Erxes vs OpenSupports
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted helpdesk & ticketing options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Erxes | OpenSupports |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 14 · At risk |
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,085 | ★ 1,038 |
| First released | 2017 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Zendesk, Intercom, HubSpot | Zendesk, Freshdesk |
What are Erxes and OpenSupports?
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
OpenSupports
OpenSupports is an open-source customer support ticket system that lets users submit and track support requests through a web portal. Staff manage tickets with departments, custom responses, and statistics.
- Customer support portal
- Department-based routing
- Custom responses
- Ticket statistics
Erxes vs OpenSupports: key differences
Erxes is written in TypeScript, while OpenSupports is built with JavaScript. OpenSupports 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 1,038.
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 OpenSupports if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Erxes or OpenSupports better?
Neither is universally better. Erxes has the larger community, while OpenSupports is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Erxes and OpenSupports free and open-source?
Yes. Erxes is licensed under GPL-3.0 and OpenSupports under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Erxes and OpenSupports with Docker?
Erxes: yes. OpenSupports: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Erxes or OpenSupports?
OpenSupports 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.