# FreeScout vs Libredesk

> Two self-hosted [Zendesk alternatives](https://selfhost.directory/alternative-to/zendesk), 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).

## Details

- [FreeScout](https://selfhost.directory/project/freescout) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/freescout.md)
- [Libredesk](https://selfhost.directory/project/libredesk) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/libredesk.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/freescout-vs-libredesk