HESK logo

HESK

Simple PHP help desk with built-in knowledge base for small teams and solo operators

340 PHP Other 1 month ago

Overview

HESK is a lightweight PHP help desk application designed for simplicity, offering ticket submission via web form or email, a built-in knowledge base, spam filtering, and email notifications. It runs on any shared LAMP hosting with minimal configuration and is a popular choice for freelancers, small businesses, and anyone who wants a no-frills support system without server management overhead.

Where it falls short of Zendesk

  • No multi-agent collaboration features or internal notes visible across teams
  • No REST API; integrations must be built against the database directly
  • License is source-available for free use but prohibits redistribution

We list the gaps honestly so you can decide if the trade-off is worth owning your data.

Tags

helpdesk
php
knowledge-base
lightweight
shared-hosting
Maintain HESK?

Claim this listing to keep it accurate, add a deploy template, or feature it on relevant pages.

Show off your self-host difficulty score

Embed the HESK difficulty badge in your README — it links back here.

Self-host difficulty badge← add this to your README
[![Self-host difficulty](https://openreplace.com/api/badge/hesk)](https://openreplace.com/hesk)

Similar open-source projects

Other self-hostable tools in the same space worth comparing.

Open-source omnichannel live-chat and support desk, an Intercom/Zendesk alternative

33k Ruby MIT 5 days ago
3/5
1-click
HESK vs Chatwoot

Open-source Symfony-based helpdesk ticketing system with e-commerce integrations

19k PHP OSL-3.0 8 months ago
4/5
HESK vs UVdesk

Web-based open-source helpdesk and customer support ticketing system

5.7k Ruby AGPL-3.0 5 days ago
4/5
HESK vs Zammad

Free self-hosted shared inbox and help desk, a Help Scout/Zendesk alternative

4.4k PHP AGPL-3.0 8 days ago
4/5
HESK vs FreeScout