# Best Configuration Management Tools - Page 8 *By [Adam Crivello](https://research.g2.com/insights/author/adam-crivello)* Configuration management tools track changes to applications and their infrastructure to ensure that configurations are in a known and trusted state, and configuration details don’t rely on tribal knowledge of the development team. Configuration management software provides an accurate historical record of the system state, which is helpful for project management, auditing, and debugging. These tools increase efficiency and stability and visibility into changes that occur in an application and streamline a company’s change control process. These platforms also integrate with version control systems, software testing products, bug-tracking tools, and other software development tools. To qualify for inclusion in the Configuration Management category, a product must: - Record the status and changes to configuration items - Automatically configure systems to their desired state through configuration files - Track defects back to their original source, typically through version control systems - Capture release versions and keep a snapshot of a system’s current state - Be capable of rolling back configurations to previous snapshots --- ## What Are the Most Common Questions About Configuration Management Tools? *AI-generated · Last updated: May 26, 2026* ### What is the best Configuration Management platforms for DevOps engineers reducing manual effort in large IT environments? Based on G2 reviews, [ServiceNow IT Service Management](https://www.g2.com/products/servicenow-it-service-management/reviews) stands out most often for large, process-heavy environments where teams want to reduce manual effort. Reviewers consistently mention centralized workflows, automation for routing and approvals, strong incident and change processes, and broad integrations that replace scattered tools and email-based coordination. According to verified users, it helps standardize work across teams, improve visibility, and handle enterprise-scale service operations from one platform. G2 reviewers also mention that while it is powerful and highly configurable, setup and administration can become complex over time, especially when CMDB design, custom workflows, or reporting needs grow. ### Which Configuration Management platforms show the highest sustained adoption rates after initial rollout? Based on G2 reviews, the clearest signals of sustained adoption come from products reviewers describe as embedded in daily operations after rollout. ServiceNow IT Service Management is repeatedly described as a central platform for incident, change, request, and CMDB-related work, with users noting long-term use, broad workflow coverage, and continued relevance as teams scale. Freshservice also shows signs of durable adoption, especially where teams want a centralized portal, automation, and asset visibility without as much complexity. According to verified users, Right Click Tools also earns strong repeat use in endpoint-heavy support environments because it shortens common troubleshooting and deployment tasks. Across reviews, ongoing use is tied to automation, visibility, and fit with existing workflows. **Here are some of the top-rated products on G2:** - [ServiceNow IT Service Management](https://www.g2.com/products/servicenow-it-service-management/reviews) – used across incident, change, request, and CMDB workflows as a central long-term operations platform - [Freshservice](https://www.g2.com/products/freshservice/reviews) – adopted for centralized service requests, asset visibility, and workflow automation across teams - [Right Click Tools](https://www.g2.com/products/right-click-tools/reviews) – relied on daily for fast endpoint actions, remote support, and bulk device tasks ### Which Configuration Management platforms minimize downtime and ensure business continuity for IT departments? Based on G2 reviews, ServiceNow IT Service Management is most often associated with reducing operational disruption through centralized incident, change, and service workflows. Reviewers mention faster routing, better visibility into affected services, stronger audit trails, and CMDB-linked impact analysis that help teams respond more consistently. BackBox is also frequently connected to business continuity because users describe automated backups, versioning, restore readiness, and compliance checks for network devices. According to verified users, Freshservice helps standardize request and incident handling while improving response times and accountability. G2 reviewers mention that the common thread is centralization and automation, though setup effort can vary depending on environment complexity. **Here are some of the top-rated products on G2:** - [ServiceNow IT Service Management](https://www.g2.com/products/servicenow-it-service-management/reviews) – helps teams route incidents, manage changes, and use CMDB context to reduce service disruption - [BackBox](https://www.g2.com/products/backbox/reviews) – automates network backups, restore readiness, and compliance checks to support recovery and continuity - [Freshservice](https://www.g2.com/products/freshservice/reviews) – centralizes incidents, changes, and service activity to improve response consistency and visibility ### What should IT systems administrators evaluate when choosing Configuration Management for incident resolution? Based on G2 reviews, IT systems administrators should focus on how well a platform connects incident handling to configuration data, automation, and day-to-day usability. G2 reviewers mention the value of centralized ticketing, clear workflows, asset or CMDB relationships, and reporting that helps identify recurring issues and affected services. According to verified users, products are especially useful when they speed routing, improve visibility, and reduce manual coordination between teams. Reviewers also repeatedly call out setup complexity, customization overhead, and reporting limitations as practical buying factors. For incident resolution specifically, buyers should examine how easily the tool supports triage, root-cause investigation, ownership tracking, and change management without becoming overly difficult to maintain. ### What Configuration Management software relied on daily by DevOps engineers in large enterprise operations? Based on G2 reviews, daily reliance in larger environments tends to center on products that become part of operational routines rather than occasional projects. ServiceNow IT Service Management is described as a daily system for tickets, change workflows, CMDB-linked visibility, approvals, and reporting across enterprise teams. Right Click Tools is also mentioned as a frequent-use option for endpoint troubleshooting, software deployment, policy actions, and remote support tasks. According to verified users, BackBox is used consistently for scheduled backups, device configuration management, and automated network operations. G2 reviewers mention that tools earn daily use when they centralize repetitive work, reduce task switching, and let teams act quickly across many systems without depending on manual follow-up. ### What Configuration Management software that makes device management easier and quicker for IT operations teams? Based on G2 reviews, Right Click Tools is most directly associated with making device management faster for IT operations teams. Reviewers repeatedly describe one-click actions, bulk device operations, remote software installs, policy runs, client troubleshooting, and access to system information without jumping across multiple tools. According to verified users, these capabilities help shorten common support workflows and reduce repetitive administrative steps. ServiceNow IT Service Management is also mentioned for broader coordination around assets, tickets, and service workflows, while BackBox is cited for automated management of network device backups and configuration changes. G2 reviewers mention that ease improves most when a product puts routine actions, visibility, and automation in one place. ### What is most trusted Configuration Management by DevOps engineers and IT systems administrators based on user reviews? Based on G2 reviews, trust appears strongest around products users describe as dependable for critical operational workflows, visibility, and repeatable automation. ServiceNow IT Service Management is frequently trusted for incident, change, request, and CMDB-driven processes in larger organizations, especially where auditability and service consistency matter. Right Click Tools earns trust for fast endpoint actions and practical day-to-day support work, while BackBox is trusted for backup reliability, version control, and network automation. According to verified users, trust also comes from responsive support and predictable outcomes, not just broad feature depth. G2 reviewers mention that confidence drops when tools become difficult to configure, harder to troubleshoot, or less transparent in reporting and customization. **Here are some of the top-rated products on G2:** - [ServiceNow IT Service Management](https://www.g2.com/products/servicenow-it-service-management/reviews) – trusted for centralized incident, change, request, and CMDB-driven operations - [Right Click Tools](https://www.g2.com/products/right-click-tools/reviews) – trusted for quick endpoint troubleshooting, remote actions, and bulk management tasks - [BackBox](https://www.g2.com/products/backbox/reviews) – trusted for reliable configuration backups, restore workflows, and network automation ### What Configuration Management platforms IT teams keep using long-term past initial deployment and onboarding? Based on G2 reviews, long-term usage is most visible in products that become operational hubs after deployment. ServiceNow IT Service Management is repeatedly described as a platform teams continue using for ticketing, change processes, CMDB visibility, reporting, and cross-team workflows well beyond onboarding. Freshservice also shows durable use where organizations want ongoing structure for requests, assets, and automation with a more approachable experience. According to verified users, BackBox remains part of daily or recurring operations because automated backups, restore readiness, and policy checks continue delivering value after setup. G2 reviewers mention that sustained usage depends on whether the product remains useful in everyday work, not just whether implementation succeeds. ### Does Configuration Management navigation feel intuitive upfront or require weeks of learning investment? Based on G2 reviews, the answer depends heavily on the product and the depth of use case. ServiceNow IT Service Management is often praised for broad capability and centralized workflows, but reviewers frequently say the learning curve is real, especially when configuration, CMDB structure, reporting, or custom workflows expand. Freshservice is more often described as intuitive, fast to navigate, and easier for end users and administrators to adopt, though advanced setup still takes work. Right Click Tools also gets consistent praise for direct, practical usability in endpoint tasks. According to verified users, intuitive navigation matters, but teams also weigh whether complexity is acceptable when it supports stronger automation, visibility, and enterprise control. ### What is highest rated Configuration Management for centralizing device data and resolving IT issues in large enterprises? Based on G2 reviews, [ServiceNow IT Service Management](https://www.g2.com/products/servicenow-it-service-management/reviews) is the most evident fit for centralizing device and service data while helping large enterprises resolve IT issues. Reviewers regularly mention its CMDB as a source of truth, connections between infrastructure and business services, and support for incident, change, request, and impact analysis workflows in one environment. According to verified users, that centralization improves ownership clarity, ticket routing, visibility into affected services, and overall coordination across teams. G2 reviewers mention that it can become complex to configure and administer, but for larger organizations needing broad operational control, it appears most consistently associated with enterprise-scale issue management. ## How Many Configuration Management Tools Products Does G2 Track? **Total Products under this Category:** 124 ### Category Stats (Jun 2026) - **Average Rating**: 4.31/5 The average rating of products in this category, based on all submitted ratings - **New Reviews This Quarter**: 201 - **Buyer Segments**: Enterprise 57% │ Mid-Market 27% │ Small-Business 15% Represents the distribution of reviewers across all products in this category. - **Top Trending Product**: Right Click Tools (+0.88%) - Among all products in this category, Right Click Tools recorded the largest rating increase compared to last month *Last updated: June 01, 2026* ## How Does G2 Rank Configuration Management Tools Products? **Why You Can Trust G2's Software Rankings:** - 30 Analysts and Data Experts - 10,100+ Authentic Reviews - 124+ Products - Unbiased Rankings G2's software rankings are built on verified user reviews, rigorous moderation, and a consistent research methodology maintained by a team of analysts and data experts. Each product is measured using the same transparent criteria, with no paid placement or vendor influence. While reviews reflect real user experiences, which can be subjective, they offer valuable insight into how software performs in the hands of professionals. Together, these inputs power the G2 Score, a standardized way to compare tools within every category. ## Which Configuration Management Tools Is Best for Your Use Case? - **Leader:** [ServiceNow IT Service Management](https://www.g2.com/products/servicenow-it-service-management/reviews) - **Highest Performer:** [BackBox](https://www.g2.com/products/backbox/reviews) - **Easiest to Use:** [BackBox](https://www.g2.com/products/backbox/reviews) - **Top Trending:** [ServiceNow IT Service Management](https://www.g2.com/products/servicenow-it-service-management/reviews) - **Best Free Software:** [GitHub](https://www.g2.com/products/github/reviews) --- **Sponsored** ### Codemagic Codemagic is a powerful CI/CD tool for mobile developers. Build Android, iOS, React Native, Ionic, Unity, and Flutter apps on our cloud platform with no need for on-premise machines. We stay up to date with the latest Xcode, Android SDKs, and dev tools, pre-installed for faster builds. Need custom tools or software? Run any script in your pipeline to install them as required. CodePush service for over-the-air updates for React Native apps. [Visit website](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bad_program%5D=ppc&secure%5Bad_slot%5D=category_product_list&secure%5Bcategory_id%5D=312&secure%5Bdisplayable_resource_id%5D=312&secure%5Bdisplayable_resource_type%5D=Category&secure%5Bmedium%5D=sponsored&secure%5Bplacement_reason%5D=page_category&secure%5Bplacement_resource_ids%5D%5B%5D=312&secure%5Bprioritized%5D=false&secure%5Bproduct_id%5D=143880&secure%5Bresource_id%5D=312&secure%5Bresource_type%5D=Category&secure%5Bsource_type%5D=category_page&secure%5Bsource_url%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.g2.com%2Fcategories%2Fconfiguration-management%3Fpage%3D3&secure%5Btoken%5D=88bd7c6f826714d805931b9954075e3ab2547e23035a780ea9dc574632e0201e&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fcodemagic.io%2Fpricing%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=product_website) --- ## What Is Configuration Management Tools? [CI/CD Tools](https://www.g2.com/categories/ci-cd-tools) ## What Software Categories Are Similar to Configuration Management Tools? - [Build Automation Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/build-automation) - [Continuous Integration Tools](https://www.g2.com/categories/continuous-integration) - [Continuous Delivery Tools](https://www.g2.com/categories/continuous-delivery-tools) - [Enterprise IT Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/enterprise-it-management) - [Application Release Orchestration (ARO) Tools](https://www.g2.com/categories/application-release-orchestration) - [Network Automation Tools](https://www.g2.com/categories/network-automation-tools) - [Cloud Infrastructure Automation Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/cloud-infrastructure-automation) --- ## How Do You Choose the Right Configuration Management Tools? ### What You Should Know About Configuration Management Tools ### What are Configuration Management Tools? In software, configuration management refers to the process of tracking and conducting changes made to applications during the development process. Configuration management tools track changes to applications and their infrastructure to ensure configurations are in a known and trusted state and configuration details don’t rely on DevOps tribal knowledge. These platforms enhance visibility across teams about system states and configuration statuses to empower efficiency and streamline a company’s control process. When desired configurations are determined, this software automatically configures systems to that state via configuration files. Companies use configuration management software’s integrations with [version control systems](https://www.g2.com/categories/version-control-systems), [software testing tools](https://www.g2.com/categories/software-testing), [bug tracking software](https://www.g2.com/categories/bug-tracking), and other software development tools to facilitate internal best practices and productivity. Key Benefits of Configuration Management Tools - Increase efficiency - Define change control processes - Enable visibility and understanding across teams and departments - Automate configuration - Allow quicker restoration in cases of infrastructure failure ### Why Use Configuration Management Tools? Configuration management tools make life easier for DevOps teams and improve process quality by minimizing the risk of both human error and the need for human effort. Team knowledge becomes less ethereal and more concrete thanks to configuration management software’s record-keeping functionality. Configuration files enable this software to automatically configure systems to their desired state. Configuration management software’s maintenance of easily reproducible system states also improves response times when systems and applications fail. **Preserve and share knowledge —** Application and system configuration can involve many intricate, finicky settings and moving parts. DevOps teams often run the risk of relying on tribal knowledge to maintain and adjust infrastructural configuration, which can cause trouble as teams and practices shift. With configuration management software, teams can exchange tribal knowledge for thorough records of change process documentation. This streamlines onboarding processes and preserves comprehensive knowledge in an easily accessible state, enabling a more efficient workflow and better collaboration. Configuration documentation and changes can be constantly adjusted and managed via this software, ensuring processes remain updated and visible. **Efficient configuration —** Configuring applications and system infrastructure is meticulous work, and the configuration of a desired state can be challenging to reproduce. Configuration management software’s comprehensive historical records of system states alleviate this issue by presenting configuration information in an accessible form. Not only is this information readable by users, it also exists in the form of configuration files, allowing this software to automatically configure systems to their desired state. This alleviates workloads and allows DevOps team members to focus on other tasks. **Effective system restoration —** Crashes, bugs, and full-on system failures can be relatively common in any DevOps environment. When applications and their infrastructure fail and systems go down, a DevOps teams’ number one priority is restoring all systems to get things running again as quickly as possible. Sometimes crashes can lead to software configurations being reset, which can make it difficult to restore to its desired state. Thanks to configuration management tools, teams can rest easy knowing configurations are fully recorded in an easily reproducible way. This makes it much easier for developers and IT professionals to restore software and system crashes. ### Who Uses Configuration Management Tools? Developers and IT professionals use configuration management solutions to facilitate shared knowledge and control internal systems and infrastructure. This promotes better DevOps workflows by encouraging software developers and Ops teams to work together in an agile environment. **Software developers —** Software developers use configuration management tools to track and manage application infrastructures. This helps teams collaborate on builds while enhancing visibility and empowering productive responses when build configurations aren’t working. Developers also use configuration management software to maintain functional knowledge of system states in a DevOps environment, allowing them to collaborate with Ops teams more effectively. **IT professionals —** IT professionals use configuration management tools to track and manage system states in a DevOps environment. This helps Ops teams collaborate when tackling infrastructure challenges and improving system architecture. ### Configuration Management Tools Features **Configuration identification —** Configuration management tools have the functionality to individually identify any instance, or version, of a software product or build. Every time a build is reconfigured or structured, configuration management can capture a “snapshot" of the entire state of the software, which is then stored in a comprehensive historical record. Builds can be rolled back to previous configurations if necessary, and teams have full visibility to promote effective collaboration. **Configuration control —** Configuration management solutions formalize internal change processes through configuration control. Users can make changes to their software while ensuring each change is fully authorized and documented. Team leads can set permissions to control access across the team. This feature facilitates software changes by enabling review, authentication, and adherence to internal best practices when managing configuration. **Configuration status monitoring —** Configuration management platforms not only record configuration changes but monitors the status of each instance of an application or system. This ensures the current configuration of each element of the system is always known. Users can react more effectively to issues thanks to the complete view delivered by configuration management software. **Automatic configuration —** Configuration management software can automatically configure applications and systems to the desired state. By capturing and storing software states via configuration files, this software minimizes the manual aspect of software configuration. Users can indicate desired configurations so if a failure occurs, configuration management software can automatically reconfigure the system. ### Trends Related to Configuration Management Tools **DevOps —** DevOps refers to the marriage of development and IT operations management to make unified software development pipelines. Teams have implemented DevOps best practices to build, test, and release software. Configuration management tools promote DevOps workflows by increasing cross-team visibility and facilitating collaboration. **DevSecOps —** Calls for standardized cybersecurity best practices as part of DevOps philosophy, often referred to as DevSecOps, have shifted the onus of responsibility for secure applications onto developers. Better security often requires changes to software states, making configuration management integral to filling the gap between cybersecurity and development. **Continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) —** CI/CD is the current standard in DevOps best practices. Developers use the principles of CI/CD to curate smooth development pipelines. A proper CI/CD pipeline involves constantly planning, building, testing, and deploying software while ensuring compliance with project goals and requirements. Configuration management software aids the CI/CD pipeline by streamlining development and offering agile control over application infrastructure. ### Software and Services Related to Configuration Management Tools [**Version control systems**](https://www.g2.com/categories/version-control-systems) **—** Version control systems help track changes to software development projects and allow team members to change and collaborate on files. This is accomplished using version history, branching, and managed repositories. Configuration management software integrates with version control systems to give development teams better visibility and collaborative control while developing software. [**Software testing tools**](https://www.g2.com/categories/software-testing) **—** Software testing solutions give development teams the methods and tools to determine the quality of their software creation and improvement projects. Development teams use software testing tools to assess whether the software is usable, performs properly, meets development team goals, and meets overall requirements. Configuration management tools integrate with software testing tools to ensure that infrastructure meets the requirements for team goals, performance metrics, and usability. [**Bug tracking software**](https://www.g2.com/categories/bug-tracking) **—** Bug tracking software, or issue tracking software, refers to software used by quality assurance (QA) and software development teams to report software bugs and problems. Thorough bug tracking is essential for good software development. Bug tracking software provides a repository that explains how to reproduce a bug and how widespread an issue is. Additionally, it allows a business to separate, prioritize, sequence, and provide communications about different bugs across many projects or applications. Configuration management tools integrate with bug-tracking software to isolate issues caused by certain system configurations.