FreeScout vs Znuny
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — 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
Znuny
Community-maintained OTRS fork for service desks
| Feature | FreeScout | Znuny |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,465 | ★ 588 |
| First released | 2018 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Help Scout, Zendesk, Front | ServiceNow, Zendesk |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is FreeScout or Znuny better?
FreeScout is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Znuny if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are FreeScout and Znuny free and open-source?
Yes. FreeScout is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Znuny under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FreeScout and Znuny with Docker?
FreeScout: yes. Znuny: check the project docs for container support.