In November of 2014, ServiceNow announced that it was launching a trimmed-down, simpler version of its' ITSM platform. The "light" version would be called Express, and they've dubbed the more full-featured edition Enterprise. But what is the difference between "ServiceNow" (Enterprise) and "ServiceNow Express"?

ServiceNow Express is significantly less expensive than its' big brother, Enterprise; and for many companies, it is an entirely viable solution for their ITSM needs. It is however, not for everyone. ServiceNow has designed Express to appeal to businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees, who are willing and able to adopt "mostly out-of-box" ITIL processes without the need for much customization, whereas Enterprise is meant to be a "There's almost nothing it can't do" sort of tool that will bend to fit your processes and even automate them to a level that can entirely eliminate the need for some full-time staff.

In this article, we're going to go over some of the core functionality offered in ServiceNow Express, and point out those areas and functionality which are lacking. We'll also discuss upgradeability, and some examples and tips for determining which ServiceNow option might best suit your business needs.