6 self-hosted options
Self-hosted alternatives to Zendesk
The best open-source alternative to Zendesk is Chatwoot (MIT, 38,309 GitHub stars, Docker image). Zammad stands out for the longest track record (since 2012), and FreeScout stands out for its PHP codebase.
Erxes is also listed but is source-available, so it comes after the open-source picks.
About Zendesk: A customer support suite with ticketing, help center and live chat.
Updated · data from GitHub, refreshed daily
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Chatwoot
chatwoot/chatwoot
Customer communication platform (alternative to Intercom and Zendesk).
Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026
Team ChatRubyDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars.
- Rank 2:
Zammad
zammad/zammad
Easy to use but powerful support and ticketing system.
Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026
Helpdesk & TicketingRubyStands out for the longest track record (since 2012).
- Rank 3:
FreeScout
freescout-help-desk/freescout
Email-based customer support application, help desk and shared mailbox (alternative to Zendesk and Help Scout).
Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026
Helpdesk & TicketingPHPDockerStands out for its PHP codebase.
At a glance
Zendesk alternatives compared
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.
| App | Stands out for | License | GitHub stars | Commits (12 mo) | Last commit | Docker image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatwoot | the most GitHub stars | MIT | 38,309 | 1,504 | Oct 26, 2026 | Yes |
| Zammad | the longest track record (since 2012) | AGPL-3.0 | 6,031 | 2,704 | Oct 26, 2026 | No |
| FreeScout | its PHP codebase | AGPL-3.0 | 4,616 | 811 | Oct 26, 2026 | Yes |
| Frappe Helpdesk | the most commits in the last 12 months (3,351) | AGPL-3.0 | 3,447 | 3,351 | Oct 25, 2026 | Yes |
| Libredesk | its Go codebase | AGPL-3.0 | 3,079 | 1,855 | Oct 25, 2026 | Yes |
| Erxes | – | source-available, AGPL-3.0 with a no-competing-SaaS condition | 4,098 | 2,787 | Oct 26, 2026 | Yes |
Full list
All 6 Zendesk alternatives
Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
Chatwoot
Customer communication platform (alternative to Intercom and Zendesk).
Team ChatDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars. Chatwoot has 38,309 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 1,504 commits in the last year.
- 2
Zammad
Easy to use but powerful support and ticketing system.
Helpdesk & TicketingStands out for the longest track record (since 2012). Zammad has 6,031 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license and had 2,704 commits in the last year.
- 3
FreeScout
Email-based customer support application, help desk and shared mailbox (alternative to Zendesk and Help Scout).
Helpdesk & TicketingDockerStands out for its PHP codebase. FreeScout has 4,616 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 811 commits in the last year.
- 4
Frappe Helpdesk
Helpdesk software which helps you streamline your company's support, offers an easy setup, clean user interface, and automation tools to resolve customer queries efficiently.
Helpdesk & TicketingDockerStands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (3,351). Frappe Helpdesk has 3,447 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 3,351 commits in the last year.
- 5
Libredesk
Modern omnichannel customer support desk. Live chat, email, and more in a single binary.
Helpdesk & TicketingDockerStands out for its Go codebase. Libredesk has 3,079 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,855 commits in the last year.
- 6
Erxes
Marketing, sales, and customer service platform designed to help businesses attract more engaged customers.
Source-availableHelpdesk & TicketingDockerErxes has 4,098 GitHub stars, is source-available under the AGPL-3.0 with a no-competing-SaaS condition (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 2,787 commits in the last year.
Is there a free alternative to Zendesk?
Yes. 5 of the 6 apps on this page are open source; 1 is source-available. The open-source ones are free to self-host without per-user fees; source-available licenses add conditions such as user caps or limits on hosted use, so read them before you commit.
Can I self-host an alternative to Zendesk with Docker?
Yes. 5 of the 6 apps here publish a Docker image, including Chatwoot, FreeScout and Frappe Helpdesk, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose.
Which Zendesk alternative is the most actively developed?
Frappe Helpdesk (AGPL-3.0), with 3,351 commits in the last 12 months. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed.
How is this list ranked?
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.