Pick a free ticketing system by what it costs you later. Working alone and billing clients: SherpaDesk's Single Agent plan, $0 with time tracking and invoicing. Up to 3 people who don't bill: Zoho Desk Free or Jira Service Management Free. Must self-host: osTicket or FreeScout.
- Prices checked Oct 28, 2026
- How We Chose
- 25 vendor pages · 2 IT forum threads
A helpdesk and PSA (professional services automation) a small IT team can run alone. No contract. No implementation project. No dedicated admin.
| If you… | Pick | Price and why | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work alone and bill clients for your time | SherpaDesk Single Agent | $0, forever. Ticket management, time tracking, expenses, invoicing, and quoting for one agent | One agent; the second one is paid |
| Bill clients and plan to add technicians | SherpaDesk | The first agent stays free on paid plans. Base Camp is $45 per agent per month, or $40 per agent per month, billed annually | Cloud only |
| Answer email as a team of up to 3 and don't bill | Zoho Desk Free | $0 for three user licenses with email ticketing and a default SLA | No workflow rules or time tracking on Free |
| Run internal IT for up to 3 agents with a request portal | Jira Service Management Free | $0 for 3 agents, with a portal, email, Teams, and Slack intake | Community support only |
| Need up to 5 hosted IT seats today | Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk | Core plan, $0 for 1 to 5 seats | Ad-free only on Premium |
| Must keep tickets on your own server | osTicket or FreeScout | $0 open source; you run the server | Updates and backups are your job |
For a team of 3, SherpaDesk Base Camp costs $90 a month, or $80 a month, billed annually, because the first agent is free. Zoho Desk Free and Jira Service Management Free cost $0 for up to 3 agents, and Spiceworks Core $0 for up to 5 seats. osTicket and FreeScout cost $0 plus the server you run them on.
How We Chose These Free Tools
How we chose
- Free with no end date. A free plan, a free first seat, or open source code. Trials that expire are out.
- Usable by a small IT team. Email to ticket, an owner on every ticket, and a history you can search.
- The catch is published. Agent caps, ticket caps, held-back features, ads, branding, and support come from the vendor's own pricing or feature page.
- The next step is priced. We show what the first paid plan or add-on costs, in US dollars, for both billing periods where the page lists them.
We publish this guide, and SherpaDesk is one of the 9 tools. It uses the same template and lists its limits.
Some tools people still recommend as free have ended their free tier. One r/k12sysadmin member wrote in July 2026 that their school's Freshdesk free tier had expired and asked them to upgrade. Today Freshdesk's pricing page lists Growth, Pro, and Enterprise, with no free plan. So it isn't in this list.
What Is A Free Ticketing System?
Definition
Free ticketing software turns each help request into a ticket with an owner, a status, and a history, and costs nothing to license. A helpdesk runs on that ticket queue, plus a knowledge base for the answers you give twice.
On r/sysadmin, a helpdesk specialist supporting about 300 end users asked for a free tool their boss wouldn't block, writing "I just need it for my own sanity". Another reply in that thread was practical: "a lot of end users barely even realize they're 'using a ticket system' once email integration exists". Your users keep emailing. You get history, ownership, and a record of the work.
That is the job a free tool has to do. The question is which kind of free fits your team.
| Kind | How it works | What you give up | Examples here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan (freemium) | The vendor hosts it; a capped plan costs $0 | Headcount, ticket volume, or features above the cap | Zoho Desk, Jira Service Management, Spiceworks, Raiseaticket |
| Free first seat | One agent free forever; more agents pay | The plan is listed as "limited features"; a second technician needs Base Camp ($45 per agent per month, or $40 per agent per month, billed annually) | SherpaDesk |
| Self-hosted (open source or free download) | You download the software and run it on your server | Your hours: install, patch, back up, upgrade | osTicket, FreeScout, Zammad (open source); Hesk (free download) |
Open source means more than "free to download". The Open Source Initiative's definition says it "doesn't just mean access to the source code": the license must let anyone redistribute the software and must include the source. The bill arrives as admin time instead of an invoice.
What Free Plans Leave Out
Every free plan holds something back, so the vendor has a reason for you to pay. The useful question is whether that thing matters to your queue in the next 12 months. Five catches come up again and again.
1. A headcount cap. Zoho Desk Free has three user licenses, Jira Service Management Free 3 agents, Spiceworks Core 1 to 5 seats, and Raiseaticket 5 agents. HubSpot's free tools cover 2 users. On SherpaDesk the free plan covers one agent, and that agent stays free when you add paid ones.
2. A ticket cap. Raiseaticket's free plan includes 500 tickets a month, and when you reach it, new email tickets pause until the count resets. Desk365's lifetime free plan manages up to 50 tickets a month.
3. Features held back. Zoho Desk Free has a default SLA, but no workflow rules, multi-level escalations, custom domain mapping, or time tracking. SherpaDesk lists its free plan as "limited features", and a second technician needs Base Camp ($45 per agent per month, or $40 per agent per month, billed annually). Jira Service Management Free includes 1,250 automation steps per subscription per month, and asset management starts on Standard. On FreeScout, time tracking and a knowledge base are paid modules.
4. Ads or branding. Spiceworks lists "Ad Free" as a Premium feature. After another member suggested Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk, one r/k12sysadmin member replied: "I tried that but hate the ads on the right and top of the ticketing site!". Self-hosted Hesk shows "Powered by Hesk" until you buy a license.
5. Support. Zoho Desk Free users can email or raise a portal ticket, with a reply in 1–2 business days. Jira Service Management Free comes with support from the Atlassian Community, and osTicket's open source edition with community support. Raiseaticket includes email support "on a best-effort basis".
One more question: where does the data live? The poster in the r/sysadmin thread worked in healthcare and wrote, "It needs to be HIPAA compliant". Check the hosting region before the first real ticket; Raiseaticket, for example, hosts data in EU data centers. Our guide to IT Help Desk Software covers the data questions for internal IT.
Free Ticketing Systems Compared
The matrix shows who each free option covers, what it holds back, and what the first paid step costs. If you are weighing paid ticketing platforms too, our guide to Ticketing System Software compares nine of them on price per agent.
| Tool | Free for | Hosting | Held back on free | Support on free | Time tracking on free | Invoicing on free | First paid step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SherpaDesk Single Agent Ours | 1 agent, forever ("limited features") | Cloud | Multiple technicians (Base Camp $45 per agent per month; $40 per agent per month, billed annually). The High Camp card ($55 per agent per month; $50 per agent per month, billed annually) includes Asset Management, Full Vanity URL, and Custom Email Domain | Not stated | Yes | Yes, with quoting | Base Camp $45 per agent per month, or $40 per agent per month, billed annually; first agent stays free |
| Zoho Desk Free | 3 users | Cloud | Workflow rules, multi-level escalations, custom domain; default SLA only | Email or portal ticket, reply in 1–2 business days; forum | No; from Standard | No; Zoho Books/Invoice integration from Standard | Express $9 per agent per month, or $7 per agent per month, billed annually |
| Jira Service Management Free | 3 agents | Cloud | Asset management, branded help center; 1,250 automation steps a month | Atlassian Community | Not on the plan page | Not on the plan page | Standard $26.90 per agent per month, or $800 a year for 1–3 agents |
| Spiceworks Core | 1–5 seats | Cloud | Ad-free use, bulk actions, task lists, custom statuses | Included ("free and supported") | Not on the plan page | Not on the plan page | Premium $7 per seat per month, or $6 per seat per month, billed annually |
| Raiseaticket Free | 5 agents, 500 tickets a month | Cloud (EU) | SSO, automation, asset management, REST API | Email, best effort | Not on the plan page | Not on the plan page | Agent packs, priced in euros only |
| osTicket | Open source | Your server | Phone and email support, managed upgrades, backups | Community | Not on the features page | Not on the features page | Cloud edition from $12 per agent per month |
| FreeScout | Unlimited agents, tickets, mailboxes | Your server | End-user portal, time tracking, knowledge base, workflows, widget white-labeling | Not stated | Paid module, $8.99 one-time | Not on the feature list | Modules, one-time per instance |
| Zammad | Open source | Your server | Vendor support; you handle updates, backups, availability | Paid support contracts | Yes (Time Accounting) | Not on the feature page | Hosted plans and support contracts, priced in euros |
| Hesk | Free download | Your server | Branding removal and vendor support | Not stated | Yes | Not on the feature page | License $49.99 plus VAT, one-time |
A team of 3 pays $0 on Zoho Desk Free, Jira Service Management Free, Spiceworks Core, and Raiseaticket Free. The same team pays $90 a month on SherpaDesk Base Camp, or $80 a month, billed annually. "Not on the page" means the vendor's pricing or feature page we read doesn't list it; it may still exist. SherpaDesk's Single Agent card lists Invoicing; Zoho Desk's invoice integration starts on Standard.
Best Free Cloud Plans
On the hosted plans below, you don't run a server, and you accept a cap instead. Spiceworks, for example, says "we host it for you, handling backups and maintenance".
SherpaDesk Single Agent
Best for a one-person IT shop or MSP that bills clients and plans to grow
$0 for one agent, forever · Base Camp $45 per agent per month for more ($40 per agent per month, billed annually)
- Time tracking and invoicing on the free plan
- First agent stays free: team of 3 pays $90 a month ($80 a month, billed annually)
- No contract; card only when you add a second agent
- Cloud only; "limited features"
A helpdesk and PSA a small IT team can run alone. No contract. No implementation project. No dedicated admin.
The pricing FAQ lists Single Agent as "Free forever (limited features)". Its plan card includes Ticket Management, Time Tracking, Expenses, Invoicing, Quoting, Reporting, Projects, ToDos, Knowledgebase, and the Mobile App. Multiple technicians come with Base Camp ($45 per agent per month, or $40 per agent per month, billed annually). The High Camp card ($55 per agent per month; $50 per agent per month, billed annually) includes Asset Management, Full Vanity URL, and Custom Email Domain.
When you hire, the system asks for payment as you add agents. Your first agent stays free on paid plans, so N agents pay for N−1. Two technicians on Base Camp pay $45 a month, or $40 a month, billed annually.
No contract, and you can cancel any time. The system asks for card details only when you add agents beyond the free one. To try the paid plans first, you get 14 days free, no card. There is no onboarding fee, and migration is included.
Strengths
- Time tracking, invoicing, and quoting at $0
- The free agent carries over to paid plans
- No contract; cancel any time
Limitations
- One agent on the free plan, listed as "limited features"
- Cloud only; no self-hosted edition
- Asset Management is on the High Camp card ($55 per agent per month, or $50 per agent per month, billed annually)
Recommendation
Choose SherpaDesk Single Agent if you are one technician who needs time tracking and invoicing in the same free tool as your tickets. Consider another option if three people need free seats today and nobody bills.
Zoho Desk Free
Best for up to 3 people answering support email who don't need automation yet
$0 for three user licenses · Express $9 per agent per month ($7 per agent per month, billed annually) · Standard $20 per agent per month ($14 per agent per month, billed annually)
- Email ticketing and a default SLA
- No workflow rules or time tracking on Free
- Team of 3: $0 on Free; $27 on Express ($21 a month, billed annually) · SherpaDesk $90 ($80 a month, billed annually)
- 15-day trial of paid editions
Zoho calls the free plan "Easy email ticketing, right out of the box!" and gives it three user licenses. Its plan comparison gives Free a default SLA, but no workflow rules, multi-level escalations, or custom domain mapping. Manual ticket time tracking and the Zoho Books/Invoice integration start on Standard.
The first paid step is Express. It adds web forms, direct assignment rules, workflows, custom domain, and multi-level escalations, and caps the team at 5 users. Standard, at $20 per agent per month, or $14 per agent per month, billed annually, adds manual time tracking. Express costs $9 per agent per month, or $7 per agent per month, billed annually.
Strengths
- Three free users
- Low-priced first paid step
Limitations
- No workflow rules, multi-level escalations, or custom domain on Free
- Time tracking and invoice integration start on Standard
Recommendation
Choose Zoho Desk Free if two or three people share a support inbox and assign tickets by hand. Consider another option if you need automation rules or time on tickets at $0.
Jira Service Management Free (Atlassian Service Collection)
Best for internal IT teams of up to 3 agents that want a request portal and Teams or Slack intake
$0 for 3 agents · Standard $26.90 per agent per month for 1–15 agents, or $800 a year for 1–3
- A 4th agent needs Standard, priced for all four
- Team of 3: $0 · SherpaDesk $90 ($80 a month, billed annually)
- Team of 4 on Standard: $107.60 a month ($1,350 a year) · SherpaDesk $135 ($120 a month, billed annually)
- Community support only
The Free plan takes requests by email, Microsoft Teams, Slack, an embedded widget, or a customer portal, and includes an embedded knowledge base. It allows 1,250 automation steps per subscription per month, with 2GB of storage and support from the Atlassian Community.
The catch is the step from 3 agents to 4. If you exceed the Free user or storage limit, Atlassian moves you to a 14-day trial of Standard, and monthly billing counts every user. For four agents, Standard is $107.60 a month at $26.90 each, or $1,350 a year for 4 to 5 agents. Standard also adds asset and configuration management and a custom-branded help center.
Strengths
- Portal, email, Teams, and Slack on Free
- Knowledge base included
Limitations
- Free ends at 3 agents
- Community support only on Free
Recommendation
Choose Jira Service Management Free if your IT team is 3 or fewer and already uses Atlassian tools. Consider another option if you'll hire a fourth person within the year.
Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk Core
Best for internal IT teams of up to 5 that want a hosted queue with no budget at all
$0 for 1 to 5 seats · Premium $7 per seat per month, or $6 per seat per month, billed annually
- Unlimited end users and an end user portal
- Ad-free only on Premium
- Team of 3: $0 on Core; $21 on Premium ($18 a month, billed annually) · SherpaDesk $90 ($80 a month, billed annually)
Spiceworks calls Core "our free and supported option". It includes ticketing, incident tracking, alerts, reporting, unlimited end users, an end user portal, custom attributes, and multi-factor authentication.
The paid Premium plan lifts the 5-seat limit, drops the ads, and brings bulk actions, custom ticket statuses, and task lists.
Strengths
- 5 free seats, hosted
- Premium is $6 per seat per month, billed annually
Limitations
- Ads on Core
- Custom ticket statuses need Premium
Recommendation
Choose Spiceworks Core if you need 4 or 5 free seats this week and can live with ads. Consider another option if you bill for the work.
Raiseaticket Free
Best for small teams that want SLA policies and a client portal at $0 and can stay under 500 tickets a month
$0 for 5 agents and 500 tickets a month · extra capacity in agent packs, priced in euros
- SLA policies, knowledge base, and reports on Free
- Email tickets pause at 500 a month
- SSO, automation, and API are paid add-ons
- Team of 3: $0 · SherpaDesk $90 ($80 a month, billed annually)
Raiseaticket is "free forever for up to 5 agents and 500 tickets per month," with no card and no expiry date. The free plan includes SLA policies, a knowledge base, reports, a client portal, and multi-factor authentication.
At the ticket limit, new tickets from email pause until the count resets, while the portal stays open. Single sign-on, automation, asset management, change management, and the REST API are premium add-ons.
Strengths
- SLA policies on the free plan
- 5 agents free
Limitations
- 500 tickets a month
- Email support on a best-effort basis
Recommendation
Choose Raiseaticket if you want response goals on a free plan and your volume is steady. Consider another option if a busy month could pass 500 tickets.
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Best Free Self-Hosted Ticketing Systems
These four have no per-agent fee on the self-hosted software: osTicket, FreeScout, and Zammad are open source, and Hesk is a free download. You pay in server time and your own hours, and you keep the data on your server.
osTicket
Best for a technician who knows PHP and MySQL and must keep tickets on a company server
Free open source · cloud edition from $12 per agent per month
- Free edition: help from the community
- Team of 3: $0 self-hosted (server extra), or $36 in the cloud · SherpaDesk $90 ($80 a month, billed annually)
- 30-day trial of the cloud edition
osTicket's site says it "is completely free". The free edition comes without email and phone support, managed upgrades, or daily backups; the cloud edition adds all three.
To install it, your server needs Apache, LiteSpeed, or IIS with URL rewriting, PHP 8.2 to 8.4, and MySQL 5.5 or later. The docs say general knowledge of web servers, PHP, and MySQL helps. The cloud edition's page doesn't state a billing period for its $12 price.
Strengths
- No license cost
- Paid cloud edition if you tire of hosting
Limitations
- You run upgrades and backups
- Time tracking and invoicing not on the features page
Recommendation
Choose osTicket if policy keeps tickets on your servers and someone on the team runs a LAMP stack today. Consider another option if nobody wants to own the server.
FreeScout
Best for teams that run support from shared mailboxes and want to buy only the features they use
Free open source · paid modules one-time per instance, e.g. Time Tracking $8.99
- Unlimited agents, tickets, and mailboxes
- End-user portal is a $12.99 module
- Module payments are non-refundable
- Team of 3: $0 plus your server · SherpaDesk $90 ($80 a month, billed annually)
FreeScout is a PHP and MySQL helpdesk and shared inbox with unlimited support agents, tickets, and mailboxes. Features beyond the core come as modules, sold as lifetime licenses for a single instance with lifetime updates.
Time Tracking costs $8.99, the Knowledge Base module $12.00, and the End-User Portal module, which lets customers submit tickets from a portal or contact form widget, $12.99. Satisfaction ratings, teams, and workflows are modules too. For branding, a $10.99 module sets your logo, favicon, and footer, and a $15.00 module removes "Powered by FreeScout" from the widgets. The "Support powered by FreeScout" line in emails is a setting you can uncheck at no cost. The install guide walks you through PHP, MySQL, the web server, and cron jobs.
Strengths
- No agent or ticket cap
- Pay once per feature
Limitations
- Core features sit in paid modules
- You run the server and the cron jobs
Recommendation
Choose FreeScout if your support lives in email and you're happy to buy a few modules once. Consider another option if you'd rather not maintain a PHP server.
Zammad
Best for IT teams with a Linux admin who want time accounting in a self-hosted helpdesk
Free to download and run on your servers · hosted plans and support contracts priced in euros
- You handle updates, backups, and availability
- Needs PostgreSQL 15 or newer, Redis, and a reverse proxy
- Team of 3: $0 plus your server · SherpaDesk $90 ($80 a month, billed annually)
Zammad describes itself as an open source support and ticketing system you can "Download and install … on your own servers. For free.". Its pricing page is just as direct about self-hosting: "You are responsible for updates, backups, and availability".
Its feature page lists Time Accounting, so agents "record the exact processing time per ticket". The server needs PostgreSQL 15 or newer, a reverse proxy, Redis, and Memcached, with Elasticsearch optional. One r/k12sysadmin member who runs it summed up the trade: "Staff likes it, I like it, maintenance thinks it's too complicated".
Strengths
- Free self-hosted edition
- Time accounting per ticket
Limitations
- Needs PostgreSQL, Redis, Memcached, and a reverse proxy
- Paid plans in euros only
Recommendation
Choose Zammad if a Linux admin on your team wants to own it. Consider another option if nobody will own PostgreSQL and Redis updates.
Hesk
Best for a very small team that wants a simple helpdesk on its own PHP/MySQL hosting
Free download · license $49.99 plus VAT, one-time, removes "Powered by Hesk" branding
- Branding stays until you buy a license
- License excludes hosting, updates, and backups
- Team of 3: $0 plus your server · SherpaDesk $90 ($80 a month, billed annually)
Hesk is "Free to download," with flat-fee cloud plans for teams that don't want a server. Its feature page lists canned replies and the ability to "track time spent on tickets". The $49.99 license removes the branding and includes one year of support, but "will not activate any new features".
The license page lists what it leaves to you: hosting, installation, updates, backups, server configuration, cron job setup, and email-to-ticket setup.
Strengths
- Time spent on tickets
- One-time license, no per-agent fee
Limitations
- Branding on the free install
- Email-to-ticket setup is your job
Recommendation
Choose Hesk if you have PHP/MySQL hosting and can set up cron and email-to-ticket yourself. Consider another option if nobody on the team wants to patch PHP after every advisory.
Also Free, Covered In Our Other Guides
- ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus Standard: free for up to five technicians. Reviewed in IT Help Desk Software, along with GLPI.
- Desk365: a lifetime free plan for up to 50 tickets a month after the trial. Reviewed in Ticketing System Software.
- Request Tracker: open source, with time estimated and worked on every ticket built in.
What Self-Hosting Costs In Your Time
Self-hosted ticketing has no license fee, and recurring admin work moves to your calendar. NIST defines patch management as identifying, prioritizing, acquiring, installing, and verifying patches, updates, and upgrades. It calls that preventive maintenance that "helps prevent compromises, data breaches, operational disruptions, and other adverse events". A ticket server full of user names is one more system on that list.
Here is a real week from this month. Two critical PHP vulnerabilities were announced, and Hesk posted a notice. Its cloud servers were patched on October 21, 2026: "No action is needed from Hesk Cloud customers." Self-hosted users were told: "Please update PHP on your server … as soon as possible". On a hosted plan, that work is the vendor's. On your own server, it's yours.
| Job | What it involves | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Install the stack | Web server, PHP or Ruby, database, plus Redis or a reverse proxy for some tools | Once, and again on a new server |
| Email to ticket | Mailbox connection, forwarding rules, and a cron job that fetches mail | Once, then whenever mail breaks |
| Security patches | Operating system, PHP, database, and the app itself | After every security advisory |
| Backups | Database and attachments, with a restore you have tested | On a schedule you set, with restores you test |
| Upgrades | New app versions, sometimes with a database migration | Every release you install |
| Uptime | Disk space, certificates, and a check that the queue is up | Ongoing |
Some practitioners keep the server bill small. "You can host your own OSTicket on Digital Ocean for next to free. Ours is $6 a month," one r/k12sysadmin member wrote. The other recurring cost is admin labor. Put your own figures in below; 4 hours and $75 are only starting values.
Recurring admin labor each month
hours × hourly value. Your numbers stay in the browser.
The result is recurring labor only. Add the server bill and the one-time jobs: the first install, email-to-ticket setup, and any restore after a failure. Then compare the total with the hosted steps in the Cost Table. If policy requires your own server, that total is the cost of the policy, and worth putting in the budget.
When Does A Free Ticketing System Stop Being Free?
Free stops on the day you add the person, the ticket, or the feature above the cap. Plan for that day now. The table shows the first paid step for a team of 3, plus the fourth hire on the tools with a 3-agent cap.
| Tool and plan | Team | Billed monthly | Billed annually | What it adds over free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SherpaDesk Base Camp (first agent free) | 3 | $90 | $80 | Multiple technicians; time tracking and invoicing already on free |
| SherpaDesk Base Camp (first agent free) | 4 | $135 | $120 | Same plan, one more agent |
| Zoho Desk Express | 3 | $27 | $21 | Workflows, multi-level escalations, custom domain; 5-user cap |
| Zoho Desk Standard | 3 | $60 | $42 | Manual time tracking; Zoho Books/Invoice integration |
| Jira Service Management Standard | 4 | $107.60 | $112.50 ($1,350 a year) | The fourth agent; asset management, branded help center |
| Spiceworks Premium | 3 | $21 | $18 | No ads; bulk actions, task lists, custom statuses |
| osTicket cloud | 3 | From $36 (billing period not stated) | Hosting, upgrades, backups, phone and email support | |
| Tool and purchase | One-time price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| SherpaDesk | $0 | No onboarding fee; migration included |
| FreeScout End-User Portal, Time Tracking, Knowledge Base | $33.98, plus your server | Portal, time on tickets, knowledge base |
| Hesk license | $49.99 plus VAT, plus your server | No branding; one year of support |
Billed monthly, a team of 3 pays $90 on SherpaDesk Base Camp, $27 on Zoho Desk Express, $60 on Zoho Desk Standard, and $21 on Spiceworks Premium. Billed annually, the same team pays $80, $21, $42, and $18 a month. At 4 agents, Jira Service Management Standard is $107.60 a month and SherpaDesk Base Camp $135, or $112.50 and $120 a month, billed annually.
If nobody pays for your hours, the cheaper steps are the right buy. If clients do pay, check how an hour becomes an invoice on each plan before you buy. Zoho Desk connects to Zoho Books/Invoice from Standard. On SherpaDesk, Invoicing is on the plan card from Single Agent up.
How To Choose Free Ticketing Software For Your Team
Start with headcount, because that is what most free plans price. The highest-voted reply in the r/sysadmin thread made the point: "You are in the sweet spot as only 1 agent usually vendors charge per agent".
After headcount, the choice comes down to three questions.
-
Are you one technician who needs invoicing?
- If yes
- Start with SherpaDesk Single Agent; its plan card lists time tracking and invoicing at $0. Log a week of tickets and invoice one client.
- If several technicians bill
- On SherpaDesk, two or more technicians require a paid plan: 3 technicians on Base Camp pay $90 a month ($80 a month, billed annually). Check each tool's invoicing and price the team in the Cost Table.
- If nobody bills
- Compare the free caps in the Comparison Table and pick the one that covers your headcount for the next year.
-
Must the tickets stay on your own server?
- If yes
- Pick osTicket, FreeScout, Zammad, or Hesk, and budget the hours from the Self-Hosting Calculator.
- If no
- Take a hosted plan and let the vendor patch it.
-
Will you add a fourth person within a year?
- If yes
- Price the fourth seat now. A 3-agent free plan can move the whole team to a paid plan.
- If no
- A 3-agent free plan can last you a long time.
Before you move your queue onto a free plan, check five points. For a full trial test, see our guide to Ticketing System Software.
For the wider category of helpdesks that bill, read our guide to PSA Software.
Recommendation
Choose SherpaDesk Single Agent if you are one technician and need invoicing built in. The plan card lists ticketing, time tracking, and invoicing at $0, and the free agent stays free as you grow. Consider Zoho Desk Free or Jira Service Management Free if up to 3 people need free seats and nobody bills, or Spiceworks Core for up to 5.
How this works in SherpaDesk
Start Free, Add Technicians Later
The Single Agent plan card lists Ticket Management, Time Tracking, Invoicing, and Quoting at $0. In SherpaDesk, uninvoiced time and expenses collect in Ready to Invoice by the client's contract, and invoices are created from the Invoices page.
When you hire, you add agents and the system asks for payment. Your first agent stays free, so two technicians pay for one Base Camp seat at $45 a month ($40 a month, billed annually). For the full ticket-to-invoice flow, see our guide to Ticketing System Software.
Single Agent is $0 for one agent, forever, with limited features. When you hire, Base Camp is $45 per agent per month ($40 per agent per month, billed annually), and your first agent stays free.
Where SherpaDesk fits
The free plan covers one agent. If three people need free seats today and nobody bills, Zoho Desk Free, Jira Service Management Free, or Spiceworks Core costs you less.
You get SherpaDesk as a cloud service only, maintained and updated by us, so a policy that requires your own server points to osTicket or FreeScout. We don't build RMM. We integrate with yours, and the stack stays yours.
There is no built-in survey tool; you attach your own survey to the closed-ticket email.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a completely free ticketing system?
Yes, with a limit. Free plans cap the people or tickets: SherpaDesk Single Agent is free for one agent, Zoho Desk Free for three users, and Spiceworks Core for 1 to 5 seats. Open source tools such as osTicket, FreeScout, and Zammad have no license fee, but you run the server, patches, and backups yourself.
Does Freshdesk still have a free plan?
Its pricing page lists Growth, Pro, and Enterprise, with no free plan. Growth is $19 per agent per month, billed annually, so a team of 3 pays $57 a month, billed annually. On SherpaDesk Base Camp, the same team pays $80 a month, billed annually. An r/k12sysadmin member at a school reported in July 2026 that their free tier had expired and asked them to upgrade.
Can a small MSP run on a free helpdesk?
A one-technician MSP can. SherpaDesk Single Agent is free for one agent, and its plan card includes time tracking, invoicing, quoting, and expenses. On SherpaDesk, two or more technicians require a paid plan. The first agent stays free, so 3 technicians on Base Camp pay $90 a month, or $80 a month, billed annually. Compare that with the Cost Table.
Which free ticketing tools are open source?
In this guide: osTicket, FreeScout, and Zammad, plus Request Tracker. Hesk is free to download, but its pages we read don't state an open source license. Open source means the license allows redistribution and includes the source code, not only that the download is free. You host them yourself, or pay for a hosted edition where the project offers one.
Patrick co-founded SherpaDesk and has led it as CEO since 2013. He has worked with IT service providers since 1998, first on network projects for schools and government offices, then on the helpdesk software their technicians use every day.