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OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) vs SolarWinds Service Desk comparison

OpenText and SolarWinds are both solutions in the IT Service Management (ITSM) category. OpenText is ranked #16 with an average rating of 7.3, while SolarWinds is ranked #30. OpenText holds a 2.1% mindshare in ISM, compared to SolarWinds’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 83% of OpenText users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.
OpenText Service Management...
Read 6 OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) reviews
  • 833 Views
  • 418 Comparison Views
83% willing to recommend
SolarWinds Service Desk
Read 1 SolarWinds Service Desk review
  • 291 Views
  • 115 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary
We performed a comparison between OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) and SolarWinds Service Desk based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about ServiceNow, Atlassian, ManageEngine and others in IT Service Management (ITSM).

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To learn more, read our detailed IT Service Management (ITSM) Report (Updated: April 2025).
Buyer's Guide
IT Service Management (ITSM)
April 2025
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Helped 850,747 peers since 2012

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

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
SolarWinds Service Desk
Ranking in IT Service Management (ITSM)
30th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.4
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the IT Service Management (ITSM) category, the mindshare of OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) is 2.1%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Service Desk is 0.5%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
IT Service Management (ITSM)
 

Featured Reviews

Mourad Ali - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers topic analytics for incident and problem management
The only challenge with Azure customers is when they have a specific requirement that is not available out of the box and is inflexible to adjust. Sometimes, customers have tough requirements that are not flexible enough to be adjusted, even if SMAX can provide a better alternative. They need this specific feature. This challenge is common with SMAX, BMC, ServiceNow, IBM, or other similar tools. When working with enterprise tools that are not developed in-house, I don't have access to the source code and am limited to the features and capabilities provided by the leading vendors. So, this challenge is common across SMAX, BMC, and ServiceNow. The solution could have more customization flexibility.
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BENDER BENEDICT - PeerSpot reviewer
A robust solution to automate and manage incidents and requests
The integration with other applications can use improvement because, for example, it was nearly impossible to integrate SolarWinds Service Desk with monday.com because we had to get an add-on from Zapier. The add-on allowed us to integrate with Jira Cloud Service, but we couldn't integrate completely and can only integrate with the project. I would also suggest that the incident and request management be separated on SolarWinds Service Desk. The solution's incident and request management feature are one of the core reasons why we had to migrate to Jira Service Management. It was difficult to filter incidents and requests. They are all compiled together in a single dashboard, which is not convenient for most of the users, especially the IT support person.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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 tool is very easy to use."
"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 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."
"The solution is very stable."
 

Cons

"The contract management feature can be improved."
"The solution lacks sufficient documentation."
"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 integration with other applications can use improvement because, for example, it was nearly impossible to integrate SolarWinds Service Desk with monday.com because we had to get an add-on from Zapier."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
8%
Educational Organization
53%
Computer Software Company
12%
Marketing Services Firm
5%
Construction Company
4%
 

Company Size

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

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?
The tool is very easy to use.
See all answers
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.
See all answers
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...
See all answers
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Comparisons

ServiceNow vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) Logo
ServiceNow vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX)
Compared 35% of the time
JIRA Service Management vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) Logo
JIRA Service Management vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX)
Compared 26% of the time
BMC Helix ITSM vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) Logo
BMC Helix ITSM vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX)
Compared 21% of the time
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) Logo
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX)
Compared 11% of the time
HaloITSM vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) Logo
HaloITSM vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX)
Compared 7% of the time
More OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) Competitors
ServiceNow vs SolarWinds Service Desk Logo
ServiceNow vs SolarWinds Service Desk
Compared 50% of the time
Samanage vs SolarWinds Service Desk Logo
Samanage vs SolarWinds Service Desk
Compared 50% of the time
More SolarWinds Service Desk Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
IT Service Management (ITSM)
April 2025
OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) reportDownload OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) product report
Buyer's Guide
IT Service Management (ITSM)
April 2025
SolarWinds Service Desk reportDownload SolarWinds Service Desk product report
 

Also Known As

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

Interactive Demo

OpenText
Demo not available
SolarWinds
 

Overview

OpenText™ SMAX is a SaaS-based solution that delivers a smart approach to IT and enterprise service management with built-in analytics, codeless configurations, and private generative AI chatbots.

OpenText SMAX delivers a smart approach to service management, with full capabilities for IT service management (ITSM), IT asset management (ITAM), and enterprise service management (ESM). Empower users to self-resolve common requests with private generative AI chatbots that offer human-like responses. Give your team what they need—ITIL best-practice templates, codeless configurations, and built-in AI and analytics for automating workflows, improving processes, and solving issues. With SaaS deployment, SMAX eliminates the hassle of installation, maintenance, and upgrade. What’s more, SMAX offers flexible and affordable licensing that adapts to your business needs and saves you money.

SMAX has a flexible and transparent pricing model that lets you change license allocations or add capabilities without costly surprises. Pricing starts at $79 per agent per month for a full range of processes and features that include a service portal, mobile app, AI, analytics, federated CMDB, ITSM, ESM, discovery, and orchestration. Visit the OpenText ITSM SaaS pricing page for details.

OpenText

Incident management consolidates, manages, and prioritizes incoming tickets.
Service catalog standardizes service request and fulfillment processes.
Fully integrated IT asset management compiles hardware, software, POs, and more.
Service portal for users to have a single place to submit tickets and requests.

SolarWinds
 

Sample Customers

Zurich Airport, Envirosuite, Norsk Helsenett, Achmea, University of Milan, World Vision, Petroleum Development Oman, Court of Justice of the Federal District and Territories (TJDFT).
Information Not Available
Buyer's Guide
IT Service Management (ITSM)
April 2025
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