Compare SolarWinds Service Desk and Web Help Desk

See how cloud-based Service Desk and on-premises Web Help Desk compare for ticketing, ITSM workflows, asset management, and service delivery.

Service Desk vs. Web Help Desk

Get the features you need to move beyond break/fix support and into automated, proactive service management—all found within SolarWinds Service Desk's flexible and scalable SaaS platform.

Features	Service Desk Learn More	Web Help Desk^®
Hosting	Hosted in the cloud by SolarWinds, no infrastructure or maintenance required by the organization	Infrastructure setup and maintenance responsibility of organization
Software Updates	Upgrades run automatically via the cloud, always running the latest version	Must be manually managed and upgraded by the organization
Incident Management	Yes	Yes
Service Requests	Yes	Yes
Problem Management	Yes	Yes
Dashboards / Custom Reporting	Yes	Yes
Service Level Agreements (SLAs)	Yes	Limited
Automated Workflows	Yes	Limited
Knowledge Management	Yes	Limited
Asset Management	Yes	Limited
Discovery Scanner	Yes	Limited
Mobile App (iOS & Android)	Yes	Limited
Service Catalog	Yes	Limited
Discovery Agent	Yes	No
Change Management	Yes	No
Enterprise Service Management	Yes	No
Runbooks	Yes	No
Configuration Management Database (CMDB)	Yes	No
Live Chat (including Microsoft Teams/Slack)	Yes	No
Virtual Agent	Yes	No
SolarWinds AI (Generative AI)	Yes	No
Cloud based third-party Integrations	Yes	No

Choose the Right Help Desk for Your IT Team

Both SolarWinds Service Desk and Web Help Desk help IT teams manage tickets and support requests. The right choice depends on how you host your software and use it.

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Move from basic ticket handling to automated service management

Web Help Desk provides centralized ticketing for core technical support needs. Service Desk adds cloud-based automation and broader IT service management capabilities for teams managing more complex service work. Configure workflows for routing, approvals, notifications, and service request fulfillment. Monitor SLA targets, standardize common processes, and give agents a clearer view of work from ticket creation through incident resolution.

Connect tickets to assets, configuration items, and service impacts

When the issue is more than a password reset or isolated support request, IT teams need context around the systems involved. Service Desk connects ticketing with IT asset management and CMDB capabilities so teams can document configuration items, view relationships, and assess dependencies. That information can support more informed incident management, problem management, change management, and service lifecycle decisions across the IT environment.

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Make service requests easier for employees and IT teams

Service Desk gives employees a single point of contact for finding information, submitting requests, tracking work, and getting help. A self-service portal, knowledge base, and service catalog can help users resolve common issues independently and submit more complete requests when IT assistance is needed. For IT teams, that means fewer repetitive interactions and more consistent ticket handling across incident, request, and support workflows.

Extend service management across IT and the rest of the business

A help desk may be the starting point, but service delivery often reaches beyond IT. Service Desk supports enterprise service management workflows for departments such as HR, facilities, and legal, while cloud-based integrations can connect the service desk with the tools teams use every day. As service needs expand, teams can use shared workflows, better visibility, and a more consistent experience without creating separate support processes for every department.