OTOBO 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 | OTOBO | Request Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 72 · Good | 82 · Excellent |
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Perl | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 337 | ★ 1,158 |
| First released | 2019 | 1996 |
| Replaces | ServiceNow, Zendesk | Zendesk, Jira Service Management |
What are OTOBO and Request Tracker?
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
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
OTOBO vs Request Tracker: key differences
Both projects are written in Perl. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for OTOBO versus GPL-2.0 for Request Tracker. Request Tracker is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for OTOBO. Request Tracker is the more established project (first released 1996), while OTOBO arrived in 2019. Request Tracker has the considerably larger community, at 1,158 GitHub stars versus 337. OTOBO lists first-class Docker deployment; Request Tracker does not.
Why pick each one
Choose OTOBO if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Perl
Choose Request Tracker if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in Perl
Frequently asked questions
Is OTOBO or Request Tracker better?
Neither is universally better. Request Tracker has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are OTOBO and Request Tracker free and open-source?
Yes. OTOBO is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Request Tracker under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OTOBO and Request Tracker with Docker?
OTOBO: yes. Request Tracker: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, OTOBO or Request Tracker?
Request Tracker has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for OTOBO. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.