Handesk vs Request Tracker
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted helpdesk & ticketing options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Handesk | Request Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 28 · At risk | 82 · Excellent |
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,452 | ★ 1,157 |
| First released | 2018 | 1996 |
| Replaces | Zendesk, Freshdesk | Zendesk, Jira Service Management |
What are Handesk and Request Tracker?
Handesk
Handesk is an open-source help desk and lead management application built with Laravel. It converts emails into tickets, supports internal notes, escalation, merging, agent mentions, and includes an API for tickets and leads.
- Email-to-ticket conversion
- Lead management with API
- Ticket escalation and merging
- Slack and email notifications
Request Tracker
Request Tracker (RT) is a mature, enterprise-grade issue tracking and ticketing system. It is used for help desks, NOCs, and complex workflow management.
- Highly configurable workflows
- Email-driven ticketing
- Custom fields and scrips
- Strong access control
Handesk vs Request Tracker: key differences
Handesk is written in PHP, while Request Tracker is built with Perl. Licensing differs — MIT for Handesk versus GPL-2.0 for Request Tracker. Handesk is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Request Tracker. Request Tracker is the more established project (first released 1996), while Handesk arrived in 2018.
Why pick each one
Choose Handesk if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose Request Tracker if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in Perl
Frequently asked questions
Is Handesk or Request Tracker better?
Handesk is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Request Tracker if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Handesk and Request Tracker free and open-source?
Yes. Handesk is licensed under MIT and Request Tracker under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Handesk and Request Tracker with Docker?
Handesk: check the project docs for container support. Request Tracker: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Handesk or Request Tracker?
Handesk has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Request Tracker. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.