Freshservice IT asset management licensing covers how Freshworks meters the asset discovery, inventory, CMDB and software asset management features of Freshservice. Since 2026 the metric is the Asset Unit (AU). Freshworks calls it the “licensing metric for IT Asset Management, measuring usage based on the number and type of assets managed in the Freshservice CMDB”, sold in packs of 500.[1] Different asset types consume different numbers of AUs. A server or virtual machine costs 4, a laptop 1, and a mainframe 400.[1] The new ITAM, built on Freshworks’ acquisition of Device42, has been available to new Freshservice sign-ups since 2026-03-31.[2][5] Existing customers keep the earlier ITAM Classic model, based on managed asset packs, until they are upgraded. They move to Asset Units at their first renewal after the upgrade.[5] The on-premise Device42 software has its own licence, one Software License Key per Server.[7]
Editions
Freshservice ITAM has three plans, all sold by quote.[1]
| Capability | ITAM Growth | ITAM Pro | ITAM Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery for Windows, Mac and Linux; network, cloud, storage and infrastructure; agentless and agent-based | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hardware asset management, lifecycle management, CMDB, workflow automation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Data center infrastructure management (racks, rooms, cabling) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Contracts and purchase orders | No | Yes | Yes |
| Software asset management, SaaS discovery, software normalization and enrichment | No | Yes | Yes |
| Service discovery, application dependency mapping, business service mapping | No | No | Yes |
Sources: ITAM pricing page and ITAM plans article.[1][2] The Freshservice for IT Growth, Pro and Enterprise plans each include “the ITAM Growth package and 100 ITAM Growth Asset Units”. Additional AUs or upgraded functionality cost extra.[3] Freshservice Starter lists no ITAM entitlement.[3] Buying more ITAM Growth AUs, or upgrading to ITAM Pro or ITAM Enterprise, requires “a new Freshservice for IT Growth, Pro, or Enterprise plan” at the time of purchase.[1] The catalog records the pack as Freshservice ITAM Asset Unit pack (500 AU), with no public price. Catalog proof: Freshservice Growth, Pro and Enterprise include 100 ITAM Growth Asset Units; Additional ITAM Asset Units require a Freshservice for IT Growth, Pro or Enterprise plan.
Metrics
- Asset Unit. The standard measure of ITAM capacity. “Each asset type is assigned a specific AU count. When you add an asset to the system, it consumes a defined number of AUs from your total capacity.”[2]
- Managed Asset. The unit of the legacy asset packs. It covers assets discovered, synced or uploaded into Freshservice, as described below.[4]
- Software License Key (Device42). A valid licence key issued to the customer to activate and use the Device42 on-premise software.[7]
Counting / floors
Asset Unit weights (as retrieved 2026-09-27). Freshworks publishes this consumption table.[1][2]
| Asset type | Asset Units each | Catalog rule |
|---|---|---|
| Server, virtual machine or network device | 4 | Servers, virtual machines and network devices consume 4 Asset Units each |
| Desktop, mobile or end-user computing (EUC) device | 1 | Desktops, mobile devices and SaaS users consume 1 Asset Unit each |
| SaaS user | 1 | Desktops, mobile devices and SaaS users consume 1 Asset Unit each |
| Container or function | 1/2 | Containers and functions consume half an Asset Unit |
| Storage, per 5 TB discovered | 1/5 | Archived devices and non-IP physical assets consume 1/25 Asset Unit; 5 TB of storage 1/5 |
| Archived device | 1/25 | Archived devices and non-IP physical assets consume 1/25 Asset Unit; 5 TB of storage 1/5 |
| Physical asset (non-IP) | 1/25 | Archived devices and non-IP physical assets consume 1/25 Asset Unit; 5 TB of storage 1/5 |
| Mainframe or mid-range | 400 | Mainframe and mid-range systems consume 400 Asset Units each |
Two practical points follow from the table. First, archived devices still consume capacity, at 1/25 of an AU each, so keeping retired hardware in the CMDB has a cost. Second, the table does not say whether a SaaS user is counted once per person or once for each application the person uses. It also does not say how fractional totals are rounded.[1][2]
Worked example (illustrative arithmetic, not a Freshworks quote). Take an estate of 120 servers and virtual machines (480 AU), 1,500 laptops and phones (1,500 AU), 400 SaaS users (400 AU), 300 containers (150 AU) and 1,000 archived devices (40 AU). It consumes 2,570 AU. The 100 AUs included with a Growth, Pro or Enterprise plan leave 2,470 AU, which in packs of 500 means five packs, or 2,500 AU.
No reduction during the term (Terms effective 2026-04-01). The Terms of Service name Asset Units explicitly. During the Subscription Term the customer may not “reduce their User or Asset Unit count”.[6] Retiring or deleting assets mid-term therefore frees capacity for new assets but does not reduce the fees. Catalog proof: User and Asset Unit counts cannot be reduced during the Subscription Term; Freshservice ITAM is licensed in Asset Units sold in packs of 500.
Legacy managed asset packs (ITAM Classic)
For customers who signed up to Freshservice after 2025-04-03, Freshservice support lists three groups of chargeable managed assets:[4]
- assets discovered by the Freshservice Discovery Probe and Agent;
- assets from third-party sources, such as Intune, Jamf, Automox, Chrome Connector, Workspace One and the cloud discovery apps for Azure, AWS, GCP and Kubernetes;
- assets added manually through the user interface, APIs, CSV files or custom integrations.
S3 buckets are counted differently: ten buckets equal one Managed Asset. Assets brought in by Advanced Discovery (powered by Device42) are not counted in the managed asset pack, because the Advanced Discovery subscription covers them. If that subscription is dropped, those assets count toward the pack unless they are moved to trash.[4] Unlike the Asset Unit model, the managed-asset definition gives every chargeable asset the same weight, whatever its type. Catalog proof: Managed assets are chargeable whether discovered, synced from third parties or added manually; Ten S3 buckets count as one Managed Asset; Assets discovered through Advanced Discovery (Device42) are excluded from the managed asset pack.
Transition to Asset Units
The ITAM upgrade FAQ sets out the timetable.[5]
- Existing customers are upgraded “on a rolling basis throughout 2026 and early 2027”, in windows based on contract and technical needs, and can ask to reschedule.
- Pricing stays the same until the end of the current contract term. The legacy billing structure is replaced by the Asset Unit model from the first renewal after the move.
- ITAM Classic stays available until it is discontinued, planned for December 2028.
- Customers with asset packs, and customers using Device42 on-premise integrated with Freshservice, are told there will be no service disruption.
For planning purposes, the first renewal after the upgrade is the point at which an estate’s size changes from a count of managed assets to a weighted AU total. Server-heavy and mainframe estates are affected most by the weights. Catalog proof: Existing ITAM customers move to Asset Units at the first renewal after upgrading.
Virtualization & partitioning
Under the Asset Unit model, a virtual machine is weighted exactly like a physical server, at 4 AU. Containers and functions count as half an AU each.[1] Freshworks publishes no host-based or cluster-based alternative, so each discovered virtual machine counts separately. Moving from basic to advanced discovery can also change how cloud compute is modelled. Once advanced ITAM discovers the same cloud compute resources from AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes or vCenter, it moves them into the hardware hierarchy.[8] For the cross-vendor background, see virtualization and partitioning.
Device42 on-premise software
Device42 is licensed differently from the hosted ITAM. Under the Supplemental Terms (effective 2026-03-06), each Software License Key allows the customer to use the Device42 Software on any single Server and to make back-up and archival copies. The software is “in use” on a Server “when it is loaded into temporary memory or installed in permanent memory”.[7] Keys must be obtained directly from Freshworks. A customer licensing Device42 for a data center consolidation or migration must buy a separate, limited-term, project-specific licence. The “ITOM” and “ITOM+” bundles may not be used for that purpose.[7] Setting up advanced discovery involves downloading the Device42 Main Appliance and applying a licence key. Remote Collectors are then deployed to extend discovery.[8] Catalog proof: Each Device42 Software License Key covers use on a single Server; Device42 ITOM bundles may not be used for data center consolidation or migration.
Cloud / BYOL
Freshservice ITAM is part of the hosted Freshservice service. Cloud resources count as assets through discovery apps, at the weight of their asset type. No bring-your-own-license mapping applies.[1][4]
Programs
- ITAM Classic to Freshservice IT Asset Management upgrade. The transition program described above.[5]
- Free trial. Sign-up gives 14 days of free, unrestricted access to the ITAM Enterprise plan.[1]
- Cancellation. Freshworks charges no cancellation fees, but cancellation takes effect only at the end of the current billing cycle. For contract customers it is handled through a cancellation request or a revised order form.[1]
Out of scope
This article does not describe how to use Freshservice’s software asset management features to track other vendors’ licences. It covers only how Freshworks licenses those features. Agent licensing, Day Passes and Freddy AI are covered in Freshservice plans and agent licensing and Freshworks Freddy AI licensing. The price of AU packs, ITAM Pro and Enterprise, the Advanced Discovery subscription and standalone Device42 subscriptions is not public.