In simple English
This tool lets you collect and answer customer emails in one shared inbox. It helps teams track who replied to whom and when. You run it on your own server so your data stays private. It costs nothing for the software, but you need a server and some technical skill to set it up. You will need to handle updates and backups yourself over time.
What it is
Znuny is a web-based ticketing system that continues the older OTRS project. It provides a central place to manage customer service requests and internal support tasks.
What it is good for
Solo builders and small teams who want a free, self-hosted help desk to handle customer support emails without paying a monthly fee.
- Runs entirely on your own hardware so you own all customer data.
- Includes custom fields and queues to sort different types of support requests.
- Active community and regular security updates keep the project alive.
- Requires a dedicated Linux server with Apache, a database, and Perl configured.
- Setup is complex for non-programmers and involves manual configuration files.
- Uses the GPL-3.0 licence (a legal agreement that says if you modify the code and share it, your changes must also be free and open).
Paid customer support software like Zendesk or Help Scout
Apache web server and MySQL
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Download the latest release tarball from the Znuny website and follow the installation guide in their documentation to set up the web server and database.