QuackbackOpen-source help desk
The open-source help desk with your roadmap built in
Quackback is self-hosted help desk software under AGPL-3.0: one inbox for live chat, email and GitHub issues, with tickets, SLAs, a help center and a status page. Feedback boards, a roadmap and a changelog sit in the same product. Run it yourself, or let us run it.
Try the help desk on Cloud
- 14-day Pro trial, no card needed
- The same code as the open-source release
- Or self-host it on your own servers
What an open-source help desk is
A help desk is where your team answers customers: one queue for every channel, with tickets for work that takes longer than a reply. An open-source help desk publishes its code, so you can run it on your own servers and see exactly what it does with your customers' data.
What Quackback's help desk includes
The open-source release is the whole product. One image, every feature, no paid edition behind it.
What you take on when you self-host
Self-hosting is free, and the software is the same. The running of it becomes your job.
Read the self-hosting guideOpen-source help desks compared
Each of these is a good choice for someone. Here's how they differ on licence, channels, self-service, feedback, AI and what you run.
| Tool | Licence | Channels | Knowledge base | Feedback and roadmap | AI | Stack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quackback | AGPL-3.0 | Live chat, email, GitHub issues | Help center with Ask AI | Feedback boards, roadmap and changelog built in | Quackback AI, with your own OpenAI-compatible key when self-hosted | TypeScript on Bun, PostgreSQL with pgvector, S3-compatible storage |
| Chatwoot | MIT, with a separately licensed enterprise directory | Live chat, email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Line, SMS | Help center portal | Not listed | Captain AI agent, on paid self-hosted plans | Ruby on Rails, Vue, PostgreSQL, Redis |
| Zammad | AGPL-3.0 | Email, chat, phone, WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, SMS | Knowledge base | Not listed | Summaries, writing assistant and AI agents, with the provider you choose | Ruby, PostgreSQL, Redis, Elasticsearch recommended |
| FreeScout | AGPL-3.0 | Email; live chat, WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook through modules | Knowledge base module | Not listed | Community modules; check their site | PHP (Laravel), MySQL |
| osTicket | GPL-2.0 | Email, web forms, tickets logged from phone calls | Knowledge base | Not listed | None official found; check their site | PHP, MySQL |
Where the others win
When Cloud is the better choice
Quackback Cloud runs the same open-source code you'd run yourself. There's nothing to run, back up or upgrade, and Quackback AI works with no key to manage. Choose it when a help desk is something you want to use, not operate.
Every signup starts with a 14-day Pro trial.
Common questions
What is an open-source help desk?
Help desk software whose source code is public. You can read how it handles your customers' conversations, change it, and run it on your own servers instead of renting it from one vendor. Most also come as a hosted service if you'd rather not run it.
Is Quackback a help desk?
Yes. It has a shared inbox for live chat, email and GitHub issues, tickets, SLAs, macros, CSAT, a help center and a status page. It also has feedback boards, a public roadmap and a changelog, so what customers ask for in support reaches your product plan.
Which channels does Quackback support?
Live chat through Messenger in your website or app, email, and GitHub issues. There's no WhatsApp, SMS or social media channel. If you need those, Chatwoot or Zammad is a better fit.
Is self-hosted Quackback free?
Yes. It's AGPL-3.0, and a self-hosted install includes every feature with unlimited seats and no license key. You pay for your own servers and AI provider, and the Powered by Quackback badge stays on.
Does Quackback AI work when I self-host?
Yes, with your own key for any OpenAI-compatible endpoint, such as OpenAI, OpenRouter, an AI gateway or a model server you run. Without a key, AI features stay off. Bringing your own key is for self-hosted installs. On Cloud, Quackback AI is included and there's no key to manage.
What do I need to run it?
A server with Docker. Quackback ships as one image, and the production Docker Compose file starts it with PostgreSQL and object storage. You can also point it at your own PostgreSQL 14 or newer with pgvector. Inbound email on a self-hosted install comes in over IMAP.
Can I import my tickets from another help desk?
No. Quackback has no help desk importer, so past conversations stay in your old tool. Most teams switch over on a set date, keep the old tool read-only for history, and move their help center articles across by hand.
Should I self-host or use Quackback Cloud?
Both run the same code. Self-host when your data has to stay on your own infrastructure and you have someone to look after servers, backups and upgrades. Choose Cloud when you'd rather we did that, and want Quackback AI without managing a key. Every Cloud signup starts with a 14-day Pro trial.
Have another question? Talk to the team.