# FreeScout Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra > With the help of Capterra, learn about FreeScout Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Help Desk products and more. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/208727/FreeScout --- # FreeScout Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on March 13, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. Independent research methodology Capterra’s researchers use a mix of verified reviews, independent research and objective methodologies to bring you selection and ranking information you can trust. While we may earn a referral fee when you visit a provider through our links or speak to an advisor, this has no influence on our research or methodology. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/proprietary-data-research/) How Capterra verifies reviews Capterra carefully verified over 2.5 million+ reviews to bring you authentic software experiences from real users. Our human moderators verify that reviewers are real people and that reviews are authentic. They use leading tech to analyze text quality and to detect plagiarism and generative AI. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-verify-reviews/) How Capterra ensures transparency Capterra lists all providers across its website—not just those that pay us—so that users can make informed purchase decisions. Capterra is free for users. Software providers pay us for sponsored profiles to receive web traffic and sales opportunities. Sponsored profiles include a link-out icon that takes users to the provider’s website. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-ensure-transparency/) [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) FreeScout ## What is FreeScout? Super user-friendly and lightweight free open-source help desk and shared mailbox (PHP7+MySQL). FreeScout is an open source clone of Zendesk and Help Scout and can be easily deployed even on a shared hosting. No limitations on the number of users, tickets, etc. Multilingual. Seamless email integration. Push notifications. Auto replies. Notes. Forwarding conversations. Phone conversations. Open tracking. etc. ## What is FreeScout used for? [Help Desk](https://www.capterra.com/help-desk-software/)[Knowledge Base](https://www.capterra.com/knowledge-base-software/) Top alternative Featured Overall rating Based on 13 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive \- Neutral \- Negative \- Contact vendor for pricing Free trial not available Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for FreeScout?[Manage this product listing](https://digitalmarkets.gartner.com/get-listed/claim-bx?url=http://freescout.net&name=FreeScout) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### FreeScout 4.2 (13) VS. [4.4 (4,078)](https://www.capterra.com/p/164283/Zendesk/reviews/) Starting Price Contact vendor Starting Price $39 Per User, Per Month Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 4.2 (13) Ease Of Use 4.3 (3,601) Value For Money 4.4 (13) Value For Money 4.2 (2,655) Customer Service 3.5 (12) Customer Service 4.3 (2,764) ## FreeScout alternatives [4.5 (3,414)](https://www.capterra.com/p/124981/Freshdesk/reviews/) Starting price $19.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 94% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars Highest Rated [4.7 (1,776)](https://www.capterra.com/p/102188/LiveAgent/reviews/) Starting price $15.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 97% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.5 (2,212)](https://www.capterra.com/p/169505/Zoho-Desk/reviews/) Starting price $20.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 94% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.5 (692)](https://www.capterra.com/p/132997/Freshservice/reviews/) Starting price $19.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 94% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/208727/FreeScout/alternatives/) ## Features Features with the highest number of reviews are displayed first. Those that have no reviews appear next, sorted alphabetically. Alerts/Escalation 4.3 (6) 33.33% of 6 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important System alerts about the need to escalate an issue or request Automated Routing 4.2 (6) 16.67% of 6 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Tickets are automatically assigned to specific agents based on predefined rules Ticket Management 4.8 (6) 50.00% of 6 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Track, manage, or resolve user requests and IT incidents/issues Reporting/Analytics 4.5 (4) 0.00% of 4 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important View and track pertinent metrics to find patterns and gain insights from data Multi-Channel Communication 4.7 (3) 0.00% of 3 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Allows communication with customers or users via multiple channels such as phone, email, live chat, etc. Customizable Branding 5.0 (2) 0.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Add customized logos and colors to align with company branding FreeScout 10 features System alerts about the need to escalate an issue or request Tickets are automatically assigned to specific agents based on predefined rules Add customized logos and colors to align with company branding Gather, organize, share, and analyze knowledge in terms of resources, documents, and people skills Access the system via a mobile application Allows communication with customers or users via multiple channels such as phone, email, live chat, etc. View and track pertinent metrics to find patterns and gain insights from data Online portal through which end users can access the system, manage tasks, or obtain information Set and monitor service level agreements to ensure timely response and resolution Track, manage, or resolve user requests and IT incidents/issues Get Advice We can help you find the software with the features you need. Features 4.2 (13) 4.2 Based on 13 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 4.4 (13) ### Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Free trial available Value for money 4.4 (13) 4.4 Based on 13 reviews Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs. ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 3.5 (12) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 3.5 (12) 3.5 Based on 12 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.2 Based on 13 reviews Filter by rating 5(8) 4(2) 3(2) 2(0) 1(1) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent FM Florian M. Projektleiter Health, Wellness and Fitness ### "Kostenlos Fake Falle" 1.0 Overall Rating 1.0 1.0 Ease of Use 2.0 2.0 Features 1.0 1.0 Customer Service 2.0 2.0 Likelihood to Recommend 0/10 March 28, 2025 Zwar einfach zu Installieren abgesehen vom Cronjob aber das wars dann auch schon den rest den man gebrauchen könnte muss man teuer dazu kaufen. Pros Das man es auf seinem eigenen Root installieren kann Cons Von wegen Kostenlos die ganzen Module muss man teuer extra kaufen daher kann ich das überhaupt nicht empfehlen Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Yann B. Product Manager Information Technology and Services ### "Freescout is an absolute gem for my use case" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 August 29, 2024 I value easy of use a lot, as this is something that I'll be using in potentially stressful situation I don't need a ticketing system to get in the way. Freescout is efficient, straight to the point, and let me manage incoming support requests without any burden. Pros The minimalist and clean interface is actually what brought me to test it, I can't stand those over complicated products with no ergonomic or pleasant user experience. Cons It's hard to answer really, Freescout is an exceptional fit for what I was after. I don't even find a reason to critic the cost per modules as most are dirt cheap and one time payment. Alternatives considered [osTicket](https://www.capterra.com/p/125118/osTicket/) Reasons for choosing FreeScout I spent a few hours trying to setup osticket, really it was complicated. It seems powerful and probably has more features than Freescout, maybe it makes sense in more complex organizations, but it wasn't for me. And the interface isn't really appealing. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. AF Aaron F. DevOps Manager Information Technology and Services ### "The ideal ticketing solution with plenty of module options" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 September 12, 2023 Freescout enables us an easy to manage self hosted ticketing system which effectively handles our ticket queue needs and quick processing of all tickets. Pros Freescout is super easy to deploy, use and manage with all parts of our business using the solution and also has frequent updates keeping the solution fresher than costly alternatives. Cons Sometimes the odd small bug and quite a few modules, would be good to have a bundle we can buy all the modules in one go but otherwise super easy to add what you need. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. MY Marco Y. Consultant Marketing and Advertising ### "A good alternative to Zendesk" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 April 3, 2023 Pros One client of mine has tried FreeScout, because he wanted to quit zendesk. And he is really happe with Scout. Cons We haven't found anything yet. The client really isn't complaining. Switched from [Zendesk Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/164283/Zendesk/) Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. SJ Shrinkhala J. Project Consultant Management Consulting ### "Most promising Helpdesk and Ticket management solution platform for businesses !" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 February 3, 2023 Well, it's great till date. The best platform for managing the query tickets in most structured and seamless manner with timely tracking and resolution for ultimate customer satisfaction. It helped in managing the escalation matrix between the different verticals in most structured way possible. Also, it is a light platform and does not pose any issue while deployment and functioning. It never hangs and run so smooth that it has attracted many. The notifications, commands, conversational tracking and record management is done in seamless way on this unified platform. Pros It is a lightweight software with great integration capacity and compatibility with any window server. It never lags or slow down. It is an open source ticket management solution platform with great features for wide utility. The email management is done seamlessly and in quick mode. The privacy setting and management is just great and helps in ensuring end to end tight security and compliance. The platform also provides complete analytics and helps in bringing in full tracking real time for managing the tickets and queries in time bound manner Cons No problem faced till now. One of the best available ticket management and email management solution for businesses. It is slightly high on part of subscription costing which can be reduced further to have better traction of new clients. Also, the version of the platform should be upgraded with more embedded features to stay relevant in the market. Alternatives considered [versaSRS HelpDesk](https://www.capterra.com/p/23415/versaSRS-HelpDesk/) [Alcea Helpdesk](https://www.capterra.com/p/163894/FIT-HelpDesk/) [Alloy Navigator](https://www.capterra.com/p/108129/Alloy-Navigator/) [Freshdesk](https://www.capterra.com/p/124981/Freshdesk/) [Zoho Desk](https://www.capterra.com/p/169505/Zoho-Desk/) Reasons for choosing FreeScout FreeScout is an open source ticket management platform with numerous functionalities and features which provides an edge to the software. Also, it is globally available. The interaction with their customer support and business team was worth remembering as they were highly supportive and responsive. Also, the platform never slows down or lags. It is best of all due to its high efficiency and improved performance output. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. MO Magdalena O. Manager Health, Wellness and Fitness ### "Ok, but lacked certain aspects of paid tools" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 6/10 February 2, 2023 Was okay, would've stayed if there was some support and more dependability Pros Free and easy to use, once set up was done by admins. Cons Getting stuck and difficult to move to another platform. Switched from [Gmail](https://www.capterra.com/p/202338/Gmail/) One stop shop Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. LD Lukasz D. CEO Health, Wellness and Fitness ### "Good if you're technical and don't mind some limitations!" 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 4/10 January 14, 2023 Reasonably good, but eventually decided to pay for another solution to make sure I can rely on it. Pros It was free and allowed me to play with it to achieve the goal I was after - ticketing management system. Cons Had to pay extra for necessary features, had no support behind it and was tricky to set up and then move to another server, which was a must for me. Switched from [Gmail](https://www.capterra.com/p/202338/Gmail/) Wanted to separate email from customer tickets. Reasons for choosing FreeScout Price point. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. SB Sam B. Partner Logistics and Supply Chain ### "Free Scout is the best shared inbox for small businesses, IF you can handle self hosted apps. " 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 6/10 May 31, 2022 When Free Scout is working, no complaints. When it is not, be prepared to spend your time fixing it, because the developers don't have your back the same way hosted services do. No shame on the developers, but their support is minimal. Pros As a long-time Help Scout user, I've seen them increase their price multiple times, but the capabilities have maintained relatively the same. Help Scout offers the same functionality at a fraction of the cost. If you are looking for a shared inbox, Free Scout and Help Scout are your only viable options, in my opinion. 100% Free Scout is the most practical choice if you can handle your deployment and system management. This app has made it incredibly easy for me to manage my departments because it allows all email communication to run through a single platform. The added modules are well worth the price if you decide you need their features and are relatively easy to deploy. The community around the app is also active enough on their Github page, so if you are struggling, it won't feel like you are the only one using the app. For what it costs and can do, I will forever recommend Free Scout for those capable of deploying it. Cons I mentioned in my Pros of this review that it is excellent for those capable of deploying it. Unfortunately, I would not call myself one of those people. I found a company in India that offered Free Scout hosting and support and paid a minimal fee for them to manage it for me. They ended up closing their doors, and it left me in a position where I needed to migrate the database from their server to mine. Once I regained control, I needed to find a developer who would provide ongoing support and oversight so I didn't screw anything up. This proved to be a challenge because the monthly rate most qualified (offshore) developers wanted was more expensive than just paying for Help Scout. Fortunately, I solved my problem, but this is the biggest con for those who don't have access to developers for continuous support. While I love using Free Scout, and I don't believe I will leave them, my stress lives in the fact that I need to rely on someone else (not a company with a strong enough reputation, like Help Scout) to keep my most important mode of communication up to and running. Switched from [Help Scout](https://www.capterra.com/p/136909/Help-Scout/) Help Scout ended up being too expensive, and they kept changing their pricing, even after guaranteeing we would stay at our fixed rate. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Tim S. IT Betreuer Hospitality ### "perfect fit for small businesses" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 October 3, 2021 Pros \- open source, so it´s free - new modules - active development Cons \- some attachments like audio, video and image files should be played or be viewed without downloading - deleting a conversation should delete all mails in the mail account Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. DK Dave K. MD Management Consulting ### "Alternative Help Scout" 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 3.0 3.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 5/10 March 15, 2021 Overall, a nice little piece of open source freeware that, if you have not used ZenDesk would be a good starter help desk. Pros FreeScout is a free open source help desk and shared mailbox application that is offered as an alternative to ZenDesk. Not sure that that this is strictly true but a very nice alternative all the same. Cons Being a free open source version the help in setting up was a little lacking and there were a number of attempt to install and configure, but nothing too disruptive. Switched from [Zendesk Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/164283/Zendesk/) Trailing alternatives Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. [View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/208727/FreeScout/reviews/) ## Top-rated software of 2026 ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox. Independent research methodology Capterra's researchers use a mix of verified reviews, independent research and objective methodologies to bring you selection and ranking information you can trust. While we may earn a referral fee when you visit a provider through our links or speak to an advisor, this has no influence on our research or methodology. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/proprietary-data-research/) How Capterra verifies reviews Capterra carefully verified over 2.5 million+ reviews to bring you authentic software experiences from real users. Our human moderators verify that reviewers are real people and that reviews are authentic. They use leading tech to analyze text quality and to detect plagiarism and generative AI. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-verify-reviews/) How Capterra ensures transparency Capterra lists all providers across its website—not just those that pay us—so that users can make informed purchase decisions. Capterra is free for users. Software providers pay us for sponsored profiles to receive web traffic and sales opportunities. Sponsored profiles include a link-out icon that takes users to the provider's website. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-ensure-transparency/)