head to head · open source
Freescout vs UnInbox
Freescout has 4,541 GitHub stars, 717 forks, 29 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. UnInbox has 1,757 stars, 127 forks, 42 open issues and last shipped 7 months ago. Freescout leads on adoption by 158% (4,541 vs 1,757 stars). Freescout is written in PHP under AGPL-3.0; UnInbox is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. Freescout has attracted 16% as many forks as stars, UnInbox 7%. Freescout 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
| Freescout | UnInbox | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 4.5K | ★ 1.8K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | PHP | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-16 | 2026-02-11 |
| Forks | ⑂ 717 | ⑂ 127 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Freescout if
- You weight community size — 4.5K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick UnInbox if
- You want the UnInbox feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and UnInbox fits your workflow better
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 →
About UnInbox
UnInbox is an open source communication infrastructure project for teams and professionals, built in the TypeScript and Next.js ecosystem and positioned as a modern replacement for outdated email tools. It presents itself as a web application that reimagines email communication for current workflows, while still working with existing email infrastructure or replacing it entirely.
read the full UnInbox overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Freescout or UnInbox more popular?
Freescout has 4,541 GitHub stars and UnInbox has 1,757. Freescout has the larger community by that measure.
Are Freescout and UnInbox free?
Both are open source. Freescout is licensed under AGPL-3.0, and UnInbox has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Freescout and UnInbox?
Freescout is written in PHP and UnInbox in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Freescout or UnInbox?
Choose Freescout if you want the larger community (4,541 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose UnInbox if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.