Alternatives / Freshdesk
Looking for an open source Freshdesk alternative? We compared 7 open source helpdesk, live chat, and support platforms by license, self-hosting, channels, and AI features. They range from ticketing systems to omnichannel inboxes and React support components, and some use licenses that restrict commercial use.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| Chatwoot | Omnichannel support inbox | MIT + enterprise directory |
| Zammad | Full helpdesk and ticketing | AGPL-3.0 |
| FreeScout | Shared email inboxes without per-agent fees | AGPL-3.0 |
| Erxes | Marketing, sales, and support in one (open core) | AGPL-3.0 + EE |
| Frappe Helpdesk | Ticketing with SLAs | AGPL-3.0 |
| Chaskiq | Customer messaging (source available) | AGPL-3.0 + Commons Clause |
| Cossistant | AI-native support in React apps (non-commercial license) | AGPL-3.0 (non-commercial) |
We looked for open-source tools that overlap with Freshdesk's core: a shared ticket queue, SLAs, a knowledge base, and support across channels. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, and self-hosting in its repository, and we flag licenses that restrict commercial use. See our methodology for the full criteria.
Zammad, FreeScout, and Frappe Helpdesk are ticketing and helpdesk systems. Chatwoot, Chaskiq, and Cossistant focus on live chat and omnichannel messaging, and Erxes is a broader growth platform. Pick by whether you work through tickets or live conversations.
Zammad and Frappe Helpdesk are the closest ticketing systems, with multichannel tickets, SLAs, knowledge bases, and portals. Chatwoot is the closest omnichannel inbox, with live chat, email, WhatsApp, an AI layer called Captain, and a knowledge base. FreeScout is a lightweight email-based helpdesk with unlimited agents.
Chatwoot is MIT outside its enterprise directory. Zammad, FreeScout, and Frappe Helpdesk are AGPL-3.0. Chaskiq is AGPL-3.0-or-later with the Commons Clause, and Cossistant is AGPL-3.0 for non-commercial use only. Erxes is AGPL-3.0 outside its enterprise directory. OpenAlternative lists Cossistant as GPL-3.0, but its repository says otherwise.
Chatwoot, Zammad, FreeScout, Frappe Helpdesk, Erxes, and Cossistant had commits within days or weeks of this update. Chaskiq's last commit was in June 2026, so its development is slower.
Freshdesk is a proprietary hosted helpdesk priced per agent, with automation, SLAs, and AI features gated by plan and customer data stored on its servers. Open-source alternatives let you self-host support data, avoid per-agent pricing, customize workflows, and connect AI and other channels, at the cost of running the platform and handling deliverability yourself.
Chatwoot is an omnichannel support platform that manages conversations across live chat, email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, and Line, with AI features such as automated responses and copilot suggestions, real-time translation, a knowledge base, a customizable chat widget, and a developer API. The repository is MIT outside its enterprise directory, which is under a separate license.
Pricing: Free self-hosted; paid cloud and enterprise features.
Zammad is an open-source helpdesk that centralizes customer communications with multichannel ticket management, customizable fields and workflows, SLA tracking and auto-assignment, a knowledge base and self-service portal, Slack and Microsoft Teams integrations, analytics, and 2FA and SSO.
Pricing: Free self-hosted; paid hosting and support available.
FreeScout is a self-hosted email management system with shared inboxes, automation, collaboration, an API, and extensible modules, supporting email and web forms, with unlimited users and a focus on privacy.
Pricing: Free self-hosted; paid modules and hosting available.
Erxes unifies marketing, sales, and customer service in one platform with a 360-degree customer view, customizable workflows, and automation. The core is AGPL-3.0, enterprise plugins are under a separate license, and hosting it as a competing SaaS is not permitted.
Pricing: Free self-hosted; enterprise features and hosted plans are paid.
Chaskiq is an open-source customer communication platform with live chat, email, and social channels, AI-powered chatbots, real-time analytics, customizable chat widgets, shared inboxes and agent assignments, and API and webhook support. It is AGPL-3.0-or-later with the Commons Clause, which prohibits selling the software, and a commercial license is available.
Pricing: Free self-hosted for non-selling use; a commercial license is available.
Frappe Helpdesk is an open-source ticketing system that consolidates customer issues from multiple channels into one queue, with SLA management, automated workflow rules for routing, a self-service knowledge base and portal, canned responses, custom fields, and transparent ticket history.
Pricing: Free self-hosted; Frappe Cloud hosting is paid.
Cossistant is an AI-native customer support platform that combines AI with human agents, offering production-ready React components built with Tailwind and shadcn/ui, real-time agent conversations, intelligent routing, inbox management, and support widgets that integrate with Next.js and React apps in a few lines of code. It is AGPL-3.0 for non-commercial use and needs a commercial license for commercial use.
Pricing: Free for non-commercial self-hosting; a commercial license is required for commercial use.
| Alternative | Type | License | Self-hosted | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatwoot | Omnichannel inbox | MIT + enterprise directory | Yes | Support teams |
| Zammad | Helpdesk | AGPL-3.0 | Yes | Scalable ticketing |
| FreeScout | Shared inbox | AGPL-3.0 | Yes | Email support |
| Erxes | Growth platform | AGPL-3.0 + EE | Yes | Marketing, sales, and support |
| Frappe Helpdesk | Ticketing | AGPL-3.0 | Yes | SLA tracking |
| Chaskiq | Customer messaging | AGPL-3.0 + Commons Clause | Yes | Chatbots and campaigns |
| Cossistant | AI-native support | AGPL-3.0 (non-commercial) | Yes | React and Next.js apps |
Want the closest open-source support inbox
Chatwoot offers a live chat widget, an omnichannel inbox, a knowledge base, AI assistance, and an API.
Need a full helpdesk with ticketing
Zammad offers multichannel ticket management, SLAs, a knowledge base, analytics, and SSO.
Want shared email inboxes without per-agent fees
FreeScout provides shared inboxes, automation, and extensions with unlimited users on your own server.
Want SLA tracking and a ticket portal
Frappe Helpdesk offers ticketing, SLA management, workflows, a knowledge base, and canned responses.