
osTicket
A veteran open-source PHP ticketing system, with an optional hosted version called SupportSystem.
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- 4 of 4
- Alternatives ranked
- 5
- Approved reviews
- 0
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About osTicket
osTicket is one of the oldest and most widely used open-source support ticketing systems. It turns emails, web forms and phone requests into tickets, with help topics, custom forms and fields, SLA plans, auto-responses, agent collision avoidance, a customer portal and a knowledge base. It runs on a standard PHP and MySQL stack with Apache or IIS, so it can be deployed on almost any web host, and the self-hosted version is free. Its maintainer also offers a cloud-hosted edition, branded SupportSystem, priced per agent with a free trial, plus paid support and hosting services. osTicket is dependable and familiar to many IT departments, but the interface looks dated, it has no built-in live chat or social channels, and modern features like AI or rich automation lag far behind commercial tools. It runs in the browser and on your own server. It suits budget-conscious IT and support teams that need classic email ticketing they can host.
Best for: Budget-conscious IT and support teams that need classic email ticketing they can host.
Pros and cons
What works
- Free and open source with a long track record
- Runs on common PHP and MySQL hosting
- Custom forms, SLAs and help topics
Why people leave
- Dated interface
- No built-in live chat or social channels
- Few modern AI or automation features
Top osTicket alternatives
See all 5- 1
Zammad66.5Modern open-source help desk with chat, social channels and AI features.
- 2
FreeScout62.6Open-source shared inbox with a cleaner, Help Scout-like interface.
- 3
UVdesk59.6Open-source PHP help desk with ecommerce integrations.
- 4
Jira Service Management57.2Free for three agents, with IT service management features.
- 5
Zoho Desk55.3Hosted help desk with a free plan and modern features.
Why people left osTicket
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Reviews
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osTicket: common questions
Is osTicket free?
Yes. osTicket is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.
Is osTicket open source?
Yes. The source code is on GitHub at osTicket/osTicket. You can also run it on your own server.
What platforms does osTicket run on?
osTicket is available for Web and Self-hosted.
What are the best alternatives to osTicket?
The highest-ranked osTicket alternatives right now are Zammad, FreeScout and UVdesk. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.