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Head-to-head · IT Help Desk Software

Desk365 vs OTOBO

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 8 checks side by side
Higher score Desk365 #6 in IT Help Desk Software 8.8/10 Free plan · 21-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 7 of 7 features Visit Desk365
OTOBO #14 in IT Help Desk Software 7.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 6 of 7 features Visit OTOBO

Desk365 leads on 0 checks, OTOBO on 0, and 8 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 8 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreDesk365 · 8.8/10
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly Desk365
  • Most featuresDesk365 · 7 of 7

Desk365 scores higher on our rubric for it help desk software: 8.8 against 7.8 out of 10; our editors rank them #6 and #14.

Desk365 is the better fit for affordable Microsoft-centric help desks. OTOBO is the better fit for open-source service management.

  • Desk365 fits best

    Affordable Microsoft-centric help desks

  • OTOBO fits best

    Open-source service management

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Desk365 8.8/10 Visit ↗ OTOBO 7.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.8 7.8
Ranking #6 in IT Help Desk Software #14 in IT Help Desk Software
Best for Affordable Microsoft-centric help desks Open-source service management
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price $12/user/mo Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial 21 days —
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web, Linux
Support Email, Docs · 24/7 Email, Phone, Docs · 24/7
Compliance SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, SSO/SAML, 2FA GDPR
Integrations 9 integrations 4 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Desk365 7/7 · OTOBO 6/7
SLA management ✓ ✓
Knowledge base ✓ ✓
Employee portal ✓ ✓
Asset management ✓ ✓
Single sign-on ✓ ✓
Approval workflows ✓ ✓
Mobile apps ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Free plan supports up to 50 tickets per month.
  • Microsoft Teams, Entra ID, Intune, Power Automate and Power BI integrations.
  • Combines ticketing, SLAs, knowledge bases, approvals, assets and AI.
  • Covers tickets, portals, knowledge, catalogs, SLAs, workflows and CMDB.
  • Supports self-hosted deployment on Linux with web and API access.
  • Connects with Active Directory, LDAP, REST, SOAP and external databases.
Cons
  • The Free plan is limited to 50 tickets per month.
  • The $12 starting price requires annual billing.
  • Advanced controls are divided across higher paid tiers.
  • Requires an organization to manage its own infrastructure and deployment.
  • Verified mobile and AI features are not part of its positioning.
  • Paid support and managed services are separate from the core software.
Our verdict

Desk365 is a cloud help desk and IT service management platform for customer support and internal IT teams. It turns requests from email, Microsoft Teams, web forms, widgets and a support portal into trackable tickets. The product suits…

Read the review →

OTOBO is a web-based, modular service management platform for IT and business departments, external service providers, and customers. Its scope spans incident and service-request ticketing, self-service request tracking, searchable…

Read the review →
  1. Desk365IT Help Desk Software 8.8Free plan · 21-day trial
  2. OTOBOIT Help Desk Software 7.8Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Desk365 — where it wins

    • Free plan supports up to 50 tickets per month.
    • Microsoft Teams, Entra ID, Intune, Power Automate and Power BI integrations.
    • Combines ticketing, SLAs, knowledge bases, approvals, assets and AI.

    Where it doesn't

    • The Free plan is limited to 50 tickets per month.
    • The $12 starting price requires annual billing.
    • Advanced controls are divided across higher paid tiers.

  • OTOBO — where it wins

    • Covers tickets, portals, knowledge, catalogs, SLAs, workflows and CMDB.
    • Supports self-hosted deployment on Linux with web and API access.
    • Connects with Active Directory, LDAP, REST, SOAP and external databases.

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires an organization to manage its own infrastructure and deployment.
    • Verified mobile and AI features are not part of its positioning.
    • Paid support and managed services are separate from the core software.
  • Desk3658.8/10 · Free plan · 21-day trial

    An affordable Microsoft-centric help desk with broad ITSM coverage and a free plan.

    Visit Desk365Full verdict →
  • OTOBO7.8/10 · Free plan

    A broad, license-free service management platform for teams that can self-host.

    Visit OTOBOFull verdict →

More comparisons

All IT help desk software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update