Top 10 Open Source Alternatives to Help Scout AI in 2025: A Comprehensive Comparison

As Help Scout AI continues to dominate the customer support landscape, 2025 has brought forth a wave of powerful open-source alternatives, each offering unique features and capabilities. Whether you're looking for specialized tools, better pricing, or enhanced integration, this article explores the top 10 Help Scout AI alternatives, comparing them on key data points like features, ease of use, customization, and cost.

Boost Your SEO by Getting Featured in Our Blogs and get a backlink.

We publish content about startups, education, tech, funding, etc. that ranks well not only in Google but also in Perplexity, ChatGPT, Grok and other AI tools.

👉 Get featured now!

1. osTicket

Features: Ticket management, configurable help topics, SLA (Service Level Agreement) management, customer support portal, and data-rich dashboards.
Customization: Offers advanced customization capabilities for scalability, allowing custom fields, columns, and queues.
Integration: Routes inquiries from email, APIs, and web forms.
User Base: Trusted by thousands of customers in over 190 countries with more than 5 million users worldwide and 15,000+ businesses using it.
Cost: Completely free and open-source.
Learn more about osTicket

2. UVdesk

Features: Ticket management with customizable workflows, multi-channel support (email, social media, live chat, web forms), knowledge base creation, SLA and escalation rules.
Customization: Highly customizable to fit specific business needs.
User Limits: No limits on the number of agents/reps.
Support: Community support via forums is available.
Technical Requirement: Initial setup can be complex, likely requiring development experience.
Explore UVdesk

Get your FREE Landing Page Analysis!

Insert your landing page link and get a super useful analysis and easy fixes to get more clicks!

👉 Get Your Analysis Here!

3. Zammad

Transparency: The code is available for free and open for review and modification.
Features: Ticket management, knowledge base, reporting, and customer communication tools.
Customization: Offers various options for customization to fit business needs.
Scalability: Suitable for small to large teams.
Cost: Free and open source.
Discover Zammad

4. FreeScout

Features: Modules for tags, saved replies, workflows, ticket numbers, end-user portal, extended notifications, and editor.
Integrations: Supports integration with WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, Jira, LDAP, Slack, WhatsApp, and Facebook.
Technology: PHP-based.
Target: Designed for IT professionals and customer service departments that need a low-cost solution.
Cost: Free and open source.
FreeScout on GitHub

5. Hesk

Ease of Use: Prioritizes being easy to use for small to medium-sized support teams.
Features: Simple interface with essential functions for managing customer issues.
Customization: Offers customization options, but might not be as extensive as other options.
Technology: PHP-based.
Cost: Free and open source.
Hesk on GitHub

Validate your startup idea with the unique borrowed authority approach: we publish articles about your product in our blog and you get traffic and testers for your MVP

Prove Market Demand: See real organic traffic and waitlist conversions

Unlock High-Potential Keywords: Receive a curated list of top-performing keywords directly from Google Search Console data.

Estimate Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): Gain financial foresight with an estimated CAC based on real keyword performance data.

🔗 Start validating your startup now

6. Frappe Helpdesk

Features: Consolidates customer issues from multiple sources (emails, website forms, chats) into a single queue.
Efficiency: Aims to boost agent productivity and reduce resolution times.
Scalability: Suitable for various business sizes that need a cost-effective solution.
Focus: Focuses on exceptional customer experience.
Cost: Free and open source.
Learn more about Frappe Helpdesk

7. Request Tracker (RT)

Features: Robust ticket management, workflow automation, reporting, and user management.
Scalability: Suitable for large organizations with complex support needs.
Flexibility: Highly flexible and configurable to meet diverse requirements.
Community Support: Backed by a strong community that offers support and resources.
Cost: Free and open source.

8. HelpDeskZ

Features: Messaging and mail functions with automatic pipelining, multilingual capability, and personalized dashboards for agents and supervisors.
User-Friendly: Has a simple and convenient interface.
Technology: PHP-based.
Customization: Offers personalization for dashboards and message templates.
Cost: Free and open source.

9. Liberum

Features: Simple interface, active directory authentication, configurable email notifications, and the ability to reopen closed tickets.
Technology: Based on HTML and ASP.
Customization: Fully customizable, allowing modifications based on business requirements.
Targeted Use: Specifically for IT departments and service providers.
Cost: Free and open source.

10. Helpy

Features: Includes core ticketing functions, knowledge base integration, and team collaboration tools.
Modern: Designed with a contemporary interface and user experience.
Adaptable: Can be tailored to various business needs.
Cost: Free and open source.
Development: Often under active development with regular updates.

When choosing an open-source Help Scout AI alternative, consider factors such as technical expertise required, customization possibilities, community support, and scalability to ensure the solution meets your business needs effectively.

Join ElonaHunt (like ProductHunt but for women) and explore the coolest women-focused startups out there!

Discover your next big inspiration and connect with like-minded female entrepreneurs!

👉 Join the Hunt Here

FAQ

1. What is osTicket best known for?

osTicket is widely recognized for its simplicity and ease of use, making it a popular choice among businesses of all sizes for robust customer support. Learn more about osTicket

2. How does UVdesk support customization?

UVdesk is highly customizable to fit specific business needs and is designed to handle e-commerce businesses as well as other types of companies. Explore more on UVdesk

3. What makes Zammad a popular choice?

Zammad's transparency, as its code is freely available for review and modification, coupled with extensive features like ticket management and collaboration tools, make it a popular open-source alternative. Learn more about Zammad

4. What technology powers FreeScout?

FreeScout is a PHP-based help desk software offering modules for tags, saved replies, workflows, and more, making it a cost-effective solution for IT and customer service departments.

5. Why is Hesk preferred by small to medium-sized teams?

Hesk is known for its simplicity and ease of use, prioritizing essential functions for managing customer issues, making it suitable for small to medium-sized support teams.

6. How does Frappe Helpdesk boost efficiency?

Frappe Helpdesk consolidates customer issues from multiple sources into a single queue, aiming to boost agent productivity and reduce resolution times. Discover Frappe Helpdesk

7. What features does Request Tracker (RT) offer?

Request Tracker provides robust ticket management, workflow automation, and reporting, making it suitable for large organizations with complex support needs.

8. What is unique about HelpDeskZ?

HelpDeskZ has a simple, user-friendly interface with messaging and mail functions, multilingual capability, and personalized dashboards, making it a straightforward solution.

9. What is the target use for Liberum?

Liberum is tailored for IT departments and service providers, offering features like active directory authentication and configurable email notifications.

10. What makes Helpy stand out?

Helpy offers core ticketing functions, knowledge base integration, and team collaboration tools, all within a modern and adaptable interface.

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.

Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).

She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.

For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.

About the Publication

Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.

Mission and Purpose

Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.

Key Features

The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:

Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials

Impact and Growth

Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:

3,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
100+ startup tools built
5,000+ pieces of articles and news written

Partnerships

Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.

Recognition

Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.