Alternatives to Zammad

FreeScout

3,631

AGPL-3.0

FreeScout is a comprehensive email-based customer support platform designed as a free alternative to commercial solutions like Zendesk and Help Scout. Built with PHP and Laravel, it provides organizations with a powerful shared mailbox system, team collaboration tools, and customer service management capabilities.

Key Features

Email-Centric Support:
- Shared mailbox functionality
- Email conversation management
- Automatic email threading
- Multiple mailbox support
- Email template system
- Auto-reply capabilities
Conversation Management:
- Unified conversation view
- Status tracking (new, pending, closed)
- Priority level management
- Conversation assignment
- Tag and label system
- Search and filtering
Team Collaboration:
- Multi-agent support
- Role-based permissions
- Internal notes and comments
- Agent assignment rules
- Workload distribution
- Team performance tracking
Customer Experience:
- Customer portal access
- Conversation history viewing
- Self-service capabilities
- Knowledge base integration
- Satisfaction rating system
- Mobile-responsive interface
Automation Features:
- Workflow automation rules
- Automatic ticket assignment
- Canned response templates
- Email routing rules
- Notification management
- Escalation workflows
Reporting & Analytics:
- Response time analytics
- Agent performance metrics
- Customer satisfaction reports
- Conversation statistics
- Export and reporting tools
- Custom dashboard views
Integration Capabilities:
- IMAP/POP3 email integration
- SMTP configuration
- API access for integrations
- Webhook support
- Third-party app connections
- Module system for extensions

Technical Specifications

Language: PHP (Laravel framework)
Database: MySQL, PostgreSQL
Web Server: Apache, nginx
Email: IMAP, POP3, SMTP
Deployment: Docker, Manual installation
License: AGPL-3.0
Platforms: Linux, Docker

Use Cases

Customer Support: Email-based customer service and support
Shared Mailbox: Team email management and collaboration
Help Desk: IT support and internal help desk operations
Sales Support: Pre-sales and post-sales customer communication
Technical Support: Product support and troubleshooting
Small Business: Cost-effective customer service solution

Unique Advantages

Email-First Design: Built specifically for email-based customer support
Zendesk Alternative: Direct replacement for expensive commercial solutions
Laravel Framework: Built on robust, modern PHP framework
Self-Hosted: Complete control over data and customization
Cost Effective: Free core features with optional paid modules
Easy Migration: Import capabilities from other help desk systems

Based on the FreeScout GitHub repository, this tool provides an excellent balance of functionality and simplicity, making it perfect for organizations that need professional email-based customer support without the high costs of commercial alternatives.

Request Tracker

1,042

GPL-2.0

Request Tracker (RT) is a mature, enterprise-grade issue tracking system that has been serving organizations worldwide for over two decades. Built with Perl, it provides comprehensive ticket management, workflow automation, and reporting capabilities designed to handle complex business processes and large-scale operations.

Key Features

Comprehensive Ticket Management:
- Advanced ticket creation and tracking
- Queue-based organization system
- Status and priority management
- Ticket relationships and dependencies
- Merge and split ticket capabilities
- Time tracking and billing
Powerful Workflow Engine:
- Highly customizable workflows
- Business rule automation
- Conditional actions and triggers
- Approval and escalation processes
- Custom lifecycle definitions
- Event-driven automation
Multi-Interface Access:
- Full-featured web interface
- Email integration and processing
- Command-line tools (rt-crontool, rt-mailgate)
- REST API for integrations
- XML-RPC interface
- Mobile-responsive design
Advanced User Management:
- Comprehensive user and group system
- Fine-grained permission control
- Role-based access management
- External authentication (LDAP, AD)
- User delegation capabilities
- Self-service portal
Flexible Customization:
- Custom fields and forms
- Template customization
- Extension and plugin system
- Theme and branding options
- Localization support
- Custom lifecycle definitions
Robust Reporting:
- Advanced search capabilities
- Custom report generation
- Statistical analysis
- Charts and visualization
- Data export options
- Saved search functionality
Enterprise Features:
- Multi-queue support
- Asset tracking integration
- SLA management
- Audit trails
- High availability support
- Scalable architecture

Technical Specifications

Language: Perl
Database: MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQLite
Web Server: Apache, nginx
API: REST, XML-RPC
License: GPL-2.0
Platforms: Linux, Unix, Windows

Use Cases

Customer Support: Comprehensive customer service and support operations
Help Desk: IT support and internal help desk management
Project Management: Issue tracking and project workflow management
Bug Tracking: Software development bug and issue tracking
Service Management: IT service management and operations
Business Process: General business process automation and tracking

Unique Advantages

Enterprise Proven: Decades of use in enterprise environments
Highly Flexible: Extensive customization and workflow capabilities
Multi-Interface: Multiple ways to interact with the system
Scalable: Handles large volumes of tickets and users
Open Source: Complete transparency and customization freedom
Active Development: Continuous development and community support

Based on the Request Tracker GitHub repository, this tool represents one of the most mature and feature-complete issue tracking systems available, making it ideal for organizations that need enterprise-grade ticket management with extensive customization capabilities and proven reliability.

OTOBO

301

GPL-3.0

OTOBO is a comprehensive, enterprise-grade IT service management (ITSM) and helpdesk solution built with Perl. As a successor to OTRS, it provides organizations with powerful ticket management, workflow automation, and customer service capabilities designed to handle large-scale service management operations efficiently.

Key Features

Advanced Ticket Management:
- Comprehensive ticket lifecycle management
- Multi-channel ticket creation (email, web, phone)
- Advanced workflow automation
- SLA management and tracking
- Escalation rules and notifications
- Priority and status management
ITSM Capabilities:
- Incident management processes
- Problem management workflows
- Change management procedures
- Service catalog management
- Asset and configuration management
- Service level agreement tracking
Customer Self-Service:
- Customer portal with self-service options
- Knowledge base and FAQ system
- Ticket submission and tracking
- Customer satisfaction surveys
- Multi-language support
- Mobile-responsive interface
Process Automation:
- Powerful workflow engine
- Automated responses and actions
- Business rule enforcement
- Scheduled task execution
- Event-driven automation
- Custom process definitions
Enterprise Features:
- Multi-tenant architecture
- Role-based access control
- Advanced user management
- Department and team organization
- Audit trails and compliance
- High availability support
Reporting & Analytics:
- Comprehensive reporting system
- Real-time dashboards
- Performance metrics and KPIs
- Custom report builder
- Statistical analysis
- Data export capabilities
Integration & Connectivity:
- Email system integration
- LDAP/Active Directory support
- REST API access
- Third-party tool integration
- External system connectivity
- Webhook support

Technical Specifications

Language: Perl
Database: MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle
Web Server: Apache, nginx
Deployment: Docker, Manual installation
API: REST API
License: GPL-3.0
Platforms: Linux, Docker

Use Cases

Enterprise Helpdesk: Large-scale customer support and helpdesk operations
IT Service Management: Comprehensive ITSM processes and workflows
Customer Service: Multi-channel customer support and service delivery
Internal Support: IT support for internal teams and departments
Service Providers: Managed service provider operations
Compliance: Regulated industries requiring audit trails and compliance

Unique Advantages

Enterprise-Grade: Designed for large-scale, enterprise-level operations
ITSM Focus: Comprehensive IT service management capabilities
OTRS Heritage: Built on the proven foundation of OTRS
Highly Configurable: Extensive customization and configuration options
Process-Oriented: Strong focus on business process automation
Scalable Architecture: Designed to handle high-volume operations

Based on the OTOBO GitHub repository, this tool provides enterprise organizations with a comprehensive, scalable solution for IT service management and customer support, making it ideal for large organizations that need robust ITSM capabilities with extensive automation and integration features.