BMC FootPrints Service Core vs ServiceNow comparison

Why PeerSpot?

BMC Helix and ServiceNow are both solutions in the IT Service Management (ITSM) category. BMC Helix is ranked #27, while ServiceNow is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.6. Additionally, 90% of BMC Helix users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of ServiceNow users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

ServiceNow and BMC FootPrints Service Core are competing products in the IT service management solutions space, with ServiceNow having the upper hand in pricing and support, while BMC FootPrints Service Core stands out for its comprehensive feature set, appealing to those seeking feature-rich solutions.

Features: ServiceNow offers a scalable cloud-based platform with strong workflow automation and robust customization capabilities, making it suitable for enterprises needing extensive process integration. BMC FootPrints Service Core features an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, customizable dashboards, and extensive reporting tools, which make it attractive for businesses focusing on adaptability and user-driven customization.

Room for Improvement: ServiceNow could improve by reducing its high initial setup costs, expanding flexible deployment options, and enhancing manual integration processes for businesses not prioritizing automation. BMC FootPrints Service Core may need to boost its cloud capabilities, streamline automation functionalities, and provide more comprehensive support options to compete effectively with its counterpart's automation and integration offerings.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ServiceNow offers a cloud deployment model known for swift implementation and consistent support, reducing infrastructure burdens. BMC FootPrints Service Core provides both on-premises and cloud options, offering flexibility in deployment and satisfactory customer service. ServiceNow facilitates a smoother setup process with significant support, whereas BMC’s versatile deployment options offer adaptability for varied infrastructure scenarios.

Pricing and ROI: ServiceNow typically involves higher initial setup costs but focuses on automation and integration that can lead to substantial ROI over time through reduced operational inefficiencies. BMC FootPrints Service Core presents more affordable upfront costs with ROI driven by its customizable features and adaptability. The primary pricing distinction lies in ServiceNow's long-term efficiency gains versus BMC's cost-effectiveness and feature-driven ROI outlook.

To learn more, read our detailed BMC FootPrints Service Core vs. ServiceNow Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

BMC FootPrints Service Core vs. ServiceNow

September 2026

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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

Automation Anywhere

Featured Reviews

Venkat Sivaprakash

Management Consultant at Accenture

Has significantly improved document-driven workflows and reduced processing time across finance and HR functions

Automation Anywhere has evolved significantly and upgraded itself to provide agentic AI and AI-based automation solutions for document automation. The product has matured considerably over time. We can create workflows that can call an API. We can include prompts in particular workflows for ChatGPT-related functions, connecting to an LLM and RAG to perform tasks. For document automation, modern features are available to train documents, ensuring high accuracy and repeatability over time. The system is very easy to use. I recently completed a course in document automation, typically designed for people involved in coding and technical aspects. Though I understand coding comprehensively, I don't do actual coding. The course was very accessible. Currently, extensive coding isn't necessary due to the hybrid model incorporating GenAI aspects, low-code, no-code capabilities, APIs, and numerous pre-built objects in Automation Anywhere. The features include GenAI-driven prompting methods and workflow creation capabilities. In these workflows, we can create decision boxes and call APIs without coding. We simply pull objects, drop them, connect them, and add minimal coding when needed. The most crucial aspect isn't coding but rather sizing the automation and fleshing out the details. Automation Co-pilot takes notes and performs automated analysis. It can extract details from videos, summarize conversations, and provide detailed information. During calls, it identifies instructions and performs tasks such as preparing reports and reconciliation. Automation Anywhere can also connect with Microsoft Co-pilot. Through Co-pilot, real-time operations can be executed, allowing direct interaction between vendors and automation through this component.

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reviewer1765752

System Engineer at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees

A flexible, comprehensive, integrated IT service and asset management platform with good technical support

We use BMC FootPrints Service Core to manage network issues, infrastructure issues, software issues, and ERP. We also use it to manage our facility. So, we do some work orders and also use it as an extra ticketing system Technical support is good. It would be better if it were more…

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Hemanthreddy Vakiti

Junior Data engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

Structured workflows have improved SLA compliance and now support prioritized incident handling

I think the licensing and pricing of ServiceNow is quite expensive compared to other tools. For large organizations, it is acceptable, but specifically for small and medium organizations to track incidents or change requests, ServiceNow is quite expensive. Sometimes performance can be slow when workflows and integrations are configured for complex tasks. For advanced customizations or advanced features which we rarely use, the documentation is not up to standard. The documentation needs to be improved for advanced customization features. However, the platform is stable overall and the features are quite good. The user experience and performance concerns I mentioned are areas I want to be improved. When many workflows and interactions are configured, performance is slow. For the features it is providing, it is quite expensive. If these performance features are improved, we can easily pay that price and get the return on investment.

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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 is a great company with a great product and support."

"Automation Anywhere has a drag-and-drop feature eliminating the need for extensive coding."

"So far, we have seen that a valuable feature of Automation Anywhere is the ease of integrating it with multiple systems. It can very easily integrate with an environment of an organization. It helps in a quick go to access and implementation. You don't have to spend days implementing Automation Anywhere software. You can quickly go drag and drop and do an ease of configuration. You can actually get your bot up and running very fast, which is one important advantage."

"This solution is valuable because it can automate tasks which would otherwise be left for us to process manually."

"What Automation Anywhere does exceptionally well is allowing users—especially those without a technical background—to navigate easily, and if you know how to work with Excel or Word, you can simply type commands in plain English like 'save Excel' or 'open Excel' to find the corresponding actions."

"One of the most valuable features is the error handler, as this command has helped me design bots that can handle multiple errors and exceptions."

"Automation Anywhere is excellent for integrating with other solutions. It provides the ability to leverage the APIs of third-party solutions. We use some of the already built-in MetaBots to then scrape the data and manipulate independent data that we need in order to integrate with other third-party solutions."

"AA has improved our digital strategy extensively and provided the required leverage to place ourselves above other peers in the O&G Industry. We were able to develop quick digital solutions by demonstrating the ROI and gain momentum by aligning the desired resources & budget from leadership."

More Automation Anywhere pros

"Implemented system-wide process for approving and tracking "employee move" requests for over 15,000 employees."

"Now all IT related issues, problems, changes and even projects are more controlled using Footprints."

"Having a one stop shop for linked assets and tickets has improved end user adoption and led to a reduction in phone/email tickets."

"I think the most important feature is the ability to receive valuable ticket status support in a timely manner with little to no downtime interruptions."

"It's extremely stable; we've got customers who are mobile telecommunication customers, hospitals, power companies, and an airport, and we can handle the volume with no interruptions where instability would really be unacceptable."

"This is certainly a solution that I recommend for big enterprise."

"I like the fact that FootPrints is a relational database, so every item in the database can be linked to another. This helps create history and audit trails for each CI."

"We use BMC FootPrints Service Core to manage network issues, infrastructure issues, software issues, ERP, and our facility, using it for work orders and as an extra ticketing system."

More BMC FootPrints Service Core pros

"It's a pretty complete platform that you can basically create whatever you want."

"I like the adaptability and the flexibility of the tool."

"It's a great tool."

"The biggest feature is that it is cloud-based, so it's always updated, it's always current; we don't have to worry about patches or revisions because we're always working with the latest version and the features continue to improve."

"ServiceNow has helped improve our organization by making it more efficient, freeing up 30% of our human resources that can be utilized on other tasks, and the solution has added value to the company."

"ServiceNow gives us a lot for free: workflows, organizational structures, service portal, forms, reporting, disaster recovery, and so on."

"The subsequent chain of tasks, I believe, is valuable."

"I don't have to look through a whole bunch of other incidents that aren't relevant to me. It's very useful in that sense."

More ServiceNow pros

Cons

"Cloud was one of the features we wanted to see, because it makes it much easier. The second feature is ease of use in terms of agnostic operating system."

"When we try to process structured documents but with some little pen marks, improper partitions, or faded documents, IQ Bot fails to extract data properly out of them."

"I would like to see more complex use cases coming out for our industry."

"There is a small thing from a development point of view. There should be a static site box for finding any command if I am writing a code. If there are hundreds of functions, you can only scroll up and down to find one each one. There should be a site box where we can find the commands and easily use them."

"The bot creation process is straightforward in some ways and complicated in others. You can get your initial stuff laid out really quick, but then putting in your exception handling is more time consuming."

"I would like to leverage the AI component without the requirement to know a coding language, such as Python."

"Object cloning is a component of the solution that seems to be unstable, as it apparently stops working for no reason."

"The initial deployment and onboarding process was somewhat difficult, but once things stabilized, the experience became excellent."

More Automation Anywhere cons

"Sometimes it is difficult to make the application do exactly what you need."

"It would be better if it were more user-friendly. The reporting part in the version we have is a little complicated. It takes too long to build and report. It would also be better if there were another way to manage notifications."

"The pricing could be a little lower and the product should cover more iTel versions."

"To improve the product for our usage, the pricing maybe could be a bit lower."

"It is pretty clunky and not very intuitive. Even though I have used it for many years, I don't think it is a very good ITSM platform in general. In the telecom space, a lot of telco providers use this solution, but from my perspective, it is not very user friendly. It is a bit more laborious. There are still too many human touchpoints. There can be a little bit more automation. It would also be good to integrate it with other tools. Integration is quite difficult, especially in the telco space."

"The workflow should be made to be more user-friendly. It should also have more granular scalability."

"We need more customizable reporting functionality. We could also use more collaboration of service desk tickets. This will allow for two departments to share the same information, track the progress of the total task scope no matter how complex the request is."

"Reporting could be improved along with the option to create more fine tuned reports and to create specific fields for each type of ticket."

More BMC FootPrints Service Core cons

"It became kind of complex to set it up without a general lack of knowledge of the particular feature-function capabilities. Features and capabilities could have been explained better to the end-users."

"A new user does need training or time to learn the solution before jumping in. It was very hard in the beginning to understand everything. I couldn't find the models I needed at the time."

"ServiceNow is not meeting our expectations. The contract module is quite rudimentary and doesn't support contract line items, which are subdivisions of contracts in VA."

"While ServiceNow has many options, the number of options can sometimes be confusing regarding where to click or how things work, as it is based on configuration provided by the administrator."

"I would like to see more functionality in terms of custom workflows, not impacting the overall platform health."

"We have customized so much, so I think that might have contributed to the learning curve for me, just figuring out where the organization had put things and what terminology they use and where to look for certain things."

"From a configuration/discovery perspective, how you map your infrastructure and the relationship — that could be improved in a sense to make it simpler."

"It would be nice if we could, with some specific access rights, move histories from one squad to another, as they generate dependencies or duplicate or flag them."

More ServiceNow cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Automation Anywhere is expensive, making it suitable only for enterprise organizations."

"Automation Anywhere is expensive, making it more suitable for enterprise organizations."

"The enterprise version is expensive for small businesses and individual users."

"The Community Edition is a good offering from the company."

"Its price is competitive with all other products in the market."

"When you compare the cost of Automation Anywhere with UiPath and Blue Prism, those others are much less. Licensing-wise, UiPath wins the deal."

"I'm not sure what the monthly licensing cost is, as that is taken care of by another team, but I would say it's around $100,000."

"We just did a round of price comparison on a global scale and found it's so hard to compare the license prices. But, Automation Anywhere, in general, is on the same price level as the other vendors, a bit lower in some cases."

More Automation Anywhere pricing and cost advice

"Cost was on par with other service desk products, and well below Remedy, while still being a BMC product."

"This solution has good pricing."

"Our costs are well over $250,000."

"The licensing for FootPrints is a perpetual license with an annual support fee."

"I know that it's not too bad because people continue to use it and they are happy to renew up their contract."

"While the option exists to pay for a monthly license, we are dealing with large enterprises and these typically involve multi-year licenses of ten or five years, at a minimum."

"The solution is priced for medium to enterprises sized businesses. However, it is expensive compared to competitors."

"The first impact for the customer is that it is expensive, but do not forget that it is a solution that includes infrastructure; a single cost, easy to justify."

"It is fairly expensive."

"In Tunisia, the companies find the licensing costs to be expensive."

"I'm not aware of any additional costs. I'm pretty sure that the current client is paying just the licensing fee per user. I do know that they've got some support agreement with ServiceNow, but I don't think that is broken out or specific to Project Management. It is just inclusive."

"Isn't pricing always too much? We really do chafe at the ITIL licensing. ITOM is also pretty expensive."

More ServiceNow pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Construction Company

20%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Outsourcing Company

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	161
Midsize Enterprise	82
Large Enterprise	560

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	57
Midsize Enterprise	35
Large Enterprise	179

Questions from the Community

How good is Automation Anywhere for RPA processes?

It depends on your use case. Is it simply to automate a couple of processes? Is it to augment a human team? AA is ver...

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How good is Automation Anywhere for RPA processes?

From my experience using AA tool, it depends on the applications that you want to automate, because there some applic...

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How good is Automation Anywhere for RPA processes?

It is a highly preferred RPA tool. You can check my Automation Anywhere Review to know more.

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Which solution is better for developing non-ITSM applications: OutSystems or Service Now?

The short answer is that OutSystems is far better for 2 main reasons. Firstly, with Service Now you are locked into t...

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Would you choose ServiceNow over Microsoft PowerApps?

Hi Netanya, I will choose ServiceNow because ServiceNow is a very good tool compared to Microsoft PowerApp. Because ...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ServiceNow?

ServiceNow operates on a subscription-based pricing model with custom pricing based on modules, users, and business r...

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Comparisons

UiPath Platform vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 11% of the time

Blue Prism vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft Power Automate vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 5% of the time

AutomationEdge vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 3% of the time

Appian vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 2% of the time

More Automation Anywhere Competitors

BMC Helix ITSM vs BMC FootPrints Service Core

Compared 14% of the time

Rezolve.ai vs BMC FootPrints Service Core

Compared 12% of the time

Zendesk vs BMC FootPrints Service Core

Compared 4% of the time

TOPdesk vs BMC FootPrints Service Core

Compared 4% of the time

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus vs BMC FootPrints Service Core

Compared 3% of the time

More BMC FootPrints Service Core Competitors

IBM Maximo Application Suite vs ServiceNow

Compared 7% of the time

BMC Helix ITSM vs ServiceNow

Compared 4% of the time

Zendesk vs ServiceNow

Compared 4% of the time

JIRA Service Management vs ServiceNow

Compared 3% of the time

Freshservice vs ServiceNow

Compared 3% of the time

More ServiceNow Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Automation Anywhere

September 2026

Download Automation Anywhere product report

Buyer's Guide

IT Service Management (ITSM)

September 2026

Download BMC FootPrints Service Core product report

Buyer's Guide

ServiceNow

August 2026

Download ServiceNow product report

Also Known As

Automation Anywhere, Testing Anywhere, Automation Anywhere Enterprise, Agentic Process Automation System (Now Certified for WorkSpaces)

FootPrints Service Core

No data available

Interactive Demo

Automation Anywhere

Demo not available

BMC Helix

Demo not available

ServiceNow

Overview

Automation Anywhere offers ease of use, robust system connectivity, and GenAI-driven document automation through a cloud-native platform, significantly enhancing productivity across multiple industries with advanced AI features.

Delivering a comprehensive suite of tools designed for easy integration and rapid deployment, Automation Anywhere drives efficiency by reducing costs and automating repetitive tasks. Its cloud-native platform supports broad industry adoption, including advanced AI features like process automation and Co-Pilot, streamlining complex workflows with minimal technical skills required. Users benefit from robust integration capabilities, which facilitate seamless interaction with multiple systems. However, there is room for improvement in areas such as user-friendliness for beginners, stability, flexible licensing, and enhanced OCR functionality. Organizations in sectors such as banking, finance, manufacturing, and healthcare gain from the improved operational efficiency and ROI Automation Anywhere offers.

What are the important features of Automation Anywhere?

Ease of Use: Simplifies automation tasks with a user-centric interface.
Robust Connectivity: Provides seamless integration with multiple systems.
GenAI-Driven Document Automation: Leverages AI to automate document management.
Process Automation & Co-Pilot: Enhances workflow automation with advanced AI.
Cloud-Native Platform: Enables rapid deployment and integration.

What benefits should be evaluated in reviews?

Time Savings: Automation drastically reduces manual processing time.
Cost Efficiency: Decreases overall operational costs by automating tasks.
Productivity Enhancement: Streamlines workflows with AI-driven tools.
Improved Integration: Enhances ability to work with multiple systems.
Scalability: Supports growth with a flexible cloud-native architecture.

In the insurance industry, Automation Anywhere is utilized for automating processes such as enrollment management and compliance checks. Its applications extend to supply chain management, financial transactions, and business performance monitoring across sectors like banking, finance, manufacturing, and healthcare, helping organizations to automate routine tasks, improve efficiency, and reduce costs.

Automation Anywhere

BMC FootPrints Service Core is a comprehensive tool that aids in incident, problem, and change management while offering customizable views and integration options.

Valued for its customizable home views and flexible database relations, BMC FootPrints Service Core excels in stability and responsive technical support. With capabilities for email automation, survey integration, and report creation, it enhances IT service management and business process efficiency. The solution supports ticket status updates with minimal downtime and accommodates multiple administrators across workspaces. Pink Elephant certification and smart IT features broaden its appeal for IT departments.

What are the key features of BMC FootPrints Service Core?

Incident Management: Tracks and resolves service desk tickets efficiently.
Problem Management: Identifies and mitigates underlying issues to prevent recurrence.
Change Management: Helps assess and handle changes seamlessly in the environment.
Customizable Views: Offers tailored dashboards for user-specific information.
Email Automation: Facilitates swift communication and response handling.

What benefits or ROI should users look for in reviews?

Stable Performance: Ensures reliable operation for consistent IT services.
Responsive Support: Provides timely technical assistance to resolve issues.
Administrative Flexibility: Allows versatile control across different workspaces.

In industries like IT services and HR, BMC FootPrints Service Core supports managing service desk tickets, tracking assets, and resolving issues in network, infrastructure, and software areas. Its functionalities also extend to HR issue tracking, service requests, and contract management, facilitating both on-premises deployments and ITIL process implementations such as Service Request and Service Catalog Management.

BMC Helix

ServiceNow offers customizability and cloud-based integration that sustains operational efficiency. Enabling change and incident management, it accelerates workflow automation and project management without downtime issues, serving deployment needs for IT service and productivity enhancements.

ServiceNow stands out with its adaptable workflows and cloud-native infrastructure, boosting IT service, project, and asset management. Known for its robust incident and change management, the platform addresses business needs through its user-centric design and extensive integration options. By facilitating seamless IT operations and automation, ServiceNow empowers businesses to enhance productivity and efficiency. Regular updates ensure users benefit from the latest features without service interruptions, although pricing and licensing complexities demand attention. Users seek improved reporting tools and a more intuitive design while expressing interest in refined mobile functionality and better documentation.

What are the key features of ServiceNow?

Customizability: Enables tailored workflows to align with business processes.
Cloud-Based Integration: Allows seamless updates and operational sustainability.
Incident and Change Management: Supports efficient handling of IT-related issues.
Automation Capabilities: Automates repetitive tasks, enhancing productivity.
User-Friendly Design: Simplifies navigation and improves user interaction.
Comprehensive Reporting: Provides detailed insights for better decision-making.

What benefits and ROI should users anticipate from ServiceNow?

Improved Efficiency: Streamlines processes and reduces manual efforts.
Enhanced Productivity: Automates tasks, enabling focus on strategic initiatives.
Seamless Operations: Integrates across departments for unified management.
Effective IT Management: Smooth incident, change, and problem resolution.
Cost and Time Savings: Reduces operational costs through efficient workflow management.

ServiceNow finds implementation across industries like IT, HR, asset management, and help desks, addressing ticketing and configuration needs. Businesses use its dashboard for tracking performance metrics, enhancing decision-making in departments like HR service delivery. Its adaptability also makes it suitable for industries requiring robust operational management and process automation, driving efficiency and growth.

ServiceNow

Sample Customers

Google, Linkedin, Cisco, Juniper Networks, DellEMC, Comcast, Mastercard, Quest Diagnostics

Cast & Crew

AAA, AstraZeneca, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Broadcom, Christus Health, Epicor, Equinix, GE Capital, Intuit, KPMG, Loyola Marymount University, OshKosh, Quantas, RedHat, Royal Bank of Scotland, Swiss Re, U.S. Department of Energy, Safeway, Yale University, and Zillow

Buyer's Guide

BMC FootPrints Service Core vs. ServiceNow

September 2026

Free Report: BMC FootPrints Service Core vs. ServiceNow

Find out what your peers are saying about BMC FootPrints Service Core vs. ServiceNow and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.

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