New AI Help Desks Awards guide
Best open source help desk software in 2026
Open source means you can read the code, run it on your own server and keep your data there. These four are the ones we would look at first, and they differ most in license and in how much they do beyond tickets.
Updated November 5, 2026
Chatwoot
Best open source
Live chat and messaging as well as tickets, MIT licensed outside its enterprise folder, with a hosted version if you tire of the server.
Cloud free for 2 agents, paid from $19 per agent a month
Captain credits on paid plans, $20 per 1,000 extra
License: MIT outside the enterprise folder
Chatwoot pricing pageZammad
Best open source with a European host
AGPL-3.0, free to host yourself, and hosted plans from German data centers if you need them there.
Self-hosted free, hosted from 7 euros per agent a month
AI calls 0.03 euros each
License: AGPL-3.0
Zammad pricing pageFreeScout
Best free shared inbox to host
A free shared inbox under AGPL-3.0 with unlimited agents, extended through paid modules.
osTicket
Best long-running ticket system
GPL-2.0 and free to host, for plain ticketing by email and web form.
HelpRabbit, our first-place pick overall, is not open source, so it is not on this list.
Side by side
| Product | Starts at | Free plan | Trial | AI pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatwoot | Cloud free for 2 agents, paid from $19 per agent a month | Yes, 2 agents and 500 conversations | 15 days | Captain credits on paid plans, $20 per 1,000 extra | Teams that want to host it themselves |
| Zammad | Self-hosted free, hosted from 7 euros per agent a month | Yes, self-hosted | 30 days | AI calls 0.03 euros each | Teams that need hosting in Germany |
| FreeScout | Free to host yourself | Yes, self-hosted | Not needed | Through modules | Teams with their own server and a small budget |
| osTicket | Free to host yourself | Yes, self-hosted | Not needed | None built in that its pages name | Plain ticketing on your own server |
Prices are list prices in US dollars as shown on November 5, 2026, unless a page says otherwise. They change often, so check the company's page before you decide.
How to choose
- Read the license. AGPL and GPL ask more of anyone who changes and redistributes the code than MIT does.
- Price the server and the hours, not only the software.
- Check whether the AI you want is in the open source edition or a paid one.
Common questions
What is the best open source help desk?
Our pick is Chatwoot, for covering live chat and messaging as well as tickets. For plain ticketing, osTicket and FreeScout are simpler.
Are open source help desks really free?
The license is free. You still pay for a server and for the time to run, update and back it up.