FreeScoutfreescout-help-desk/freescoutalivereplaces both
- GitHub
- ★ 4.26k · last commit 5d ago
- License
AGPL-3.0- Setup time
- 20min docker-compose (PHP + MariaDB)
- Monthly cost
- $5/mo VPS for a small support team.
Help Scout vs Zendesk
Self-host either: open-source alternatives compared. · Category: team chat & community
Both Help Scout and Zendesk are in the team chat & community category. 2 open-source projects (FreeScout, Chatwoot) self-host as a replacement for both — listed below alongside the picks unique to each.
| Help Scout | Zendesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Customer support helpdesk / shared inbox | Customer support / helpdesk |
| SaaS pricing anchor | Standard $20/user/mo; Plus $40/user/mo; Pro $65/user/mo (annual) | $55/agent/mo on Suite Team tier |
| Self-host options listed | 3 | 3 |
Replaces both — 2 shared open-source picks
These open-source projects appear on both /helpscout/ and /zendesk/ — picking one solves the migration off either SaaS.
Chatwootchatwoot/chatwootalivereplaces both
- GitHub
- ★ 29.2k · last commit today
- License
MIT- Setup time
- 30min docker-compose (Rails + Postgres + Redis + Sidekiq)
- Monthly cost
- $10/mo VPS for a small team; Postgres + Redis are the core ops surface.
Picks unique to each
Help Scout only
- UVdeskstale
In a terminal? npx os-alt helpscout or npx os-alt zendesk prints either side —
how the CLI works →
FAQ
Which open-source self-host alternatives replace both Help Scout and Zendesk?
2 open-source projects appear on both /helpscout/ and /zendesk/: FreeScout, Chatwoot.
How many self-host alternatives are listed for Help Scout and Zendesk?
3 for Help Scout, 3 for Zendesk.
Are all the self-host alternatives free?
Yes — every listed option is open source. Your cost is the VPS or hardware that runs it.