head to head · open source
Inbox Zero vs Freescout
Inbox Zero has 12,238 GitHub stars, 1,536 forks, 209 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Freescout has 4,541 stars, 717 forks, 29 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Inbox Zero leads on adoption by 170% (12,238 vs 4,541 stars). Inbox Zero is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Freescout is written in PHP under AGPL-3.0. Inbox Zero has attracted 13% as many forks as stars, Freescout 16%. Inbox Zero was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Inbox Zero | Freescout | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 12K | ★ 4.5K |
| License | Custom / other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | PHP |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-16 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.5K | ⑂ 717 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Inbox Zero if
- You weight community size — 12K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Freescout if
- You want the Freescout feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You evaluated both and Freescout fits your workflow better
About Inbox Zero
Inbox Zero is an open source AI email assistant written in TypeScript and placed in the email productivity ecosystem. It is a web application built with Next.js, shadcn/ui, Prisma, and related tools. The project describes itself as a 24/7 assistant that organizes email, drafts replies, manages calendar context, and handles attachments.
read the full Inbox Zero overview →
About Freescout
FreeScout is an open source helpdesk and shared inbox for customer support teams. It lives in the PHP and Laravel ecosystem and is licensed under AGPL 3.0. The project presents itself as a free self hosted alternative to Zendesk and Help Scout, and its topics place it among helpdesk ticketing systems and OSTicket alternatives.
read the full Freescout overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Inbox Zero or Freescout more popular?
Inbox Zero has 12,238 GitHub stars and Freescout has 4,541. Inbox Zero has the larger community by that measure.
Are Inbox Zero and Freescout free?
Both are open source. Inbox Zero has no licence declared in this registry, and Freescout is licensed under AGPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Inbox Zero and Freescout?
Inbox Zero is written in TypeScript and Freescout in PHP. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Inbox Zero or Freescout?
Choose Inbox Zero if you want the larger community (12,238 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Freescout if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.