# 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/pricing

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# 

 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.

[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

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## 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 (4,070)](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 (3,594)

Value For Money

4.4 (13)

Value For Money

4.2 (2,648)

Customer Service

3.5 (12)

Customer Service

4.3 (2,758)

## FreeScout alternatives

[4.5 (3,407)](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 (1,753)](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 (2,211)](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

[4.6 (1,713)](https://www.capterra.com/p/62194/LiveChat/reviews/)

Starting price

$25.00

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

95%

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

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## 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/)

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