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BMC Helix Discovery vs IFS Cloud Platform 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.3
BMC Helix Discovery boosts ROI by automating audits, reducing costs by 314%, and saving time through seamless integration.
Sentiment score
5.6
Users reported improved operations and financial reporting with IFS Cloud, seeing up to 4.5x ROI over 18 months.
BMC Helix Discovery has delivered a very good return, and we cannot stop using it at this moment.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.6
BMC Helix Discovery support is praised for knowledge and helpfulness, but users note delays and variable efficiency.
Sentiment score
5.8
Australian support is strong with expert consultants, but timeliness and service consistency vary, impacting resolution times and communication.
When opening a severity one ticket, they respond within four to six hours, which is commendable.
The response has been satisfactory, though improvements could be made in response time and overall competence.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
BMC Helix Discovery is scalable, integrates with various platforms, and supports hybrid cloud environments despite some storage challenges.
Sentiment score
7.8
IFS Cloud Platform is scalable for businesses of all sizes, though some face complexity in updates and dependency management.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.5
BMC Helix Discovery is praised for stability and reliability, though minor issues exist, with effective support and robust performance.
Sentiment score
8.0
IFS Cloud Platform is praised for stability and reliability, with rare downtime, and depends on client maintenance and setup.
In the past four to six years, I cannot recall encountering any bugs.
 

Room For Improvement

BMC Helix Discovery requires infrastructure, integration, user-friendliness improvements, enhanced query language, stability, automation, updates, and better pricing.
IFS Cloud Platform requires usability, integration, and support improvements, along with enhanced customization, AI, and simplified user experience.
It uses a Berkeley database, and the query language is not easy to master for performing complex queries.
I would like to see a lower price and better technical support.
There is not much available online, and the documentation availability is on the lower side compared to other products, especially Maximo.
 

Setup Cost

BMC Helix Discovery is cost-effective compared to competitors but involves complex licensing; understanding use cases optimizes investment.
IFS Cloud Platform offers competitive pricing, best for large enterprises, with scalable value similar to SAP and Oracle.
The price is about twelve per license per year, and the support is included.
 

Valuable Features

BMC Helix Discovery offers intuitive, agentless support, fast deployment, with AI-driven insights for effective IT operations management.
IFS Cloud Platform offers customizable pricing, robust integration, intuitive interface, and excels in enterprise management with adaptable features.
This is very useful for compliance as it helps in audits by providing a comprehensive view of all assets and software.
The best aspect of BMC Helix Discovery is its flexibility. You can perform scanning at any time, and it provides substantial data for extraction.
There are fewer fields on the user screen compared to other products.
 

Categories and Ranking

BMC Helix Discovery
Ranking in IT Asset Management
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
IFS Cloud Platform
Ranking in IT Asset Management
10th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
CRM (20th), Customer Experience Management (7th), Field Service Management (1st), Help Desk Software (12th), ERP (13th), Activity Based Costing Software (7th), Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) (2nd), Local Government CRM (8th), IT Service Management (ITSM) (11th), License Management (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the IT Asset Management category, the mindshare of BMC Helix Discovery is 7.9%, down from 8.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IFS Cloud Platform is 1.8%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
IT Asset Management
 

Featured Reviews

Fairoz Gadad - PeerSpot reviewer
Effortless network component identification, provides API details, and an easy setup
We need to discover anything in the network and ensure that the discovered data is moved into the CMDB for asset management The best part is that whenever there is an outpost or any particular network, it can identify servers, routers, switches, etc. It immediately understands which component it…
Brendan Fisher - PeerSpot reviewer
Robust, customizable, and modern
IFS is a very large and complex software, and implementation of IFS can be challenging and may lead to a difficult lengthy project. It can take between 12 and 24 months in some cases to deploy. I have found that not all clients are fully aware of how big the task is that they're undertaking when they make a decision to move to software like this. Companies need to be more aware of the complexity of an ERP implementation project and while I fully recommend moving to IFS, it is not easy and does require business change when adopting an ERP solution. New features are a difficult ask - I work across multiple industries and everyone would probably choose a different feature. Maybe BIM in Construction or Customs link-ups for importers/exporters.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which IT Asset Management solutions are best for your needs.
863,641 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
20%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Energy/Utilities Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about BMC Helix Discovery?
I like the artificial intelligence and machine learning that it uses in the solution. Because once the solution discovers all the assets, all the infrastructure, and all the dependencies between se...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for BMC Helix Discovery?
The price of BMC Helix Discovery is licensed by asset. It is challenging to maintain licenses, as every piece of equipment is considered a license. We pay attention to the growth of assets. The pri...
What needs improvement with BMC Helix Discovery?
The query language is somewhat challenging to learn. It uses a Berkeley database, and the query language is not easy to master for performing complex queries.
What do you like most about IFS Applications?
Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine or ten out of ten since it is an extremely scalable solution that can be used for various use cases with thousands of users.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IFS Applications?
The product is reasonably priced. The costs are justified by the value provided, considering the comprehensive features and minimal need for customization. I rate the pricing a seven out of ten.
What needs improvement with IFS Applications?
I am not able to recall much about batch. Documentation-wise, they need more. There is not much available online, and the documentation availability is on the lower side compared to other products,...
 

Also Known As

Discovery, ADDM, Atrium Discovery & Dependency Mapping
IFS Applications, Assyst, IFS Cloud
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Windstream Communications, News UK, Mercator Group, Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR)
China Airlines, Electrolux Group, Babcock, Cimcorp, Sky, Multiplex, Veolia. 
Find out what your peers are saying about BMC Helix Discovery vs. IFS Cloud Platform and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
863,641 professionals have used our research since 2012.