osTicket
The osTicket open source ticketing system official project repository, for versions 1.8 and later
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Quick Overview
osTicket is an open-source support ticket system designed to streamline customer support operations. It provides a web-based interface for managing and tracking customer inquiries, allowing organizations to efficiently handle support requests across multiple channels.
Pros
- Highly customizable and feature-rich, suitable for various organization sizes
- Supports multiple communication channels (email, web forms, API)
- Active community and regular updates
- Free and open-source with optional paid support plans
Cons
- Setup and configuration can be complex for beginners
- Some advanced features require paid add-ons
- User interface may feel outdated compared to modern alternatives
- Limited built-in reporting capabilities
Getting Started
- Download the latest osTicket release from the official website or GitHub repository.
- Extract the files to your web server directory.
- Create a MySQL database for osTicket.
- Navigate to the osTicket URL in your web browser to start the installation process.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to configure your installation, including database connection and admin account setup.
- Once installed, log in to the admin panel to customize your osTicket instance.
# Example commands for setting up osTicket on a Linux server with Apache
wget https://github.com/osTicket/osTicket/releases/download/v1.15.8/osTicket-v1.15.8.zip
unzip osTicket-v1.15.8.zip -d /var/www/html/osticket
chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/osticket
mysql -u root -p -e "CREATE DATABASE osticket"
After completing these steps, access the osTicket installation page through your web browser and follow the on-screen instructions to finalize the setup.
Competitor Comparisons
Developer-first error tracking and performance monitoring
Pros of Sentry
- More comprehensive error tracking and performance monitoring
- Supports a wider range of programming languages and frameworks
- Offers real-time alerts and detailed error reports
Cons of Sentry
- More complex setup and configuration process
- Higher resource requirements for self-hosted installations
- Steeper learning curve for new users
Code Comparison
osTicket (PHP):
<?php
$ticket = new Ticket();
$ticket->create([
'email' => $email,
'subject' => $subject,
'message' => $message,
]);
Sentry (Python):
import sentry_sdk
sentry_sdk.init("YOUR_DSN")
try:
# Your code here
except Exception as e:
sentry_sdk.capture_exception(e)
osTicket is a simpler, more straightforward ticketing system primarily focused on customer support. It's easier to set up and use but has limited features compared to Sentry.
Sentry, on the other hand, is a more powerful error tracking and performance monitoring tool. It offers advanced features like real-time error reporting, performance monitoring, and support for multiple programming languages. However, it requires more resources and has a steeper learning curve.
The code comparison shows the difference in implementation. osTicket's code is focused on creating support tickets, while Sentry's code is designed to capture and report errors in applications.
Zammad is a web based open source helpdesk/customer support system
Pros of Zammad
- More modern and feature-rich user interface
- Better integration capabilities with third-party services
- Active development with frequent updates and new features
Cons of Zammad
- Steeper learning curve for new users
- Higher system requirements compared to osTicket
Code Comparison
Zammad (Ruby):
class Ticket < ApplicationModel
include HasActivityStreamLog
include ChecksClientNotification
include HasHistory
include HasTags
include HasSearchIndexBackend
include HasOnlineNotifications
osTicket (PHP):
class Ticket extends VerySimpleModel {
static $meta = array(
'table' => TICKET_TABLE,
'pk' => array('ticket_id'),
'select_related' => array('topic', 'staff', 'user', 'team', 'dept', 'sla', 'thread')
);
Both projects use object-oriented programming, but Zammad's codebase appears more modular with its use of Ruby modules for various functionalities. osTicket's PHP code is more straightforward but may be less flexible for complex features.
Zammad's architecture seems to support more advanced features and integrations, while osTicket's simpler structure may be easier to understand for beginners or those familiar with PHP.
Wiki.js | A modern and powerful wiki app built on Node.js
Pros of Wiki.js
- Modern, feature-rich wiki system with a sleek user interface
- Supports multiple authentication methods and integrations
- Built with Vue.js, offering a responsive and dynamic user experience
Cons of Wiki.js
- Requires more system resources compared to osTicket
- Steeper learning curve for administrators and users
- Less focused on ticket management and customer support workflows
Code Comparison
Wiki.js (Vue.js component):
<template>
<div class="page-content">
<v-container fluid :class="$vuetify.breakpoint.mobile ? 'pa-2' : 'pa-4'">
<v-row>
<v-col cols="12">
<content-view :page="page" />
</v-col>
</v-row>
</v-container>
</div>
</template>
osTicket (PHP template):
<div id="content">
<?php if($errors['err']) { ?>
<div id="msg_error"><?php echo $errors['err']; ?></div>
<?php }elseif($msg) { ?>
<div id="msg_notice"><?php echo $msg; ?></div>
<?php }elseif($warn) { ?>
<div id="msg_warning"><?php echo $warn; ?></div>
<?php } ?>
</div>
While both projects serve different purposes, Wiki.js offers a more modern approach to content management with its Vue.js-based frontend. osTicket, on the other hand, focuses on ticket management and uses a more traditional PHP-based templating system.
Helpy is a modern, open source helpdesk customer support application. Features include knowledgebase, community discussions and support tickets integrated with email.
Pros of Helpy
- Modern Ruby on Rails framework, offering better performance and easier customization
- Built-in knowledge base and community forum features
- More user-friendly and visually appealing interface out of the box
Cons of Helpy
- Smaller community and fewer plugins compared to osTicket
- Less mature and battle-tested in large-scale deployments
- May require more technical expertise to set up and maintain
Code Comparison
Helpy (Ruby):
class TicketsController < ApplicationController
def create
@ticket = Ticket.new(ticket_params)
if @ticket.save
redirect_to @ticket, notice: 'Ticket was successfully created.'
else
render :new
end
end
end
osTicket (PHP):
class TicketController extends Controller {
function create() {
if(!$ticket->create())
$errors['err'] = __('Unable to create ticket. Please try again');
else
$msg = __('Support ticket created successfully');
return $this->renderPage('tickets/create', array(
'ticket' => $ticket,
'errors' => $errors,
'msg' => $msg,
));
}
}
Both repositories offer open-source helpdesk solutions, but Helpy focuses on a more modern tech stack and user experience, while osTicket provides a more established and widely-used platform with extensive customization options.
FreeScout — Free self-hosted help desk & shared mailbox (Zendesk / Help Scout alternative)
Pros of FreeScout
- Modern, user-friendly interface with a clean design
- Built-in multi-brand support for managing multiple help desks
- Responsive layout for mobile devices
Cons of FreeScout
- Smaller community and fewer extensions compared to osTicket
- Less extensive documentation and support resources
- Limited integration options with third-party services
Code Comparison
FreeScout (Laravel-based):
public function getConversations($folder_id, $user_id, $params = [])
{
$query = Conversation::where('folder_id', $folder_id)
->where('user_id', $user_id)
->orderBy('updated_at', 'desc');
return $this->paginate($query, $params);
}
osTicket (PHP-based):
function getTickets($criteria) {
$tickets = array();
$sql = 'SELECT ticket.ticket_id,ticket.number,ticket.dept_id '
. 'FROM '.TICKET_TABLE.' ticket '
. 'WHERE '.$criteria->getWhereClause();
$res = db_query($sql);
while ($row = db_fetch_array($res))
$tickets[] = $row;
return $tickets;
}
Both repositories offer open-source help desk solutions, but FreeScout provides a more modern interface and multi-brand support. osTicket, however, has a larger community and more extensive documentation. The code comparison shows that FreeScout uses Laravel's ORM for database queries, while osTicket relies on custom SQL queries.
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osTicket
osTicket is a widely-used open source support ticket system. It seamlessly integrates inquiries created via email, phone and web-based forms into a simple easy-to-use multi-user web interface. Manage, organize and archive all your support requests and responses in one place while providing your customers with accountability and responsiveness they deserve.
How osTicket works for you
- Users create tickets via your website, email, or phone
- Incoming tickets are saved and assigned to agents
- Agents help your users resolve their issues
osTicket is an attractive alternative to higher-cost and complex customer support systems; simple, lightweight, reliable, open source, web-based and easy to setup and use. The best part is, it's completely free.
Requirements
- HTTP server running Microsoft® IIS or Apache
- PHP version 8.2 - 8.4 (8.4 recommended)
- mysqli extension for PHP
- MySQL database version 5.5 (or greater)
Recommendations
- ctype, fileinfo, gd, gettext, iconv, imap, intl, json, mbstring, Zend OPcache, phar, xml, xml-dom, and zip extensions for PHP
- APCu module enabled and configured for PHP
Deployment
osTicket now supports bleeding-edge installations. The easiest way to install the software and track updates is to clone the public repository. Create a folder on you web server (using whatever method makes sense for you) and cd into it. Then clone the repository (the folder must be empty!):
git clone https://github.com/osTicket/osTicket
And deploy the code into somewhere in your server's www root folder, for instance
cd osTicket
php manage.php deploy --setup /var/www/htdocs/osticket/
Then you can configure your server if necessary to serve that folder, and visit the page and install osTicket as usual. Go ahead and even delete setup/ folder out of the deployment location when youâre finished. Then, later, you can fetch updates and deploy them (from the folder where you cloned the git repo into)
git pull
php manage.php deploy -v /var/www/htdocs/osticket/
Upgrading
osTicket supports upgrading from 1.6-rc1 and later versions. As with any upgrade, strongly consider a backup of your attachment files, database, and osTicket codebase before embarking on an upgrade. Please review our Upgrade Guide or the UPGRADING.txt file for upgrade instructions.
Help
Visit the Documentation or the forum. And if you'd like professional help managing your osTicket installation, commercial support is available.
Contributing
Create your own fork of the project and use git-flow to create a new feature. Once the feature is published in your fork, send a pull request to begin the conversation of integrating your new feature into osTicket.
Localization
The interface for osTicket is now completely translatable. Language packs are available on the download page. If you do not see your language there, join the Crowdin project and request to have your language added. Languages which reach 100% translated are are significantly reviewed will be made available on the osTicket download page.
The software can also be translated in place in our JIPT site. Once you have a Crowdin account, login and translate the software in your browser!
Localizing strings in new code requires usage of a few rules.
License
osTicket is released under the GPL2 license. See the included LICENSE.txt file for the gory details of the General Public License.
osTicket is supported by several magical open source projects including:
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Helpy is a modern, open source helpdesk customer support application. Features include knowledgebase, community discussions and support tickets integrated with email.
FreeScout — Free self-hosted help desk & shared mailbox (Zendesk / Help Scout alternative)
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