For most Indian companies, the practical shortlist for IT asset management (ITAM) and IT service management (ITSM) is Freshservice if you want a cloud help desk with asset management built in, ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus if you want on-premises or cloud deployment with a free edition for small IT teams, and Snipe-IT if you only need asset tracking and are comfortable self-hosting free open-source software. ManageEngine ADManager Plus handles a separate job: automating Active Directory and Microsoft 365 user management. On official pricing, Freshservice starts at $19 per agent per month billed annually, ServiceDesk Plus Standard starts from $13 per technician per month, and ADManager Plus Standard starts at US$595.
Asset management, ITSM and AD management are different jobs
- IT asset management (ITAM): tracks laptops, desktops, servers, software licences and peripherals through their life, from purchase and assignment to repair and disposal.
- IT service management (ITSM): handles tickets, incidents, service requests, changes and problems, usually following ITIL practices.
- Identity and directory management: creates, modifies and removes user accounts, groups and permissions in Active Directory or Microsoft 365.
Many products combine the first two. Directory management usually needs a separate tool. See our IT management and helpdesk software categories.
Comparison table
| Software | Main job | Deployment | Starting price (official) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freshservice | ITSM and ITAM | Cloud | Starter $19/agent/month billed annually; Growth $49; Pro $99; Enterprise custom |
| ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus | ITSM and ITAM | On-premises or cloud | Standard from $13/technician/month; Professional from $27; Enterprise from $67; free for up to 5 technicians |
| ManageEngine AssetExplorer | IT asset management | On-premises | See vendor site |
| ManageEngine ADManager Plus | AD and Microsoft 365 user management | On-premises | Standard from US$595; Professional from US$795; free edition up to 100 domain objects |
| ManageEngine Endpoint Central | Endpoint and patch management | On-premises or cloud | See vendor site |
| Snipe-IT | Asset tracking | Self-hosted free, or hosted | Free open-source; hosted from $39.99/month ($399.99/year) |
| Jira Service Management | ITSM for teams using Jira | Cloud or data centre | See vendor site |
| ServiceNow ITSM | Enterprise ITSM | Cloud | Quote-based |
| Spiceworks | Help desk and inventory for small IT teams | Cloud | See vendor site |
Prices are in US dollars as published on the vendors' pages. Indian buyers are usually billed with GST added, and ManageEngine and Freshworks partners in India can provide INR quotes.
Freshservice pricing (Freshservice tarifs / prix)
Freshservice's official pricing page lists these plans, per agent per month and billed annually:
- Starter: $19
- Growth: $49
- Pro: $99
- Enterprise: custom quote
According to the page, Starter, Growth and Pro include the ITAM Growth package with 100 ITAM Growth asset units. You can buy more asset units or upgraded asset functionality separately. If you manage many devices, check the separate Freshservice IT asset management pricing, because asset units can affect total cost as much as agent licences.
Good for: mid-sized companies that want a modern cloud help desk, self-service portal, workflow automation and asset tracking without running servers. Freshservice asset features are also listed as Freshservice Assets.
ManageEngine in India: ServiceDesk Plus
ManageEngine is part of Zoho Corporation and is widely used by Indian IT teams. It is often chosen when data needs to stay on premises.
ServiceDesk Plus official pricing (on-premises, starting prices):
- Standard (IT help desk): from $13 per technician per month. A free version supports up to 5 technicians, limited to one service desk instance per organisation.
- Professional (help desk + asset management): from $27 per technician per month, including CMDB and service catalogue.
- Enterprise (help desk + asset + change + projects): from $67 per technician per month.
The number of IT assets you can manage scales with the number of technicians, according to the vendor's pricing page. More assets are available on request.
Good for: organisations that want ITIL processes, on-premises control, or a free starting point for a small IT team.
ManageEngine ADManager Plus pricing and workflows
ADManager Plus automates Active Directory, Microsoft 365 and Exchange administration: bulk user creation, onboarding and offboarding, group management and reports.
Official pricing lists:
- Standard: from US$595 for 1 domain and 2 help desk technicians.
- Professional: from US$795 for 1 domain. Adds workflows, automation with orchestration, HCM integration, GPO management and report scheduling.
- Free edition: Standard features except the GPO settings report, limited to 100 domain objects.
Extra domains cost US$345 (Standard) or US$595 (Professional), according to the pricing page.
The workflow feature matters for Indian companies with high joining and exit volumes. An HR system can trigger account creation, and a manager approves before access is granted. For the HR side of this process, see our HRMS software hub.
Snipe-IT: free, open-source asset tracking
Snipe-IT's official site says the software "is and always will be free" to self-host. Hosted plans on its pricing page start at $399.99 a year ($39.99 a month) for Basic Hosting, and $999.99 a year for Small Business Hosting.
Good for: IT teams that only need to know who has which laptop, licence or accessory, and can run and secure a small web server. Snipe-IT is not a full ticketing system.
Other options
- Jira Service Management suits companies whose developers already work in Jira, because incidents link directly to engineering work.
- ServiceNow ITSM is a large enterprise platform, usually bought through an implementation partner.
- Spiceworks is often used by small IT teams for basic help desk and inventory.
- Zoho Assist adds remote support to help desk work.
How to choose asset management and ITSM software
- List what you must track: hardware, software licences, cloud subscriptions, mobile devices, non-IT assets.
- Decide cloud or on-premises. Consider data policies, internet reliability at branches and in-house IT capacity.
- Count agents or technicians, because most pricing is per agent.
- Check discovery: agent-based scans, network scans and integrations with endpoint management.
- Map workflows: new joiner, laptop request, repair, exit and asset recovery.
- Check integrations with your HRMS, Active Directory or Microsoft 365, and procurement or accounting tools.
- Estimate total cost including asset units, add-ons, implementation and annual maintenance.
- Run a trial with real tickets and a sample of real assets.
FAQs
What is the best asset management software in India?
For combined help desk and asset management, Freshservice (cloud) and ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus (on-premises or cloud) are the most common shortlist. For free standalone asset tracking, Snipe-IT is a popular self-hosted option.
How much does Freshservice cost?
Freshservice's official pricing lists Starter at $19, Growth at $49 and Pro at $99 per agent per month, billed annually, with Enterprise on quote. These plans include 100 ITAM Growth asset units, and more can be purchased.
Is ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus free?
ServiceDesk Plus offers a free version of the Standard edition for up to 5 technicians, limited to one instance per organisation. Paid Standard pricing starts from $13 per technician per month.
What does ADManager Plus do?
ADManager Plus manages and reports on Active Directory, Microsoft 365 and Exchange. It automates user onboarding and offboarding, with approval workflows in the Professional edition.
What is the difference between ITAM and ITSM?
ITAM tracks IT assets and licences through their lifecycle. ITSM manages how IT services are delivered, including tickets, incidents, requests and changes. Many tools, such as Freshservice and ServiceDesk Plus, include both.
