Cherwell Service Management [EOL] vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX) comparison

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Ivanti and OpenText are both solutions in the IT Service Management (ITSM) category. Additionally, 80% of Ivanti users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of OpenText users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 11, 2026

Cherwell Service Management EOL and OpenText Service Management SMAX are competitors in IT service management. Cherwell is favored for ease of use and cost-effectiveness, while OpenText SMAX stands out with advanced features and comprehensive capabilities, making it a choice for users needing advanced functionalities despite higher costs.

Features: Cherwell Service Management EOL offers customization, easy dashboards, and user-friendly workflows. OpenText SMAX provides advanced AI, automation, and predictive analytics for streamlined operations.

Room for Improvement: Cherwell could enhance its AI capabilities, integration options, and scalability. OpenText SMAX might improve its user interface, pricing transparency, and complexity in customization.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cherwell is known for straightforward deployment and responsive support. OpenText SMAX excels in cloud deployment and handles complex issues well, offering minimal downtime and consistent assistance.

Pricing and ROI: Cherwell generally has lower upfront costs and a notable ROI due to balanced affordability and functionality. OpenText SMAX involves higher initial investments but offers significant ROI over time with its extensive features and efficient operations.

To learn more, read our detailed IT Service Management (ITSM) Report (Updated: October 2026).

Buyer's Guide

IT Service Management (ITSM)

October 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

Nadeem K.

Rpa Developer at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

Automation has freed teams from repetitive finance and supply tasks and supports global operations

In the current organization, we had trouble initially because I think the documentation and support could be better than what it is now. This is one difference between Automation Anywhere and other RPA tools such as UiPath. In UiPath, if you have an issue, you go to the UiPath website and search for it, and you get lots of help materials. In Automation Anywhere, you do not get exactly what you are looking for. You get a very large number of results when you search for something, and from this large result set, you have to filter out what you need, or only partial information will be available. User handbooks are available for each product. In that regard, I would say Automation Anywhere is lagging compared to other RPA tools. It is difficult to get hold of their customer support team. I want to clarify that it is not a matter of us building logic on Automation Anywhere and it failing. When it is a product-related issue, they have to give us support because we only know how to develop within Automation Anywhere. We do not know how to fix Automation Anywhere itself. Whenever we have an issue, trying to get in touch with them always takes three to four business days.

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Thobile Moeketsi

Senior Manager at Sasria SOC Ltd.

Having everything in one location has significantly improved our efficiency and reporting

We need to be on VPN in order to set up and access the solution, and that has created some challenges. Even though it uses our Windows login, we still have to be on VPN. The product should be able to log tickets directly from system to system. We haven't got there yet and I'm not sure it's possible but it would determine the product's capability to integrate with other systems.

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HugoAlmeida

Head Of Delivery at Timestamp ITM

Centralized service processes have improved cross‑department visibility but reporting still needs work

The machine learning capabilities in OpenText Service Management (SMAX) are somewhat not published the way they should be. They work pretty well, but they are not used as much in the current experience of our customers. They have them; the solution has them, but they usually go a little bit below the radar in terms of visibility. I believe there is room for improvement when it comes to machine learning capabilities. OpenText Service Management (SMAX) has room to improve mainly on reporting components. The reporting components include dashboards, and while OpenText Service Management (SMAX) has a reporting module, it's somewhat limited, so I believe it has room to improve there, with more inclusion of artificial intelligence in the models and more in project management and portfolio management capabilities. We want to see better use and more functionalities enabled with the already existing capabilities such as AI and reporting in the next OpenText Service Management (SMAX) release, but one important thing we think should be included is a module for metrics, similar to Google Analytics, that focuses on the metrics of the tool usage. The module shouldn't just report on the components of OpenText Service Management (SMAX) but also track how the tool is used by end users, for example, what functionalities users utilize more frequently, the performance of those functionalities, and how long it takes them to open a ticket or log in, focusing on applicational monitoring metrics and performance management metrics.

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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 has helped us to save a lot of FTEs for our solutions that we have provided to our companies."

"The benefits we get from automation include faster and more accurate matching, running 24x7."

"Sometimes the customer will not provide any data. Using Automation Anywhere, we can easily automate to capture the customer data. Then, we can use that customer data inside the Cisco Unified Wire Voice Portal."

"The best features are the ease of use, the short learning curve, and the good support from our local partner."

"With Automation Anywhere, it will automate everything; it's smooth, effective, and very quick, making it easy to maintain websites and everything in the backend team while filtering out errors so everything is automated."

"I'd say the most impactful and heavily or commonly used ability of v11 and A2019 has been the ability to integrate other code types and operations within the process."

"The Excel operations are very good."

"We are getting some phenomenal straight through processing, so we took what would have taken 30 to 35 people and are able to do that a little bit more accurately with about six."

More Automation Anywhere pros

"Clear processes with transparent responsibilities led to more efficiencies within the teams."

"The dashboard is very useful to get a quick overview of current tasks."

"The best feature is the ability to create functional dashboards, where the IT manager can interact with its data through the dashboard using the drill down feature."

"The most valuable features are problem management and change management."

"We use the solution every day and quite extensively."

"Implementing CSM has made us very efficient and we're now able to plan changes and the steps required for implementation."

"All our activities are carried out in the one place."

"Its integration features, orchestration features, and discovery tools are the most valuable. It is also pretty stable, and it can be as scalable as you want."

More Cherwell Service Management [EOL] pros

"The most valuable features of Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX) are that it is user-friendly, easy to configure, and adaptable."

"This is a cordless application that can be used throughout any organization."

"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."

"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 tool is very easy to use."

"OpenText Service Management (SMAX) is effective for all sectors, such as IT and HR."

"I've used this kind of application for more than 20 years and from my perspective, SMAX is one of the best products on the market."

"The customization features are quite good, and we have a very good local vendor helping us in this regard."

More OpenText Service Management (SMAX) pros

Cons

"When it comes to stability, complex bots always have issues."

"However, there is a problem that arises with accuracy in the newer version."

"Some of the machine learning (ML) components are still in development. They deployed many of them, but they are doing some improvements on the machine learning part."

"They have incorporated many latest technologies, such as AI, and there is always scope to improve the processes and have more stability."

"Sometimes, in Automation Anywhere, the recording process takes longer when capturing tasks on websites or applications, and there can be internal errors."

"Its pricing definitely needs to be more competitive. When licensing costs are high, we cannot use this tool for automation."

"We are having some challenges when it comes to stability."

"Having fewer connection instances would make it more secure, more simple to troubleshoot, and possibly more flexible with the type of applications in use."

More Automation Anywhere cons

"Access is only available if we're on VPN."

"Agile delivery should be supported."

"They need to improve their mobile interface, as well as features regarding the extension of the mobile access to the end user."

"The solution could be more user-friendly."

"The support from the actual manufacturer is poor."

"Areas for improvement would be the service catalog and customer catalog, which is not very user-friendly. The shopping cart experience is also terrible - you submit and go straight to the cart, you can't continue shopping or see your overall cost."

"The stability, specifically in the on-premises deployment model, could be improved."

"We need to be on VPN in order to set up and access the solution, and that has created some challenges."

More Cherwell Service Management [EOL] cons

"The solution lacks sufficient documentation."

"The product's connectivity with third-party products is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"The reporting functionality is not the best as it is not easy to use."

"OpenText Service Management (SMAX) has room to improve mainly on reporting components. The reporting components include dashboards, and while OpenText Service Management (SMAX) has a reporting module, it's somewhat limited, so I believe it has room to improve there, with more inclusion of artificial intelligence in the models and more in project management and portfolio management capabilities."

"The contract management feature can be improved."

"OpenText Service Management (SMAX) has some stability challenges that are crashable and not stable at times."

"The tool has negatively impacted our productivity."

"SMAX lacks in integrations as well as written documentation."

More OpenText Service Management (SMAX) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is the most economically friendly and it provides you with a lot of functions."

"It is reasonable, but it can always be a little bit cheaper."

"The product’s pricing is reasonable."

"It depends. For example, for my group, we are centralizing the infrastructure in Paris. Our contract is signed with Automation Anywhere in France. The currency and the pricing of Automation Anywhere in France can appear beneficial and interesting for Germany and Scandinavian countries, but when we share our infra and are internally charging other countries such as Poland, Brazil, or some other country with a lower currency value as compared to Euro, it becomes less beneficial. They would prefer to sign the contract directly with Automation Anywhere because they will benefit from a price that is as per their local market."

"The major reason that we selected Automation Anywhere was the licensing model."

"The control room access gives the ability to create different roles, which helps when purchasing additional licensing."

"If we count the integrations that we have done with Appian, which is where a lot of our savings is from, we are well over a million dollars in savings. This is from only doing development for about a year and a half."

"IQ Bots are very costly. It's not a sustainable bot for us as of now. We will look for better, alternate options for that."

More Automation Anywhere pricing and cost advice

"For an ITIL user, the cost is probably about 50 bucks a 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

Outsourcing Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Outsourcing Company

11%

Construction Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Healthcare Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

13%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Outsourcing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	162
Midsize Enterprise	86
Large Enterprise	566

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	4

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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Ask a question

Earn 20 points

What is your primary use case for Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?

We mostly deal with OpenText Service Management (SMAX), Service Management, and UCMDB, the UD Discovery, Unified Disc...

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What advice do you have for others considering Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?

We are still working with OpenText and Splunk. I remember that Splunk is now with what Cisco AppDynamics bought. We a...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?

OpenText Service Management (SMAX) is okay, not expensive and not the cheapest. It is overall good.

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Automation Anywhere

November 2026

Download Automation Anywhere product report

Buyer's Guide

IT Service Management (ITSM)

October 2026

Cherwell Service Management [EOL] report

Download Cherwell Service Management [EOL] product report

Buyer's Guide

OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

October 2026

OpenText Service Management (SMAX) report

Download OpenText Service Management (SMAX) product report

Also Known As

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

No data available

OpenText Service Manager, Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)

Interactive Demo

Automation Anywhere

Demo not available

Ivanti

OpenText

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

Cherwell Service Management is designed to provide scalable and stable support for IT processes. Enhancing reporting and management interactions, it benefits departments with its integration features, knowledge base, and open architecture.

Cherwell Service Management simplifies task and resource management for organizations handling incident, problem, and change management. With its robust framework, hospitals manage clinical and non-clinical incidents, while integration options like Azure facilitate ITSM and CMDB discovery. The platform's strong reporting capabilities support recording incidents and changes, enabling diverse enterprise applications. Enhancements are needed in areas like agility support and JIRA integration.

What are the key features of Cherwell Service Management?

Dashboard: Offers quick task overviews for enhanced productivity.
Reporting Functionality: Simplifies data analysis and communication.
Self-Service Capabilities: Empowers users to resolve issues independently.
Integration and Orchestration: Ensures seamless connectivity with other tools.
Change Management: Provides stability in adapting processes.

What benefits should users consider when evaluating Cherwell Service Management?

Scalability: Supports growth and adaptation in IT environments.
Knowledge-Based Feature: Facilitates improved decision-making and compliance.
Functional Dashboards: Allow interactive data exploration through drill-down features.
Ease of Use: Open architecture benefits diverse departmental needs.

In hospitals, Cherwell Service Management handles both clinical and non-clinical incident management with integrations like ink cartridge tracking. Middle-sized teams increase efficiency in task management, while companies utilize its CMDB discovery for ITSM needs. Modernization is essential for mobile interfaces and VPN access, ensuring improved user interaction.

Ivanti

OpenText Service Management (SMAX) is a user-friendly platform tailored for ITSM and BPM activities with AI-driven chatbots, analytics, and low-code adaptability for efficient incident and problem management.

OpenText SMAX is designed to enhance business processes across departments, offering integration support through AI-enhanced features like chatbots and comprehensive analytics tools. Its robust orchestration and natural language processing capabilities make it a good fit for complex issue management and business improvement. While workflow customization can be challenging and integration documentation needs enhancement, its focus on visibility, low-code configuration, and adaptability serves diverse operational needs. SMAX supports both IT and non-IT implementations, facilitating ease of installation and integration with various tools such as UCMDB.

What key features does OpenText SMAX offer?

Easy Configuration: Low-code setup ensures swift deployment and changes.
AI-Enhanced Chatbots: Facilitates user interaction with better natural language processing.
Robust Analytics: Provides detailed insights through comprehensive dashboards and reports.
Orchestration Capabilities: Enhances process automation and visibility for business improvement.
Integration Support: Supports cross-departmental integration with tools like UCMDB.

What benefits should reviewers consider?

Adaptability: Easily configured to meet specific business demands.
User-Friendliness: Designed for intuitive use with enhanced chatbot interactions.
Comprehensive Analytics: Offers strong reporting tools for performance tracking.
Flexibility: Supports both IT and non-IT use cases with powerful orchestration.
Incident Management: Effective in handling complex problem management tasks.

OpenText SMAX is applied across sectors like banking and telecom, primarily for ITSM and BPM. It facilitates incident management through an end-user portal and integrates with UCMDB, supporting alert handling and management in regions such as Saudi Arabia.

OpenText

Sample Customers

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

Ausenco, Highlights for Children, B/E Aerospace

Zurich Airport, Envirosuite, Norsk Helsenett, Achmea, University of Milan, World Vision, Petroleum Development Oman, Court of Justice of the Federal District and Territories (TJDFT).

Buyer's Guide

IT Service Management (ITSM)

October 2026

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