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Customer Support · head to head

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus vs Salesforce

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus logo

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

Customer Support

IT help desk and ITSM software

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Salesforce logo

Salesforce

CRM

World's #1 CRM

From
$25/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus pricing structure based on per-technician model can become expensive for large teams; Salesforce sales Cloud tiers as captured 2 January 2024: Starter Suite $25/user/month, Professional $80/user/month, Enterprise $165/user/month, all USD billed annually
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus and Salesforce actually diverge.

Attributes where ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus and Salesforce differ
AttributeManageEngine ServiceDesk PlusSalesforce
Starting priceFree$25/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryCustomer SupportCRM
FoundedUnknown1999

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

Nothing recorded that Salesforce does not also cover.

Only in Salesforce

  • Contact management
  • Opportunity management
  • Lead management
  • Reports & dashboards
  • Email integration
  • Workflow automation
  • Mobile access
  • AppExchange

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

  • IT service desk for small to enterprise organizationsnot Salesforce
  • IT asset management and change managementnot Salesforce

Salesforce

  • Sales managementnot ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
  • Customer servicenot ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
  • Marketing automationnot ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
  • Lead generationnot ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
  • Analytics & reportingnot ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

  • Pricing structure based on per-technician model can become expensive for large teams
  • Asset management requires Professional tier or above, increasing costs for enterprises needing full inventory control
  • No explicit limit published for number of technicians, making cost projections difficult for scaling teams

Salesforce

  • Sales Cloud tiers as captured 2 January 2024: Starter Suite $25/user/month, Professional $80/user/month, Enterprise $165/user/month, all USD billed annually

Pricing, plan by plan

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

Free
  • Standard$13/monthly
    • IT help desk functionality
    • Per technician or administrator pricing
    • Unlimited IT end users
  • Professional$27/monthly
    • IT help desk
    • Asset management
    • Per technician pricing
  • Enterprise$67/monthly
    • IT help desk
    • Asset management
    • Change management

Salesforce

$25/month
  • Essentials$25/month
    • Account & contact management
    • Opportunity tracking
    • Lead management
  • Professional$80/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • Complete CRM
    • Lead scoring
  • Enterprise$165/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Workflow automation
    • Advanced analytics
  • Unlimited$330/month
    • Everything in Enterprise
    • Unlimited customizations
    • 24/7 support

Which should you pick?

Choose ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus if

  • You want to start without paying.
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus review

Choose Salesforce if

  • You need contact management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want opportunity management.
Salesforce review

Questions people ask

Is ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus or Salesforce better?
Neither clearly leads. ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus starts at Free and Salesforce at $25/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus or Salesforce?
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus and $25/month for Salesforce.
Does ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus or Salesforce run on more platforms?
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus runs on Web. Salesforce runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus for free?
Yes. ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Salesforce starts at $25/month.
What is ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus best used for?
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is most often used for it service desk for small to enterprise organizations, it asset management and change management. Of those, it service desk for small to enterprise organizations and it asset management and change management are not what Salesforce is typically brought in for.
What can ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus do that Salesforce cannot?
Salesforce covers Contact management, Opportunity management, Lead management, Reports & dashboards.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: How is pricing calculated for ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus?

Pricing is based on the number of administrators and technicians using the platform. There is no restriction on the number of IT end users. If you use IT asset management, you pay for the number of IT assets managed.

Source
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: Is there a free tier available?

Yes, the Standard edition is available free for up to 5 technicians. Free tier includes 250 IT assets managed and basic IT help desk features.

Source
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: What are the billing options?

ManageEngine offers both monthly and yearly billing options. Annual billing provides discounted rates compared to monthly. You can deploy on-premises or use cloud-based SaaS deployment.

Source
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