Erxes vs Peppermint
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted helpdesk & ticketing options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Peppermint
Archived
Open-source ticket management and helpdesk
| Feature | Erxes | Peppermint |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,085 | ★ 3,162 |
| First released | 2017 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Zendesk, Intercom, HubSpot | Zendesk, Jira Service Management |
What are Erxes and Peppermint?
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
Peppermint
Peppermint is an open-source ticket management system and helpdesk. It offers a modern interface for managing customer issues, internal tasks, and a knowledge base.
- Ticket and task management
- Email-to-ticket support
- Documentation and notebooks
- Modern responsive UI
Erxes vs Peppermint: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Peppermint's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Erxes is actively maintained. Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Erxes versus AGPL-3.0 for Peppermint. Peppermint is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Erxes. Erxes is the more established project (first released 2017), while Peppermint arrived in 2021.
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 Peppermint if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Erxes or Peppermint better?
Neither is universally better. Erxes has the larger community, while Peppermint is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Erxes and Peppermint free and open-source?
Yes. Erxes is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Peppermint under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Erxes and Peppermint with Docker?
Erxes: yes. Peppermint: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Erxes or Peppermint?
Peppermint 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.