Erxes vs Handesk
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted helpdesk & ticketing options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Erxes | Handesk |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 28 · At risk |
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,085 | ★ 1,452 |
| First released | 2017 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Zendesk, Intercom, HubSpot | Zendesk, Freshdesk |
What are Erxes and Handesk?
Erxes
Erxes is an open-source experience operating system that combines a help desk, ticketing, live chat, and CRM in one platform. Its ticketing module routes conversations from many channels into a unified agent inbox.
- Omnichannel inbox
- Plugin marketplace
- Built-in CRM
- Live chat widget
Handesk
Handesk is an open-source help desk and lead management application built with Laravel. It converts emails into tickets, supports internal notes, escalation, merging, agent mentions, and includes an API for tickets and leads.
- Email-to-ticket conversion
- Lead management with API
- Ticket escalation and merging
- Slack and email notifications
Erxes vs Handesk: key differences
Erxes is written in TypeScript, while Handesk is built with PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Erxes versus MIT for Handesk. Handesk is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Erxes. Erxes has the considerably larger community, at 4,085 GitHub stars versus 1,452. Erxes lists first-class Docker deployment; Handesk does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Erxes if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Active community (4.1k GitHub stars)
Choose Handesk if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Erxes or Handesk better?
Neither is universally better. Erxes has the larger community, while Handesk is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Erxes and Handesk free and open-source?
Yes. Erxes is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Handesk under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Erxes and Handesk with Docker?
Erxes: yes. Handesk: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Erxes or Handesk?
Handesk has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Erxes. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.