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ServiceNow Discovery vs Zabbix comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

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
ROI from ServiceNow Discovery varies, influenced by efficiency, data use challenges, automation benefits, and implementation strategies.
Sentiment score
7.7
Zabbix's open-source approach offers high ROI by eliminating costs, enhancing system visibility, and reducing operational expenses.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.3
ServiceNow Discovery's support is inconsistent, ranging from responsive to inadequate, with reliance on community forums and documentation.
Sentiment score
7.0
Zabbix's support is praised for community assistance, responsiveness, expertise, and effective forums, with room for improvement noted.
It is so straightforward that I have never had to use the support.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.8
ServiceNow Discovery is scalable for diverse infrastructures with challenges in legacy apps and Google Cloud, impacting smaller entities' cost.
Sentiment score
6.9
Zabbix offers efficient scalability and performance for large enterprises, overcoming database and hardware challenges without costly licenses.
I would rate it as a nine on a scale of one to ten, indicating it is highly scalable.
Zabbix is very scalable and lightweight.
I would rate its scalability ten out of ten.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.2
ServiceNow Discovery is praised for its stability and reliability, performing well across updates with minimal issues when properly resourced.
Sentiment score
7.6
Zabbix is highly stable, reliable, and resource-efficient, though occasional configuration and tuning are needed, especially for databases.
 

Room For Improvement

ServiceNow Discovery needs improved integration, UI, pricing, cloud features, AI utilization, and support for ease and flexibility.
Zabbix's user interface and features need improvement, with insufficient scalability, modern workload monitoring, and inadequate documentation.
Improvements could include implementing chatbots to simplify ticket creation.
The only issue I can note is that it's Linux-based, and Linux documentation is not the best.
 

Setup Cost

ServiceNow Discovery is considered costly, but many users find its advanced features and automation worth the investment.
Zabbix is a cost-effective, open-source enterprise solution with no licensing fees, appealing for its affordability compared to competitors.
ServiceNow is considered more expensive compared to other products.
 

Valuable Features

ServiceNow Discovery offers seamless integration, service mapping, security, and accurate data insights, enhancing IT operations and change management.
Zabbix offers flexible, scalable open-source monitoring with strong customization, seamless API integration, and user-friendly features supported by robust documentation.
The workflows are beneficial as they allow tasks to be assigned to respective teams without the need for coding.
If disk usage surpasses a threshold, say 70%, I receive alerts and can take proactive action.
 

Categories and Ranking

ServiceNow Discovery
Ranking in Server Monitoring
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
41
Ranking in other categories
IT Asset Management (5th), Cloud Resource Discovery Services (1st)
Zabbix
Ranking in Server Monitoring
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
105
Ranking in other categories
Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (9th), Network Monitoring Software (1st), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (1st), Cloud Monitoring Software (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Server Monitoring category, the mindshare of ServiceNow Discovery is 5.0%, down from 5.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zabbix is 26.3%, up from 24.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Server Monitoring
 

Featured Reviews

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.
ASM Naushad Alam - PeerSpot reviewer
Allows any number of customizations but lacks functionality for finding root causes
We have not yet purchased the commercial version so have a lack of technical ability. We do not yet fully know the key points or key features of the solution. We just use what we use along with WhatsUp Gold. Based on our use only, stability is rated a seven out of ten.
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Server Monitoring solutions are best for your needs.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Comparison Review

it_user174738 - PeerSpot reviewer
May 31, 2015
Nagios vs. Zabbix vs. PRTG vs. Spiceworks vs. Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor
I have researched a quite a few network monitoring tools which can be used for various monitoring purposes of not only the servers, but the intermediate routers as well. There are majorly three types of these softwares. Ones which are completely open-source, you can do almost anything you want…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Healthcare Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Educational Organization
39%
Computer Software Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Manufacturing Company
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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 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.
What do you like most about Zabbix?
The template system in Zabbix is very beneficial as it saves time in configuration.
What needs improvement with Zabbix?
For me, Zabbix is very straightforward. I cannot think of any improvements needed. It's a very mature product. The only issue I can note is that it's Linux-based, and Linux documentation is not the...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

York, National Grid, DXC Technology, experian, BEACHBODY
1. IBM 2. Dell 3. Cisco 4. HP 5. Oracle 6. Microsoft 7. Amazon 8. Google 9. Facebook 10. Twitter 11. LinkedIn 12. Netflix 13. Adobe 14. VMware 15. Salesforce 16. SAP 17. Intel 18. AT&T 19. Verizon 20. T-Mobile 21. Vodafone 22. Ericsson 23. Nokia 24. Siemens 25. General Electric 26. Honeywell 27. Philips 28. Sony 29. Samsung 30. LG 31. Panasonic 32. Toshiba
Find out what your peers are saying about ServiceNow Discovery vs. Zabbix and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.