FreeScout 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?
FreeScout
Free self-hosted help desk and shared inbox
VS
Zammad
Web-based helpdesk and customer support system
| Feature | FreeScout | Zammad |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,465 | ★ 5,834 |
| First released | 2018 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Help Scout, Zendesk, Front | Zendesk, Freshdesk |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is FreeScout or Zammad better?
Neither is universally better. Zammad has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are FreeScout and Zammad free and open-source?
Yes. FreeScout is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Zammad under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FreeScout and Zammad with Docker?
FreeScout: yes. Zammad: yes.