Asterisk vs Zammad
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Asterisk
Open-source framework for building telephony systems
VS
Zammad
Web-based helpdesk and customer support system
| Feature | Asterisk | Zammad |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,431 | ★ 5,834 |
| First released | 1999 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Avaya, Cisco Unified Communications | Zendesk, Freshdesk |
Why pick each one
Choose Asterisk if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
Frequently asked questions
Is Asterisk or Zammad better?
Zammad is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Asterisk if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Asterisk and Zammad free and open-source?
Yes. Asterisk is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Zammad under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Asterisk and Zammad with Docker?
Asterisk: yes. Zammad: yes.