FreeScout vs UVdesk (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, UVdesk grades higher than FreeScout: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
UVdesk grades higher on value for money and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
FreeScout
Free open-source help desk and shared mailbox you host yourself
UVdesk
Open-source help desk for online stores with hosted Pro and Enterprise
Which one is for you
Pick FreeScout if
- Fits if you can run your own server and want a free help desk
- Works for groups that need control over where support data lives
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want hosting done for you, as there is no official cloud service
- Watch out: modules are lifetime licences per instance and non-refundable
- Not for you if you want someone else to handle updates, backups and security
- Watch out: the module prices are filled in by script and could not be read
Pick UVdesk if
- Fits if you sell online and want a help desk tied to your store
- Works for a developer who can run a PHP app on their own server
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to run a server, as the free edition is self-managed
- Tight if you're one person on hosted, because it needs at least 2 agents
- Watch out: the pricing page shows Pro and Enterprise feature lists in short form, so check the plan comparison
- Watch out: full portal customization and unlimited mailboxes need Enterprise at $15 an agent
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAFreeScoutFair | 2.6GPAUVdeskGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree if you host it yourself, which needs a server, so it is a C and not an A. | BHosted Pro is $8 per agent a month billed annually, but sold in a minimum of 2 agents, so the floor is $16 a month, inside the cheapest quarter ($19). One person pays that. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree outright with unlimited agents, tickets and mailboxes, but you pay for a server and your own time. | BThe open-source edition is free with unlimited agents, and Pro and Enterprise have a 30-day trial. Self-hosting means you pay for the server. |
| Features | CShared mailbox and tickets, with extras like WhatsApp and Telegram sold as modules, whose prices we couldn't read. | CTicketing aimed at ecommerce sellers, with ecommerce integrations, agent reports and a form builder on Pro. The pricing page shows the feature lists only in short form. |
| Ease of use | DYou handle installs, updates, backups and security on your own server. | CNo store rating on record, and the free edition is a PHP app you install and keep running yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps and an installable web app, with Slack, Jira, WooCommerce, Zapier and Make. | BWeb only, with 8 listed integrations. No phone or desktop app on record. |
| Best for | a free help desk you host yourself | an ecommerce help desk you can host yourself |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: FreeScout and UVdesk. How we grade
Price against what you get
FreeScout has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. UVdesk starts at $8 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
UVdesk scores higher, and starts $8 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other help desk and live chat tools on the chart, none scores higher than FreeScout for less, and 3 score higher than UVdesk for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- FreeScout also covers live chat.
- UVdesk also covers forms.
At a glance
| FreeScout | UVdesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $8 per agent / month, billed annually ($11 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | UVdesk Open Source: free to download and host on your own server, with unlimited agents. |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial of Pro and Enterprise |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | FreeScout | Webkul Software Pvt Ltd |
| Price read from | freescout.net | uvdesk.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
FreeScout
- There is no official cloud service; the project lists third-party hosts that can install it in one click.
- Modules are sold as lifetime licenses per instance and are non-refundable; their prices are filled in by script and could not be read.
- You handle installs, updates, backups and security on your own server.
UVdesk
- Hosted plans need at least 2 agents.
- Free open-source installs are self-managed: you run the server and updates.
- The pricing page shows the Pro and Enterprise feature lists in short form, so check the plan comparison before choosing.
Key features
FreeScout
- Shared mailbox and tickets
- Brings email, plus WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Slack and live chat through modules, into one inbox with notes, tags and saved replies.
- No limits on agents or tickets
- The core software has unlimited support agents, tickets and mailboxes, and installs on ordinary PHP and MySQL hosting.
- Modules marketplace
- Paid modules add workflows and SLAs, an end-user portal, knowledge base, custom fields, time tracking, SAML SSO and an API.
- Email integration
- Connects over SMTP, IMAP or POP3, with OAuth sign-in for Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace.
- Apps and installable web app
- iOS and Android apps and a progressive web app that sends web push notifications; apps use the same modules as your install.
UVdesk
- Ticket management
- Email, website forms and marketplace messages become tickets, with workflow rules, saved replies and agent privileges.
- Ecommerce order lookup
- Apps fetch order details from stores such as Magento, Shopify, OpenCart, PrestaShop and WordPress so agents see the order beside the ticket.
- Marketplace channels
- Connects marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Etsy and Flipkart, plus mailboxes like Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail.
- Form builder
- Design contact, feedback and suggestion forms for a website; the form builder app comes with Pro.
- Knowledgebase
- A knowledgebase is part of the product; the Enterprise plan makes it unlimited.
Plans
FreeScout
FreeScout (self-hosted)$0
Download and host it yourself with unlimited agents, tickets and mailboxes. Optional modules are bought separately.
UVdesk
Open Source$0
Free forever with unlimited agents. You host it on your own server and manage it yourself.
Pro$8
per agent / month, billed annually ($11 billed monthly)
Hosted, minimum 2 agents. Adds ecommerce multichannel integration, agent performance reports, form builder and file viewer apps, and data import.
Enterprise$15
per agent / month, billed annually ($18 billed monthly)
Hosted, minimum 2 agents. Adds full portal customization, unlimited mailboxes and an unlimited knowledgebase.
Ways to pay less
FreeScout
- Lifetime license
Modules sold as lifetime licenses
Each module is a one-time purchase for a single FreeScout instance, with lifetime updates included.
UVdesk
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FreeScout or UVdesk?
As of Nov 12, 2026, FreeScout is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $8 a month for each person for UVdesk. FreeScout is free, and UVdesk starts at $8 per agent / month, billed annually ($11 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, FreeScout or UVdesk?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both FreeScout and UVdesk have a free plan.
Which platforms do FreeScout and UVdesk run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only FreeScout lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.