Which is better between ServiceNow on-call and xmatters?

[Pranavi07]

We are investigating if we can do all which xmatters can do within the ServiceNow. For example, using ServiceNow's on-call module as an alternative to xmatters. Could you please suggest if this is the right way? we are new to both the tools so we are unsure whether which one is better considering ease, licensing cost, features etc and can ServiceNow on-call be an exact alternative to xmatters (why we need this is because we are assuming we might not be using xmatters to the fullest and we might be paying unwanted cost, we need to page users regarding priority incidents this is our ask, if you think on-call is right and cost-effective, please let us know, if xmatters is better then we need to know why

Thanks in advance!!

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Test passed

[Pranavi07]

Hi @Dr Atul G- LNG ,
😅I was trying to post the question above but couldn't do it, hence posted some random text and then edited it.

if you have any knowledge or experience with this topic, could you please take a look at my question and share your thoughts when you get a chance?

Thanks in advance!

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @Pranavi07 

Yes, you can use Xmatters with ServiceNow, but the cost can be a burden depending on the requirements.

You would also need to consider the integration effort and check whether an OOTB integration is available. If not, the integration would need to be developed, which could add further cost and complexity.

Generally, I see companies using Twilio for this purpose.

Prefer to use ServiceNow Oncall that is OOTb and you will get support too.

[Tanushree Maiti]

Hi @Pranavi07 

ServiceNow's native module is excellent for basic rostering.

• Best for: Native UI tracking, simple shift rotation, and ticket ownership.
• Advantages: No separate external platform to manage; perfectly tied to your existing ServiceNow tickets.
• Drawbacks: Native scheduling requires add-ons (like the Notify plugin) to actually place calls or send SMS messages

Feature	ServiceNow On-Call Scheduling	xMatters
Primary Function	Native task routing, scheduling, and escalation within the ITSM platform.	Enterprise-grade incident resolution, alert orchestration, and communication.
Alerting Channels	In-app notifications, email, and basic push. SMS/Voice requires the Notify plugin.	Multi-channel push, SMS, email, and voice calls with actionable response tracking.
Escalations & Overrides	Standard time-based escalations, roster changes, and manual overrides within the platform.	Dynamic, rule-based escalations based on skill set, workload, and location.
ChatOps Integration	Links with chat tools primarily through ServiceNow's native Virtual Agent and integrations.	Deep integration with Slack and Microsoft Teams to spin up war rooms directly from alerts.
Incident Collaboration	Primarily supports direct ticket assignment and standard assignment groups.	"Engage with xMatters" feature spins up conference bridge lines and engages cross-functional teams in real time.
Third-Party Integrations	Relies heavily on the native ServiceNow ecosystem and APIs.	Native, low-code/no-code integrations with hundreds of DevOps, security, and monitoring tools.
Community Sentiment	Native tool is appreciated for not requiring a separate vendor, but community members often note it lacks advanced alerting features.	Known for streamlining critical major incidents, though community and PeerSpot users note the licensing cost can be higher for heavy, full-staff usage.