ServiceNow Discovery vs Tanium comparison

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ServiceNow Discovery

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 18, 2026

Tanium and ServiceNow Discovery are competitors in IT operations management. ServiceNow Discovery appears to have the upper hand due to its comprehensive features and broader integration capabilities that justify its price.

Features: Tanium provides rapid data collection, real-time endpoint management, and offers robust security and asset tracking. ServiceNow Discovery is known for its extensive integration, automation capabilities, and excels in comprehensive network data mapping and service-aware configuration management.

Room for Improvement: Tanium could improve in offering cloud-based options, simplifying its integration processes, and reducing initial setup complexity. ServiceNow Discovery can enhance its troubleshooting tools, expand its automation capabilities, and better support complex customizations for advanced users.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ServiceNow Discovery's cloud-based deployment simplifies setup but may require some learning. Its customer service is supportive and accessible. Tanium's on-premises deployment is more complex yet provides significant control once established, beneficial for security-focused environments.

Pricing and ROI: Tanium's higher initial setup cost brings substantial ROI through efficient IT asset management and threat protection. ServiceNow Discovery offers moderate setup costs with ROI through operational efficiency, reducing manual processes and enhancing integration capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed ServiceNow Discovery vs. Tanium Report (Updated: January 2026).

ServiceNow Discovery vs. Tanium

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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

ServiceNow Discovery

Ranking in Server Monitoring

4th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

IT Asset Management (6th), Cloud Resource Discovery Services (1st)

Tanium

Ranking in Server Monitoring

3rd

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Vulnerability Management (24th), Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (20th), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (21st), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (5th)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Server Monitoring category, the mindshare of ServiceNow Discovery is 3.2%, down from 4.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tanium is 4.5%, down from 7.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Server Monitoring Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Tanium	4.5%
ServiceNow Discovery	3.2%
Other	92.3%

Server Monitoring

Featured Reviews

Abhinay Sharma

Service Now Developer at Bangmetric services pvt ltd

Cloud discovery has improved asset visibility and reporting but still needs smarter automation

The impact of ServiceNow Discovery on my organization's strategic planning depends on various factors. Some customers have their own discovery tools which they do not want to switch from, even if we explain why ServiceNow might be better, because they have been using them for a long time. Some customers are dynamic, so we need to have some kind of proposition that comes with ServiceNow. Sometimes, we need to talk with ServiceNow people themselves to give them a bundle offer in which we can have Discovery and ITSM at a much more affordable price than the competitors, so that is our main goal. Currently, I would say there might be a possibility if we can use some AI discovery features that could be helpful for our organization. If we can get discovery jobs running based on AI schedules, that would be beneficial. I believe in the coming future that I want to see myself working more with ServiceNow in this capacity.

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Vignesh K

Infra Vulnarability Manager at Rezilyens

Immediate results in patching promptly address vulnerabilities

When working with Tanium, there are some older devices that haven't been patched for a long time, and certain patches are not included in Tanium. I have to search outside to download patches, create bundles, and then perform the task. It would be easier if Tanium provided the patches directly. Some other brands provide the patch with a direct download link, which facilitates the process. Also, I feel that if there were more detailed documents and remediations readily available online for troubleshooting, especially more up-to-date information, it would be beneficial. Currently, some resources online are very out-of-date.

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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

"It does a good job of collecting the data that's necessary for data centers, and IT's operations."

"I find that the Discovery and scripting features are the most useful."

"Most fields on our forms are auto-filled, reducing manual maintenance for our infrastructure team. Post Discovery implementation there is hardly any maintenance."

"We can scale the solution."

"We can find servers or services we were unaware of and stumble on vulnerabilities from those devices."

"The most valuable asset is relationship building because the solution discovers and builds auto relationships in a way that makes cleanup very easy."

"The service management and operations management modules are valuable."

"ServiceNow Discovery has normal discovery of CIs, as well as horizontal discovery for understanding Service Mapping."

More ServiceNow Discovery pros

"The security features are very valuable."

"The most valuable features of this solution are the consolidation of all historical data on device endpoints, security drivers, firmware, and Software version gaps."

"Tanium's most valuable features are patch management, inventory, and distribution software."

"Tanium’s best features include support for any Windows, Linux, or Mac endpoint, regardless of where it is, and the ability to do IT operations and security operations."

"Tanium's most valuable feature is its instant discovery aspect."

"I find the inventory and compliance features of Tanium to be the most impressive."

"The solution's technical support is very responsive."

"I'm not so familiar with the tool but I like the interaction of the console to the picture. Patching is the primary model I have been focusing on for the last couple of weeks. So I have created a proof of concept environment and have been checking the available features."

More Tanium pros

Cons

"Improvements could include implementing chatbots to simplify ticket creation."

"Improvements are required with the scripts used to collect the information from servers."

"I cannot tie CMDB at this stage with strategic planning regarding ServiceNow Discovery ability to maintain accurate data in CMDB."

"Whenever you try to discover something with the solution, you get errors that are not descriptive enough."

"Its integration with legacy apps is one area for improvement. ServiceNow Discovery offers out-of-the-box reports, and though that's okay, allowing easier report customization would improve the solution."

"The continuous improvement in the quality and customization of the product features would be beneficial, particularly as more customers rely heavily on its capabilities."

"The solution should improve the classes of discovery assets to disregard more junk data."

"The solution needs to improve the cost of the solution. There are a few different solutions and they do act the same and have the same types of capabilities, however, the cost is quite high."

More ServiceNow Discovery cons

"There are some bugs in the product. The tool needs to improve in the area of reporting."

"When working with Tanium, there are some older devices that haven't been patched for a long time, and certain patches are not included in Tanium. I have to search outside to download patches, create bundles, and then perform the task."

"Tanium’s scalability could be improved."

"Tanium required local admin or root rights on Mac devices, which did not comply with our security policies. This made the solution less suitable for our restrictive environment."

"When working with Tanium, there are some older devices that haven't been patched for a long time, and certain patches are not included in Tanium."

"Most of the time, agent-relative issues have to be more equipped with self-healing features. At times, the agent is there, but for some reason, it doesn't report a status. It gives certain problems that are obviously agent-based."

"The most painful thing is the interface. It's a bit unclear sometimes."

"The solution needs to improve the reporting and tracking capabilities."

More Tanium cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"The solution is very expensive."

"Setting up and licensing for ServiceNow can be expensive, especially for enterprise service management."

"I would rate the product's pricing a six out of ten. We had availed some discount from the standard pricing. Even then, the tool's pricing is expensive. You have to pay some vendor service fees for the product's implementation."

"ROI (Return on Investment) is good. ServiceNow don't disclose the price publicly. They'll assess your organization's needs and then come up with a price."

"It costs a lot. It is probably close to over a hundred thousand. It's an expensive platform, but you can't compare ServiceNow's Discovery functionality to other discovery tools. It's not an apples-to-apples comparison of ServiceNow to a configuration management tool to an asset management tool because it does those things, but it's not those things."

"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."

"It is an expensive product with a price that depends on the models that you wish to purchase."

More ServiceNow Discovery pricing and cost advice

"The solution offers value for money."

"The product's pricing differs from region to region depending on negotiations and the number of endpoints."

"There is an annual license required to use this solution."

"The solution is expensive but it's a good investment."

"It is higher than some competitors in the market."

"It's an expensive solution. It would be nice if the cost were lower."

"Tanium is a more expensive solution in Latin America than some of the competitors, such as BigFix."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Financial Services Firm

15%

Government

11%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	17
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	23

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	11

Questions from the Community

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 pricing information for ServiceNow Discovery was requested but not provided.

What needs improvement with ServiceNow Discovery?

A CMDB debugging tool to give indication about the errors that appear would be appreciated.

What needs improvement with Tanium?

While there is always room for improvement, I am pleased with Tanium.

What is your primary use case for Tanium?

The primary use case for Tanium ( /products/tanium-reviews ) is compliance, patching, and inventory as part of the core functions.

What advice do you have for others considering Tanium?

For smaller companies, Tanium is quite a big investment, and one needs to have a considerable setup to make it economically viable. I would recommend it to others with a similar use case. The solut...

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Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 4% of the time

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Trellix Endpoint Security Platform vs Tanium

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Product Reports

ServiceNow Discovery

Download ServiceNow Discovery product report

Download Tanium product report

Also Known As

No data available

Tanium Inc Cloud, Tanium XEM

Overview

ServiceNow Discovery finds applications and devices on your network, and then updates the CMDB with the information it finds. Discovery is available as a separate subscription from the rest of the Now Platform.

ServiceNow

Tanium offers robust endpoint protection, patching, and inventory management, consolidating the functions of tools like BigFix with capabilities in incident response, network security, and cloud or on-premise deployments.

Known for real-time capabilities, Tanium provides detailed analytics, security features, and device management. Users benefit from quick implementation, real-time updates, and patching campaigns. Despite its strengths, integration and custom plugin expansion remain areas to improve, along with data visualization and network optimization. Reporting enhancements and user training could advance its usability, and some UI elements may require updates for clarity and security.

What are the essential features of Tanium?

Detailed Analytics: Provides actionable insights for better decision-making.
Security Capabilities: Offers strong defense measures against threats.
Real-Time Queries: Facilitates immediate information access.
Patch Management: Streamlines software updates across devices.
Device Management: Efficiently handles comprehensive inventory and monitoring tasks.

What benefits should users expect?

Ease of Use: Simplifies complex IT tasks.
Scalability: Adapts to growing IT infrastructure needs.
Integration Flexibility: Merges with existing systems effortlessly.
Real-Time Updates: Ensures current data availability for informed actions.

Tanium's deployment spans industries focusing on endpoint protection and compliance, ensuring reliable device and server management in settings where safety and quick adaptation are critical. Organizations use it for application deployment, compliance checks, and integrating it as an EDR solution, enhancing overall security and operational efficiencies.

Sample Customers

York, National Grid, DXC Technology, experian, BEACHBODY

JPMorgan Chase, eBay, Amazon, US Bank, MetLife, pwc, Cerner, Delphi, MGM Grand, New York Life

ServiceNow Discovery vs. Tanium