Frappe Helpdesk vs UVdesk

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted helpdesk & ticketing options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

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FeatureFrappe HelpdeskUVdesk
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score88 · Excellent55 · Fair
CategoryHelpdesk & TicketingHelpdesk & Ticketing
LicenseAGPL-3.0MIT
LanguageVueCSS
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM1,024 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, sourcedocker, bare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 3,390★ 19,612
First released20222018
ReplacesZendesk, FreshdeskZendesk, Freshdesk

What are Frappe Helpdesk and UVdesk?

Frappe Helpdesk

Frappe Helpdesk is an open-source ticketing tool built on the Frappe framework. It provides a streamlined agent experience, SLAs, and a customer knowledge base.

  • Streamlined agent inbox
  • SLA tracking
  • Knowledge base
  • Canned responses and automation

UVdesk

UVdesk is an open-source helpdesk system built on the Symfony framework. It offers ticket management, a knowledge base, email piping, and a customizable workflow engine.

  • Email piping to tickets
  • Workflow automation
  • Knowledge base module
  • Extensible app marketplace

Read the full UVdesk guide →

Frappe Helpdesk vs UVdesk: key differences

Frappe Helpdesk is written in Vue, while UVdesk is built with CSS. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Frappe Helpdesk versus MIT for UVdesk. UVdesk is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Frappe Helpdesk. UVdesk is the more established project (first released 2018), while Frappe Helpdesk arrived in 2022. UVdesk has the considerably larger community, at 19,612 GitHub stars versus 3,390.

Why pick each one

Choose Frappe Helpdesk if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Active community (3.4k GitHub stars)
  • Written in Vue
Frappe Helpdesk details

Choose UVdesk if…

  • Full ticketing workflow
  • Knowledge base included
  • Email piping support

Watch out for

  • PHP MySQL stack required
  • Slower development pace
UVdesk details

Frequently asked questions

Is Frappe Helpdesk or UVdesk better?

Neither is universally better. UVdesk has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Frappe Helpdesk and UVdesk free and open-source?

Yes. Frappe Helpdesk is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and UVdesk under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Frappe Helpdesk and UVdesk with Docker?

Frappe Helpdesk: yes. UVdesk: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, Frappe Helpdesk or UVdesk?

UVdesk has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Frappe Helpdesk. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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