Nova-Suite

Overview

Nova-Suite is an open-source IT service management platform for teams connecting service requests with incident, configuration, and change work. It is best suited to organizations willing to run or manage the platform themselves and wanting broad ITSM capabilities without per-agent charges. Its free tier is compelling; private-source licensing and priority support require a separate commercial arrangement.

Key features

The employee service catalogue lets people submit requests, track progress, and consult knowledge articles. A contextual assistant can recommend articles, create incidents, and autofill forms for both requesters and fulfillers. This combination addresses common intake tasks, although teams should balance those conveniences against the work of operating a self-hosted system.

Incident handling covers classification, prioritization, routing, and escalation policies, while real-time SLA breach predictions can help teams spot commitments at risk. Dashboards and workload views give teams operational visibility, with CSV export and API access for BI workflows. The CMDB supports configurable CI classes, attributes, and relationships, plus impact visibility; change management adds CAB approvals and planning windows. Together, these tools suit teams that need service management connected to configuration and change control, rather than a request portal alone.

Nova-Suite offers a REST API with Swagger documentation and scheduled data-source imports. It can run on user infrastructure through Docker or Kubernetes, or as managed cloud. PostgreSQL Row-Level Security is used for tenant boundaries, with role controls and audit logs; authentication supports local accounts and OIDC single sign-on, including Google and Microsoft Entra ID. Bug reports and feature requests go through GitHub issues, while licensing and deployment guidance are handled through the contact form.

Pricing

Standard: free, billed Free forever. It is self-hosted and includes the full feature set, unlimited agents, Employee Portal, Incident & Problem Management, Knowledge Base, Change Management, CMDB, REST API, SSO for Google and Entra ID, and community support. There is no per-agent ceiling, making it a strong option for teams able to supply and maintain their own infrastructure. The trade-off is community rather than priority support.

Commercial: custom pricing, billed Custom. It provides private-source licensing terms, deployment guidance, priority support options, and roadmap and integration discussions. This is the relevant route for organizations planning private modifications or seeking commercial support, but it does not have a published price.

Platforms

Nova-Suite supports API and web access, with self-hosted deployment via Docker or Kubernetes; managed cloud is also an option. That flexibility benefits teams with infrastructure preferences, while a self-hosted deployment places operational responsibility with the customer.

Who it's for

Small IT teams can use Standard without agent limits, and larger rollouts can also consider it if they can handle deployment and community-supported operations. Teams needing private modifications, priority support, or deployment guidance should consider Commercial. It is a weaker fit for organizations that want a paid hosted service with a clearly stated price before committing.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Standard includes the full feature set and unlimited agents at no cost, so team size does not trigger a per-agent bill.
• Pro: Service requests, incident and problem management, CMDB, and change controls sit alongside SLA workflows and reporting.
• Pro: Self-hosted and managed-cloud deployment options, API access, and scheduled imports accommodate different operating models.
• Con: Standard is self-hosted, so teams must be prepared to run the platform on their own infrastructure.
• Con: Standard support is community-based; priority support and private-source terms require custom-priced Commercial licensing.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see AI IT Service Desk Software, IT Change Management Software, and IT SLA Management Software.

• FreeITSM is another free option, with Linux and Windows support alongside API, web, and self-hosted platforms.
• Desk Support Monkey is worth considering for a full AGPL-licensed open-source platform; it has a free plan and free trial.
• GudDesk is a self-hostable AGPL-3.0 option with a free plan and a Pro Plan at $29 a month, billed flat.
• Tessio offers a Community plan at no cost with five admin/agent seats and unlimited requesters, so it may fit a smaller team that can work within that seat cap.
• ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus has a Standard plan at $13 a month, billed monthly, and a Professional plan at $27 a month, billed monthly; consider it if you prefer a paid option available across mobile, desktop, and web platforms.
• Console is a paid web option with a free trial.
• Moveworks offers custom-quote pricing tailored to business requirements and platforms including Android, iOS, web, API, and extension.
• Zammad has a Starter v2 plan at €7 a month, billed annually, with a stated monthly-billing rate of €9 per agent/month; consider it if you prefer a hosted plan with a per-agent price.

Verdict

Choose Nova-Suite if you want a broad ITSM platform with unlimited agents at no software charge and can take responsibility for deployment, especially when CMDB and change control matter alongside incident handling. Look elsewhere if self-hosting or community support is unsuitable, or if private-source licensing and priority support need a predictable published price.