Helpdesk & chat

Open-source alternatives to Help Scout

1 self-hostable option you can run on your own server, compared on facts from GitHub (fetched Oct 21, 2026).

Side-by-side comparison

ToolFreeScout
GitHub stars4,607
LicenseAGPL-3.0
Last pushOct 21, 2026 Active
Forks734
Open issues + PRs23
Main languagePHP
LinksRepo ยท Website

Highlighted cells mark the highest star count and the most recent push. Source: GitHub REST API, per-tool links on each tool page. Copyleft licenses (AGPL/GPL) require sharing modifications if you distribute or (AGPL) serve them; check the repo license before deploying.

The options

FreeScout

Helpdesk & chat

FreeScout โ€” Free self-hosted omnichannel AI-powered helpdesk & shared mailbox

4.6k AGPL-3.0 Active
Replaces Help Scout

More in Helpdesk & chat

Chatwoot

Helpdesk & chat

Open-source live-chat, email support, omni-channel desk. An alternative to Intercom, Zendesk, Salesforce Service Cloud etc. ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ’ฌ

38k Custom / see repo Active
Replaces Zendesk

Zammad

Helpdesk & chat

Zammad is a web based open source helpdesk/customer support system.

6.0k AGPL-3.0 Active
Replaces Zendesk

Frappe Helpdesk

Helpdesk & chat

Modern, Streamlined, Free and Open Source Customer Service Software

3.4k AGPL-3.0 Active
Replaces Zendesk