- Best for teams of all kinds: Howspace
- Best for IT teams: FreshService
- Best for digital adoption: WhatFix
- Best for versatility: ClickUp
- Best for visual workflows: ManageEngine
Change management software can help your team with everything from learning new features to switching to a new platform to weather organizational restructuring — if you select the right tool, that is. In this guide, we highlight five of the best change management software platforms that are worthy of your consideration.
Jump to:
- Top change management software comparison
- Top change management software
- Key features of change management software
- How do I choose the best change management software for my business?
Top change management software comparison
Besides pricing, there are a number of features that you should consider when choosing change management software.
| Visual workflows | Team communication | Integrations | Forever free plan | Starting price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howspace | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $13 per user per month |
| FreshService | Yes | Integration required | Yes | No | $19 per agent per month |
| WhatFix | Yes | Integration required | Yes | No | Contact for quote |
| ClickUp | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $7 per user per month |
| ManageEngine | Yes | Integration required | Yes | No | Contact for quote |
Howspace: Best for teams of all kinds
Many change management solutions are geared towards very specific types of teams, or the change management feature is a small subset of a much larger software primarily designed for other uses. Not so with Howspace, which is a dedicated change management software that can be used by all kinds of teams and industries. Its visually appealing software and extensive change management features make this a versatile solution for organizational transformation.
Pricing
- Free: $0 for up to 3 workspaces and 20 users.
- Basic: $13 per user per month for unlimited workspaces.
- Team: $400 per month for up to 50 users.
- Business: From $700 per month billed annually for up to 100 users.
- Custom: Contact Howspace for pricing if you need more than 100 users.
Features
- Journey Widget visualizes the entire change process.
- Super Chat widget encourages team discussion.
- Poll and Pulse widgets facilitate employee surveys.
- Live widget supports live video calls.
Pros
- Product roadmap lets users vote on what features to implement.
- Free forever plan for small teams.
- Email invites and reminders keep everyone in the loop.
- Supports both synchronous and asynchronous collaboration.
Cons
- Video chat feature doesn’t always work well.
- Could use more pre-built templates.
- Calendar function could be improved.
- No view-only user license available.
FreshService: Best for IT teams
You’re probably familiar with FreshDesk or FreshBooks, but you might not have heard of FreshService, an IT management solution designed to help simplify operations and task management. FreshService includes change management features such as establishing mandatory checks at each stage, setting up hierarchical approvals and automating change event notifications. While it may not work for every kind of team, IT and service desk teams will find it an effective option.
Pricing
FreshService offers four transparent pricing tiers, and a free trial is available for all of them:
- Starter: $19 per agent per month billed annually or $29 per agent per month billed monthly.
- Growth: $49 per agent per month billed annually or $59 per agent per month billed monthly.
- Pro: $95 per agent per month billed annually or $115 per agent per month billed monthly.
- Enterprise: $119 per agent per month billed annually or $145 per agent per month billed monthly.
In addition to these pricing plans, FreshServices also offers more paid add-ons.
Features
- Visually track changes through their lifecycle.
- Automate change approvals and notifications.
- Set up a Change Advisory Board with a Change Manager to source expert advice.
- Monitor changes after they are implemented and review the change rollout process.
Pros
- Lots of IT functionality besides just change management.
- Free trial available for all pricing plans.
- User friendly interface.
- Highly configurable and customizable.
Cons
- Must upgrade to the Pro or Enterprise plan to get access to change management features.
- Not suitable for non-IT teams.
- Too complex for teams just looking for change management software.
- May be too expensive for some small businesses.
WhatFix: Best for digital adoption
If the change you are trying to implement involves new software, then consider WhatFix, which is a tool specifically designed to promote digital adoption. WhatFix can be used to create interactive, on-demand training and self-help resources that help employees get up to speed on new software and updates. WhatFix’s isn’t a tool for more general change management, but it’s an excellent option if your organization is struggling to increase adoption of new software.
Pricing
WhatFix doesn’t disclose pricing information for its plans or add-ons. For a pricing quote, contact the WhatFix sales team. A free trial is available.
Features
- Interactive step-by-step guides and workflows.
- In-app learning in your new software.
- Create training segments personalized for user’s specific needs.
- White-label capabilities reflect your company brand.
Pros
- Excellent 24/7 customer support.
- All plans get a dedicated customer service manager.
- Smart pop-ups provide just-in-time training at the moment of need.
- Variety of features support many different use cases.
Cons
- Number of features means a longer learning curve.
- Must upgrade to a Premium plan for custom surveys.
- Getting content to appear correctly can take some troubleshooting.
- Pricing is not transparent.
ClickUp: Best for versatility
While ClickUp is primarily designed to be project management software, it also offers features for change management. In ClickUp, you can choose from multiple change management templates, create a plan using Gantt charts and collaborate with teammates to ensure a smooth process. If you’re looking for a new project management tool that is also versatile enough to support change management, ClickUp is worth considering.
Pricing
- Free Forever: $0; best for personal use.
- Unlimited: $7 per user per month billed annually, or $10 per user per month billed monthly.
- Business: $12 per user per month billed annually, or $19 per user per month billed monthly.
- Enterprise: Quotes are available upon request.
Features
- Choose from multiple change management templates.
- Monitor progress with report capabilities.
- Use the Mind Maps feature to visualize workflows.
- Identify priorities and create dependencies.
Pros
- Affordable pricing plans.
- Extensive project management functionality.
- Free plan allows unlimited users.
- 24/7 customer support for all plans.
Cons
- Not specifically designed for change management.
- Some users report occasional performance issues and lags.
- Can present a learning curve due to the number of features.
- Must use the desktop app for a number of actions.
For more information, read the full ClickUp review.
ManageEngine: Best for visual workflows
ManageEngine — the IT management division of Zoho — offers a change management software called ServiceDesk Plus that is geared towards IT teams. ManageEngine has a visual workflow builder that helps teams capture their current processes and the changes that they want to make. Break down changes into eight different stages, gather input from the Change Advisory Board and create a change management schedule calendar to plan everything out.
Pricing
ManageEngine doesn’t disclose pricing information for its plans or add-ons. For a pricing quote, contact the ManageEngine sales team. A free trial is available.
Features
- Drag-and-drop canvas to create custom workflows.
- Create impact, roll out and back out plans and implementation checklists.
- Assess, prioritize and schedule changes with inputs from the advisory board.
- Analyze metrics to continually improve change management processes.
Pros
- AI-powered self-help portal.
- Many other IT and service desk tools.
- Seamlessly integrates with other Zoho products.
- On-premise and cloud-based options.
Cons
- Pricing is not transparent.
- Interface could be more intuitive.
- Not suitable for non-IT teams.
- Too complex for teams just looking for change management software.
Key features of change management software
Process and workflow mapping
One of the most essential features of change management software is the ability to capture your existing processes and workflows, then map out the alterations that you want to make. Any change management software should include intuitive tools for process and workflow creation, ideally with easy drag-and-drop functionality. Some may also support workload and resource management to ensure that certain team members don’t become overloaded.
Visualizations
Change management software should also include numerous visualization options so you can pick the one best suited for your change management project. Some helpful views to look for include Gantt charts, timelines, calendars, Kanban boards, org charts and flowcharts.
Team communication and collaboration
In order to implement change, you need to be able to communicate with your team via comments, @ mentions, chat messaging and even video chat. Some change management software provides these tools for collaboration, while others rely on integrations with other popular communication tools like Slack, Gmail and Zoom.
Integrations
Speaking of integrations, your change management software should integrate with all your essential tools, including calendars, CRMs and help desk ticketing software. Necessary integrations vary from company to company, so make sure to create a list of must-have integrations at the start of your search.
Reporting and analytics
Tracking metrics can provide proof of which processes are working, which need to be altered, and which changes have been successful. Any change management software should include a module for analytics and provide multiple types to choose from.
How do I choose the best change management software for my business?
When selecting change management software for your business, consider your overarching needs and specific use cases. Do you mostly need the software for IT and service desk teams, or do you need enterprise project management software that works for other departments as well? Do you want dedicated change management software, or do you have broader needs that would be better met by more versatile small business project management software like ClickUp? Are you specifically implementing new software, or do you need help with other types of change management?
Once you answer those questions, you will almost certainly have narrowed down your change management software options significantly. Then you can consider other factors, such as pricing, integrations and team communication to make your selection. Definitely take advantage of free trials as well as sales demos before finalizing your decision.
Methodology
To select the best change management software, we consulted user reviews and product documentation. We consider factors such as pricing, free trials, customer support and user interface design. We also considered features such as workflow creation, approval hierarchies, calendar scheduling and reporting and analytics.