FreeScout

Open-source alternative · mapped from 1 paid tool. Fit is not feature parity.

Facts

License

GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 Permissions of this strongest copyleft license are conditioned on making available complete source code of licensed works and modifications, which include larger works using a licensed work, under the same license. Copyright and license notices must be preserved. Contributors provide an express grant of patent rights. When a modified version is used to provide a service over a network, the complete source code of the modified version must be made available. May Commercial useModificationDistributionPatent usePrivate use Must License and copyright noticeState changesDisclose sourceNetwork use is distributionSame license No LiabilityWarranty Summary from GitHub's choosealicense.com

Paid-feature tier C

Self-host

Paid-feature limits5 noted

Paid module acquisition: saved replies
Paid modules: tags and custom fields
Paid modules: workflows and SLA
Paid modules: API/webhooks and reports
Paid modules: knowledge base and customer portal

Tier C: Unlimited core agents/tickets/mailboxes. Everyday workflow extensions sold separately with lifetime per-instance licenses; official module page says modules AGPL3. Tier C denotes paid acquisition, not proprietary licensing. No first-party cloud service; third-party hosting available. License source. Repository: freescout-help-desk/freescout. Self-host: server; hosted offer from the project: no.

Replaces

ZendeskEntry price USD 19 / seat / month

Fit:

Lightweight shared inbox/ticket support. Official migration guide requires API/Webhooks module; custom fields/tags need their modules. Ticket numbers cannot be preserved; imported chat threads lose messenger connection, so replies cannot reach original chat customer.

Sources: freescout.net, github.com · checked 2026-10-21
Full comparison: Zendesk vs FreeScout

Selected by OSSHunt

FreeScout is listed as an open-source alternative to Zendesk, with partial fit or better. Maintainers can show this in a README; the badge links back to this page.

Markdown

[![OSSHunt: replaces Zendesk](https://osshunt.com/badge/freescout.svg)](https://osshunt.com/alternatives/freescout/)

HTML

<a href="https://osshunt.com/alternatives/freescout/"><img src="https://osshunt.com/badge/freescout.svg" alt="OSSHunt: replaces Zendesk"></a>

reStructuredText

.. image:: https://osshunt.com/badge/freescout.svg
   :target: https://osshunt.com/alternatives/freescout/
   :alt: OSSHunt: replaces Zendesk

Shields users: https://img.shields.io/endpoint?url=https%3A%2F%2Fosshunt.com%2Fbadge%2Ffreescout.json. Styles: add ?style=flat-square, plastic or for-the-badge. What the badge means and how to remove it.