Crisp
Customer messaging platform with live chat, shared inbox, knowledge base, and AI chatbot
Zammad
Unified web‑based helpdesk for email, chat, phone, social
Zammad streamlines customer inquiries across email, chat, phone, and social media, offering a web‑based ticketing system with collaborative tools, REST API, and easy Docker/Kubernetes deployment.
Overview
Overview
Zammad is a web‑based helpdesk designed for teams that need to manage customer conversations from multiple channels—email, live chat, telephone, and social media—in a single, searchable interface. It provides ticket creation, assignment, and internal notes, enabling agents to collaborate efficiently while keeping customers informed.
Capabilities & Deployment
The platform includes a full REST/GraphQL API for custom integrations, multi‑language support, and role‑based permissions. It ships as Docker images and a Helm chart, allowing straightforward deployment on containers or Kubernetes clusters. The source code is released under AGPL‑3.0, and a commercial cloud service is available for organizations that prefer managed hosting.
Who Benefits
Ideal for small to medium support teams, DevOps‑savvy organizations, and any business that wants full control over its support stack while avoiding vendor lock‑in. Community contributions and a dedicated foundation ensure ongoing development and security updates.
Highlights
Multi‑channel ticket aggregation (email, chat, phone, social)
Real‑time collaboration with internal notes and assignments
Comprehensive REST and GraphQL API for integrations
Docker images and Helm chart for containerized deployment
Pros
- Open source AGPL‑3.0 license with community governance
- Supports all major communication channels out of the box
- Strong API ecosystem for custom workflows
- Ready‑to‑run container images simplify self‑hosting
Considerations
- Self‑hosting requires system‑administration expertise
- User interface may need branding customization
- No built‑in AI or chatbot capabilities
- Large‑scale deployments may need additional infrastructure planning
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider Zammad, 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
- Support teams that need a unified inbox across channels
- Organizations preferring self‑hosted control and data ownership
- Companies with Docker/Kubernetes CI/CD pipelines
- Teams that require API‑driven integration with existing tools
Not ideal when
- Enterprises seeking native AI‑powered chatbots
- Teams without dedicated sysadmin or DevOps resources
- Businesses that need a pre‑built mobile app experience
- Organizations requiring extensive out‑of‑the‑box reporting dashboards
How teams use it
Unified Customer Inbox
Agents handle email, chat, phone, and social tickets from a single dashboard, reducing response times.
Custom CRM Integration
Using the REST API, tickets are automatically linked to customer records in an existing CRM system.
Containerized Deployment
Deploy Zammad via Docker or Helm on Kubernetes, enabling rapid scaling and automated updates.
Managed Cloud Option
Switch to Zammad’s cloud service to offload backup, updates, and infrastructure maintenance.
Tech snapshot
Ruby53%
TypeScript20%
CoffeeScript10%
Vue7%
JavaScript5%
HTML2%
Frequently asked questions
What license does Zammad use?
Zammad is released under the GNU AGPL‑3.0 license.
Can Zammad be self‑hosted?
Yes, it can be installed via Docker, Helm chart, DEB/RPM packages, or source code.
Is there a hosted version available?
Zammad GmbH offers a cloud‑hosted service with a free trial.
Which communication channels are supported?
Email, live chat, telephone, and major social media platforms.
How can I extend Zammad’s functionality?
Through its REST and GraphQL APIs, as well as community plugins.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 5,338
- Watchers
- 5,338
- Forks
- 926
LicenseAGPL-3.0
Repo age13 years old
Last commit2 days ago
Primary languageRuby
Last synced yesterday