Apache Answer vs osTicket

Comparing two open source alternatives to Zendesk. Use the comparison below to decide which one fits your needs.

Apache Answer

Apache-2.0

Open-source Q&A platform for communities, help centers, and internal team knowledge bases, with voting, reputation, and a plugin system.

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osTicket

GPL-2.0

Open-source help desk ticketing system. Routes emails, web forms, and phone requests into a unified agent workspace. Self-hosted, PHP, GPL-2.0.

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Side-by-side comparison

	Apache Answer	osTicket
License	Apache-2.0	GPL-2.0
Self-hostable	Yes	Yes
GitHub Stars	15,673	3,909
Forks	1,364	1,833
Open Issues	120	1,205
Last Commit	Sep 10, 2026	Jun 17, 2026
First Released	Sep 29, 2022	Aug 12, 2013
Categories	Forums & Q&A Internal Knowledge Base Knowledge Management Tools	Customer Communication Platforms
Tags	#forum #community #knowledge-base #q-and-a	#help desk #customer support #ticketing #email #open-source

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