# OTRS vs SolarWinds Service Desk Comparison --- ## AI Generated Summary - **G2 reviewers report** that SolarWinds Service Desk excels in user experience, with many praising its **intuitive interface** and **easy navigation**. Users appreciate the straightforward design that makes it accessible for all team members, while OTRS, although noted for its clean UI, may not match the same level of user-friendliness. - **According to verified reviews** , SolarWinds Service Desk stands out for its **quick implementation** and **responsive support**. Users highlight the efficient onboarding process and the strong customer service, which contrasts with OTRS, where some users have expressed challenges in setup and support responsiveness. - **Reviewers mention** that SolarWinds Service Desk offers a robust **automated ticketing system** , which is highly praised for its efficiency. In comparison, while OTRS provides a solid ticket management feature, users feel that SolarWinds' automation capabilities give it an edge in streamlining workflows. - **Users say** that SolarWinds Service Desk's integrated **IT asset management** is a key strength, making it a go-to choice for many mid-market companies. OTRS, while effective in categorization for ticket management, may not provide the same level of comprehensive asset management features. - **G2 reviewers highlight** that SolarWinds Service Desk has a strong focus on **process workflows** and approval steps, which enhance operational efficiency. OTRS does offer customization options, but some users feel that SolarWinds' features are more aligned with their needs for structured processes. - **According to recent feedback** , SolarWinds Service Desk is recognized for its **affordability** and value for money, making it appealing for mid-market businesses. OTRS, while serving enterprise needs well, may not be as competitively priced, which could be a consideration for budget-conscious buyers. | | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Star Rating** | 4.4 out of 5 | 4.3 out of 5 | | **Total Reviews** | 38 | 783 | | **Largest Market Segment** | Enterprise (59.5% of reviews) | Mid-Market (68.3% of reviews) | | **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | $39.00 Per Month | --- ## Top Pros & Cons ### OTRS Pros: - Customizability (1 reviews) - Customization (1 reviews) Cons: - Ticketing Issues (2 reviews) - Access Control (1 reviews) ### SolarWinds Service Desk Pros: - Asset Management (4 reviews) - Ticketing System (4 reviews) Cons: - Insufficient Information (3 reviews) - Expensive (2 reviews) --- ## Ratings Comparison | Rating | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Meets Requirements** | 9.2 (33 reviews) | 8.6 (694 reviews) | | **Ease of Use** | 9.1 (33 reviews) | 9.0 (711 reviews) | | **Ease of Setup** | 7.9 (8 reviews) | 8.6 (572 reviews) | | **Ease of Admin** | 6.9 (7 reviews) | 8.9 (580 reviews) | | **Quality of Support** | 9.0 (28 reviews) | 8.9 (680 reviews) | | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 6.7 (6 reviews) | 9.0 (560 reviews) | | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 7.1 (32 reviews) | 9.0 (678 reviews) | --- ## Pricing ### OTRS #### Entry-Level Pricing No pricing available #### Free Trial No information available ### SolarWinds Service Desk #### Entry-Level Pricing Plan: ESSENTIALS Price: $39.00 Per Month Description: Includes: Key Features: - Incident Management - Knowledge Base - Service Portal [Browse all 3 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/solarwinds-service-desk/pricing) #### Free Trial Yes --- ## Features Comparison By Category ### Help Desk | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **OTRS** | 8.3/10 | 28 | | **SolarWinds Service Desk** | N/A | N/A | #### Ticket and Case Management | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Ticket creation user experience** | 9.1 (27 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | | **Ticket response user experience** | 8.8 (27 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | | **Workflow** | 8.9 (25 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | | **Response Automation** | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | | **SLA Management** | 8.8 (23 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | | **Attachments/Screencasts** | 8.7 (25 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Ticket Collaboration** | 8.8 (27 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | | **Customer and Contacts Database** | 8.5 (18 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | #### Generative AI | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **AI Text Generation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **AI Text Summarization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | #### Agentic AI - Help Desk | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Natural Language Interaction** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Proactive Assistance** | Not enough data | Not enough data | #### Communication Channels | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Customer Portal** | 8.4 (19 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | | **Email to Case** | 8.4 (22 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | | **Chat/Live Support** | 7.5 (16 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | | **Social Integration** | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | | **Voice** | 7.8 (15 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | #### Platform | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Mobile User Support** | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | | **Customization ** | 6.7 (8 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | | **User, Role, and Access Management** | 7.5 (8 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | | **Integration** | 8.7 (5 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | | **Reporting** | 8.3 (21 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | | **Dashboards** | 8.6 (23 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | ### IT Service Management (ITSM) Tools | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **OTRS** | 9.0/10 | 23 | | **SolarWinds Service Desk** | 8.5/10 | 142 | #### Administration | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Change Management** | 9.3 (21 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.7 (106 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Asset Management** | 9.1 (19 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.5 (113 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Reports & Analytics** | 9.3 (20 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.3 (122 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Service Desk | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Help Desk** | 9.3 (20 reviews) ✓ Verified | 9.3 (128 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Incident Reports** | 9.0 (21 reviews) ✓ Verified | 9.2 (126 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Process Workflow** | 9.1 (20 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.7 (123 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Management | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Reporting** | 8.5 (13 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.1 (68 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Administration Console** | 8.7 (13 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.8 (66 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Access Management** | 9.0 (12 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.5 (65 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Asset Management** | 8.8 (12 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.2 (60 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Policy Dictation** | 9.3 (10 reviews) | 7.5 (48 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Functionality | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Ticketing System** | 9.2 (14 reviews) ✓ Verified | 9.2 (74 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Performance Logging** | 8.1 (14 reviews) | 8.2 (55 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Alerting** | 8.8 (14 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.7 (62 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Automation** | 9.4 (11 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.1 (67 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Agentic AI - IT Service Management (ITSM) Tools | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Multi-step Planning** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Natural Language Interaction** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Proactive Assistance** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Decision Making** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | ### Incident Management | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **OTRS** | N/A | N/A | | **SolarWinds Service Desk** | 7.6/10 | 108 | #### Monitoring | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Constant Monitoring** | Not enough data | 8.4 (76 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Timely Alerts** | Not enough data | 8.5 (85 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **TIcket Accuracy** | Not enough data | 8.8 (90 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **AI Monitoring** | Not enough data | 4.3 (9 reviews) | #### Management Tools | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Ticket Assignment** | Not enough data | 9.0 (96 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Standardization** | Not enough data | 8.7 (99 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Lifecycle Visualization** | Not enough data | 8.4 (85 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Generative AI | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **AI Text Generation** | Not enough data | 5.9 (24 reviews) | | **AI Text Summarization** | Not enough data | 6.5 (24 reviews) | #### Agentic AI - Incident Management | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Multi-step Planning** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Natural Language Interaction** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Proactive Assistance** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Decision Making** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | ### IT Asset Management | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **OTRS** | N/A | N/A | | **SolarWinds Service Desk** | 8.2/10 | 76 | #### Asset Inventory | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Hardware Asset Inventory** | Not enough data | 8.6 (66 reviews) | | **Software Asset Inventory** | Not enough data | 8.4 (63 reviews) | | **Cloud Asset Inventory** | Not enough data | 8.1 (50 reviews) | | **Mobile Asset Inventory** | Not enough data | 8.0 (50 reviews) | | **Asset Discovery** | Not enough data | 8.0 (60 reviews) | #### Generative AI | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **AI Text Generation** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **AI Text Generation** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | #### Agentic AI - IT Asset Management | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Multi-step Planning** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Natural Language Interaction** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Proactive Assistance** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Decision Making** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | #### Management | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Central Dashboard** | Not enough data | 8.6 (65 reviews) | | **Asset Policy Management** | Not enough data | 8.0 (9 reviews) | | **Risk Management** | Not enough data | 8.0 (9 reviews) | | **Integrations** | Not enough data | 8.1 (57 reviews) | ### Software Asset Management Tools | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **OTRS** | N/A | N/A | | **SolarWinds Service Desk** | N/A | N/A | #### Functionality | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Software inventory and lifecycle management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **License entitlement and usage management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Vendor management and compliance** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Automated end user license provisioning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Approved app catalogue** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Customized alerts** | Not enough data | Not enough data | #### Agentic AI - Software Asset Management Tools | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Multi-step Planning** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Natural Language Interaction** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Proactive Assistance** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Decision Making** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | #### Risk assessment | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Shadow IT detection** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Software vulnerability assessment** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Redundant software functionality identification** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | ### Remote Support | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **OTRS** | N/A | N/A | | **SolarWinds Service Desk** | N/A | N/A | #### Administration | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Screen Sharing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **File Sharing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Session Recording** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Unattended Remote Access** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Multi - Session Handling** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Multi-Monitor Support** | Not enough data | Not enough data | #### Maintenance | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Remote Reboot** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Remote Printing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | #### Communication | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Text Chat** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **VoIP** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Video Conference Call** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Screen Annotations** | Not enough data | Not enough data | #### Security | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Data Encryption** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Compliance** | Not enough data | Not enough data | #### Device Support | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Mobile Device Access** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Multi-Platform Support** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Cross-Platform** | Not enough data | Not enough data | #### Performance | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Reporting** | Not enough data | Not enough data | ### Service Desk | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **OTRS** | N/A | N/A | | **SolarWinds Service Desk** | 8.3/10 | 488 | #### Incident Management | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Automate Ticket Routing** | Not enough data | 8.6 (430 reviews) | | **Ticket Prioritization** | Not enough data | 8.6 (423 reviews) | | **Ticket Notifications** | Not enough data | 8.8 (459 reviews) | | **Knowledge Base** | Not enough data | 8.3 (412 reviews) | | **Knowledge Base/Ticket Integration** | Not enough data | 8.5 (396 reviews) | #### Reporting | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Dashboards** | Not enough data | 8.3 (455 reviews) | | **Time Tracking** | Not enough data | 8.2 (356 reviews) | | **Surveys** | Not enough data | 8.0 (329 reviews) | #### Access & Usability | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Mobile** | Not enough data | 7.2 (359 reviews) | | **Self Service** | Not enough data | 8.5 (401 reviews) | | **Active Directory** | Not enough data | 8.3 (340 reviews) | | **Multi-Channel Access** | Not enough data | 8.5 (276 reviews) | #### Agentic AI - Service Desk | Feature | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Multi-step Planning** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Natural Language Interaction** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Proactive Assistance** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | | **Decision Making** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | --- ## Categories **Shared Categories (2):** [IT Service Management Tools](https://www.g2.com/categories/it-service-management-itsm-tools), [Service Desk Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/service-desk) **Unique to OTRS (2):** [Help Desk Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/help-desk), [Remote Support Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/remote-support) **Unique to SolarWinds Service Desk (3):** [IT Asset Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/it-asset-management), [Incident Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/incident-management), [Software Asset Management (SAM) Tools](https://www.g2.com/categories/software-asset-management-tools) --- ## Reviewer Demographics ### By Company Size | Segment | OTRS | SolarWinds Service Desk | |---|---|---| | **Small-Business** | 8.1% | 7.9% | | **Mid-Market** | 32.4% | 68.3% | | **Enterprise** | 59.5% | 23.8% | ### By Industry #### OTRS - **Pharmaceuticals:** 29.7% - **Information Technology and Services:** 10.8% - **Higher Education:** 8.1% - **Outsourcing/Offshoring:** 5.4% - **Computer Software:** 5.4% - **Internet:** 5.4% - **Government Administration:** 5.4% - **Automotive:** 2.7% - **Computer & Network Security:** 2.7% - **Computer Hardware:** 2.7% - **Other:** 21.6% #### SolarWinds Service Desk - **Information Technology and Services:** 12.6% - **Hospital & Health Care:** 7.5% - **Higher Education:** 4.8% - **Education Management:** 4.8% - **Financial Services:** 4.3% - **Computer Software:** 4.1% - **Construction:** 3.2% - **Retail:** 3.1% - **Insurance:** 3.1% - **Non-Profit Organization Management:** 2.7% - **Other:** 49.7% --- ## Alternatives ### Alternatives to OTRS - [Jira Service Management](https://www.g2.com/products/jira-service-management/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (987 reviews) - [ServiceNow IT Service Management](https://www.g2.com/products/servicenow-it-service-management/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (1881 reviews) - [ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus](https://www.g2.com/products/manageengine-servicedesk-plus/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (249 reviews) - [Zendesk for Customer Service](https://www.g2.com/products/zendesk-for-customer-service/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (6989 reviews) - [Freshdesk](https://www.g2.com/products/freshdesk/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (3751 reviews) - [Freshservice](https://www.g2.com/products/freshservice/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1336 reviews) - [SysAid](https://www.g2.com/products/sysaid/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (749 reviews) - [Zoho Desk](https://www.g2.com/products/zoho-desk/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (7731 reviews) - [Vtiger All-In-One CRM](https://www.g2.com/products/vtiger-all-in-one-crm/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (415 reviews) - [Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk](https://www.g2.com/products/spiceworks-cloud-help-desk/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (311 reviews) ### Alternatives to SolarWinds Service Desk - [Freshservice](https://www.g2.com/products/freshservice/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1336 reviews) - [ServiceNow IT Service Management](https://www.g2.com/products/servicenow-it-service-management/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (1881 reviews) - [Jira Service Management](https://www.g2.com/products/jira-service-management/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (987 reviews) - [ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus](https://www.g2.com/products/manageengine-servicedesk-plus/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (249 reviews) - [Atera](https://www.g2.com/products/atera/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1204 reviews) - [SysAid](https://www.g2.com/products/sysaid/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (749 reviews) - [BMC Helix ITSM](https://www.g2.com/products/bmc-software-bmc-helix-itsm/reviews) — 3.7/5 stars (293 reviews) - [NinjaOne](https://www.g2.com/products/ninjaone/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (4391 reviews) - [Vivantio](https://www.g2.com/products/vivantio/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (295 reviews) - [Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk](https://www.g2.com/products/spiceworks-cloud-help-desk/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (311 reviews) --- ## Top Discussions ### OTRS No discussions available for this product. ### SolarWinds Service Desk - Title: [How do I upload a solution article using tablets or phones?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/32754-how-do-i-upload-a-solution-article-using-tablets-or-phones) — 1 comment, 1 upvote > **Top comment:** "Unfortunately, we can’t create Solutions from the mobile app. " - Title: [Windows Installer](https://www.g2.com/discussions/windows-installer-8d44379e-0179-4f26-9745-c6a388d84665) — 1 comment, 1 upvote > **Top comment:** "This one is easy. When Samanage became Solarwinds we quit using the product and went elsewhere. Samanage had an EXE and an ISO. I'm none to interested in..." --- **Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/otrs-vs-solarwinds-service-desk)