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BMC Helix Platform vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX) comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 28, 2025

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

BMC Helix Platform
Ranking in IT Service Management (ITSM)
20th
Average Rating
7.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
OpenText Service Management...
Ranking in IT Service Management (ITSM)
9th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the IT Service Management (ITSM) category, the mindshare of BMC Helix Platform is 0.5%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OpenText Service Management (SMAX) is 2.3%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
IT Service Management (ITSM) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
OpenText Service Management (SMAX)2.3%
BMC Helix Platform0.5%
Other97.2%
IT Service Management (ITSM)
 

Featured Reviews

MohammedOmer - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Information Technology Support Analyst at Qatar Development Bank
Complies with industry standards but needs easier setup and better navigation
It depends on the tier level - for the front-end users, BMC Helix Platform is easy with minimal training required. For mid-tier and back-end, training is required as the product is vast and has many different capabilities that need to be learned to extend those capabilities into other platforms. The licensing should be simplified. The functionality of the product is divided into many versions, and offerings are not bundled. We have to obtain different modules, and that complexity can be standardized. The website doesn't have much information about offerings until you engage with them. More information should be clearly mentioned on their website and product sites regarding licensing. Product features and capabilities shown in their marketing materials are limited. Their PDFs focus heavily on TrueSight but don't emphasize outcomes and real offerings of features for ITSM or line of business service requests. They can provide template-based solutions for departments as functionality remains similar throughout different business verticals. Out-of-the-box offerings for service requests and catalogs for HR and admin departments could help expedite implementation and gain more momentum and trust from the market.
HiteshKumar - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Lead at Bharti AXA Life Insurance
Supports seamless ticket routing and team collaboration across departments
Maybe something in OpenText Service Management (SMAX) is not perfect. Some small changes could be done. There could be improvements in workflow changes. When a customer needs to change a workflow issue, we can change the workflow relationship accordingly. A customer might need a workflow where if I accept the permission, then close the ticket, and the escalated ticket is not directly assigned to anyone. Different scenarios require different workflow configurations.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable features of BMC Helix Platform for service delivery include Helix GPT, which uses AI and GPT within the enterprise service management space."
"BMC Helix Platform helps in digital transformation and internal workflows and processes being adopted from different departments in line of businesses."
"The BMC Helix Platform is perfect."
"It offers a range of tools for sales and configuration. It's like a business process improvement platform, suitable for various lines of business operations."
"The product provides an interface for the end users to make requests."
"The tool is very easy to use."
"The most valuable features of Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX) are that it is user-friendly, easy to configure, and adaptable."
"OpenText Service Management Automation X provides valuable features such as topic analytics for incident and problem management. It also includes natural language processing for analyzing technical descriptions. Additionally, it features a virtual chatbot capable of processing natural language to interact effectively with end users. This service enhances customer support and is not subject to the limitations often found in offerings from other vendors."
"The customization features are quite good, and we have a very good local vendor helping us in this regard."
"OpenText Service Management (SMAX) is effective for all sectors, such as IT and HR."
"This is a cordless application that can be used throughout any organization."
 

Cons

"To improve BMC Helix Platform, they could enhance the mobile experience."
"The cost of BMC Helix is very high, with an estimation of not less than $100,000 making it difficult for us to adopt the platform fully."
"We faced some stability issues with BMC Helix Platform's cloud version. Services and integration to AD weren't working properly at times."
"The solution lacks sufficient documentation."
"The reporting functionality is not the best as it is not easy to use."
"OpenText Service Management (SMAX) has some stability challenges that are crashable and not stable at times."
"The tool has negatively impacted our productivity."
"The product's connectivity with third-party products is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"The initial setup of Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX) is complicated, but once it is set up the configuration is straightforward to adapt to the users' or customers' needs."
"The contract management feature can be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Regarding the cost, it's not expensive for enterprises but can be costly for small to medium-sized businesses. I recommend implementing a pricing model tailored for small to medium businesses to attract a larger customer base. Approximately, the license cost is around sixty dollars per month."
"The solution is somewhat cheaper than the competitors."
"The cost of the license for SMAX varies depending on the configuration, including the number of seats for users and the customer's specific requirements. It's not a fixed cost and can vary."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Financial Services Firm
12%
Government
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
Healthcare Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise3
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for BMC Helix Platform?
In terms of cost for BMC Helix Platform, it falls in the middle range, rating about six or seven out of ten. It is less expensive compared to ServiceNow, which is very expensive.
What is your primary use case for BMC Helix Platform?
We are migrating to BMC Helix Platform, and we are also using BMC Control-M product, Control-M. We have seen their monitoring platform but haven't decided yet whether to choose Datadog. There is a ...
What advice do you have for others considering BMC Helix Platform?
A rating of five means it is difficult to set up. I recommend evaluating if BMC Helix Platform is really needed because it requires dedicated resources to manage. It is not suitable for non-technic...
What is your primary use case for Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?
OpenText Service Management (SMAX) is what I refer to when I say SMAX, and it is from OpenText. I work with OpenText Service Management (SMAX) and other tools. OpenText Service Management (SMAX) ca...
What advice do you have for others considering Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?
OpenText Service Management (SMAX) is effective for all sectors, such as IT and HR. OpenText Service Management (SMAX) is good, and I do not see any negative side. It is possible to discuss some ot...
 

Also Known As

No data available
OpenText Service Manager, Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)
 

Interactive Demo

Demo not available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Zurich Airport, Envirosuite, Norsk Helsenett, Achmea, University of Milan, World Vision, Petroleum Development Oman, Court of Justice of the Federal District and Territories (TJDFT).
Find out what your peers are saying about BMC Helix Platform vs. OpenText Service Management (SMAX) and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.