erxesvsFreeScout
Two self-hosted Zendesk alternatives, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| erxes | FreeScout | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 63/100 | 65/100 |
| Rank in category | #9 of 21 in CRM | #3 of 9 in Helpdesk |
| GitHub stars | 4 101 | 4 619 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +17 | +64 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 125 | 33 |
| Latest release | 3.4.5 · 28 Oct 2026 | 1.8.248 · 17 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | PHP |
Which one should you pick?
FreeScout scores 65/100 against 63/100 for erxes, so it is the safer default.
erxes ships more often: 125 stable releases in the past year, against 33 for FreeScout.
If you want the quickest setup, FreeScout is easier to run; erxes needs more configuration.
FreeScout is growing faster right now (+64 stars in 30 days).
erxes details →FreeScout details → All Zendesk alternatives →