chatwoot
Helpdesk & chatOpen-source live-chat, email support, omni-channel desk. An alternative to Intercom, Zendesk, Salesforce Service Cloud etc. 🔥💬
38k Custom / see repo Active
Replaces Zendesk Helpdesk & chat
Open-source alternatives to Zendesk
2 self-hostable options you can run on your own server, compared on facts from GitHub (fetched Oct 21, 2026).
Side-by-side comparison
| Tool |  chatwoot |  zammad |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 38,059 | 6,025 |
| License | Custom / see repo | AGPL-3.0 |
| Last push | Oct 21, 2026 Active | Oct 21, 2026 Active |
| Forks | 9,280 | 1,079 |
| Open issues + PRs | 1,599 | 473 |
| Main language | Ruby | Ruby |
| Links | Repo · Website | Repo · 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
zammad
Helpdesk & chatZammad is a web based open source helpdesk/customer support system.
6.0k AGPL-3.0 Active
Replaces Zendesk More in Helpdesk & chat
freescout
Helpdesk & chatFreeScout — Free self-hosted omnichannel AI-powered helpdesk & shared mailbox
4.6k AGPL-3.0 Active
Replaces Help Scout