Request Tracker vs Ticketit
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted helpdesk & ticketing options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Request Tracker | Ticketit |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 13 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Perl | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,158 | ★ 860 |
| First released | 1996 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Zendesk, Jira Service Management | Zendesk, Freshdesk |
What are Request Tracker and Ticketit?
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
Ticketit
Ticketit is an embeddable help desk ticketing system built as a Laravel package. It adds categories, priorities, agent assignment, and a Kanban-style dashboard to any existing Laravel application.
- Laravel-native integration
- Kanban agent board
- Category and priority routing
- Email notifications
Request Tracker vs Ticketit: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Ticketit's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Request Tracker is actively maintained. Request Tracker is written in Perl, while Ticketit is built with PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Request Tracker versus MIT for Ticketit. Ticketit is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Request Tracker. Request Tracker is the more established project (first released 1996), while Ticketit arrived in 2015.
Why pick each one
Choose Request Tracker if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in Perl
Choose Ticketit if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Request Tracker or Ticketit better?
Neither is universally better. Request Tracker has the larger community, while Ticketit is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Request Tracker and Ticketit free and open-source?
Yes. Request Tracker is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Ticketit under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Request Tracker and Ticketit with Docker?
Request Tracker: check the project docs for container support. Ticketit: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Request Tracker or Ticketit?
Ticketit has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Request Tracker. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.