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	15,688	3,983
Forks	1,373	1,851
Open Issues	136	1,216
Last Commit	Oct 12, 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

GitHub stars over time

Apache Answer15,688

osTicket

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