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BMC Helix Platform vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX) comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 19, 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)
23rd
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)
16th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the IT Service Management (ITSM) category, the mindshare of BMC Helix Platform is 0.3%. The mindshare of OpenText Service Management (SMAX) is 2.1%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
IT Service Management (ITSM)
 

Featured Reviews

MohammedOmer - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Evgeniy Kolotilov - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers a range of tools for sales and configuration that can be used in banks and telecom companies
The deployment takes three months. In this process, customers need to allocate resources like networks, data storage, and images. They then need to decide which business functions they intend to use in production and perform some basic configurations. Custom documentation is prepared and provided for user renewals and administration. I would rate the experience of the initial setup a nine out of ten.

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."
"The product provides an interface for the end users to make requests."
"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 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."
"This is a cordless application that can be used throughout any organization."
"The tool is very easy to use."
 

Cons

"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."
"To improve BMC Helix Platform, they could enhance the mobile experience."
"We faced some stability issues with BMC Helix Platform's cloud version. Services and integration to AD weren't working properly at times."
"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 tool has negatively impacted our productivity."
"The contract management feature can be improved."
"The solution lacks sufficient documentation."
 

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 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."
"The solution is somewhat cheaper than the competitors."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
No data available
 

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)?
The solution is used for the end-user portal. It is used for incident management, requests, and other informational purposes.
What advice do you have for others considering Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?
The tool is appropriate if we don't have a complicated use case. It is the right tool for simple use cases. It's a lot cheaper than ServiceNow. It is an appropriate tool for a smaller business or m...
 

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: June 2025.
858,038 professionals have used our research since 2012.