The FreeScout Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about FreeScout in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
FreeScout
The Insider’s Guide
Free open-source help desk and shared mailbox you host yourself
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among help desk and live chat tools, read from FreeScout’s own pages.
Made by FreeScout · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from FreeScout’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on FreeScout’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 25 of the 66 other help desk and live chat tools we grade
FreeScout is an open-source help desk and shared inbox written in PHP on the Laravel framework, with unlimited agents, tickets and mailboxes. You install it on your own server or shared hosting. Extra features such as workflows, custom fields and live chat are sold as separate modules with lifetime licenses.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about FreeScout, taken from its own pages and our grades.
There is no official cloud service, and many extras are paid modules.
- 1
Best for a free help desk you host yourself
FreeScout is a free shared-inbox help desk with unlimited agents and tickets, but only if you host it on your own server.
- 2
It is free
FreeScout has no paid plan at all.
- 3
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 4
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.
- 5
No limits on agents or tickets
The core software has unlimited support agents, tickets and mailboxes, and installs on ordinary PHP and MySQL hosting.
- 6
Modules marketplace
Paid modules add workflows and SLAs, an end-user portal, knowledge base, custom fields, time tracking, SAML SSO and an API.
- 7
A 2.2 GPA, above 25 of 66
That is against the other help desk and live chat tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
FreeScout is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
FreeScout at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- It is free
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- FreeScout, since 2018
- Category
- Help Desks & Live Chat
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a free help desk you host yourself
FreeScout is a free shared-inbox help desk with unlimited agents and tickets, but only if you host it on your own server. There is no official cloud service, and many extras are paid modules.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Free if you host it yourself, which needs a server, so it is a C and not an A. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Free outright with unlimited agents, tickets and mailboxes, but you pay for a server and your own time. |
| Features | C | Shared mailbox and tickets, with extras like WhatsApp and Telegram sold as modules, whose prices we couldn't read. |
| Ease of use | D | You handle installs, updates, backups and security on your own server. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web plus iOS and Android apps and an installable web app, with Slack, Jira, WooCommerce, Zapier and Make. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who FreeScout is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Teams that want a free help desk and can run their own server
- Organizations that need control over where support data lives
- Small businesses replacing a shared Gmail inbox
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
FreeScout is free to use.
Free if you host it yourself, which needs a server, so it is a C and not an A.
FreeScout (self-hosted)
$0
Download and host it yourself with unlimited agents, tickets and mailboxes. Optional modules are bought separately.
Read from freescout.net on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Lifetime license
Modules sold as lifetime licenses
Each module is a one-time purchase for a single FreeScout instance, with lifetime updates included.
Stated on freescout.net
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Free open-source help desk and shared mailbox you host yourself. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, shared inbox, help desk, live chat, help center.
Shared mailbox and tickets, with extras like WhatsApp and Telegram sold as modules, whose prices we couldn't read.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Telegram
- Slack
- Jira
- WooCommerce
- Zapier
- Make
FreeScout is made by FreeScout, and has been around since 2018.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
25/66
Other help desk and live chat tools it is graded above
FreeScout's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 25 of the 66 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 10.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 53 of 66) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
FreeScout has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 67 help desk and live chat tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. FreeScout’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 18 of 66
- BFree plan and trialAbove 53 of 66
- CFeaturesAbove 3 of 66
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 66
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 6 of 66
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 59 help desk and live chat tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. FreeScout is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
FreeScout is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
What you could make
- Help desk and help center: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- One mailbox that several people work at once.
- A chat box on your site that reaches you the moment a customer types.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook among them.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on.
What this rests on. FreeScout’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Zammad, UVdesk, Chatwoot, Helpwise and SupportBee
The 5 tools FreeScout is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Zammad
Free plan · from €7/mo
Open-source help desk, hosted in Germany or run on your own server.
- Only FreeScout lists iOS and Android apps.
- FreeScout also covers help center.
- 2.6GPA
UVdesk
Free plan · from $8/mo
Open-source help desk for online stores with hosted Pro and Enterprise.
- Only FreeScout lists iOS and Android apps.
- FreeScout also covers live chat.
- UVdesk also covers forms.
- 2.4GPA
Chatwoot
Free plan · from $19/mo
Open-source support inbox you can self-host or use in the cloud.
- FreeScout also covers help desk.
- Chatwoot also covers AI support agent.
- 2.6GPA
Helpwise
Free trial · from $12/mo
Shared inbox for email, chat, WhatsApp and SMS with a help center.
- FreeScout has a free plan. Helpwise does not, though it has a free trial.
- FreeScout is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
SupportBee
Free trial · from $17/mo
Email ticketing and shared inbox with a knowledge base and portal.
- FreeScout has a free plan. SupportBee does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only FreeScout lists iOS and Android apps.
- FreeScout is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is FreeScout free?
Yes. FreeScout is free to use.
How much does FreeScout cost?
FreeScout lists one plan. FreeScout (self-hosted): $0.
What platforms does FreeScout work on?
FreeScout is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does FreeScout offer any discounts?
FreeScout publicly lists the following: Modules sold as lifetime licenses.
Does FreeScout have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. FreeScout is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does FreeScout have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. FreeScout is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is FreeScout open source?
Yes. FreeScout is open source, according to its own site.
What does FreeScout integrate with?
FreeScout's listing names WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Slack, Jira, WooCommerce, Zapier and Make.
Who makes FreeScout?
FreeScout is made by a company of the same name. It dates from 2018.
What are the alternatives to FreeScout?
The closest alternatives to FreeScout in our directory are Zammad, UVdesk, Chatwoot, Helpwise and SupportBee.
How does FreeScout compare with other help desk and live chat tools?
FreeScout's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 25 of the 66 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 10.
Is FreeScout good value for money?
ToolGPA grades FreeScout C for value for money. FreeScout has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of FreeScout?
FreeScout is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from FreeScout’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from FreeScout's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by FreeScout. Prices change, so check freescout.net before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- FreeScout, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/freescout
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "FreeScout: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/freescout
Know someone choosing between help desk and live chat tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/freescout/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded help desk and live chat tools after FreeScout, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Help Desks & Live Chat Insider's GuideEvery one of the 67 help desk and live chat tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Desk Insider's GuideLow-cost ticketing help desk with a free plan for three users3.4 GPA
- Tidio Insider's GuideLive chat, ticketing and the Lyro AI agent priced by conversations3.2 GPA
- tawk.to Insider's GuideFree live chat, ticketing and help center, with paid add-ons3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what FreeScout’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. FreeScout is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by FreeScout. Prices and plans change: check freescout.net before you buy.