osTicket
7.5/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- Free tier available
- Reviews
- 4.4/5 (~44 G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- Free tier + 30 days
- Deployment
- Cloud + self-host
- Best for
- Teams wanting a free, open-source, self-hosted ticketing system
Best ITSM / Help Desk Ticketing Software · 2026
osTicket vs 
Zammad osTicket vs Zammad: on our data-weighted scoring, Zammad edges ahead (8.3 vs 7.7/10). osTicket starts at Free tier available and is best for teams wanting a free, open-source, self-hosted ticketing system; Zammad starts at EUR 7/agent/mo and is best for teams wanting a modern, open-source help desk with an optional managed cloud. Choose Zammad for the stronger overall track record; consider osTicket if its pricing model or fit matches your environment better. Side-by-side table below.
Zammad
7.9/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- EUR 7/agent/mo
- Reviews
- 4.5/5 (~10 G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- Free tier + free trial
- Deployment
- Cloud + self-host
- Best for
- Teams wanting a modern, open-source help desk with an optional managed cloud
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Strengths at a glance
Six criteria, each scored 0–10 on the same scale from real review data, public pricing and feature coverage. See our methodology →
| Criterion | osTicket | Zammad |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | 7.7 | 8.3 |
| User reviews | 8.8 | 9.0 |
| Adoption | 4.4 | 2.8 |
| Affordability | 9.5 | 9.5 |
| Feature breadth | 6.0 | 9.0 |
| Ease of trial | 10.0 | 10.0 |
osTicket vs Zammad: head-to-head
| osTicket | Zammad | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free tier available | EUR 7/agent/mo |
| Pricing model | per user | per user |
| Free trial / tier | Free tier + 30 days | Free tier + free trial |
| Best for | Teams wanting a free, open-source, self-hosted ticketing system | Teams wanting a modern, open-source help desk with an optional managed cloud |
| Deployment | Cloud + self-host | Cloud + self-host |
| G2 rating | 4.4/5 (44) | 4.5/5 (10) |
| Capterra rating | — | — |
| Our score | 7.7 | 8.3 |
Choose osTicket if…
You need teams wanting a free, open-source, self-hosted ticketing system.
Pros
- Free
- mature open-source core
- No per-agent fees self-hosted
- Highly customizable
Cons
- Requires LAMP stack + self-management
- Dated UI
- Support is paid/community-only
Choose Zammad if…
You need teams wanting a modern, open-source help desk with an optional managed cloud.
Pros
- Free
- modern open-source core
- Clean
- intuitive UI
- Hosted + self-hosted flexibility
Cons
- AI features cost extra
- Self-hosting needs more resources
- Smaller ecosystem than incumbents
In depth
Pricing: Zammad vs osTicket
Zammad bills on a per user model from EUR 7/agent/mo (free tier available), while osTicket uses a per user model from Free tier available (free tier available). Because the models differ, the cheaper option flips depending on your fleet size — model both at your seat/endpoint count.
Features & deployment
Zammad ships 9 headline capabilities (Open-source self-hosted core, Multi-channel (email, chat, Telegram) and deploys Cloud + self-host. osTicket ships 6 (Open-source self-hosted core, Custom fields + ticket filters, Email piping + ticketing, SLA + agent collision avoidance), deploying Cloud + self-host.
Ratings & verdict
Zammad holds 4.5/5 (~10 G2 reviews); osTicket holds 4.4/5 (~44 G2 reviews). On our data-weighted score, Zammad edges ahead (8.3 vs 7.7/10). Pick osTicket instead when teams wanting a free, open-source, self-hosted ticketing system. See Zammad alternatives or osTicket alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
- osTicket vs Zammad: which is better?
- osTicket vs Zammad: on our data-weighted scoring, Zammad edges ahead (8.3 vs 7.7/10). osTicket starts at Free tier available and is best for teams wanting a free, open-source, self-hosted ticketing system; Zammad starts at EUR 7/agent/mo and is best for teams wanting a modern, open-source help desk with an optional managed cloud.
- Is osTicket cheaper than Zammad?
- osTicket starts at Free tier available and Zammad starts at EUR 7/agent/mo (see the pricing rows for models and limits).
Data as of June 16, 2026. Sources: osticket.com, zammad.com. Figures are pulled from public vendor and security data and refreshed automatically.