GLPI vs Request Tracker (RT)
| Tagline | Full-featured open-source IT asset management and service desk with ITIL support | Battle-tested enterprise-grade ticketing system used by universities and government agencies |
| Category | Helpdesk & Support | Helpdesk & Support |
| Replaces | Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom | Zendesk, Freshdesk |
| GitHub stars | 6.2k | 1.1k |
| Language | PHP | Perl |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Self-host difficulty | 3/5 Moderate | 4/5 Involved |
| Deploy options | Docker Docker Compose Manual | Docker Manual |
| Managed hosting | ||
| Last updated | 4 days ago | 10 days ago |
| View repo | View repo |
Where each falls short
The honest trade-offs — what you give up with each, versus the proprietary tools they replace.
GLPI
- UI is complex and can overwhelm users who only need basic ticketing
- Asset management and ITSM workflows require significant initial configuration
- Plugin quality varies widely; some community plugins are unmaintained
Request Tracker (RT)
- Perl stack and configuration via flat files is unfamiliar to modern web developers
- UI is functional but dated; requires theming effort to modernize
- Setup and initial customization have a significant learning curve
Bottom line
Choose GLPI if you want the lower-effort setup; choose GLPI for the larger community and ecosystem. GLPI has seen more recent development. Open each guide below for deploy steps and the full feature gap.
GLPI
Full-featured open-source IT asset management and service desk with ITIL support
Request Tracker (RT)
Battle-tested enterprise-grade ticketing system used by universities and government agencies