Request Tracker vs Tiledesk
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 | Tiledesk |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 58 · Fair |
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Perl | Mustache |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,158 | ★ 322 |
| First released | 1996 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Zendesk, Jira Service Management | Zendesk, Intercom |
What are Request Tracker and Tiledesk?
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
Tiledesk
Tiledesk is an open-source customer support platform that combines live chat, chatbots, and a ticketing system. It routes conversations from multiple channels into a unified agent workspace with ticket tracking.
- Live chat and chatbots
- Omnichannel ticketing
- Unified agent workspace
- Conversation routing
Request Tracker vs Tiledesk: key differences
Request Tracker is written in Perl, while Tiledesk is built with Mustache. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Request Tracker versus MIT for Tiledesk. Request Tracker is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Tiledesk. Request Tracker is the more established project (first released 1996), while Tiledesk arrived in 2020. Request Tracker has the considerably larger community, at 1,158 GitHub stars versus 322. Tiledesk 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 Tiledesk if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Written in Mustache
Frequently asked questions
Is Request Tracker or Tiledesk better?
Neither is universally better. Request Tracker has the larger community, while Tiledesk is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Request Tracker and Tiledesk free and open-source?
Yes. Request Tracker is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Tiledesk under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Request Tracker and Tiledesk with Docker?
Request Tracker: check the project docs for container support. Tiledesk: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Request Tracker or Tiledesk?
Request Tracker has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Tiledesk. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.