Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

osTicket VS HESK

Compare osTicket VS HESK and see what are their differences

osTicket logo osTicket

osTicket is a widely-used open source support ticket system.

HESK logo HESK

Hesk is a PHP-based help desk software that runs with a MySQL database.
  • osTicket Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-21

  • HESK Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-01-12

osTicket features and specs

  • Open Source
    osTicket is open-source, which means it is free to use and allows for extensive customization.
  • Customizable Fields and Forms
    The platform provides the ability to add custom fields and forms, making ticket management flexible to meet specific business needs.
  • Email Integration
    osTicket supports email integration, allowing users to create tickets directly from incoming emails.
  • Multi-Language Support
    The system supports multiple languages, making it suitable for international teams.
  • Ticket Filters
    Powerful ticket filtering allows for better organization and prioritization of incoming tickets.
  • Reports and Dashboards
    Built-in reporting tools and dashboards help track performance metrics and identify trends.
  • User and Role Management
    Fine-grained user and role management allows administrators to control who has access to different parts of the system.
  • Community Support
    Having a large community of users and developers can be a great resource for troubleshooting issues and sharing best practices.

Possible disadvantages of osTicket

  • Complex Setup
    Initial setup and configuration can be complicated, especially for users without technical expertise.
  • Limited Advanced Reporting
    While osTicket includes basic reporting features, it may not be robust enough for more advanced analytics needs.
  • User Interface
    The user interface is functional but might appear outdated and less intuitive compared to newer platforms.
  • Self-Hosted Only
    As an open-source solution, it requires self-hosting, which may necessitate additional resources for server management and maintenance.
  • Lack of Real-Time Updates
    osTicket does not offer real-time updates, which can delay the notification of ticket changes.
  • No Mobile App
    There is no official mobile app, making it less convenient to manage tickets on the go.
  • Limited Integration Options
    Unlike some commercial products, osTicket has fewer options for integrating with third-party applications.

HESK features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    HESK provides a simple and intuitive interface that is easy for both administrative staff and end-users to navigate, making it accessible even for users with limited technical knowledge.
  • Free Version
    HESK offers a free version that includes core help desk and ticketing functionalities, which is an attractive option for small businesses or organizations with limited budgets.
  • Customizable
    Users can customize various aspects of HESK, including fields and templates, to adapt it to their specific business needs and improve workflow efficiency.
  • Knowledge Base Feature
    HESK includes a built-in knowledge base that allows businesses to set up FAQs and documentation to help users find solutions without submitting tickets.
  • Email Notifications
    The software provides email notifications for ticket updates and reminders, ensuring that both customers and support staff are kept informed about ticket status.

Possible disadvantages of HESK

  • Limited Scalability
    HESK may not offer the scalability required for larger organizations or those with rapidly growing support needs, potentially limiting its long-term usefulness.
  • Basic Features Only
    The free version of HESK may lack advanced features that competitors offer, such as advanced reporting, integrations, and automation, which could limit its appeal to more complex support environments.
  • Limited Integration Options
    HESK has limited integration capabilities with third-party applications, which could be a drawback for businesses requiring seamless integration with other tools.
  • Self-Hosted
    The software must be hosted on the user's own server, which may require additional resources and technical knowledge for installation, maintenance, and security.
  • User Support
    The level of available support and resources for troubleshooting may be limited compared to more comprehensive or premium support software solutions.

osTicket videos

What's New in osTicket Version 1.14?

More videos:

  • Review - OSTicket: a Customer Support solution for online communities
  • Review - OsTicket - Pretty much cover everything!

HESK videos

Help Desk Software HESK

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to osTicket and HESK)
Customer Support
90 90%
10% 10
Help Desk
87 87%
13% 13
Customer Service
91 91%
9% 9
Live Chat
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare osTicket and HESK

osTicket Reviews

The 20 Best Help Desk Apps and Knowledge Base Tools for Customer Support
Want a free support tool that can run on your own servers? osTicket is the app for you. It's an open source support tool that includes everything—you can answer support emails, assign tickets to other team members, create support forms, and write your help documentation all on your own server, for free. You can even tweak osTicket, by digging into its code or installing...
Source: zapier.com

HESK Reviews

We have no reviews of HESK yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, osTicket seems to be a lot more popular than HESK. While we know about 38 links to osTicket, we've tracked only 1 mention of HESK. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

osTicket mentions (38)

  • Ask HN: Helpdesk/ticketing software for small SaaS company
    You can try osTicket https://osticket.com The UI is very tho dated, but we're working on a rewrite with modern UI. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Looking for a ticketing system
    Check out https://osticket.com/ I used earlier on my career. It’s free to use it worked great for a small team and it has everything you need. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Help tickets
    We use https://osticket.com/ It's not a groundbreaking ticket system but it's rock solid, user-friendly, and free. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • I would like to find a free software for tickets in my household
    Another option, for a dedicated ticketing/helpdesk system, is osTicket. Self-hosted is completely free, and I had it up and running inside of an hour, from creating a fresh Debian LXC, installing Apache/MariaDB/PHP8.1, and uploading the requisite files for osTicket followed by the initial setup. Going off your mention of snaps, I'm assuming you're on Ubuntu or a derivative, if you'd like I should be able to... Source: almost 2 years ago
  • MSP opensource ticketing tool -ITSM
    GLPI (https://glpi-project.org/) or osTicket (https://osticket.com/) are open source ticketing systems but I highly doubt they're what a MSP need. You need a PSA. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

HESK mentions (1)

What are some alternatives?

When comparing osTicket and HESK, you can also consider the following products

Freshdesk - Freshdesk is a cloud-based customer support software that lets you support customers through traditional channels like phone and email, social channels like Facebook and Twitter, and your own branded community

Zendesk - Zendesk is a beautiful, lightweight help-desk solution.

Intercom - Intercom is a customer relationship management and messaging tool for web businesses. Build relationships with users to create loyal customers.

LiveAgent - LiveAgent is a fully-featured web-based live chat and help desk software. It harnesses the power of a universal inbox, real-time live chat, built-in call center, and a robust customer service portal. Start your free 1 month trial today!

Faveo HELPDESK - Faveo Help Desk is an open-source helpdesk software solution.

tawk.to - tawk.to is a free live chat app that lets you monitor and chat with visitors on your website or from a free customizable page