FreeScoutvsLibredesk
Two self-hosted Zendesk alternatives, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| FreeScout | Libredesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 65/100 | 66/100 |
| Rank in category | #3 of 9 in Helpdesk | #4 of 14 in Customer Support |
| GitHub stars | 4 620 | 3 092 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +65 | +133 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 33 | 19 |
| Latest release | 1.8.248 · 17 Oct 2026 | v2.9.1 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | PHP | Go |
Which one should you pick?
Libredesk scores 66/100 against 65/100 for FreeScout, so it is the safer default.
FreeScout ships more often: 33 stable releases in the past year, against 19 for Libredesk.
If you want the quickest setup, Libredesk is easier to run; FreeScout needs more configuration.
Libredesk is growing faster right now (+133 stars in 30 days).
FreeScout details →Libredesk details → All Zendesk alternatives →