Peppermint 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.
Peppermint
Archived
Open-source ticket management and helpdesk
VS
Request Tracker
Enterprise-grade ticketing system from Best Practical
| Feature | Peppermint | Request Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 82 · Excellent |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,162 | ★ 1,158 |
| First released | 2021 | 1996 |
| Replaces | Zendesk, Jira Service Management | Zendesk, Jira Service Management |
What are Peppermint and Request Tracker?
Peppermint
Peppermint is an open-source ticket management system and helpdesk. It offers a modern interface for managing customer issues, internal tasks, and a knowledge base.
- Ticket and task management
- Email-to-ticket support
- Documentation and notebooks
- Modern responsive UI
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
Peppermint vs Request Tracker: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Peppermint's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Request Tracker is actively maintained. Peppermint is written in TypeScript, while Request Tracker is built with Perl. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Peppermint versus GPL-2.0 for Request Tracker. Peppermint 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 Peppermint arrived in 2021. Peppermint has the considerably larger community, at 3,162 GitHub stars versus 1,158. Peppermint lists first-class Docker deployment; Request Tracker does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Peppermint if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Choose Request Tracker if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in Perl
Frequently asked questions
Is Peppermint or Request Tracker better?
Peppermint is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Peppermint if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Peppermint and Request Tracker free and open-source?
Yes. Peppermint is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Request Tracker under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Peppermint and Request Tracker with Docker?
Peppermint: yes. Request Tracker: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Peppermint or Request Tracker?
Peppermint 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.