HEAD TO HEAD
Halo (formerly HaloITSM) or ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: which ITSM platform fits your team?
IN SHORT
Halo documents AI agents where ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus does not; ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus documents self-managed option where Halo does not. They match on 10 of 13 capabilities. Which matters more depends on your answers in the finder.
By The Ticket Desk · ITSM Compared · Published 2026-10-11
Desk research from public vendor pages, pricing pages and G2 pages read on 27 September and 11 October 2026. Profiles follow our published method; we did not test the products.
How do Halo and ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus compare capability by capability?
| Capability | Halo | ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus | Differs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan or trial | Documented A trial is offered; 30 days with all modules on the 27 September read. Source: Halo pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Documented Free edition for 2 technicians. Source: ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Same |
| Published price | Documented £69 per agent a month, UK list, annual; onboarding package required. Source: Halo pricing · Read 11 Oct 2026 | Documented From $13, $27 and $67 per technician a month. Source: ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Same |
| Self-service portal or catalog | Documented Employee portal included as standard. Source: Halo pricing · Read 11 Oct 2026 | Documented Service catalog on Standard. Source: ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Same |
| AI triage and routing | Documented AI triaging included as standard. Source: Halo pricing · Read 11 Oct 2026 | Documented Predictive triage, routing and assignment. Source: ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus product page · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Same |
| AI agents | Documented AI agents; process agents auto-resolve known issues. Source: Halo AI · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Partly Zia virtual agent; no autonomous resolution claim. Source: ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus product page · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Differs |
| Configuration tools for non-specialists | Not in our sources Not described on the pages we read. | Partly Reusable workflow approvals (September 2026); a builder for non-specialists is not described. Source: ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus release notes · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Differs |
| Departments beyond IT | Documented HR service delivery, finance and legal, facilities included as standard. Source: Halo pricing · Read 11 Oct 2026 | Documented Department instances for HR, facilities, finance and legal. Source: ServiceDesk Plus enterprise service management · Read 11 Oct 2026 | Same |
| Incident management | Documented In the single licence. Source: Halo pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Documented Certified practice. Source: ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus product page · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Same |
| Problem management | Documented In the single licence. Source: Halo pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Documented Add-on on Standard; included in Enterprise. Source: ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Same |
| Change management | Documented In the single licence. Source: Halo pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Documented Add-on on Standard; included in Enterprise. Source: ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Same |
| CMDB | Documented CMDB and asset discovery included. Source: Halo pricing · Read 11 Oct 2026 | Documented Add-on on Professional; included in Enterprise. Source: ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Same |
| IT asset management | Documented Assets included. Source: Halo pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Documented From Professional. Source: ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Same |
| Self-managed option | Not in our sources On-premises is not mentioned on the pages we read. | Documented Cloud or on-premises. Source: ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus product page · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Differs |
Which rollout milestones does each put on the entry plan?
- On the entry plan
- On a higher plan or as a paid add-on
- Documented, plan not stated
- Not documented on the pages we read
Halo
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
Halo has 6 milestones on its entry plan; ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus has 3.
What do Halo and ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus cost?
Halo
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Single plan | £69 per agent/month, billed annually (UK list price; £66 on 27 Sep 2026) |
| Halo Enterprise Package | $1M a year, fixed |
| Trial | Offered |
Source: Halo pricing · Read 11 Oct 2026
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | $0 |
| Standard | From $13 per technician/month |
| Professional | From $27 per technician/month |
| Enterprise | From $67 per technician/month |
Source: ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026
When does Halo fit, and when ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus?
Consider Halo if
Teams that want every module, including ESM and CMDB, in one per-agent licence.
Every module, from change management to CMDB and ESM, in one published per-agent price.
Watch for: Everything is switched on in one licence, so there is more to scope before launch, and onboarding packages are required at a bespoke cost.
Consider ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus if
Teams that need ITIL breadth at a published price, in the cloud or on-premises.
Certified ITIL breadth with every edition and add-on price published.
Watch for: Problem, change and CMDB arrive as paid add-ons or the top edition, so the setup grows in pieces.
Questions readers ask
Is Halo or ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus better for a mid-market IT team?
Neither in general. Halo documents AI agents; ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus documents self-managed option. Answer the ITSM fit finder to see which matches your team.
Which is cheaper, Halo or ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus?
Halo starts at £69 per agent per month (UK list, billed annually, 11 Oct 2026); ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus starts at Free for 2 technicians; Standard from $13 per technician per month. Compare plans at your team size in the ITSM cost calculator.
Do Halo and ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus cover change management and a CMDB?
Halo: Yes. Incident, request, problem and change management, major incidents, assets, CMDB and asset discovery are included as standard. ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: On Enterprise, or as add-ons. Problem and change are $1,195 a year each on Standard; CMDB is a $1,195 add-on on Professional and included in Enterprise.