Scope
ServiceNow: full ITSM + ITOM + broad platform. JSM: IT service management focus, tighter to dev workflows.
Cost
JSM is materially cheaper. ServiceNow scales in price with modules and platform use.
Dev Integration
JSM shines if your teams live in Jira Software already. ServiceNow integrates with Jira but isn’t native to the dev stack.
Enterprise ITOM
ServiceNow wins for Discovery, Service Mapping, Orchestration at scale. JSM doesn’t try to compete here.
Decision Heuristic
Dev-led IT or SMB → JSM. Full enterprise ITSM + ITOM + broad platform → ServiceNow.