Open-source alternative
Replace Freshdesk with Chatwoot + Resend + Onyx
The best open-source alternative to Freshdesk is Chatwoot (or Resend) with Onyx, self-hosted on Railway. Shared inbox, help center, and AI answers. Intercom, Zendesk, and Freshdesk without the platform tax.
Estimated save $8,000 a year.
Open the stackStart on Railway
How Freshdesk compares
| Freshdesk | Chatwoot + Resend + Onyx | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Hosted subscription | Open-source or fair-code license; you pay the host |
| Hosting | Vendor cloud | Self-hosted on Railway or any VPS |
| Rough monthly cost | Public list price not verified this run | Hosting only — no SaaS seat meter in this repo |
FAQ
- Is it free?
- The Chatwoot + Resend + Onyx licenses are open source or fair-code. You still pay hosting (Railway or any VPS) and any APIs the stack calls. There is no Freshdesk seat or task bill on this path.
- Can I migrate from Freshdesk?
- Yes. Start with the workflows or data you actually use, then cut over. The Chatwoot + Resend + Onyx stack page has the agent prompt and the cost table; most teams rebuild the slice that matters and leave old Freshdesk links until they expire.
- How do I deploy it?
- Open the Chatwoot + Resend + Onyx stack, copy the agent prompt, and deploy on Railway (one service, PORT, and a volume when the app needs disk). Placeholder: Chatwoot + Resend + Onyx. Medium; needs SMTP and a vector store for Onyx.
- What does this replace?
- Intercom / Zendesk / Freshdesk. The published small-team estimate on this stack is $8,000 a year.
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