
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
Claim this listing to keep it accurate, add a deploy template, or feature it on relevant pages.
Embed the HESK difficulty badge in your README — it links back here.
[](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
Open-source Symfony-based helpdesk ticketing system with e-commerce integrations
Web-based open-source helpdesk and customer support ticketing system
Free self-hosted shared inbox and help desk, a Help Scout/Zendesk alternative