I just learned that SolarWinds is discontinuing perpetual licenses for their Web Help Desk starting August 1, 2025, and moving exclusively to a 3-year subscription model. As someone who works in a K-12 school district, I'm worried about this change, especially since budget planning is always a challenge. We initially chose WHD because it was straightforward, on-premise, and didn't come with annual costs. But with subscriptions, the long-term expenses will be much higher, and with the new school year approaching and budget plans already made, this couldn't come at a worse time. I'm looking for alternatives that are affordable (prefer educational pricing), offer flexible subscription options, handle basics like ticketing and asset tracking, and allow for some automation. Ideally, I'd prefer a solution that can be either cloud-based or on-premise, but gives us control over ongoing costs and doesn't require extensive IT experience to set up and use. Has anyone in education or SMB successfully switched from WHD? What are you using now that you like or wish you'd avoided? Thanks for any recommendations!
6 Answers
Have you checked out InvGate? It seems to be the only SMB solution that nails both asset management and service desk functionality without separating them into different products. Their pricing is competitive, even if it's still a subscription. Plus, their workflow engine is pretty handy for automation. I think you'll find them a good rising option, especially compared to companies like Freshworks that seem to be stagnating.
I've been using Jitbit Help Desk for a decade and absolutely love it. It's user-friendly and several departments in my organization have adopted it for their own tracking needs. Definitely worth checking out!
Sounds promising, thanks for the recommendation!
Jitbit is solid! Easy to use and they roll out updates that actually matter.
I work for InvGate, so I might be biased, but we have successfully migrated many people from WHD. We offer flexible licensing options, an education discount, and you can set it up however you want. Most users are up and running in just weeks, plus we offer a 30-day free trial to try it out!
Consider going for something free and open source (FOSS). They can be really cost-effective and flexible for your needs.
How did you find out about WHD ending perpetual licenses? I'm looking at renewal and haven’t heard anything about it. Any details would help!
Here’s a link with the info: https://www.schneider.im/solarwinds-licensing-changes/
There are plenty of alternatives out there, even free ones. It might be worth checking out EduGeek, which I used ages ago when I was in school IT. They have a lot of resources and options.
Thanks! I'll take a look at InvGate.