GLPI vs OTOBO
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted helpdesk & ticketing options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | GLPI | OTOBO |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 72 · Good |
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,382 | ★ 337 |
| First released | 2003 | 2019 |
| Replaces | ServiceNow, Zendesk | ServiceNow, Zendesk |
What are GLPI and OTOBO?
GLPI
GLPI is a free IT service management software combining a helpdesk ticketing system with IT asset and inventory management. It is widely used by IT departments.
- ITIL-aligned service desk
- Asset and inventory management
- Self-service portal
- Large plugin ecosystem
OTOBO
OTOBO is an open-source ticket system and service management tool, a successor to OTRS Community Edition. It supports ITSM processes, automation, and detailed reporting.
- ITIL service management
- Process automation engine
- Customizable ticket workflows
- Detailed dashboards
GLPI vs OTOBO: key differences
GLPI is written in PHP, while OTOBO is built with Perl. GLPI is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for OTOBO. GLPI is the more established project (first released 2003), while OTOBO arrived in 2019. GLPI has the considerably larger community, at 6,382 GitHub stars versus 337.
Why pick each one
Choose GLPI if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.4k GitHub stars
- Written in PHP
Choose OTOBO if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Perl
Frequently asked questions
Is GLPI or OTOBO better?
GLPI is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider OTOBO if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are GLPI and OTOBO free and open-source?
Yes. GLPI is licensed under GPL-3.0 and OTOBO under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GLPI and OTOBO with Docker?
GLPI: yes. OTOBO: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, GLPI or OTOBO?
GLPI has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for OTOBO. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.