FreeScout vs Zammad
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
FreeScout
Free self-hosted help desk and shared inbox
VS
Zammad
Web-based helpdesk and customer support system
| Feature | FreeScout | Zammad |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 88 · Excellent |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,555 | ★ 5,948 |
| First released | 2018 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Help Scout, Zendesk, Front | Zendesk, Freshdesk |
What are FreeScout and Zammad?
FreeScout
FreeScout is a free, open-source help desk and shared mailbox application that is a lightweight alternative to Help Scout and Zendesk. It turns email into a collaborative support workflow.
- Shared mailbox for teams
- Email-based ticketing
- Module ecosystem
- Lightweight PHP application
Zammad
Zammad is a self-hosted helpdesk and ticketing system that brings email, chat, social media, and phone communication into one place. It supports SLAs, knowledge bases, and reporting.
- Multichannel ticketing
- Live chat widget
- SLA and escalation rules
- Full-text search with Elasticsearch
FreeScout vs Zammad: key differences
FreeScout is written in PHP, while Zammad is built with Ruby. FreeScout is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for Zammad. Zammad is the more established project (first released 2016), while FreeScout arrived in 2018.
Why pick each one
Choose FreeScout if…
- Truly free and self-hosted
- Low resource needs
Watch out for
- Some modules are paid
- Email-centric only
Choose Zammad if…
- Mature support workflow
- Good integrations
Watch out for
- Heavy resource footprint
- Requires Elasticsearch
Frequently asked questions
Is FreeScout or Zammad better?
Neither is universally better. Zammad has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are FreeScout and Zammad free and open-source?
Yes. FreeScout is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Zammad under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FreeScout and Zammad with Docker?
FreeScout: yes. Zammad: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, FreeScout or Zammad?
FreeScout has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for Zammad. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.