LibredeskvsPapercups
Two self-hosted Zendesk alternatives, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Libredesk | Papercups | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 66/100 | 59/100 |
| Rank in category | #4 of 14 in Customer Support | #6 of 14 in Customer Support |
| GitHub stars | 3 092 | 6 119 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +133 | +5 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 19 | 0 |
| Latest release | v2.9.1 · 28 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Go | Elixir |
Which one should you pick?
Libredesk scores 66/100 against 59/100 for Papercups, so it is the safer default.
Libredesk ships more often: 19 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Papercups.
If you want the quickest setup, Libredesk is easier to run; Papercups needs more configuration.
Libredesk is growing faster right now (+133 stars in 30 days).
Libredesk details →Papercups details → All Zendesk alternatives →