Open-Source Customisation · Helpdesk
FreeScout, set up and extended
The open-source alternative to Help Scout and Zendesk, on your own server, with custom modules that connect it to the rest of your business.
A shared inbox that does not charge per agent
Your support@ and sales@ addresses become shared mailboxes. Every email is a conversation that can be assigned, tagged, noted and followed up, so nothing falls through the cracks and nobody replies twice.
FreeScout is free and open source under the AGPL-3.0 licence, written in PHP on Laravel, and runs on a modest server with MySQL. It has mobile apps, and it is actively developed, with releases every few weeks. Extra features come as modules: some free, some official paid modules with a one-off price, such as the API and webhooks. Details checked against the project's own repository on 9 October 2026.
Weighing FreeScout against Zendesk or Zammad? Rob compares them honestly in his Zendesk alternatives review.
Making it part of how you work
Set up properly
Mailboxes, email connection, users and permissions, saved replies, workflows, and the modules you actually need, on a UK server with backups.
Your data next to the email
A custom module that shows the customer's orders, account or subscription beside the conversation, pulled from Shopify, your CRM or your own system.
Tickets from your systems
Your website, app or back office can open conversations, add notes and update customers through FreeScout's API.
Your own rules
Routing, priorities, reminders and alerts into your team chat, built as proper modules so they survive updates.
Moving from Help Scout or Zendesk
Mailboxes, customers and as much history as you need, with a trial run first.
Updates and support
FreeScout updates often. We test your modules against new releases and keep it patched.
FreeScout modules are Laravel modules, so everything we add sits alongside FreeScout rather than inside it. You own the code we write. More on how we work in open-source customisation.
Is FreeScout right for you?
A good fit when
- Most of your support comes in by email
- Per-agent fees are climbing as the team grows
- You want customer conversations on your own server
- You need it to show information from your own systems
Look elsewhere when
- You run a large contact centre with phone and chat at the centre
- You need advanced reporting and SLAs out of the box
- Two people share an inbox happily and nothing gets missed
- Nobody will look after updates
What people ask us
The core is free, with no fee per agent. Some features come as official modules with a one-off price, and you pay for hosting and for any setup or custom work. For most teams that is far less than a year of per-agent subscriptions.
Yes, with a custom module. We pull the details from wherever they live, such as Shopify, your CRM or your own database, and show them beside the conversation, so your team does not have to switch windows to answer a question.
Not if they are built as modules, which is how we do it. We never edit FreeScout's own code. Before an update goes live, we check your modules still work with it.
Yes. Customers, mailboxes and conversation history can come across. We agree how much history is worth bringing, do a trial run, and switch over at a quiet moment so nothing is missed.
What our clients say
19 clients. A few of their words.
A well-rounded team, ensuring a full suite of expertise & resource is always available. CDS Global have seen the successful completion of major projects over the years where Dev Partners' ability to grasp the underlying business needs to provide a future-proof solution has been invaluable.
We have worked with Jason & his team to develop our Shopify store, and the experience was outstanding from start to finish. The design is clean, modern, and perfectly aligned with our brand identity, while the build is fast, responsive, and easy to manage on the backend. They clearly understood our vision and delivered a store we're genuinely proud of. Highly recommend to any brand looking for a top-quality Shopify partner.
After ongoing issues and delays with our previous developers, we brought in Rob & Jason at Dev Partners to take over all our websites and bespoke software. What a breath of fresh air, fully focused, excellent pre-launch designs and clear communication throughout. Highly recommended.
BPC Energy Ltd turned to Dev Partners for a complete turnkey solution, and they exceeded our expectations. The team handled everything from project management to development and support with real care and attention. They understood what we were aiming for, stayed on top of every detail, and always delivered on schedule with excellent quality.
Working with Dev Partners to redesign and modernise our WMS system: the whole process has been thoroughly professional from the outset and a delight to work with. Cannot recommend enough.
Great agency. Have used Dev Partners for several years and they have built 20+ sites for us, in addition to taking on our legacy websites, upgrading and maintaining. Easy to work with and some great practical ideas to improve our digital offerings.
Jones Hire have been working with Dev Partners on several projects, which have been very successful. They linked our catering database to a new improved website so clients can easily place and update orders, created a custom warehouse picking app to fulfil all our challenging requirements, and are currently developing a custom transport app to streamline our loading and delivery process.
We have been trying to reinvent our website for over 5 years, trying to make it convert and failing each time. Spoke to Rob at Dev Partners, the team helped create our new site and the improvement was instant.
We have been working with Rob and the team for about 10 years now. Dev Partners helped us build a completely bespoke CRM from scratch which manages our daily business and is always well maintained. We have been able to use the system and roll it out in our new franchise branches.
We collaborated with Dev Partners on the front end of a fairly complex telemarketing platform. Rob and Jason took the time to properly understand the moving parts, asked the right questions, and delivered a clean, intuitive interface that's made the system far easier for our team to use.
I have been working with the team at Dev Partners for the last 3 years and we have always been impressed with the speed in which they act on things for us, along with the honest open communication. The team are a valuable and vital part of our supply chain.
We've had a program for our business in the electronic security sector that Dev Partners developed and keep up to date. They've never let us down, always there when needed. Thanks Rob and the team.
Dev Partners have been working with us for just over 2 years. They have significantly upgraded and redesigned our existing web platforms, and always deliver a first class service.
Dev Partners helped us build an event website. The team were very knowledgeable, easy to work with and quick to deliver a high quality product.
Working with Dev Partners has been an exceptional experience. Their team is highly skilled, professional, and committed to delivering results. What truly sets them apart is their communication and transparency; we always felt informed, supported, and confident.
We've worked with Dev Partners a few times to support us on bespoke web build tasks. They're very easy to work with, approachable, and explain the detail in a way that's understandable. A great partner for technical issues at sensible prices.
Excellent customer service backed up with solid experience. As a media business we have had five websites built by Dev Partners. I would certainly recommend them.
Found Dev Partners and they were great, nothing too much trouble. They managed to help us with integrating our old existing system with Shopify.
I've worked with Rob and his team off and on for many years and have always found them to be professional, knowledgeable, and best of all, they listen to their clients and deliver what is required.
We have worked with Dev Partners for 7 years and can highly recommend them for their expertise and excellent customer service.
Tired of paying per agent?
Tell us how your support works today.
Which helpdesk you use now, how many people answer, and what you wish it showed them. If your current setup is the right answer, we will say so.
We reply within one working day.
