GLPI vs MantisBT
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?
| Feature | GLPI | MantisBT |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,206 | ★ 1,794 |
| First released | 2003 | 2000 |
| Replaces | ServiceNow, Zendesk | Jira, Bugzilla |
Why pick each one
Choose GLPI if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.2k GitHub stars
- Written in PHP
Choose MantisBT if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is GLPI or MantisBT better?
Neither is universally better. GLPI has the larger community, while MantisBT is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are GLPI and MantisBT free and open-source?
Yes. GLPI is licensed under GPL-3.0 and MantisBT under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GLPI and MantisBT with Docker?
GLPI: yes. MantisBT: yes.