Free, open-source alternatives to Zendesk
Customer support help desk. 6 apps you can run yourself instead of Zendesk, sorted by how well they replace it. Each one is open source, so your data stays with you.
ZammadBest match
Easy to use but powerful support and ticketing system.
FreeScout
Email-based customer support application, help desk and shared mailbox (alternative to Zendesk and Help Scout).
Chatwoot
Customer communication platform (alternative to Intercom and Zendesk).
Frappe Helpdesk
Helpdesk software which helps you streamline your company's support, offers an easy setup, clean user interface, and automation tools to resolve customer queries efficiently.
Libredesk
Modern omnichannel customer support desk. Live chat, email, and more in a single binary.
OTOBO
Flexible web-based ticketing system used for customer service, help desk, IT service management.
Side by side
Why replace Zendesk?
Zendesk works, but your data lives in someone else's account, the price can change at any time, and features can disappear. An open-source app you run yourself is yours: you choose where it runs, who can see the data, and when to update.
Questions
What is the best free alternative to Zendesk?
Zammad is the closest open-source replacement for Zendesk in our list. FreeScout and Chatwoot are worth a look too, depending on what you need.
Can I self-host an alternative to Zendesk?
Yes. All 6 apps on this page are open source and can run on your own server, usually with Docker, or on a managed host that installs them for you.