chatwootvsFreeScout
Two self-hosted Zendesk alternatives, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| chatwoot | FreeScout | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 84/100 | 65/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 14 in Customer Support | #3 of 9 in Helpdesk |
| GitHub stars | 38 501 | 4 619 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 379 | +64 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 | 33 |
| Latest release | v4.19.1 · 24 Oct 2026 | 1.8.248 · 17 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Ruby | PHP |
Which one should you pick?
chatwoot scores 84/100 against 65/100 for FreeScout, so it is the safer default.
FreeScout ships more often: 33 stable releases in the past year, against 18 for chatwoot.
If you want the quickest setup, FreeScout is easier to run; chatwoot needs more configuration.
chatwoot is growing faster right now (+1 379 stars in 30 days).
chatwoot details →FreeScout details → All Zendesk alternatives →