10 Best Incident Management Software for 2024

Wondering what’s the secret to using incident management software?

It’s a culmination of the right mindset, tools, and practices. According to Statista, these are the biggest challenges respondents face when supporting incident response processes:

• Systems generate too many low-value alerts (69%)
• Lack of staffing and expertise to optimize the use of certain technologies and intelligence

If you want to make the best of incident management tools, you need to start by selecting the right tool. This blog will compare the 10 best incident management software in terms of top features, pricing, G2 reviews, and more. Let’s get started.

Importance of using the right software for efficient IT operations

Choosing the wrong incident management software can cost organizations, especially in the event of a data breach or security compromise. Here are some other ways in which a poor choice of incident management software can lead to financial losses:

• Increased downtime: If an incident management tool is not efficient at handling incidents, it can lead to longer downtimes, which can result in lost revenue for the company.
• Inefficient response: Inadequate incident management software can lead to inefficient response times, causing issues to escalate and become more difficult to resolve. 
• Compliance fines: Choosing inappropriate incident management software can also lead to compliance violations, regulatory fines, and penalties. In certain industries, non-compliance can even result in a complete business shutdown.
• Lost reputation: A poorly managed incident can damage a company’s reputation for good, leading to a loss of customers, partners, and investors. 
• Lawsuits and Legal costs: In case of a data breach or any other incident, companies may face lawsuits from affected customers or partners. These lawsuits can result in significant legal costs, including attorneys’ fees and damages.

According to the Verizon Data Breach Incident Report (2022), 82% of breaches are caused by attack vectors that involve human error (think: social engineering attacks, phishing, spear phishing, errors, and misuse/transgressions). This is why organizations must look for robust incident management software with a set of user-friendly features.

Key features to look for when choosing incident management tools

When choosing incident management tools, there are several key features that are important to consider. Let’s take a closer look at each of them:

1. Workflow automation

Useful for: Streamlining incident management processes by automating repetitive tasks and ensuring that incidents are handled in a consistent and timely manner.

Key features to look for:

• Customizable workflows
• Automated ticket routing
• Predefined workflows for common incident types

2. Alerting and notification

Useful for: Ensuring that the right people are notified when incidents occur.

Key features to look for:

• Customizable alerts and notifications, including email, SMS, and push notifications

3. Integration with other tools

Useful for: 

• Ensuring that your incident management software works seamlessly and is a part of the larger IT ecosystem within the organization
• Streamlining incident management processes and ensuring that all relevant information is available in one place

Key features to look for:

• The ability of the tool to integrate with other tools, such as monitoring tools, collaboration platforms, and ticketing systems (e.g., school help desk software).

4. Reporting and analytics

Useful for: Helping teams track key performance indicators (KPIs) and identify trends in incident data

Key features to look for:

• Customizable reports and dashboards
• Ability to export data in a variety of formats

5. Customization and scalability

Useful for: Ensuring that the tool adapts to the organization’s growing demands and needs

Key features to look for:

• Customization options, such as customizable fields and workflows
• Ability to scale as your organization grows

6. Mobile support

Useful for: Allowing teams to handle incidents at any time and from anywhere

Key features to look for:

• Mobile support, such as mobile apps and responsive web interfaces
• Ability to manage incidents on the go

10 Best Incident Management Software for 2024

1. Nifty

Nifty’s incident management capabilities provide teams with the tools they need to respond quickly and effectively to unexpected events or issues, such as service outages, security breaches, and so on.

Whether you’re dealing with a service outage or a security breach, Nifty can help you stay organized, communicate effectively, and track progress throughout the incident response process.

Features:

• Workflows: Nifty’s incident management module includes predefined incident response workflows that guide teams through the steps they need to take to resolve the issue. These workflows can be customized to fit your team’s specific needs and can include tasks, checklists, and due dates to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
• Automation: The platform’s automation features allow teams to automate routine tasks and processes, such as sending notifications or updating status reports. The benefits? Reduced manual workload for team members and the ability to complete critical tasks on time.
• Tracking: Nifty provides real-time tracking of incidents, allowing teams to see the status of the incident and any related tasks. This helps to ensure that everyone is aware of the current state of the incident and can make informed decisions about the next steps.
• Milestones: Nifty’s incident management features also includes Milestones, which are key events or deadlines that teams need to meet during the incident response process: 

These milestones can be customized to fit your team’s needs and can help ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals.

Pricing:

• Free plan offers a generous free forever with unlimited users and tasks.
• Starter plan starts at $5/user per month
• Pro plan begins at $10/user per month
• Business plan comes at $16/user per month

G2 Ratings:  4.7 out of 5 stars

👉 Ready to try Nifty?  Get started with Nifty for free.

2. AlertOps

AlertOps is a powerful incident management software that can help IT and DevOps teams streamline their incident response processes and improve their overall incident management capabilities.

Features:

• Multi-channel alerting: AlertOps supports a wide range of communication channels, including email, SMS, phone, push notifications, and more. As a result, alerts are delivered to the right people in a timely capacity, regardless of their location or preferred method of communication.
• Escalation policies: It allows teams to set up escalation policies that automatically escalate alerts to the next level of support if they are not acknowledged or resolved within a certain time frame. Consequently, critical incidents are addressed in a timely manner, even if the first responder is unavailable.
• Automated workflows: The tool allows teams to automate repetitive tasks and processes, such as ticket creation, incident triage, and incident resolution, ultimately reducing response times and freeing up team members to focus on more complex tasks.
• Real-time collaboration: It provides a centralized platform for teams to collaborate and communicate in real-time during an incident. Some of the powerful features include chat, video conferencing, and screen sharing, which can help teams quickly diagnose and resolve issues.
• Analytics and reporting: AlertOps provides analytics and reporting tools that allow teams to track key performance metrics, such as incident response times, resolution rates, and more. This helps teams identify areas for improvement and optimize their incident management processes over time.

Pricing:

• Starter Pack: $0
• Standard: $5/user/month billed yearly
• Premium: $15/user/month billed yearly
• Enterprise: $23/user/month billed yearly

G2 Ratings: 4.6 out of 5 stars

3. Middleware

Middleware is a full-stack, cloud-native observability platform that offers multiple features like log monitoring, infrastructure monitoring, synthetic monitoring, distributed tracing, and incident alerts. The tool offers real-time monitoring which allows you to view all your logs, traces, and metrics in one place.

Features:

• Real-time monitoring: Middleware monitors applications, servers, and network devices in real-time. It also offers out-of-the-box integrations with other technologies like AWS, making it easy to start monitoring your environment immediately.
• Alerting: The tool’s alerting system enables users to set up custom alerts based on specific metrics, events, and thresholds. Alerts can be sent to multiple channels, including email, Slack, Teams, and more.
• Collaboration: Middleware allows teams to collaborate in real time by sharing dashboards, creating annotations, and commenting on events. It also provides a centralized location for incident management communication, helping teams stay organized and informed.
• Incident management: It offers a dedicated incident management feature that allows teams to manage and track incidents from start to finish. It provides an incident timeline, automatic incident detection, and customizable incident workflows.
• Root cause analysis: The tool enables teams to perform root cause analysis by providing a range of diagnostic tools, including log analysis, infrastructure monitoring, APM (Application Performance Management) tools, and API observability tools. These tools help identify the underlying cause of incidents quickly and accurately.

Pricing:  

• Free forever plan that supports monitoring 1M log events and up to two hosts for APM & Infrastructure. 
• The pay-as-you-go plan starts at $1 for 1M logs.

G2 Ratings: N/A 

4. GitLab

GitLab is primarily a web-based Git repository manager that provides tools for Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Delivery (CD), and DevOps. It also offers a robust incident management feature to help track, manage, and resolve incidents quickly and efficiently.

Features:

• Incident creation and triage allow teams to create incidents quickly and easily. The system also allows teams to triage incidents by assigning severity levels and priorities.
• Collaboration and communication become easy as it offers a centralized location for collaboration and communication during an incident. The system allows teams to communicate in real-time using comments, chat, and voice and video calls.
• Incident tracking allows teams to track incidents and their status from creation to resolution. The system also provides a history of all actions taken during the incident.
• Post-incident analysis empowers teams to document what happened during the incident, identify the root cause, and create action items to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
• Integrations with other tools used in incident management, such as monitoring tools, alerting tools, and communication tools. 

Pricing: Contact the team

G2 Ratings: 4.5 out of 5 stars

5. Datadog

Datadog is a popular incident management software that provides comprehensive visibility into applications and infrastructure, enabling organizations to quickly detect, diagnose, and resolve issues.

Features:

• Integration: Datadog can integrate with multiple systems and applications, allowing for seamless data exchange and collaboration between different teams.
• Automation: It can automate incident response processes, such as routing it to the appropriate teams, escalating issues based on severity, and tracking progress.
• Monitoring: It helps monitor systems and applications for potential issues, such as server downtime, network latency, or security breaches.
• Reporting: Datadog can generate reports on incident trends, resolution times, and other key performance indicators (KPIs) to help teams identify areas for improvement.
• Alerting: The tool can send alerts to relevant teams when incidents occur, providing real-time notifications to ensure timely resolution.

Pricing:

• Starting at $20/user/month billed annually

G2 Ratings: 4.3 out of 5 stars

6. NinjaOne

NinjaOne is an incident management software that helps organizations streamline their incident response processes. It is designed to enable quick detection, analysis, and resolution of incidents, minimizing downtime and impact on business operations.

Features:

• Centralized incident management dashboard enables organizations to manage all their incidents in one place. It provides real-time visibility into the incident status and progress.
  
• The incident triage feature helps prioritize incidents based on their severity and impact on business operations. It also enables quick identification of critical incidents that require immediate attention.
  
• The automated workflows feature automates incident response workflows, eliminating manual and repetitive tasks. Plus, it helps teams to focus on resolving incidents instead of performing routine tasks.
  
• NinjaOne’s knowledge base feature helps organizations to capture and document incident resolution processes. It can also be used to train new team members and improve incident response processes over time.
  

Pricing: Custom quote available

G2 Ratings: 4.8 out of 5 stars

7. PagerDuty

PagerDuty is a powerful incident management software that helps businesses of all sizes respond to incidents quickly and efficiently.

Its real-time incident management capabilities, automated escalation, integrations, mobile app, and analytics and reporting features make it a top choice for businesses looking to improve their incident management processes.

Features:

• Real-time incident management means businesses can quickly detect and resolve issues before they become critical. The software also allows teams to collaborate in real-time, ensuring that incidents are resolved as quickly as possible.
• The automated escalation feature allows businesses to set up a hierarchy of on-call responders for each incident type. This ensures that incidents are routed to the right people at the right time and that response times are optimized.
• Integrates with over 300 third-party applications, including monitoring tools, communication tools, and collaboration tools. By extension, businesses can create a seamless incident management workflow that integrates with their existing systems.
• The mobile app allows on-call responders to manage incidents from their mobile devices. The app provides real-time notifications, incident details, and the ability to take action on incidents.
• Analytics and reporting feature provides comprehensive analytics and reporting features, allowing businesses to track incident trends, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions.
• ServiceNow Integration allows businesses to create a seamless workflow between their incident management and service management processes.

Pricing: Custom quote available

G2 Ratings: 4.5 out of 5 stars

8. Atlassian’s Jira Service Management

Jira Service Management is a popular incident management software that helps organizations manage incidents, service requests, and so on.

Features:

• Incident management: Jira Service Management enables organizations to handle incidents efficiently. Users can create, track, and manage incidents from a central location. They can also prioritize incidents based on severity, assign them to appropriate teams or individuals, and track their progress.
• Service request management: The software helps users manage service requests efficiently. Plus, it enables users to create request types, set up approval workflows, and track the status of requests.
• Change management: Jira Service Management allows users to manage change requests effectively. Moreover, users can track changes, set up approval workflows, and notify stakeholders about the progress of the change.
• Problem management: The software helps organizations identify and solve problems efficiently while helping users to track the root cause of problems, create problem tickets, and set up workflows to solve them.
• Reporting and analytics: The software provides detailed reports and analytics about incidents, requests, and changes. Users can use these reports to identify trends, measure team performance, and improve service delivery.
• Collaboration: Jira Service Management facilitates collaboration between team members. It enables users to add comments and attachments and collaborate with other team members to resolve incidents, service requests, and changes.

Pricing: Custom quote available

G2 Ratings: 4.2 out of 5 stars

Read also: Best Agile project management tools

9. ServiceNow

ServiceNow is a cloud-based platform that provides a comprehensive suite of IT service management (ITSM) solutions. It allows businesses to manage incidents, requests, problems, changes, etc. Plus, the software is a core part of its ITSM suite and helps businesses to manage and resolve IT-related incidents efficiently.

Features:

• Incident tracking: ServiceNow allows businesses to track incidents from creation to resolution. It provides a centralized incident management system that enables businesses to quickly identify, assign, and prioritize incidents based on their impact and urgency.
• Automated incident routing: The software comes with an automated routing feature that helps businesses to route incidents to the appropriate team or individual based on the incident type, severity, and location.
• Customizable incident forms: It allows businesses to customize incident forms based on their specific needs. This makes it easier for businesses to capture relevant incident information and track incidents more efficiently.
• SLA management: ServiceNow’s incident management software comes with a built-in SLA management feature that allows businesses to set SLAs for incident resolution and track SLA compliance in real time.
• Knowledge management: ServiceNow’s incident management software comes with a knowledge management feature that allows businesses to capture incident resolutions and best practices in a centralized knowledge base. It makes it easier for businesses to resolve incidents more quickly and efficiently.

Pricing: Custom quote available

G2 Ratings: 4.4 out of 5 stars

10. Freshservice

Incident management in Freshservice allows IT teams to manage and resolve incidents efficiently, minimizing downtime and disruptions to end-users.

Features:

• Customizable ticket fields: Freshservice allows users to create custom ticket fields to capture the required information about an incident. This feature ensures that IT teams can collect all the necessary details about an incident, making it easier to resolve it quickly.
• Automatic ticket assignment: The tool can automatically assign tickets to the appropriate team or agent based on predefined rules, such as the type or priority of the incident, reducing the response time in the process.
• SLA management: Freshservice’s incident management module allows users to set up SLAs (Service Level Agreements) for different types of incidents. It ensures that IT teams prioritize incidents based on their severity and resolve them within the agreed-upon timeframe.
• Knowledge base integration: It integrates with its knowledge base, allowing agents to quickly search for solutions to known issues. 
• Collaboration and communication tools: Freshservice’s incident management module allows agents to collaborate and communicate with each other using tools such as notes, internal chat, and @mentions. It ensures that everyone involved in resolving an incident is kept up-to-date and can work together effectively.
• Reporting and analytics: It provides detailed reports and analytics on incident trends, agent performance, and SLA compliance, helping IT teams to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions.

Pricing:

• Starter: $19/agent/month, billed annually
• Growth: $49/agent/month, billed annually
• Pro: $95/agent/month, billed annually
• Enterprise: $119/agent/month, billed annually

G2 Ratings: 4.6 out of 5 stars

Selecting the best incident management software is half the work done!

Incident management software is essential for any organization that wants to be prepared for any unforeseen events or incidents that may occur. It can help organizations respond quickly and effectively to incidents, minimize their impact, and prevent them from happening in the future.

However, choosing a personalized and well-aligned incident management software is crucial to ensure that it meets the needs of your organization.

Nifty is one such choice. It is available as an incident management software free of cost and is a good choice for organizations looking for a project management and collaboration tool that also offers robust incident management features—from real-time incident tracking and customizable workflows to automated incident escalation and integration with third-party tools such as Slack, GitHub, and Google Drive.

Evaluate the software against your organization’s specific needs and requirements and zero in on the perfect fit. Good luck!

Made your mind? Sign up now to access Nifty for incident management.