Crisp
Customer messaging platform with live chat, shared inbox, knowledge base, and AI chatbot
Helpy
Modern helpdesk platform combining ticketing, knowledgebase, and community forums
Ruby on Rails helpdesk solution integrating multichannel ticketing, searchable knowledgebase, and community forums. MIT-licensed open-core platform with mobile-friendly design and 19-language support.
Overview
Integrated Support for Modern Teams
Helpy is a Ruby on Rails helpdesk platform that unifies support ticketing, knowledgebase management, and community forums into a single solution. Designed for teams seeking an open-core alternative to proprietary support software, Helpy handles inbound email from providers like Sendgrid and Mailgun, delivers SEO-optimized help articles, and enables public community discussions—all under the MIT license.
Flexible Deployment and Customization
The platform ships with multichannel ticketing, full-text search, mobile-responsive interfaces, and an embeddable JavaScript widget. Teams can customize themes and colors to match brand identity while maintaining 19 built-in language translations for global audiences. GDPR compliance features include user anonymization and deletion workflows.
Helpy deploys via Docker, DigitalOcean one-click marketplace images, or traditional server installations running Postgres and Ruby 2.4+. A Pro version adds triggers, real-time UI updates, advanced reporting, custom views, and an AI chatbot for autonomous tier-one support. The open-source core remains fully hackable and resellable, making it suitable for agencies, SaaS providers, and enterprises requiring on-premise control.
Highlights
Multichannel ticketing with inbound email integration via Sendgrid, Mandrill, and Mailgun
SEO-optimized knowledgebase with full-text search and multi-language article support
Community forums with voting, agent collaboration, and public accessibility
Embeddable JavaScript widget and customizable themes with brand color matching
Pros
- MIT license allows full customization, resale, and on-premise deployment
- Unified ticketing, knowledgebase, and community forums reduce tool sprawl
- 19 built-in language translations with easy localization framework
- Docker and DigitalOcean marketplace images enable rapid deployment
Considerations
- Requires Ruby 2.4+ and Rails 4.2.x stack, limiting hosting flexibility
- Advanced features like triggers, real-time UI, and AI chatbot require Pro license
- Depends on external email providers (Sendgrid, Mailgun) for inbound ticketing
- Test coverage and documentation may lag behind feature development
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider Helpy, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.
Fit guide
Great for
- SaaS companies needing embeddable support widgets and multi-language knowledgebases
- Agencies reselling white-labeled helpdesk solutions under MIT license terms
- Teams requiring GDPR-compliant user data management and anonymization workflows
- Organizations with Ruby on Rails expertise seeking self-hosted support platforms
Not ideal when
- Teams without Ruby on Rails development resources for customization and maintenance
- Organizations requiring enterprise SSO, advanced automation, or AI features without Pro licensing
- Projects needing native mobile apps rather than mobile-responsive web interfaces
- Environments unable to integrate external email providers like Sendgrid or Mailgun
How teams use it
Multi-Language SaaS Support
Deploy knowledgebase articles in 19 languages with SEO optimization, reducing ticket volume through self-service while maintaining brand consistency across global markets.
Community-Driven Product Forums
Enable customers and agents to collaboratively answer questions in public forums with voting, building a searchable knowledge repository and reducing agent workload.
White-Label Agency Resale
Customize themes, branding, and features under MIT license to resell hosted helpdesk solutions to multiple clients from a single codebase.
GDPR-Compliant Ticketing
Process right-to-be-forgotten requests by anonymizing or deleting user data and ticket history, ensuring regulatory compliance for EU customers.
Tech snapshot
Ruby52%
HTML30%
JavaScript9%
SCSS9%
CSS1%
Dockerfile1%
Frequently asked questions
What license does Helpy use?
Helpy is released under the MIT license, allowing full customization, modification, and even resale of the open-source core.
How does Helpy handle inbound email?
Helpy integrates with email providers like Sendgrid, Mandrill, and Mailgun to import support emails as tickets and maintain threaded conversations.
What's the difference between open-source and Pro versions?
The open-source core includes ticketing, knowledgebase, forums, and widgets. Pro adds triggers, real-time UI, advanced reporting, custom views, and an AI chatbot.
Can Helpy support multiple languages simultaneously?
Yes, Helpy includes 19 language translations and supports multilingual knowledgebase articles, allowing teams to serve global audiences from one installation.
What are the technical requirements for self-hosting?
Helpy requires Ruby 2.4+, Rails 4.2.x, Postgres, and a server like Unicorn or Puma. Docker and DigitalOcean marketplace images simplify deployment.
Project at a glance
Dormant- Stars
- 2,547
- Watchers
- 2,547
- Forks
- 492
LicenseMIT
Repo age10 years old
Last commit3 years ago
Self-hostingSupported
Primary languageRuby
Last synced 3 hours ago