FreeITSM vs SmartSuite Enterprise Service Desk
FreeITSM
freeitsm.co.ukSmartSuite Enterprise Service Desk
smartsuite.comSide by side
| Figure | FreeITSM | SmartSuite Enterprise Service Desk |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $15/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 7 |
| Spec score · IT SLA Management Software | 8.9 (#11) | 8.6 (#15) |
| API | An external API endpoint allows automated agents to submit software inventory data. | The REST API can retrieve, read, update, and delete solution data, while webhooks can deliver events to external systems. |
| Hosting | FreeITSM can be launched with Docker on Linux or Windows, or manually hosted on a web server using IIS with PHP or WAMP and MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.5+. | SmartSuite is hosted on Amazon Web Services in the United States or European Union and is delivered as SaaS. |
| Integrations | Official pages document Microsoft 365, Google Workspace/Gmail, VMware vCenter, Microsoft Intune, WhatsApp through Twilio or Meta, and optional chat channels. | SmartSuite lists native connections for Salesforce, Gmail, Intercom, Google Drive, Google Sheets, Slack, Jira Cloud, Box, HubSpot, Google Maps, Twilio, Dropbox, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Outlook and Google Calendar. |
| Licence | The project is released under the MIT License. | The terms grant a non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use the hosted service during the subscription term and identify SmartSuite technology as proprietary. |
| Security | The System module lists OpenID Connect SSO, AES-256-GCM encryption key management, TOTP multi-factor authentication, account lockout, IP-based brute-force protection, and trusted device management. | SmartSuite states that SOC 2 Type II compliance and ISO 27001 certification apply to every plan; its pricing FAQ says HIPAA and GDPR compliance and European data residency are Enterprise features. |
| Security controls | System security features include OIDC SSO, TOTP MFA, password expiry, account lockout, IP brute-force bans, trusted devices and encrypted settings. | Enterprise security features include role-based permissions, SSO, two-factor authentication, IP allowlisting, session management, audit history and DLP API integration. |
| Self-hosting | Supported deployment methods are Docker or manual installation on WAMP, XAMPP, LAMP, IIS or another PHP-capable server. | The technical requirements page states that SmartSuite cannot be hosted on customer servers or private clouds. |
| What it does | FreeITSM is a self-hosted web IT service-management platform for running a service desk and related IT operations. | SmartSuite is a connected work platform for IT service management, incident response, service requests, asset management and operational workflows. |
Plans
SmartSuite Enterprise Service Desk
- Team$15 a month
- Team$15 a month
- Professional$32 a month
- Professional$32 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
- EnterprisePriced on request
- SignaturePriced on request
In their own words
FreeITSM
FreeITSM is an open-source IT service management platform with 23 integrated modules for running a service desk. Its Tickets module connects Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace mailboxes for email ticketing, assignment, prioritisation, replies, attachments and audit trails. Assets tracks physical and virtual equipment and can discover VMware virtual machines through vCenter. Listed service-management tools include risk assessment, approval workflows, change calendars and change audit trails. Optional AI features provide knowledge answers, ticket-reply cleanup, form assistance, workflow authoring and problem detection. They use a customer-provided Anthropic, OpenAI or OpenRouter key, and provider usage may cost extra. FreeITSM runs with Docker on Linux or Windows, or through IIS with PHP or WAMP and MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.5+. Security options include OpenID Connect SSO, AES-256-GCM key management, TOTP multi-factor authentication, account lockout, brute-force protection and trusted devices. The project has no formal support.
SmartSuite Enterprise Service Desk
SmartSuite Enterprise Service Desk brings HR, Facilities, Finance, Legal/Compliance and other internal services into one employee service experience. Employees can submit structured requests through a portal, see status and receive notifications. Teams can route requests by category, automate triage, apply conditional rules and manage multi-step approvals with decision logs and comments. SLA and OLA timers, escalation workflows, backlog dashboards and service trend reporting support service oversight. Forms, workflows, routing rules, dashboards and SLA models can be configured without engineering; optional AI Assist classifies and summarizes requests. Governance features include role-based access, audit trails, decision history and version history. Integrations include Slack, Microsoft Teams, Twilio, Outlook Email, Google Meet, Jira Cloud and HubSpot, plus Zapier, Make, Ply and Relay connectors. The REST API retrieves, reads, updates and deletes solution data, while webhooks deliver events to external systems. SmartSuite says SOC 2 Type II compliance and ISO 27001 certification apply to every plan. The service is cloud-deployed, with paid plans from $15/user/mo billed annually and a 14-day trial.