The right Chatwoot alternative depends on who will run it. Open source help desks are free to download but need someone to host, update and back them up, while hosted tools take that work off your hands. Small teams without a developer usually do better hosted; teams with one can self-host and keep full control.
Free to download isn't the same as free to run. Every open source help desk needs a server, someone to apply updates, a backup routine and channels you connect yourself, and that work lands on whoever in the team knows most about servers.
Below are nine alternatives for small support teams and developers, in no particular order: self-hosted open source help desks, live chat tools you can try before committing, and hosted inboxes. Start with the checklist, because your answers decide which group to read first.
Who runs the server? A checklist for small teams
- Is there someone on the team who's comfortable with a Linux server, a database and email settings?
- Who applies security updates, and how quickly after they're released?
- Where do backups go, and has anyone tested restoring one?
- Which channels do customers use? Email is easy to connect; live chat and WhatsApp usually take more work on a self-hosted install.
- What happens when the person who set it up leaves or goes on holiday?
If most of your answers are 'nobody' or 'not sure', go hosted. If you've got a developer with time to spare, self-hosting gives you full control over your data and setup, and that's a fair reason to choose it.
Hosting model for each of the nine
| Tool | Hosting model | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Crisp | Hosted chat and AI support | Multichannel chat for support and lead conversations |
| Deskpro | Help desk, cloud or self-hosted | Omnichannel help desk you can host either way |
| FreeScout | Open source shared inbox | A lightweight shared mailbox on PHP and Laravel |
| HelpDesk | Hosted ticketing | Customer messages in one ticketing system |
| Helpwise | Hosted shared inbox | A shared inbox for small and mid-size teams |
| LiveAgent | Hosted help desk and chat | Help desk, live chat and AI agents together |
| osTicket | Open source ticketing | Widely used open source ticketing, hosted trial too |
| Plain | Hosted B2B support | Configurable support for B2B teams, no-code or code |
| Zammad | Open source help desk | Self-hosted ticketing you download and install |
Self-hosted open source help desks
Zammad is a web-based open source help desk and ticketing system you download and install yourself. FreeScout is a lightweight shared mailbox built with PHP on Laravel, which makes it familiar ground for many web developers. osTicket is a widely used open source ticketing system, and its page also mentions a hosted trial if you'd rather not run it.
With all three, you host the server, handle updates and backups, and set up your own email and chat channels. Chat and WhatsApp are the usual gap, because classic open source ticket tools lean on email. If live chat was the reason you went open source in the first place, check how each one adds it before you install anything.
Deskpro sits between the groups: it's an omnichannel help desk you can deploy in any cloud or host yourself, which gives you a way back to hosted later without changing tools. My guide to free help desk software covers more options for teams starting from zero.
Hosted live chat for a small support team
Crisp is a multichannel messaging platform with AI support, built for both support and lead conversations, and its page offers a trial without a card. LiveAgent combines a help desk with live chat and AI agents, and the vendor says it migrates your tickets and history when you move across.
Both run in the vendor's cloud, so there's no server to look after and chat works from day one. That's the main trade against the open source group: less control over where data lives, far less upkeep. For a wider field, see my roundup of live chat software.
Hosted inboxes for growing teams
Helpwise is a shared inbox and customer service platform for small and mid-size businesses, so it keeps the feel of email while adding team features. HelpDesk is a ticketing system that brings customer communication into one place, and its page says you can start without a card. Plain is built for B2B support teams who want a stack they can configure with no code or extend in code.
Hosted inboxes suit teams who'd rather spend their hours on customers than on servers, and they're the easiest to hand over when someone new joins.
Nine support tools, one line each
Crisp
Best for: Small teams handling support and sales chats together on a multichannel messaging platform with AI support; the vendor offers a trial without a card.
Deskpro
Best for: Organisations that want an omnichannel help desk for support, tickets and collaboration, deployed in any cloud or self-hosted, per the vendor.
FreeScout
Best for: Developers comfortable with PHP and Laravel who want a free, self-hosted open source help desk and shared mailbox the vendor calls lightweight and powerful.
HelpDesk
Best for: Growing teams that want a hosted ticketing system to manage customer communication in one place; the vendor says you can start for free without a card.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Helpwise
Best for: Small and mid-size businesses that want a hosted shared inbox and customer service platform, built, the vendor says, to serve customers rather than tickets.
LiveAgent
Best for: Support teams moving from another tool who want a help desk with live chat and AI agents; the vendor says it migrates tickets and history for you.
osTicket
Best for: Email-led support teams that want a widely used open source ticketing system, with a hosted trial mentioned on the vendor's page if self-hosting stalls.
Plain
Best for: B2B companies with engineers close to support that want composable support infrastructure they can shape with no code or all code.
Zammad
Best for: Teams with server skills who want a web-based open source help desk and ticketing system they download, install and run themselves.
My advice by team size and skills
Pick on who'll maintain it, not on the download being free. A help desk that nobody updates becomes a security problem, and one that nobody can fix becomes a support problem of its own. Here's how I'd split it:
- Solo founder or one support person, no developer: go hosted. A live chat tool or a hosted shared inbox gets you running in an afternoon, with nothing to patch.
- Small team with a developer who has time: self-hosting is realistic. Choose the open source tool whose channels match yours, and put updates and backups in someone's job description.
- Email-heavy support with little chat: open source ticketing or a hosted shared inbox both work; decide on whether you want to run a server.
- Chat and WhatsApp first: start with the hosted chat tools, since that's where self-hosted ticket tools usually need the most extra work.
- B2B team with engineers involved: look at the configurable hosted options, where support can be shaped in code.
- Strict data rules: self-host, or choose a vendor with a self-host option, and check the requirements for your sector and country, as they vary.
Do you make help desk or live chat software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Is open source help desk software free?
Free to download, yes. Running it means hosting, updates, backups and setting up channels, which takes someone's time every month.
Can a self-hosted help desk handle live chat and WhatsApp?
Some can with extra setup, but classic open source ticketing tools lean on email. Check how each one adds chat and messaging channels before you install it.
What's the difference between a shared inbox and a help desk?
A shared inbox keeps the feel of email, with several people working one mailbox. A help desk turns messages into tickets with statuses, assignment and reporting. Many tools now do a bit of both.
How hard is it to move tickets from one help desk to another?
It depends on the export from your current tool and the import on the new one. Some vendors offer to migrate history for you, so ask before you sign up.
Do I need a developer to self-host a help desk?
You need someone comfortable with servers, databases and email settings, and with time for updates. If that's nobody on your team, a hosted tool is safer.
