MantisBT vs Libredesk
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?
MantisBT
Open-source bug tracker for software teams
VS
Libredesk
Self-hosted open-source customer support desk
| Feature | MantisBT | Libredesk |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,794 | ★ 2,685 |
| First released | 2000 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Jira, Bugzilla | Zendesk, Intercom |
Why pick each one
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)
Choose Libredesk if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is MantisBT or Libredesk better?
Neither is universally better. Libredesk 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 MantisBT and Libredesk free and open-source?
Yes. MantisBT is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Libredesk under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MantisBT and Libredesk with Docker?
MantisBT: yes. Libredesk: yes.