Libredesk vs Trudesk
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted helpdesk & ticketing options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Libredesk | Trudesk |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 55 · Fair |
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,959 | ★ 1,496 |
| First released | 2024 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Zendesk, Intercom | Zendesk, Freshdesk |
What are Libredesk and Trudesk?
Libredesk
Libredesk is a self-hosted, open-source customer support tool. It offers shared inboxes, SLA management, automations, and reporting in a clean modern interface.
- Shared inbox and SLAs
- Automation rules
- Canned responses
- Single binary deployment
Trudesk
Trudesk is an open-source help desk and ticket management system. It provides a kanban-style ticket board, knowledge base, and real-time messaging built on Node.js.
- Kanban ticket board
- Built-in knowledge base
- Real-time chat and notices
- Mobile-friendly UI
Libredesk vs Trudesk: key differences
Libredesk is written in Go, while Trudesk is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Libredesk versus Apache-2.0 for Trudesk. Trudesk is the more established project (first released 2016), while Libredesk arrived in 2024.
Why pick each one
Choose Libredesk if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
Choose Trudesk if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Libredesk or Trudesk better?
Neither is universally better. Libredesk has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Libredesk and Trudesk free and open-source?
Yes. Libredesk is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Trudesk under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Libredesk and Trudesk with Docker?
Libredesk: yes. Trudesk: yes.