Hesk review (2026): is the free plan enough?
PHP help desk you host yourself, or a flat-fee cloud version
Black Friday: is there a Hesk sale?
Hesk report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for a small team wanting a plain ticket system
HESK is a PHP help desk you can host yourself for free or rent as a flat-fee cloud, from $29.99 a month for up to 10 agents. It covers tickets and a knowledge base and not much more, and the free edition has no hosting, backups or email setup.
Who Hesk is for
- Fits if you want a basic ticket system with no per-agent fee
- Works for a team with a server and someone to run it
Who Hesk is not for
- Not for you if you have no server or tech help, because the free edition includes no hosting, installation or backups
- Too light for a team that wants automation and integrations, as none are on record
- Watch out: a licence only removes branding links and adds support, it unlocks no features
- Watch out: on Hesk Cloud, email-to-ticket is off by default and you must contact Hesk to turn it on
Why Hesk gets a 2.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyCloud is $29.99 a month for up to 10 agents, about $6 a seat for a team of five, under 60% of the $19 where support tools start. The self-hosted licences are $49.99 and $199.99 once.
- BFree plan and trialThe free edition costs nothing to install on your own PHP and MySQL server. You handle hosting, updates and backups, so it is free only if you have a server.
- CFeaturesTickets, a built-in knowledge base, self-hosted or cloud, language packs. Some cloud-only modules, such as escalation and surveys, cannot move to a self-hosted install.
- DEase of useNo store rating on record. The free edition needs a PHP and MySQL server and you run the install.
- CPlatforms and integrationsWeb only on the listing, with no integrations on record.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Hesk's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/hesk#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/hesk.svg" alt="Hesk: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Hesk stands among help desk and live chat tools
Hesk's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 36 of the 66 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 12.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 60 of 66) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $29.99 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 35 of the 57 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. 35 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 67 help desk and live chat tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Hesk’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 60 of 66, level with 6
- BFree plan and trialAbove 53 of 66, level with 12
- CFeaturesAbove 3 of 66, level with 42
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 66, level with 4
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 66, level with 5
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 59 help desk and live chat tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Hesk, or make your own?
Keep it
The plain part of Hesk you could make: help desk and help center. What surrounds it you could not. The 1 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It costs $359.88 a year.
What you could make
- Help desk and help center: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Selling tickets and checking them at the door.
What this rests on. Hesk’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.
What is Hesk?
Hesk is a help desk and ticket system that runs on your own PHP and MySQL hosting, or as a hosted service called Hesk Cloud. Tickets can be submitted, assigned and answered, and a built-in knowledge base lets customers find answers first. The self-hosted edition is free; cloud plans charge a flat fee instead of a per-agent price.
Worth knowing
- The free edition includes no hosting, installation, backups or email-to-ticket setup; the license does not cover them either.
- A license only removes branding links and adds support; it activates no new features.
- Cloud-only features such as the escalate and survey modules cannot be exported to a self-hosted install.
- Email-to-ticket on Hesk Cloud is switched off by default and has to be enabled by contacting Hesk.
Key features
- Ticket management
- Customers submit tickets that staff track, assign and answer, with canned responses and automatic assignment to cut repeat typing.
- Built-in knowledge base
- A self-help knowledge base sits alongside the ticket form so customers can find answers before they write in.
- Self-hosted or cloud
- Run it on your own PHP/MySQL hosting, or choose Hesk Cloud in a US, EU or Australian data center.
- Flat pricing without per-agent fees
- Cloud plans set a staff limit (10, 50 or 200 agents) and a flat monthly or yearly price, rather than charging each agent.
- Cloud-only modules
- Cloud Pro and MAX add escalation, survey and recurring-ticket modules; the site says some modules are not available self-hosted.
- Language packs
- The site lists packs for more than 35 languages that can be enabled in the admin settings.
Hesk pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Hesk has a free plan, and paid plans start at $29.99 per month for up to 10 agents (Hesk Cloud).
- Starts at
- $29.99 per month for up to 10 agents (Hesk Cloud)
- Free plan
- Hesk Free: install it on your own PHP/MySQL server at no cost; you handle hosting, updates and backups.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Hesk Free | $0 | Self-hosted help desk and knowledge base on your own server, with Powered by Hesk links shown. |
| Hesk Cloud | $29.99per month for up to 10 agents, billed monthly | Hosted by Hesk with 10 GB of uploads, unlimited tickets and a statistics module. $299 a year if prepaid. |
| Hesk Cloud Pro | $49.99per month for up to 50 agents, billed monthly | Adds escalate and survey modules and recurring tickets, with 50 GB of uploads. $499 a year if prepaid. |
| Hesk Cloud MAX | $99.99per month for up to 200 agents, billed monthly | Everything in Pro for large teams, with 200 GB of uploads. $999 a year if prepaid. |
| Website License | $49.99one-time, one self-hosted installation | Removes the Powered by Hesk branding and adds a year of email support; unlocks no new features. |
| Advanced License | $199.99one-time, five self-hosted installations | Branding removal on five installations and five years of support from the Hesk team. |
Read from hesk.com on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Hesk before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountPrepay a year of Hesk Cloud and save
Annual prepayment costs $299 (Cloud), $499 (Pro) or $999 (MAX), which the page says saves $60, $100 and $200 against monthly billing.
Stated on hesk.com
Hesk alternatives
- Hesk vs osTicket
Free plan · from $12/mo
- Hesk vs UVdesk
Free plan · from $8/mo
- Hesk vs Zammad
Free plan · from €7/mo
- Hesk vs LiveAgent
Free trial · from $15/mo
Common questions
Does Hesk have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Hesk is listed for Web.
Does Hesk have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Hesk is listed for Web.
Is Hesk open source?
Hesk is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Can Hesk be self-hosted?
Yes. Hesk's own site says it can be run on a server of your own.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.