Erxes vs UVdesk
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted helpdesk & ticketing options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Erxes | UVdesk |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 55 · Fair |
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | CSS |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,085 | ★ 19,612 |
| First released | 2017 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Zendesk, Intercom, HubSpot | Zendesk, Freshdesk |
What are Erxes and UVdesk?
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
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
Erxes vs UVdesk: key differences
Erxes is written in TypeScript, while UVdesk is built with CSS. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Erxes versus MIT for UVdesk. UVdesk is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Erxes. UVdesk has the considerably larger community, at 19,612 GitHub stars versus 4,085.
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 UVdesk if…
- Full ticketing workflow
- Knowledge base included
- Email piping support
Watch out for
- PHP MySQL stack required
- Slower development pace
Frequently asked questions
Is Erxes or UVdesk better?
UVdesk is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Erxes if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Erxes and UVdesk free and open-source?
Yes. Erxes is licensed under GPL-3.0 and UVdesk under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Erxes and UVdesk with Docker?
Erxes: yes. UVdesk: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Erxes or UVdesk?
UVdesk 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.