OpenSupports vs Libredesk
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted helpdesk & ticketing options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | OpenSupports | Libredesk |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 14 · At risk | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,038 | ★ 2,959 |
| First released | 2016 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Zendesk, Freshdesk | Zendesk, Intercom |
What are OpenSupports and Libredesk?
OpenSupports
OpenSupports is an open-source customer support ticket system that lets users submit and track support requests through a web portal. Staff manage tickets with departments, custom responses, and statistics.
- Customer support portal
- Department-based routing
- Custom responses
- Ticket statistics
Libredesk
Libredesk is a self-hosted, open-source customer support tool. It offers shared inboxes, SLA management, automations, and reporting in a clean modern interface.
- Shared inbox and SLAs
- Automation rules
- Canned responses
- Single binary deployment
OpenSupports vs Libredesk: key differences
OpenSupports is written in JavaScript, while Libredesk is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for OpenSupports versus AGPL-3.0 for Libredesk. OpenSupports is the more established project (first released 2016), while Libredesk arrived in 2024. Libredesk has the considerably larger community, at 2,959 GitHub stars versus 1,038.
Why pick each one
Choose OpenSupports if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Choose Libredesk if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenSupports or Libredesk better?
Neither is universally better. Libredesk has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are OpenSupports and Libredesk free and open-source?
Yes. OpenSupports is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Libredesk under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenSupports and Libredesk with Docker?
OpenSupports: yes. Libredesk: yes.