Alternatives / Zendesk
Looking for an open source Zendesk alternative? We compared 9 open source helpdesk, live chat, and AI support platforms by license, self-hosting, channels, and AI features. They range from ticketing systems to omnichannel inboxes and AI knowledge bases, and several keep features commercial.
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 |
| Frappe Helpdesk | Ticketing with SLAs | AGPL-3.0 |
| Erxes | Marketing, sales, and support in one (open core) | AGPL-3.0 + EE |
| FastGPT | AI knowledge bases (restricted license) | FastGPT Open Source License (Apache-2.0 + conditions) |
| Tiledesk | No-code AI support agents | MIT + enterprise images |
| 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 Zendesk's core: a shared inbox or ticket queue, a knowledge base, and support across channels. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, and self-hosting in its repository. Zendesk is a broad hosted suite, so we separate helpdesks and omnichannel inboxes from AI knowledge-base tools, and 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, Erxes is a broader growth platform, and FastGPT and Tiledesk build AI agents and knowledge bases. Pick by whether you work through tickets, live conversations, or AI.
Zammad and Frappe Helpdesk are the closest ticketing systems, with multichannel tickets, SLAs, knowledge bases, and portals, and Chatwoot is the closest omnichannel inbox, with live chat, email, WhatsApp, and AI assistance. 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. FastGPT uses the FastGPT Open Source License, which is Apache-2.0 plus restrictions on multi-tenant SaaS and on removing its logo, and 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, FastGPT, Tiledesk, and Cossistant had commits within days or weeks of this update. Chaskiq's last commit was in June 2026, so its development is slower.
Zendesk is a proprietary hosted suite priced per agent, with add-ons for AI, reporting, and channels 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.
FastGPT is a knowledge-base platform built on LLMs, with data processing, RAG retrieval, and visual AI workflow orchestration, plus OpenAI-aligned APIs. It is licensed under the FastGPT Open Source License, which is Apache-2.0 with additional conditions: you may not run a multi-tenant SaaS similar to FastGPT without written authorization, and you may not remove its logo or copyright information. A Commercial Edition adds dedicated support and commercial licensing. It is an AI knowledge-base tool, not a traditional helpdesk.
Pricing: Free to self-host within the license terms; the Commercial Edition is paid.
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.
Tiledesk is an MIT-licensed platform for building LLM-enabled support chatbots that hand off to human agents, across web, messaging, email, and voice channels, with Docker Compose and Helm deployment. Tiledesk Enterprise customers can request credentials to pull private enterprise-only images.
Pricing: Free to self-host the open-source edition; enterprise features and cloud plans are paid.
| Alternative | Type | License | Self-hosted | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatwoot | Omnichannel inbox | MIT + enterprise directory | Yes | Support teams |
| FastGPT | AI knowledge base | FastGPT Open Source License | Yes | AI workflows |
| 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 |
| Tiledesk | Support agent platform | MIT + enterprise images | Yes | No-code AI agents |
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.
Want AI agents and knowledge bases
Tiledesk builds no-code AI support agents across channels, with enterprise features behind private images.