshare in HDS, compared to Zoho’s 2.7% mindshare. Additionally, 66% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Zoho users who would recommend it.

SCSM

Read 26 SCSM reviews

917 Views
509 Comparison Views

66% willing to recommend

Zoho Desk

Read 20 Zoho Desk reviews

1,365 Views
775 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

SCSM

Zoho Desk

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 1, 2024

Microsoft SCSM and Zoho Desk compete in the IT service management category. Zoho Desk appears to have the upper hand due to its user-friendly interface and broad customization options, in contrast to SCSM's stronger integration within the Microsoft ecosystem.

Features: Microsoft SCSM stands out for its robust integration capabilities within the Microsoft ecosystem, efficient automation of ticketing and incident management, and a strong activity management module. Zoho Desk is favored for its ability to capture customer interactions across multiple channels, user-friendly and customizable interface, and flexible automation with broad third-party application integration.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft SCSM struggles with mobility, customization, and integration challenges with non-Microsoft solutions, with a need to improve its self-service portal. Zoho Desk lacks advanced IT service management features, customizable email responses, and enhancements in night mode and lookup functionalities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SCSM's on-premises deployment can be complex compared to Zoho Desk's straightforward cloud and hybrid solutions. Zoho Desk benefits from easy deployment and responsive support, while SCSM may need more support due to its on-premises nature but offers strong technical support.

Pricing and ROI: SCSM's complex licensing model and need for add-ons make it more expensive, but it offers high ROI when fully utilized. Zoho Desk's subscription-based pricing is economical for startups and offers flexibility and scalability, often making it the more cost-effective choice.

To learn more, read our detailed SCSM vs. Zoho Desk Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

SCSM vs. Zoho Desk

April 2025

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Helped 846,617 peers since 2012

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

SCSM

Ranking in Help Desk Software

12th

Average Rating

7.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

IT Service Management (ITSM) (11th)

Zoho Desk

Ranking in Help Desk Software

7th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

CRM Customer Engagement Centers (6th)

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Help Desk Software category, the mindshare of SCSM is 1.6%, down from 1.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zoho Desk is 2.7%, up from 2.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Help Desk Software

Featured Reviews

PraveenSharma3

UX Manager at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees

Enhanced remote functionality complements intricate admin management

We are using it as co-management, working from SCCM and some from Intune. However, there are dissimilarities between SCCM and Intune, so we use SCCM for specific tasks or policies Currently, with the system, we have some remote tool functionality which is not available with Intune. We are also…

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Babatunde-Olugbode

Technical presales engineer at Avetium Consult Ltd

End-to-end solution to manage customer support tickets and consolidate all communication channels into one platform

For me, the valuable features are related to customer engagement because I want to ensure I don't miss any customer inquiries, no matter the channel. For example, I haven't seen any other platform that consolidates all channels into one console. That's a valuable feature to me. Then there's the pricing, which is better than Zendesk. Zendesk charges in USD per user, per month, whereas Zoho let us pay in Naira (Nigerian currency). Zoho can also identify user locations, letting you leverage existing reviews. These are valuable features that many organizations have adopted Zoho Desk for. We can download the mobile app to see requests and respond from anywhere. It is one of the most improved applications and widely integrated systems I've worked with. You can virtually integrate it with almost anything, like Microsoft Teams and other data applications. The marketplace lets you find native integrations. For example, we have an organization that uses multiple systems and wants to ensure agents don't log in to multiple platforms to see emails. They have a native integration system that takes care of that and works seamlessly.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"A very convenient package like an all-in-one tool but it is actually five or six products acting well together."

"The solution is quite easy to integrate with other Microsoft products."

"SCCM provides remote tool functionality, which is not in Intune."

"SCSM helps us keep organized by tracking all user demands and change requests. However, the reporting is not sufficient to provide a clear view of ongoing projects. It helps with daily operations and change request management."

"We've been in contact with Microsoft technical support mainly. After doing the research ourselves and troubleshooting, etc., if we can't find a permanent solution, we contact Microsoft to help us fix the issue. Sometimes the issue never gets fixed even by Microsoft. It can sometimes require us to reinstall the solution. However, these are very rare instances."

"The support from Microsoft is good and we also have local support on the ground in Nigeria."

"The solution's setup process is relatively straightforward due to the familiar deployment steps similar to other Microsoft solutions."

"It is quite scalable."

More SCSM pros

"The product is quite stable."

"The integration part is a valuable feature in the solution, especially if we're talking about Zoho One solution. Zoho Desk is easy to integrate with Zoho platform."

"The deployment process is swift, typically taking just one day, and includes customization and automation setup."

"The most valuable features are that it's user-friendly, you can customize it the way you want it, and it is very easy to use. You don't need anybody else to configure it."

"The most valuable features of Zoho Desk are the user interface, pricing, and how they customize the solution for us."

"Zoho Desk offers a wide range of features that allow integration with different systems, enhancing ease of use."

"It is a scalable platform."

"Zoho Desk offers a wide range of features that allow integration with different systems, enhancing ease of use."

More Zoho Desk pros

Cons

"Better integration with other services in Azure is needed because everything is moving from on-premises to the cloud, and as an integrator, we have to help our clients with the migration."

"They might be looking for additional functionalities that SCSM could integrate."

"There is no development with this product, and we had to go and buy additional ITSM solutions to sit on top of it. We had to buy products from companies like Cireson and Cased Dimensions in order to get the functionality that we need out of it. So, we're using Service Manager as an engine, rather than as a full-blown product. It is the engine, but we have other products sitting on top of it to make it work properly."

"The price of this solution is high and it needs to be cheaper."

"The major issues with SCSM include its severe slowness, especially on the client side, and the lack of comprehensive reporting tools."

"Mobile application integration would be an improvement."

"It would be better if they had a portal for administrators. It would help me use it from anywhere and connect to any device from anywhere. I can administer the solution without a VPN."

"My company had planned a few months ago to apply SCSM over the cloud in order to provide updates, like regular updates, but it had to be put through a few tools from Microsoft on the cloud, which was not easy."

More SCSM cons

"As per customer requirements, it may have some limitations."

"The solution could improve its stability and scalability."

"Could have slightly better integration between additional functionalities in the Zoho desk."

"The customization of modules and some blueprint in the solution are areas with shortcomings that need improvement."

"There is room for improvement with the pricing."

"Zoho Desk lacks lookup fields for the layouts."

"The solution urgently needs improvement in the display's night mode. When we use the system for a long time, it's very stressful for our eyes. I also need to see improvements that can help to find the assets under a previous owner."

"It could be easier to link Zoho Desk and Outlook."

More Zoho Desk cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It comes free with the enterprise agreement that we have, but the expense really is in having to buy another product to sit on top of it to make it work properly. You wind up having to buy additional support and additional product with their own support and maintenance costs on top of that."

"It is an expensive solution."

"I would rate the pricing as two out of five."

"The price should be lower."

"The pricing is reasonable."

"It is a lower price vs. other things on the market."

"The license for SCSM is cheap."

"The price of the solution could be better. My organization has an enterprise annual license with Microsoft which provides us support."

More SCSM pricing and cost advice

"The gap is limited, but it should limit the price back bracket so that most start-ups can use it most effectively."

"The solution costs INR 8400 per user."

"Zoho Desk's cost is pretty much okay."

"The product costs $10 to $25 per user per month."

"For what it does, it's quite cheap."

"Regarding pricing, it's 35 USD per user a year and 45 USD per user a month. Under the price, I have access to all Zoho products since it all falls under Zoho One's package."

"Price-wise, Zoho Desk is about 35 USD a month per user."

"The pricing is better than Zendesk. Zendesk charges in USD per user per month, whereas Zoho let us pay in Naira (Nigerian currency)."

More Zoho Desk pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Government

25%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Educational Organization

58%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Media Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about SCSM?

The solution offers good productivity at a low price point.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SCSM?

We acquired SCSM for free with our Microsoft Endpoint Manager purchase, and we only paid for the integration process.

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What needs improvement with SCSM?

From an admin point of view, Intune has more features and is easier to manage compared to SCCM. SCCM is a little complex for the admin point of view. Although some engineers at Microsoft are good, ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Zoho Desk?

The most valuable features of Zoho Desk are archiving queries and analytics.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zoho Desk?

The price point is a concern. The licensing model is quite easy, however, the pricing issue remains the main concern.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Zoho Desk?

The main concern is the pricing of Zoho Desk, as I consider it to be on the expensive side.

See all answers

Comparisons

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BMC Helix ITSM vs SCSM

Compared 17% of the time

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus vs SCSM

Compared 15% of the time

JIRA Service Management vs SCSM

Compared 10% of the time

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ServiceNow vs Zoho Desk

Compared 52% of the time

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus vs Zoho Desk

Compared 11% of the time

Freshdesk vs Zoho Desk

Compared 8% of the time

JIRA Service Management vs Zoho Desk

Compared 8% of the time

ManageEngine SupportCenter Plus vs Zoho Desk

Compared 7% of the time

More Zoho Desk Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

SCSM

March 2025

Download SCSM product report

Buyer's Guide

Zoho Desk

March 2025

Download Zoho Desk product report

Also Known As

System Center Service Manager

No data available

Overview

System Center Service Manager is a software product by Microsoft to allow organizations to manage incidents and problems. Microsoft states that the product is compliant with industry best practices such as the Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) and in the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). SCSM has integrated ITIL compliant fulfillment of service requests. Service requests are submitted by the end user in order to obtain information, access to a new application or the most common of all, password reset.

Microsoft

With Zoho Desk, agents become more productive, managers become more impactful, and customers become more empowered. It's customizable, convenient to use, and it doesn't cost you a fortune. Part of Zoho's 30-strong suite of business software, Zoho Desk brings you the power to put customer service at the heart of your company.

Zoho

Sample Customers

Fibabanka, UMC Health System

Intel, Sears, Daimler, Essilor, Aon Hewitt, Shop Your Way, CoffeeRocket

Buyer's Guide

SCSM vs. Zoho Desk

April 2025

Free Report: SCSM vs. Zoho Desk

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