Request Tracker vs TicketsBot
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 | TicketsBot |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 0 · At risk |
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Perl | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,158 | ★ 26 |
| First released | 1996 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Zendesk, Jira Service Management | Zendesk |
What are Request Tracker and TicketsBot?
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
TicketsBot
TicketsBot is a self-hostable ticket management bot that creates private support channels on demand and logs full transcripts. It is designed for community support teams that handle requests through chat platforms.
- On-demand support channels
- Full transcript logging
- Tag-based routing
- Staff claim system
Request Tracker vs TicketsBot: key differences
Request Tracker is written in Perl, while TicketsBot is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Request Tracker versus AGPL-3.0 for TicketsBot. TicketsBot 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 TicketsBot arrived in 2018. Request Tracker has the considerably larger community, at 1,158 GitHub stars versus 26. TicketsBot lists first-class Docker deployment; Request Tracker does not.
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 TicketsBot if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Go
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Request Tracker or TicketsBot better?
Neither is universally better. Request Tracker has the larger community, while TicketsBot is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Request Tracker and TicketsBot free and open-source?
Yes. Request Tracker is licensed under GPL-2.0 and TicketsBot under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Request Tracker and TicketsBot with Docker?
Request Tracker: check the project docs for container support. TicketsBot: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Request Tracker or TicketsBot?
TicketsBot 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.