ITSM BASICS · RATED SEPTEMBER 2026
How much does an IT service desk cost? ITSM pricing and total cost in 2026
Last reviewed 27 September 2026 · Service Desk Compare reviewers
What does a 20-agent service desk cost at list price?
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| Vendor | Plan used | Why this plan | Price per agent per month | Annual for 20 agents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jira Service Management | Premium | First plan with change management | $51.42 | $12,340.80 |
| Halo | Single plan | All modules included | £66 (UK list) | £15,840 (GBP; US price not in page text) |
| ServiceDesk Plus | Enterprise | Change, problem and CMDB included without add-ons | from $67 | from $16,080 |
| SysAid | Professional | Change and problem on both plans | $89 | $21,360 |
| Freshservice | Pro | First plan with change management | $99 | $23,760 |
| monday service | Pro | Change management not documented; shown for reference | $45 | $10,800 |
| Zendesk (Employee Service) | Suite Growth | First plan with IT asset management; change not listed | $59 | $14,160 |
| ServiceNow ITSM | Not published | Not published | Not published | |
| Ivanti Neurons for ITSM | Not published | Not published | Not published |
monday service and Zendesk rows are not like-for-like: neither documents change management on the pages we read. Atlassian's pricing page uses a team-size calculator, so the per-agent price at 20 agents may differ from the $51.42 shown.
Which add-ons and caps change the total?
- AI add-ons: Freddy AI Copilot is $29 per agent per month on Freshservice, adding $6,960 a year for 20 agents (Freshservice Pro plus Copilot: $30,720).
Source: Freshservice pricing
- Module add-ons: ServiceDesk Plus sells problem, project and change and release management as add-ons at $1,195 a year each on Standard, and CMDB at $1,195 a year on Professional.
- The add-on route can be cheaper: ServiceDesk Plus Standard for 20 technicians is $3,120 a year at the from price, or $4,315 with the change and release add-on, if the $1,195 add-on price applies at that size. ManageEngine lists add-on prices as annual figures; confirm the basis for your technician count.
- Automation caps: monday service Enterprise lists 250K automation and integration actions per month.
Source: Jira Service Management pricing
Source: monday service pricing
- AI credits: JSM includes 250 Rovo credits per user per month on Standard, 700 on Premium and 1,500 on Enterprise.
Source: Jira Service Management pricing
- Portal limits: monday service includes portal access for 10 users on Standard, 100 on Pro and unlimited on Enterprise.
Source: monday service pricing
- Minimums: monday service requires three seats; SysAid Enterprise starts at 20 agents.
Source: monday service pricing
Source: SysAid pricing
- Currency: Halo's page text shows a UK list price in pounds; check the currency selector for your region.
Source: Halo pricing
What costs are not on the price page?
Implementation partners, data migration, CMDB population, integration work and the admin time to run the platform. For ServiceNow, 'High licensing and implementation costs' is among the most cited cons in its G2 reviews [G2 ServiceNow reviews]. Ask each vendor for a typical go-live time and admin headcount for a team your size (questions 13 and 15 on our buyer's checklist).
How should you compare quotes?
Put every quote on the same basis: the same agent count, annual billing, the plan that includes the ITIL practices you need in year two, AI included or priced separately, and the add-ons your CMDB and integrations require. Then add implementation and admin time. The list-price table above is a starting point, not a budget.
What do buyers ask about service desk cost?
How much does ITSM software cost per agent?
Published prices on 27 Sep 2026 run from free (JSM up to three agents, ServiceDesk Plus for two technicians) to $99 per agent per month (Freshservice Pro and Zendesk Suite Professional). ServiceNow and Ivanti do not publish prices.
What is the cheapest ITSM tool with change management?
Among plans that include change management without an add-on, Jira Service Management Premium ($51.42 per agent per month) has the lowest published price in our ranking. ServiceDesk Plus Standard plus its change and release add-on can cost less at list price; confirm the add-on price for your technician count with ManageEngine.
Why do ServiceNow and Ivanti not publish prices?
Both sell through quotes. Their pages we read show no ITSM price lists, so we score them 2 on pricing transparency.