Free software.
Expensive maintenance.
HelpSpot gives you a modern, secure, and fully supported help desk without the hidden costs of maintaining open-source software yourself.
Why teams switch from osTicket
The same frustrations we hear from every osTicket switcher
The "Free" Trap
Self-hosting osTicket appears free but costs thousands in engineering time. You are responsible for every security patch, PHP upgrade, and server outage.
Zero Maintenance
We handle the infrastructure, security, and updates. You focus on supporting your customers, not your help desk servers.
Outdated Interface
osTicket's UI hasn't changed significantly in years. It feels clunky and click-heavy, frustrating agents who expect modern, fast tools.
Modern Workflow
A fast, intuitive interface designed for speed. Features like real-time collision detection and rich text editing just work.
Plugin Dependency
Basic features like AI, audit logs, and advanced reporting often require finding, installing, and maintaining third-party community plugins.
Integrated Platform
Everything is built-in. AI, reporting, automation, and channel management are core features, fully supported and tested by our team.
osTicket vs HelpSpot
See why teams upgrade from open source to enterprise-grade
-
Hidden costs of self-hosting
If you self-host, you pay with your time. Commercial support for self-hosted osTicket starts at $12,500/year.
-
No native AI
osTicket has no native AI capabilities. You must rely on unverified third-party plugins to get modern features like ticket summarization or writing assistance.
-
Reporting limitations
Native reporting is basic and confusing. Getting detailed insights usually requires writing raw SQL queries or exporting data to Excel manually.
-
Paid cloud hosting
To get a managed version (SupportSystem), you pay per-agent monthly fees. Storage is capped (e.g., 8MB attachment limits) unless you upgrade.
-
Predictable value
One annual price covers your entire team. No per-agent fees means you can grow your support team without inflating your software bill.
-
AI included for free
We don't charge a tax on technology. Smart features like triaging, translation, and ticket summarization are included for every user at no extra cost.
-
Deep analytics
Create custom reports, schedule exports, and visualize data natively. We also provide direct SQL access for self-hosted customers who want it.
-
Flexible deployment
Choose US Cloud, EU Cloud, or Self-Hosted. We include white-glove migration and onboarding on all plans at no extra cost.
Feature-by-feature comparison
Comparing osTicket (SupportSystem Standard) vs HelpSpot
HelpSpot
|
osTicket
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Feature | All Inclusive | Commercial Support $12,500/yr |
|
Core Ticketing
|
||
| Familiar email-inspired workflow | ||
| Email-to-ticket conversion | ||
| Collision detection | Ticket Locking | |
| Custom fields | ||
| Conditional field logic | Help Topic only | |
| Rich customer replies (images, files, emoji) | ||
| Unlimited mailboxes | ||
|
Portal & Knowledge Base
|
||
| Customer portal | ||
| Contact form | ||
| Portal theme customization | Requires coding | |
| Multi-brand portals | Complex manual setup | |
| Knowledge base | ||
| Knowledge base WYSIWYG | ||
|
Automation & Workflow
|
||
| Trigger rules | ||
| Time based automation rules | ||
| Round-robin assignment | ||
| SLA management | ||
|
AI Features
|
||
| AI writing assistance | Included | |
| AI ticket summarization | Included | |
| AI translation | Included | |
| Intelligent triage | Included | |
|
Reporting & Analytics
|
||
| Built-in reports | Basic | |
| Custom report builder | ||
| Real-time dashboards | Basic | |
| Scheduled report exports | ||
| Export to Excel/CSV | ||
| Direct SQL database access | Self-hosted | |
|
Pricing Model
|
||
| Feature tiers | 1 tier | 3 tiers |
| Add-on costs | None | Storage/Plugins |
| Unlimited tickets | ||
| Cancel anytime | ||
| Refund policy | No refunds | |
|
Support & Deployment
|
||
| Phone support | All plans | $12,500/year |
| Self-hosted option | ||
| Access logs and redaction | ||
| Data & attachment storage | Unlimited | Capped (8MB/file) |
| Implementation help | Free | Paid |
| API access | Unlimited | |
Ready to simplify your support?
"Free" has a hidden price tag
osTicket is free to download, but commercial support starts at $12,500/year. HelpSpot gives you everything for a fraction of that cost.
osTicket
Self-hosted with commercial support
+ Your own server, maintenance, and security patching
HelpSpot
Simple pricing, everything included
Save over $10,000/year with full support included
Migration made easy
We'll help you every step of the way
Export Your Data
We can access your osTicket database directly to extract tickets, users, and history.
Import to HelpSpot
Our team works with you to import your historical data and get everything configured.
Go Live
Connect your email accounts to HelpSpot. Your team picks up right where they left off.
Deploy Your Way
Same price, same features. Choose the deployment that works for you.
Same powerful features and pricing across all hosting options.
US Cloud
CloudUS-East Region
Dedicated AWS infrastructure with 99.9% uptime. Managed updates and automated backups.
EU Cloud
CloudFrankfurt Region
GDPR-compliant hosting. Full data sovereignty with all information isolated within the EU.
Self-Hosted
EnterpriseOn-Premise Infrastructure
Complete control on your own hardware. Ideal for air-gapped networks or strict compliance.
Maximum Control & Data ResidencyWhat we believe
We've been building help desk software since 2005. Along the way, we've developed strong opinions about how support should work.
Single Assignment
Every ticket has one owner. Clear accountability means faster resolution and better outcomes.
Read moreHuman-First Support
Support is human-to-human communication. Technology should enhance it, not replace it.
Read moreSimple Pricing
One price. All features. No add-ons, no surprises. Budget with confidence.
Read moreBeyond Shared Mailbox
Email chaos ends here. Get collision detection, automation, and the visibility you need.
Read moreCompare other platforms
See how HelpSpot stacks up against other help desk solutions.
"If you are looking for a quick, affordable, and efficient ticketing system, you can't do any better than HelpSpot."
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about switching from osTicket
Yes. Since osTicket is open source, we can typically access your database directly to import your tickets, users, and history into HelpSpot. We offer this as part of our free onboarding service.
Absolutely. osTicket is powerful but has a dated interface that requires many clicks. HelpSpot offers a modern, streamlined UI with features like collision detection, real-time updates, and a rich text editor that agents love.
Yes! Unlike most modern competitors, HelpSpot offers a fully supported On-Premise version. You get the data control and security of self-hosting (like osTicket) but with the polish and support of enterprise software.
No. Key features that require plugins or hacks in osTicket—like Round Robin assignment, audit logs, and advanced reporting—are native to HelpSpot. You don't need to worry about updates breaking your critical workflows.
HelpSpot is the best osTicket alternative for teams that want a professional, supported help desk without the maintenance burden. osTicket's slow development, basic reporting, and plugin dependency leave teams managing infrastructure instead of support requests. HelpSpot includes AI, a custom report builder, SLA management, and round-robin routing out of the box, with dedicated support and regular updates.
osTicket receives infrequent updates. Major releases are often years apart, and the community-driven development model means security patches and new features arrive slowly. The core interface has remained largely unchanged for years. HelpSpot is actively developed with regular updates, modern AI features, and security patches included in every subscription.
osTicket's built-in reporting is basic: simple ticket counts and overdue ticket lists. It lacks a custom report builder, SLA tracking dashboard, or agent performance analytics. For advanced reporting, you need third-party plugins or direct database queries. HelpSpot includes a full report builder, real-time dashboards, and SLA reporting as standard.
Trusted by teams who made the switch
Trusted by industry leaders
Ready to switch?
We'll help you move.
Start your free trial and our team will help migrate your data, train your agents, and get you up and running. No risk, no commitment.
