Help Scout costs $25/mo.
These cost $0.
6 free alternatives to Help Scout, checked for license, recent activity and real adoption. Each one tells you the catch, so you can switch with your eyes open.
Help Scout vs Free Alternatives Matrix
Quick side-by-side comparison · $0/mo vs $25/mo
| Alternative | Type | License | Where It Runs | Stars | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatwoot | open source | MIT | Self-host | ★ 36k | Help Scout vs Chatwoot → |
| Zammad | open source | AGPL-3.0 | Self-host | ★ 5.8k | Help Scout vs Zammad → |
| osTicket | open source | GPL-2.0 | Self-host | ★ 3.9k | Help Scout vs osTicket → |
| Frappe Helpdesk | open source | AGPL-3.0 | Self-host | ★ 3.3k | Help Scout vs Frappe Helpdesk → |
| tawk.to | free | proprietary, free | Hosted | ★ $0 forever | Help Scout vs tawk.to → |
| Odoo Helpdesk One App Free | free | proprietary, free | Hosted | ★ $0 forever | Help Scout vs Odoo Helpdesk One App Free → |
The picks
4 open source · 2 free to use · ranked by fit
- 01
Chatwoot
open sourceMITSelf-host36kaug 2026A proper support inbox with chat, email and a help center; free software, billable server chores.
The catch vs Help ScoutChatwoot is broader and self-hosted, but its email conversation experience and Beacon-style polish are less focused than Help Scout's.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- mobilewebself-hostedself-host, real ops
- install
- Docker Compose on a Linux VM, followed by environment, database, reverse-proxy and TLS configuration
- setup
- Provisioning a Linux server and correctly wiring DNS/TLS, SMTP, PostgreSQL/Redis and storage
- your data
- Application data in PostgreSQL, queues/cache in Redis, and attachments on local disk or S3-compatible/cloud object storage
- checked
- 2026-08-11
- 02
Zammad
open sourceAGPL-3.0Self-host5.8kaug 2026A serious ticket desk with email, chat, SLAs and a knowledge base; setup is the first ticket.
The catch vs Help ScoutIts heavy infrastructure and ticket semantics are less approachable than Help Scout's small-team inbox.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hostedself-host, real ops
- install
- Deploy the Docker Compose/Portainer stack or install supported Linux packages
- setup
- A comparatively large server and familiarity with Docker/Portainer, PostgreSQL and Elasticsearch
- your data
- Ticket and user data in PostgreSQL, search indexes in Elasticsearch, and attachments/backups in Docker volumes or server storage
- checked
- 2026-08-11
- 03
osTicket
open sourceGPL-2.0Self-host3.9kjun 2026Email and web forms become assigned tickets; dated, dependable and very much your PHP server.
The catch vs Help ScoutThe dated ticket interface is a clear step down from Help Scout's conversational mailbox and compact Docs experience.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hostedself-host, real ops
- install
- Upload the release to a PHP web root, create a MySQL database, then finish the browser installer
- setup
- A PHP/MySQL web host plus database credentials, filesystem permissions and mail piping or IMAP setup
- your data
- Tickets and configuration in MySQL; attachments in the database or server filesystem depending on storage setup; ticket metadata can export as CSV
- checked
- 2026-08-11
- 04
Frappe Helpdesk
open sourceAGPL-3.0Self-host3.3kaug 2026Tickets, SLAs and a knowledge base in a clean Frappe shell; the five-minute installer still leaves you the pager.
The catch vs Help ScoutIts integrations, reporting and customer-facing polish are less mature than Help Scout's, while the server remains yours.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hostedself-host, real ops
- install
- Run Frappe's easy-install script against the stable container image on a Linux server
- setup
- A Linux server, domain/DNS, Docker or the easy-install script, and mail account configuration
- your data
- Tickets in the Frappe site database, with public and private attachments in the site's files directories
- checked
- 2026-08-11
- 05
tawk.to
freeproprietary, freeHostedLive chat, tickets, email, and a help centre for zero dollars; the tiny tawk.to badge pays the rent.
The catch vs Help ScoutTicketing and help content are secondary to live chat, so the shared-email and docs experience is less refined than Help Scout's.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- desktopmobilewebthey host it
- install
- Hosted signup, then paste the generated JavaScript widget or install a CMS plugin
- setup
- Access to edit the website or install its CMS plugin
- your data
- Chats, tickets and contacts in tawk.to's cloud account; chat and ticket exports are JSON
- checked
- 2026-08-11
- 06
Odoo Helpdesk One App Free
freeproprietary, freeHostedA real hosted ticket desk for unlimited users, as long as Helpdesk is your one free Odoo app.
The catch vs Help ScoutThe one-app-free constraint and broad Odoo shell are less focused and less personable than Help Scout.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webthey host it
- install
- Hosted Odoo Online signup with Helpdesk selected as the single free app
- your data
- An Odoo Online PostgreSQL database in Odoo's cloud, with record exports and downloadable ZIP database backups
- checked
- 2026-08-11
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers · Help Scout open-source replacements
What is the best free alternative to Help Scout?+
The top free alternative to Help Scout is Chatwoot (open source, MIT). A proper support inbox with chat, email and a help center; free software, billable server chores. Other popular Help Scout replacements include Zammad, osTicket, Frappe Helpdesk.
Can I self-host a free replacement for Help Scout?+
Yes. Of the 6 free alternatives to Help Scout, 4 can be self-hosted on your own server or local machine: Chatwoot (MIT), Zammad (AGPL-3.0), osTicket (GPL-2.0), Frappe Helpdesk (AGPL-3.0).
How much does switching from Help Scout to a free alternative save?+
Help Scout starts at $25/month per seat ($300/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like Chatwoot saves $1,500 per year in software subscription fees.
Should I vibe-code or build my own Help Scout clone from scratch?+
Our build verdict for Help Scout is KINDA (the core, yes. the polish, no). The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For Help Scout, manage a shared email inbox and compact help center for a small team. The hard boundary is email threading, customer context, docs, workflows, reporting, and support polish, plus channel integrations and support operations.
What is the catch when switching from Help Scout to Chatwoot?+
Chatwoot is broader and self-hosted, but its email conversation experience and Beacon-style polish are less focused than Help Scout's.
