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Head-to-head · Help Desk Software

Zammad vs BoldDesk

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 8 checks side by side
Higher score Zammad #16 in Help Desk Software 7.8/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 6 of 6 features Visit Zammad
BoldDesk #26 in Help Desk Software 6.8/10 15-day trial Free trial✓ 6 of 6 features Visit BoldDesk

Zammad leads on 1 check, BoldDesk on 0, and 7 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 scoreZammad · 7.8/10
  • Free planonly Zammad
  • Free trialboth

Zammad scores higher on our rubric for help desk software: 7.8 against 6.8 out of 10; our editors rank them #16 and #26.

Zammad offers free plan; BoldDesk doesn't.

Zammad is the better fit for technical teams wanting open-source help desk control. BoldDesk is the better fit for teams wanting affordable feature-rich ticketing.

  • Zammad fits best

    Technical teams wanting open-source help desk control

  • BoldDesk fits best

    Teams wanting affordable feature-rich ticketing

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 Zammad 7.8/10 Visit ↗ BoldDesk 6.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 7.8 6.8
Ranking #16 in Help Desk Software #26 in Help Desk Software
Best for Technical teams wanting open-source help desk control Teams wanting affordable feature-rich ticketing
Pricing model Free Paid
Starting price Free $99/mo
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial 30 days 15 days
Free trial length 30 days 15 days · no card needed
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Cloud, Mobile
Platforms Web, Linux Web, iOS, Android
Support Email, Phone, Docs Email, Live chat, Tickets, Docs
Compliance ISO 27001, 2FA SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, SSO/SAML, 2FA
Integrations 12 integrations 20 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Zammad 6/6 · BoldDesk 6/6
Shared inbox ✓ ✓
SLA management ✓ ✓
Help center ✓ ✓
Ticket automation ✓ ✓
Customer portal ✓ ✓
API access ✓ ✓
Specs
Included agent seats 5 5
Our review
Pros
  • Open-source and self-hosted options support control over deployment.
  • Tickets, SLAs, triggers, schedulers, and a shared inbox cover core support workflows.
  • REST API, Elasticsearch search, AI tools, and broad channel integrations extend its scope.
  • Omnichannel ticketing with shared inboxes, portals, and live chat
  • Workflow automation, SLAs, routing, macros, and escalation tools
  • Reports, AI assistance, APIs, and integrations across major business tools
Cons
  • Advanced plans vary by agent limits and feature availability.
  • Self-hosted support contracts are separate from the software itself.
  • Its broad feature set may exceed the needs of teams seeking basic email support.
  • No free plan is available
  • The annual entry tier requires five agents
  • Some AI capabilities may be add-ons
Our verdict

Zammad is a web-based help desk and ticketing platform for organizations handling customer and internal support requests. It brings conversations from multiple channels into tickets, provides a customer-facing web interface, and supports…

Read the review →

BoldDesk is a cloud-based help desk platform from Syncfusion for customer support teams managing requests across email, live chat, web forms, widgets, messaging channels, portals, mobile apps, and APIs. It combines ticketing with a shared…

Read the review →
  1. ZammadHelp Desk Software 7.8Free plan · 30-day trial
  2. BoldDeskHelp Desk Software 6.815-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Zammad — where it wins

    • Open-source and self-hosted options support control over deployment.
    • Tickets, SLAs, triggers, schedulers, and a shared inbox cover core support workflows.
    • REST API, Elasticsearch search, AI tools, and broad channel integrations extend its scope.

    Where it doesn't

    • Advanced plans vary by agent limits and feature availability.
    • Self-hosted support contracts are separate from the software itself.
    • Its broad feature set may exceed the needs of teams seeking basic email support.

  • BoldDesk — where it wins

    • Omnichannel ticketing with shared inboxes, portals, and live chat
    • Workflow automation, SLAs, routing, macros, and escalation tools
    • Reports, AI assistance, APIs, and integrations across major business tools

    Where it doesn't

    • No free plan is available
    • The annual entry tier requires five agents
    • Some AI capabilities may be add-ons

All help desk software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update