Erxes vs ITFlow
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted helpdesk & ticketing options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Erxes
Open-source experience operating system with ticketing
VS
ITFlow
Open-source ITSM, documentation and ticketing for MSPs
| Feature | Erxes | ITFlow |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,058 | ★ 966 |
| First released | 2017 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Zendesk, Intercom, HubSpot | ServiceNow, Jira Service Management |
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 ITFlow if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Erxes or ITFlow better?
Neither is universally better. Erxes has the larger community, while ITFlow is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Erxes and ITFlow free and open-source?
Yes. Erxes is licensed under GPL-3.0 and ITFlow under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Erxes and ITFlow with Docker?
Erxes: yes. ITFlow: yes.