The osTicket Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about osTicket 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.
osTicket
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source support ticketing, self-hosted or as a cloud edition
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among help desk and live chat tools, read from osTicket’s own pages.
Made by Enhancesoft · 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 osTicket’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on osTicket’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
osTicket is an open-source ticketing system that turns email, web-form and API requests into tickets routed to departments and agents. The software is free to download and run on your own server, and the vendor also sells a cloud-hosted edition and a virtual appliance.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about osTicket, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, and the free edition means a server, an installation, upgrades and backups of your own.
- 1
Best for a free ticket system you host yourself
osTicket turns email, web-form and API requests into tickets routed to departments and agents, and the software is free to run on your own server.
- 2
Paid plans start at $12 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $12 per agent / month, for the cloud-hosted edition (billing basis not stated).
- 3
There is a free plan
Open Source edition: free to download and host yourself, with community support.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Tickets from email, web forms and API
Requests arrive by email, a customer support portal or an API and are turned into tickets.
- 6
Ticket filters
Rules route incoming tickets to a department or agent, and can reject a ticket or send an automatic canned response.
- 7
Help topics and custom forms
Web tickets are routed by help topic, and each topic can carry its own form. Custom fields and lists add more data to a ticket.
- 8
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.
- 9
Keep it
To replace osTicket you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
osTicket at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $12 per agent / month, for the cloud-hosted edition (billing basis not stated)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial of the cloud-hosted edition
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Enhancesoft
- Category
- Help Desks & Live Chat
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a free ticket system you host yourself
osTicket turns email, web-form and API requests into tickets routed to departments and agents, and the software is free to run on your own server. That means your own installation, upgrades and backups with community-only support, and the cloud edition is a separate product with an unstated billing period.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | The cloud edition is $12 per agent a month, inside the cheapest quarter ($19), but the page gives no billing period. The free edition needs your own server. |
| Free plan and trial | B | The full software is free to download and a 30-day cloud trial needs no card, though the free edition has community support only. |
| Features | C | Email, web-form and API tickets routed to departments and agents. The listing's gap: chat and social channels aren't listed. |
| Ease of use | D | No store rating on record, and the free edition means a server, an installation, upgrades and backups of your own. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web only, and the listing names no integrations or apps. |
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 osTicket is for
- Fits if you have a server and someone to run it and want no per-agent fee
- Works for an internal team that is happy with email, forms and an API
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you don't want to host, patch and back up your own server
- Not for you if you want chat or social channels, as the site lists email, forms and API
- Tight if you want vendor support, since the free edition has community support only
- Watch out: the cloud edition runs on a separate product, SupportSystem, and its $12 price shows no billing period
- Watch out: the virtual appliance has no published price
Good to know
Good for
- Teams with a server and an admin who want ticketing with no license fee
- Organizations that need to control where ticket data is stored
- Internal and customer support desks with email-based intake
Worth knowing
- The free edition is self-hosted: you provide the server, installation, upgrades and backups, and support is community-only.
- The cloud-hosted edition runs on a separate product, SupportSystem, and its $12 per agent price is shown without a billing period.
- The site lists email, web forms and API as channels; chat and social channels are not listed.
- The virtual appliance has no published price.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$12
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
osTicket has a free plan. Paid plans start at $12 per agent / month, for the cloud-hosted edition (billing basis not stated).
Open Source
$0
The full software, which you host yourself. Community support only; the vendor says it has no feature tiers.
Cloud-hosted
$12
per agent / month, billing basis not stated
Hosted by the vendor on its SupportSystem platform, with email and phone support, managed upgrades, daily backups and a free walk-through session.
Virtual Appliance
Custom
Customized to fit a business's needs, with the cloud edition's support and maintenance. Contact the vendor for pricing.
The free plan
Open Source edition: free to download and host yourself, with community support.
Trying it first
30-day free trial of the cloud-hosted edition
Read from osticket.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Open-source support ticketing, self-hosted or as a cloud edition. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, shared inbox, workflow automation, help desk.
Email, web-form and API tickets routed to departments and agents.
- Tickets from email, web forms and API
- Requests arrive by email, a customer support portal or an API and are turned into tickets.
- Ticket filters
- Rules route incoming tickets to a department or agent, and can reject a ticket or send an automatic canned response.
- Help topics and custom forms
- Web tickets are routed by help topic, and each topic can carry its own form. Custom fields and lists add more data to a ticket.
- Custom queues and columns
- Agents build their own ticket views by criteria and choose which columns show.
- Service level agreements
- Business hours and SLA plans are set up in the admin settings.
- Dashboard reports
- A dashboard shows help desk statistics. Agent collision avoidance is among the listed features.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
osTicket is made by Enhancesoft.
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
osTicket'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).
Its paid plans start at $12 a month for each person, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 7 of the 57 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. 8 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. osTicket’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 44 of 66
- BFree plan and trialAbove 53 of 66
- CFeaturesAbove 3 of 66
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 66
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 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. osTicket 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
To replace osTicket you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $144 a year. osTicket is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Help desk: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- One mailbox that several people work at once.
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
What this rests on. osTicket’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, FreeScout, UVdesk, Spiceworks Help Desk and HelpDesk
The 5 tools osTicket 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.
- osTicket also covers workflow automation.
- Zammad also covers live chat.
- 2.2GPA
FreeScout
Free
Free open-source help desk and shared mailbox you host yourself.
- Only FreeScout lists iOS and Android apps.
- osTicket also covers workflow automation.
- FreeScout also covers live chat and help center.
- 2.6GPA
UVdesk
Free plan · from $8/mo
Open-source help desk for online stores with hosted Pro and Enterprise.
- osTicket also covers workflow automation.
- UVdesk also covers forms and help center.
- 2.8GPA
Spiceworks Help Desk
Free plan · from $6/mo
Free cloud ticketing for IT teams, with a low-cost ad-free tier.
- Only Spiceworks Help Desk lists iOS and Android apps.
- osTicket is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- osTicket also covers shared inbox.
- 2.4GPA
HelpDesk
Free trial · from $19/mo
Ticketing with an AI agent for email, chat, Messenger and SMS.
- osTicket has a free plan. HelpDesk does not, though it has a free trial.
- osTicket is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- osTicket also covers workflow automation.
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 osTicket free?
osTicket has a free plan. Open Source edition: free to download and host yourself, with community support.
How much does osTicket cost?
osTicket lists 3 plans. Open Source: $0.
What platforms does osTicket work on?
osTicket is available on Web.
Does osTicket have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. osTicket is listed for Web.
Does osTicket have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. osTicket is listed for Web.
Is osTicket open source?
Yes. osTicket is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
Does osTicket have an API?
Yes. osTicket offers a public API, according to its own site.
Does osTicket have a free trial?
Yes. 30-day free trial of the cloud-hosted edition.
Who makes osTicket?
osTicket is made by Enhancesoft.
What are the alternatives to osTicket?
The closest alternatives to osTicket in our directory are Zammad, FreeScout, UVdesk, Spiceworks Help Desk and HelpDesk.
How does osTicket compare with other help desk and live chat tools?
osTicket'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 osTicket good value for money?
ToolGPA grades osTicket B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $12 a month for each person, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 7 of the 57 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of osTicket?
To replace osTicket you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from osTicket’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 osTicket'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 Enhancesoft. Prices change, so check osticket.com 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
- osTicket, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/osticket
- 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, "osTicket: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/osticket
Know someone choosing between help desk and live chat tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/osticket/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded help desk and live chat tools after osTicket, 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 osTicket’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. osTicket is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Enhancesoft. Prices and plans change: check osticket.com before you buy.