Request Tracker vs Faveo Helpdesk
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 | Faveo Helpdesk |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 65 · Good |
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Perl | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,158 | ★ 1,255 |
| First released | 1996 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Zendesk, Jira Service Management | Zendesk, Freshdesk |
What are Request Tracker and Faveo Helpdesk?
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
Faveo Helpdesk
Faveo Helpdesk Community is an automatic ticket-based support system built on Laravel. It captures customer requests and converts them into trackable tickets.
- Automatic ticket conversion
- Knowledge base module
- SLA management
- Multi-channel intake
Request Tracker vs Faveo Helpdesk: key differences
Request Tracker is written in Perl, while Faveo Helpdesk is built with PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Request Tracker versus MIT for Faveo Helpdesk. Faveo Helpdesk 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 Faveo Helpdesk 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 Faveo Helpdesk if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (1.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Request Tracker or Faveo Helpdesk better?
Faveo Helpdesk is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Request Tracker if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Request Tracker and Faveo Helpdesk free and open-source?
Yes. Request Tracker is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Faveo Helpdesk under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Request Tracker and Faveo Helpdesk with Docker?
Request Tracker: check the project docs for container support. Faveo Helpdesk: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Request Tracker or Faveo Helpdesk?
Faveo Helpdesk 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.