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FreeScout

Email-based customer support application, help desk and shared mailbox (alternative to Zendesk and Help Scout).

github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout

GitHub stats

GitHub stars
4,585
Forks
727
Open issues
19
Commits, last 12 months
679
Last commit
Oct 6, 2026
Latest release
1.8.245Oct 3, 2026
Created
Jun 22, 2018

Data from the GitHub API, refreshed daily.

About FreeScout

Email-based customer support application, help desk and shared mailbox (alternative to Zendesk and Help Scout). FreeScout is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license and written mainly in PHP, so you can read the code, run it on your own hardware and keep full control of your data.

The project has 4,585 stars and 727 forks on GitHub, with 679 commits over the last year. It ships a Docker image, which makes it a good fit for a small VPS or a home server running Docker Compose.

Topics

  • helpscout
  • helpdesk
  • customer-support
  • ticketing
  • support
  • php
  • laravel
  • shared-mailboxes
  • help-desk
  • zendesk

Open-source alternative to

FreeScout can replace these commercial products. Compare every option on each page.

Repository preview

FreeScout repository previewfreescout-help-desk/freescoutOpen repository

FAQ

FreeScout FAQ

Still curious? Email info@appsgit.com.

What is FreeScout?

FreeScout is a free, open-source app you can host on your own server, listed in our Helpdesk & Ticketing category. Email-based customer support application, help desk and shared mailbox (alternative to Zendesk and Help Scout). The source code lives at github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout, where it has 4,585 stars.

Is FreeScout free and open source?

Yes. FreeScout is open-source software released under the AGPL-3.0 license, so you can self-host it at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on, and some projects also offer an optional paid cloud plan.

Can I run FreeScout with Docker?

Yes. FreeScout provides a Docker image, so you can run it on any Linux server with Docker and Docker Compose installed. The project README lists the image name and the environment variables to set.

What are the best alternatives to FreeScout?

Popular open-source alternatives to FreeScout include Zammad, Erxes and Frappe Helpdesk. FreeScout itself is a self-hosted alternative to Zendesk and Intercom.

Is FreeScout actively maintained?

The most recent commit to FreeScout was on Oct 6, 2026 with 679 commits in the past twelve months. The latest release is 1.8.245, published Oct 3, 2026. Check the open issues on GitHub to gauge how quickly maintainers respond.