osTicket 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.
Not the right match-up?
osTicket
Widely used open-source support ticket system
VS
Request Tracker
Enterprise-grade ticketing system from Best Practical
| Feature | osTicket | Request Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,871 | ★ 1,141 |
| First released | 2003 | 1996 |
| Replaces | Zendesk, Freshdesk | Zendesk, Jira Service Management |
Why pick each one
Choose Request Tracker if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Active community (1.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Perl
Frequently asked questions
Is osTicket or Request Tracker better?
osTicket 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 osTicket and Request Tracker free and open-source?
Yes. osTicket is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Request Tracker under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run osTicket and Request Tracker with Docker?
osTicket: yes. Request Tracker: check the project docs for container support.