Request Tracker vs Znuny
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 | Znuny |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 75 · Good |
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Perl | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,158 | ★ 596 |
| First released | 1996 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Zendesk, Jira Service Management | ServiceNow, Zendesk |
What are Request Tracker and Znuny?
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
Znuny
Znuny is an open-source ticketing system and service desk maintained as a free fork of OTRS Community Edition. It supports helpdesk and ITSM workflows.
- Maintained OTRS fork
- Helpdesk and ITSM
- Customizable workflows
- Active community support
Request Tracker vs Znuny: key differences
Both projects are written in Perl. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Request Tracker versus GPL-3.0 for Znuny. Request Tracker is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Znuny. Request Tracker is the more established project (first released 1996), while Znuny arrived in 2021.
Why pick each one
Choose Request Tracker if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in Perl
Frequently asked questions
Is Request Tracker or Znuny better?
Neither is universally better. Request Tracker has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Request Tracker and Znuny free and open-source?
Yes. Request Tracker is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Znuny under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Request Tracker and Znuny with Docker?
Request Tracker: check the project docs for container support. Znuny: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Request Tracker or Znuny?
Request Tracker has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Znuny. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.