Geekflare

Best Open Source Help Desk Software in 2026

I looked at 22 open source help desk and ticketing systems and ranked the best ones I'd trust with IT or customer support. For each one I have analyzed what they offer in open source edition and what is available in paid features. I've also installed Zammad, FreeScout and GLPI on a cloud server and worked through real tickets in each.

Data refreshedMethodologyHow we evaluate
Founder of Geekflare

Chandan Kumar is a founder of Geekflare. He is a technology enthusiast and entrepreneur who loves to help businesses and people around the world. Chandan has worked at BNP Paribas, Citibank, Deutsche Bank, Motorola, and HP. He’s got an in-depth understanding of business software and IT infrastructure.

What I found

  • Zammad is the most complete free option and also the heaviest. It used 2.7 GB of my 4 GB test server at idle, and 1.4 GB of that was Elasticsearch.
  • GLPI ships with four default accounts and well-known passwords. Only a banner on the dashboard tells you to change them.
  • Most PHP help desks sell features as add-ons. FreeScout charges once per module, while UVdesk doesn't publish its add-on prices.
  • OTRS no longer has a free edition. Znuny and OTOBO carry on the old Community Edition code.

Tested on DigitalOcean Droplet with Ubuntu 24.04 server with 2 vCPU and 4 GB of RAM, using Docker. “Ready in” runs from an empty server to the first working screen, image downloads included. “Memory at idle” is what the software and its database use together with no traffic.

SoftwareVersionReady inMemory at idleWhat happened
Zammad7.2.27 min 53 s2697 MB of 4 GBRan on our 4 GB server, but used 2.7 GB at idle, 1.4 GB of it Elasticsearch, and setup took almost 8 minutes.
FreeScout1.8.2481 min 20 s227 MB of 4 GBNo issues. FreeScout has no official Docker image, so we used the community nfrastack/freescout image with a MariaDB health check.
GLPI12.0.01 min 24 s814 MB of 4 GBInstalled itself on first start. A fresh install has four default accounts with well-known passwords, and only a banner says to change them.

10 Open Source Help Desk Software compared

Licence, Docker support, SSO and hosted pricing side by side. Sort by latest release to check a project is still maintained before you move your support queue onto it.

LicenceTypeDockerSSOManaged cloud
1
Zammad
Ruby 3.4 / Rails 8 / Vue
AGPL-3.0
Copyleft
Help desk6kOct 2026(Actively maintained)YesFree edition€7 per agent/month (billed yearly)
2
FreeScout
PHP 7.4–8.x / Laravel 5.5
AGPL-3.0
Copyleft
Shared inbox4.6kOct 2026(Actively maintained)YesVia pluginNone
3
osTicket
PHP 8.2–8.4
GPL-2.0
Copyleft
Help desk4kJun 2026(Actively maintained)NoFree edition$12 per agent/month
4
GLPI
PHP 8.3+ / Symfony
GPL-3.0-or-later
Copyleft
IT service desk6.5kOct 2026(Actively maintained)YesVia plugin€19 per agent/month
5
Chatwoot
Ruby on Rails / Vue
MIT
Open core
Omnichannel support38kSep 2026(Actively maintained)YesPaid only$19 per agent/month (free tier for 2 agents)
6
Frappe Helpdesk
Python / Vue.js on the Frappe framework
AGPL-3.0
Copyleft
Help desk3.4kOct 2026(Actively maintained)YesFree edition$5/month
7
OTOBO
Perl / Apache or Nginx
GPL-3.0-or-later
Copyleft
IT service desk337Sep 2026(Actively maintained)YesFree edition€11,400/year
8
Request Tracker
Perl
GPL-2.0-only
Copyleft
Ticket tracker1.2kMay 2026(Actively maintained)NoFree edition$15/user/month
9
UVdesk
PHP 8.1 / Symfony
OSL-3.0
Open core
Help desk20kSep 2025(Slowing: last release 1 to 2 years ago)YesNo$8/agent/month
10
Libredesk
Go / Vue.js 3
AGPL-3.0
Copyleft
Omnichannel support3kAug 2026(Actively maintained)YesFree editionNone
  • Actively maintained
  • Slowing: last release 1 to 2 years ago
  • Stale: no release in over 2 years
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Help desks I'd recommend, ranked

Ranked on what a support team gets in the free edition, such as email and chat channels, SSO and roles, and on how much server each one needs. I installed the ones marked Tested by Geekflare.

  1. #1Best overallTested by Geekflare
    Full reviewWebsite GitHub

    Zammad

    Open source help desk and ticketing system for customer and IT support

    The only pick with SAML sign-in, an admin audit log and chat, phone and social channels all in the free code. Give it a bigger server than the PHP options.

    Open source alternative to
    • Zendesk
    • Freshdesk
    The Zammad Open Tickets overview

    The Zammad Open Tickets overview

    Tested Oct 17, 2026, version 7.2.2
    Ready in
    7 min 53 s
    Memory in use at idle
    2697 MB of 4 GB

    Ran on our 4 GB server, but used 2.7 GB at idle, 1.4 GB of it Elasticsearch, and setup took almost 8 minutes.

    Commands, notes and screenshots

    Best for

    Support teams that want SSO, roles and audit logs without a paid tier

    Not for

    Small teams on shared hosting or a server with little RAM

    • SAML, OpenID Connect and Microsoft sign-in in the free edition
    • Email, web form, chat, SMS, Telegram, Facebook and WhatsApp channels
    • Read-only admin audit log since version 7.2
    • Built-in importers for Zendesk, Freshdesk, Kayako and OTRS
    • Needs 6 GB of RAM at minimum, plus 4 GB more for Elasticsearch on the same server
    • PostgreSQL is the only supported database
    • The hosted Starter plan is capped at 5 agents
    Licence
    AGPL-3.0 (copyleft)
    Stack
    Ruby 3.4 / Rails 8 / Vue
    Databases
    PostgreSQL
    GitHub
    6k stars · 180 contributors
    Latest release
    7.2.2 · Oct 8, 2026
    Managed cloud
    Zammad hosted, €7 per agent/month (billed yearly)
    SSO
    Free edition
    Audit logs
    Free edition
    What people say
  2. #2Best shared inboxTested by Geekflare
    Full reviewWebsite GitHub

    FreeScout

    Self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox written in PHP

    It feels like Help Scout and runs on plain PHP hosting. The core is free, and you pay once for only the modules you need.

    Open source alternative to
    • Help Scout
    The FreeScout Mine folder with three test tickets

    The FreeScout Mine folder with three test tickets

    Tested Oct 17, 2026, version 1.8.248
    Ready in
    1 min 20 s
    Memory in use at idle
    227 MB of 4 GB

    No issues. FreeScout has no official Docker image, so we used the community nfrastack/freescout image with a MariaDB health check.

    Commands, notes and screenshots

    Best for

    Small teams that answer customers by email and want to self-host on cheap PHP hosting

    Not for

    Teams that want SSO, workflows and a knowledge base included at no cost

    • Runs on shared PHP hosting
    • Unlimited agents, mailboxes and tickets
    • Modules are one-time purchases, not subscriptions
    • Android and iOS apps for agents and admins
    • SSO, knowledge base, live chat and workflows are paid modules
    • No official Docker image
    • Built on Laravel 5.5 with patched framework code
    Licence
    AGPL-3.0 (copyleft)
    Stack
    PHP 7.4–8.x / Laravel 5.5
    Databases
    MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL
    GitHub
    4.6k stars · 103 contributors
    Latest release
    1.8.248 · Oct 17, 2026
    SSO
    Via plugin
    Audit logs
    Free edition
    What people say
  3. #3Best for simple email ticketing
    Website GitHub

    osTicket

    PHP ticketing system that turns email, web forms and phone requests into tickets

    A long-running PHP ticket system that turns email and web forms into tickets with help topics and SLAs. The agent screens look dated next to the others.

    Best for

    Small IT or support teams that want a free email ticket system on existing PHP hosting

    Not for

    Teams that need live chat, messaging apps or a modern agent interface

    • Help topics with their own custom forms route each request
    • Roles set per department with detailed ticket permissions
    • SLA plans with overdue alerts and escalation
    • Free official plugins for LDAP, OAuth2 sign-in and two-factor login
    • No live chat or social media channels
    • No maintained official Docker image
    • The official docs still describe version 1.17
    Licence
    GPL-2.0 (copyleft)
    Stack
    PHP 8.2–8.4
    Databases
    MySQL, MariaDB
    GitHub
    4k stars · 138 contributors
    Latest release
    v1.18.4 · Jun 17, 2026
    Managed cloud
    SupportSystem, $12 per agent/month
    SSO
    Free edition
    Audit logs
    Free edition
    What people say
  4. #4Best for IT teams that track assetsTested by Geekflare
    Full reviewWebsite GitHub

    GLPI

    IT service management and asset inventory tool with a ticketing helpdesk

    Tickets, hardware inventory, software licences and ITIL change management in one GPL tool. It's more than a customer support team needs.

    Open source alternative to
    • ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
    A GLPI ticket with a follow-up from the technician

    A GLPI ticket with a follow-up from the technician

    Tested Oct 17, 2026, version 12.0.0
    Ready in
    1 min 24 s
    Memory in use at idle
    814 MB of 4 GB

    Installed itself on first start. A fresh install has four default accounts with well-known passwords, and only a banner says to change them.

    Commands, notes and screenshots

    Best for

    Internal IT teams that track tickets alongside hardware, software and contracts

    Not for

    Teams that only need a simple customer support inbox

    • Native inventory of computers and software since version 10
    • Incident, problem and change management follow ITIL
    • Profiles and entities control what each user can see and do
    • Every change to an item is kept in its History tab
    • The OAuth SSO plugin needs a paid GLPI Network subscription
    • Only MySQL and MariaDB are supported
    • The install docs do not cover GLPI 12 yet
    Licence
    GPL-3.0-or-later (copyleft)
    Stack
    PHP 8.3+ / Symfony
    Databases
    MySQL, MariaDB
    GitHub
    6.5k stars · 263 contributors
    Latest release
    12.0.0 · Oct 7, 2026
    Managed cloud
    GLPI Network Cloud, €19 per agent/month
    SSO
    Via plugin
    Audit logs
    Free edition
    What people say
  5. #5Best for live chat and messaging apps
    Website GitHub

    Chatwoot

    Customer support platform that puts website chat, email and messaging apps in one inbox

    One inbox for website chat, WhatsApp, Instagram and email, built like Intercom rather than a ticket queue.

    Open source alternative to
    • Intercom

    Best for

    Teams that support customers over website chat, WhatsApp, Instagram and email

    Not for

    Teams that need SSO or custom roles without paying, or IT teams that need ITIL processes

    • Website chat, email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Line, TikTok and SMS channels
    • API channel for connecting your own message sources
    • Official Docker Compose file, Helm chart and Ubuntu install script
    • Custom roles, SAML SSO and audit logs are paid
    • Needs 4 GB of RAM at minimum, plus PostgreSQL and Redis
    Licence
    MIT (open core)
    Stack
    Ruby on Rails / Vue
    Databases
    PostgreSQL
    GitHub
    38k stars · 405 contributors
    Latest release
    v4.18.0 · Sep 18, 2026
    Managed cloud
    Chatwoot Cloud, $19 per agent/month (free tier for 2 agents)
    SSO
    Paid only
    Audit logs
    Paid only
    What people say
  6. #6Best for teams on ERPNext
    Website GitHub

    Frappe Helpdesk

    Open source ticketing and customer support app built on the Frappe framework

    Tickets, SLAs and a customer portal with no per-agent fees, sharing customers with ERPNext if you already run it.

    Best for

    Teams on ERPNext or Frappe who want support tickets in the same system

    Not for

    Teams that need live chat, WhatsApp or social media channels

    • SLAs with business hours and auto-assignment by priority, type, team or workload
    • Unlimited agents with no seat fees
    • Sign-in with Google, Microsoft or a custom OIDC provider through Frappe
    • Customer sync with ERPNext and call logging through Twilio or Exotel
    • No live chat or WhatsApp channel
    • Self-hosting means running the full Frappe stack with MariaDB, Redis and bench
    Licence
    AGPL-3.0 (copyleft)
    Stack
    Python / Vue.js on the Frappe framework
    Databases
    MariaDB
    GitHub
    3.4k stars · 121 contributors
    Latest release
    v1.31.0 · Oct 14, 2026
    Managed cloud
    Frappe Cloud, $5/month
    SSO
    Free edition
    Audit logs
    Free edition
  7. #7Best for ITIL service desks
    Website GitHub

    OTOBO

    Open source ticketing and IT service management system, forked from OTRS by Rother OSS

    It continues the OTRS code with the ITSM packages free to download. Plan for a bigger server than the other picks need.

    Open source alternative to
    • OTRS

    Best for

    IT and service teams that want an OTRS-style service desk without licence fees

    Not for

    Small teams that only need a light shared inbox

    • ITSM add-on packages are free to download
    • OpenID Connect, LDAP and RADIUS sign-in in the free code
    • Runs on MariaDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL or Oracle
    • Customer self-service portal included
    • Production servers need at least 8 GB of RAM, with 16 GB recommended
    • Vendor support starts at €3,900 a year
    • No audit log beyond ticket and settings history
    Licence
    GPL-3.0-or-later (copyleft)
    Stack
    Perl / Apache or Nginx
    Databases
    MariaDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle
    GitHub
    337 stars · 113 contributors
    Latest release
    11.0.18 · Sep 16, 2026
    Managed cloud
    OTOBO Managed Services, €11,400/year
    SSO
    Free edition
    Audit logs
    No
  8. #8Best for complex queues and permissions
    Website GitHub

    Request Tracker

    Open source ticket tracker for IT, support and operations teams, maintained by Best Practical

    Built around email and queues, with rights per queue, group and role. Installing it means a Perl source install.

    Best for

    IT and operations teams that want detailed rights per queue and a full change history

    Not for

    Teams that want live chat or a quick container install

    • Rights can be set per queue, group and role
    • Asset tracking is built in
    • REST 2 API included in core
    • RT 6 lets admins rearrange ticket page layouts
    • No official Docker image for production
    • SSO needs a web server module, as RT has no built-in SAML or OIDC
    • Cloud RT needs at least 5 users on an annual plan
    Licence
    GPL-2.0-only (copyleft)
    Stack
    Perl
    Databases
    MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQLite
    GitHub
    1.2k stars · 151 contributors
    Latest release
    6.0.3 · May 20, 2026
    Managed cloud
    Cloud RT, $15/user/month
    SSO
    Free edition
    Audit logs
    Free edition
  9. #9Best for a customer portal on PHP hosting
    Website GitHub

    UVdesk

    Open source help desk built on PHP and Symfony, backed by Webkul

    Email tickets plus a customer portal and knowledge base on PHP and MySQL. There's been no release since September 2025, so check recent activity first.

    Best for

    Small teams on PHP hosting who need email ticketing and a self-service portal

    Not for

    Teams that need SSO or audit logs

    • Unlimited agents, teams and mailboxes in the free edition
    • Agent privileges control what each agent can do
    • Runs on Apache or Nginx with PHP and MySQL
    • Web installer for first-time setup
    • No SSO for agents and no audit log
    • No new release since v1.1.8 in September 2025
    • No published Docker image; you build your own
    Licence
    OSL-3.0 (open core)
    Stack
    PHP 8.1 / Symfony
    Databases
    MySQL
    GitHub
    20k stars · 46 contributors
    Latest release
    v1.1.8 · Sep 19, 2025
    Managed cloud
    UVdesk SaaS, $8/agent/month
    SSO
    No
    Audit logs
    No
  10. #10New and worth watching
    Website GitHub

    Libredesk

    Open source customer support inbox for email and live chat, written in Go

    A single Go binary with live chat, SLAs and OIDC sign-in, all free. It's young and changes quickly.

    Best for

    Small and mid-size teams that want an Intercom-style inbox on their own server

    Not for

    Teams that need a vendor support contract or ITSM features

    • One Go binary that needs only PostgreSQL and Redis
    • OIDC sign-in, custom roles and activity logs at no cost
    • Live chat widget and a help centre included
    • HTTP API and webhooks
    • WhatsApp is only in the 2.9 release candidates, not in stable 2.8.0
    • No hosted plan or paid support from the project
    Licence
    AGPL-3.0 (copyleft)
    Stack
    Go / Vue.js 3
    Databases
    PostgreSQL
    GitHub
    3k stars · 38 contributors
    Latest release
    v2.8.0 · Aug 22, 2026
    SSO
    Free edition
    Audit logs
    Free edition

More open source ticketing systems

IT service desks, and smaller help desks that fit a narrower need, such as managed service providers or an existing Django project.

SoftwareLicenceTypeGitHub starsLatest release
Znuny
Ticket system for help desks and IT service management, continued from the OTRS Community Edition
GPL-3.0
Copyleft
Help desk and ITSM605(Actively maintained)Oct 2026
iTop
IT service management with a configurable CMDB, ticketing and change management
AGPL-3.0
Open core
IT service desk and CMDB1.2k(Actively maintained)Sep 2026
ITFlow
IT documentation, ticketing and billing for small managed service providers
GPL-3.0
Copyleft
PSA for MSPs1k(Actively maintained)Oct 2026
django-helpdesk
Ticket tracker that runs on its own or plugs into an existing Django project
BSD-3-Clause
Permissive
Help desk (Django app)1.7k(Actively maintained)Oct 2026
Trudesk
Help desk with real-time tickets, built on Node.js and MongoDB
Apache-2.0
Permissive
Help desk1.5k(Stale: no release in over 2 years)Jul 2024
Faveo Helpdesk
Laravel-based ticketing system; the free Community Edition of a commercial help desk
OSL-3.0
Open core
Help desk1.3k(Stale: no release in over 2 years)Oct 2023
  • Actively maintained
  • Slowing: last release 1 to 2 years ago
  • Stale: no release in over 2 years

Not included, and why

Well-known names you may expect here, left out because they aren't open source or belong to a different category.

  • OTRS: The free Community Edition is no longer maintained, and OTRS is now sold commercially. Znuny and OTOBO continue the old open source code.
  • HESK: Free to use, but its licence forbids derivative works and redistribution without permission, so it isn't open source.
  • Bytedesk: Its README adds terms to AGPL-3.0, such as no resale without permission, and also cites the Business Source License, so the licence is unclear.
  • Helpy: No release since February 2020.
  • Peppermint: Archived in July 2026.
  • OpenSupports: No release since January 2022.
  • Zendesk, Freshdesk and Jira Service Management: Proprietary services, not open source.

How to choose

Customer support or internal IT

For customer email and chat, look at Zammad, FreeScout, Chatwoot or Libredesk. For internal IT with assets and ITIL processes, GLPI, OTOBO, Znuny and iTop fit better.

Size the server before you choose

On my 4 GB test server, Zammad used 2.7 GB at idle, GLPI about 810 MB and FreeScout about 230 MB. Zammad asks for 6 GB plus 4 GB for its search engine, and OTOBO for 8 GB in production.

Count the add-ons before comparing prices

FreeScout sells SSO, a knowledge base and workflows as one-time modules from $10 each. Chatwoot puts SAML sign-in and audit logs on its $99 per agent Enterprise plan. Zammad, Frappe Helpdesk and Libredesk include sign-in and roles at no cost.

Plan where email comes from

Every help desk here turns email into tickets, but each needs a mailbox it can read over IMAP and an SMTP server to send replies. Set that up and test it before you invite agents.

How we evaluate

No vendor influences these pages. A vendor can pay for a Featured placement, labelled Sponsored, which never changes a rank or a review.

What qualifies
Self-hostable help desk and ticketing software with an OSI open source licence or a clearly labelled source-available one, a release or commit in the last 12 months, and either 1,000+ GitHub stars or a long-established user base outside GitHub, such as OTOBO and Znuny. Bug trackers, hosted-only services and chat-only tools are not considered.
Where we look
GitHub, the pages that rank for each category, so both established and newer projects are considered.
How we rank
Fit for business and technical teams: maintenance activity, self-hosting effort, licence terms, and which features the paid editions lock. Payment never changes a ranking.
Where the data comes from
Stars, releases, contributors and licences come from GitHub. Editions, pricing and requirements come from each software's own docs.
Hands-on testing
We install two or three projects per category on a cloud Ubuntu 24.04 server (2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM) with Docker, and record install time and idle memory.
Questions

Frequently asked questions

For most teams, Zammad, because SSO, roles and an audit log are all in the free version, as long as you can give it a server with 6 GB of RAM or more. FreeScout suits small teams on cheap PHP hosting, and GLPI suits internal IT teams that also track assets.

Yes. Version 1.18.4 came out in June 2026. Its official docs still describe version 1.17, and there is no maintained official Docker image.

OTRS stopped maintaining the free Community Edition, version 6, and now sells OTRS commercially. Znuny and OTOBO are open source forks that continue that code.

Zammad includes SAML and OpenID Connect. Frappe Helpdesk, Libredesk and OTOBO include OpenID Connect or OAuth sign-in, and osTicket has a free official OAuth2 plugin. FreeScout sells SAML as a $10 module, Chatwoot puts SAML on its Enterprise plan, and GLPI's OAuth plugin needs a paid GLPI Network subscription.

The core is free under AGPL-3.0, with no limit on agents or mailboxes. Features such as SAML SSO, a knowledge base and workflows are official modules sold once per install.