What AI assistants actually recommend when buyers ask about self-hosted helpdesk software — measured on a rolling 4-week window across 4 engines, published as open data.
Updated 2026-09-17 · 28 sampled answers · rolling 4-week window · methodology
Rankings are measured from sampled AI answers — never editorial, never paid. Orbator builds AI-visibility tooling; when Orbator itself appears in any category, it is measured by the same rules as everyone else.
Measured by Orbatormethodology owner Henrik Tellewindow ends Sep 17, 2026
Sample: 28 AI answers · Window: Aug 20, 2026 – Sep 17, 2026 (4-week rolling) · trend vs prior 4 weeks (98 answers)
Samples by engine: GEMINI 7 (last run Sep 5, 2026) · CHATGPT 7 (last run Sep 5, 2026) · CLAUDE 7 (last run Sep 6, 2026) · PERPLEXITY 7 (last run Sep 5, 2026) · GROK 0 (last run Aug 15, 2026 — stalest)
How these numbers are made: sampling design · prompt provenance · what counts as a mention · what we cannot see
On the record: This ranking is frozen as a dated snapshot every day. View this category's history to see what entered and left the ranking and when, or read what the engines actually said on a given day.
Across 28 sampled AI answers from 4 engines, HelpDesk is recommended most often — appearing in 85.7% of recommendations, followed by FreeScout (75%) and Zammad (71.4%).
This is a measurement of share of voice across 4 AI engines — not an editorial pick. See the full ranking below.
Orbator asked Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity buyer questions about self-hosted helpdesk software and sampled 28 answers between Aug 20, 2026 and Sep 17, 2026. Recommendation share counts the answers that recommended or listed a product, so a passing mention or a warning adds nothing to it. A category publishes once it holds at least 20 independently sampled answers in the window. Read the full methodology or download this ranking as CSV.
| # | Product | Share | Trend | Engines | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | helpdesk.com | 85.7% 95% CI 68.5–94.3% 24 mentions · avg pos 2.5 first pick 29.2% | — | GEMINI 100%CHATGPT 85.7%CLAUDE 71.4%PERPLEXITY 85.7% | Claim |
| 2 | freescout.net | 75% 95% CI 56.6–87.3% 21 mentions · avg pos 2.6 first pick 19% | — | GEMINI 85.7%CHATGPT 57.1%CLAUDE 85.7%PERPLEXITY 71.4% | Claim |
| 3 | zammad.org | 71.4% 95% CI 52.9–84.7% 20 mentions · avg pos 2.3 first pick 30% | — | GEMINI 85.7%CHATGPT 57.1%CLAUDE 71.4%PERPLEXITY 71.4% | Claim |
| 4 | zendesk.com | 39.3% 95% CI 23.6–57.6% 11 mentions · avg pos 1.8 first pick 45.5% | — | GEMINI 42.9%CHATGPT 42.9%CLAUDE 28.6%PERPLEXITY 42.9% | Claim |
| 5 | osticket.com | 35.7% 95% CI 20.7–54.2% 10 mentions · avg pos 2.4 first pick 40% | — | GEMINI 71.4%CHATGPT 14.3%CLAUDE 28.6%PERPLEXITY 28.6% | Claim |
| 6 | helpscout.com | 28.6% 95% CI 15.3–47.1% 8 mentions · avg pos 2.3 first pick 25% | — | GEMINI 42.9%CHATGPT 28.6%CLAUDE 14.3%PERPLEXITY 28.6% | Claim |
| 7 | chatwoot.com | 28.6% 95% CI 15.3–47.1% 8 mentions · avg pos 2.4 first pick 25% | — | GEMINI 28.6%CHATGPT 42.9%CLAUDE 28.6%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 8 | php.net | 28.6% 95% CI 15.3–47.1% 8 mentions · avg pos 3.1 first pick 12.5% | — | GEMINI 42.9%CHATGPT 28.6%CLAUDE 28.6%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 9 | glpi-project.org | 28.6% 95% CI 15.3–47.1% 8 mentions · avg pos 4.7 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3%CHATGPT 57.1%CLAUDE 14.3%PERPLEXITY 28.6% | Claim |
| 10 | frappe.io | 21.4% 95% CI 10.2–39.5% 6 mentions · avg pos 4.3 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 28.6%CLAUDE 42.9%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 11 | otrs.com | 17.9% 95% CI 7.9–35.6% 5 mentions · avg pos 4.7 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3%CLAUDE 42.9%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 12 | uvdesk.com | 17.9% 95% CI 7.9–35.6% 5 mentions · avg pos 5.2 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 28.6%CHATGPT 14.3%CLAUDE 14.3%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 13 | mysql.com | 14.3% 95% CI 5.7–31.5% 4 mentions · avg pos 2.8 first pick 25% | — | GEMINI 14.3%CHATGPT 14.3%CLAUDE 14.3%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 14 | deskpro.com | 14.3% 95% CI 5.7–31.5% 4 mentions · avg pos 3.3 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 28.6%PERPLEXITY 28.6% | Claim |
| 15 | intercom.com | 14.3% 95% CI 5.7–31.5% 4 mentions · avg pos 3.3 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3%CHATGPT 42.9% | Claim |
| 16 | Libredesk | 14.3% 95% CI 5.7–31.5% 4 mentions · avg pos 4 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 28.6%CLAUDE 14.3%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 17 | freshdesk.com | 10.7% 95% CI 3.7–27.2% 3 mentions · avg pos 1 first pick 100% | — | CHATGPT 42.9% | Claim |
| 18 | helpspot.com | 10.7% 95% CI 3.7–27.2% 3 mentions · avg pos 3.7 first pick 66.7% | — | GEMINI 14.3%CHATGPT 14.3%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 19 | jitbit.com | 10.7% 95% CI 3.7–27.2% 3 mentions · avg pos 3.7 first pick 33.3% | — | GEMINI 28.6%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 20 | postgresql.org | 10.7% 95% CI 3.7–27.2% 3 mentions · avg pos 5.5 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3%CLAUDE 14.3%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 21 | Znuny | 10.7% 95% CI 3.7–27.2% 3 mentions · avg pos 5.5 first pick 0% | — | CLAUDE 28.6%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 22 | Faveo | 10.7% 95% CI 3.7–27.2% 3 mentions · avg pos 6 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 42.9% | Claim |
| 23 | faveohelpdesk.com | 10.7% 95% CI 3.7–27.2% 3 mentions · avg pos 6 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 42.9% | Claim |
| 24 | shopify.com | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 3.5 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3%CLAUDE 14.3% | Claim |
| 25 | redis.io | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 4 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3%CLAUDE 14.3% | Claim |
| 26 | helpy.io | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 4.5 first pick 0% | — | CHATGPT 14.3%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 27 | opensupports.com | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 7 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 28.6% | Claim |
| 28 | Request Tracker | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 7 first pick 0% | — | CHATGPT 14.3%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 29 | OTOBO | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 8 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3%CLAUDE 14.3% | Claim |
| 30 | ubuntu.com | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 8 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 31 | nginx.org | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 8.5 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 32 | mariadb.org | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 9 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 33 | docker.com | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 9.5 first pick 0% | — | CLAUDE 14.3%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 34 | onedesk.com | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 3 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 35 | SupportPal | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 3 first pick 0% | — | PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 36 | magento.com | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 4 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 37 | make.com | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 4 first pick 0% | — | CHATGPT 14.3% | Claim |
| 38 | useresponse.com | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 5 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 39 | IIS | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 7 first pick 0% | — | PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 40 | centos.org | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 9 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 41 | debian.org | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 9 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 42 | Hesk | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 9 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 43 | microsoft.com | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 32 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 44 | alternativeto.net | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions first pick 0% | — | CLAUDE 14.3% | Claim |
| 45 | elastic.co | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions first pick 0% | — | CLAUDE 14.3% | Claim |
Reading the numbers: Share is a point estimate on 28 sampled answers, so each row also shows its 95% CI — the Wilson score interval around that share. When two products' intervals overlap, the gap between them isn't statistically meaningful at this sample size. First pick is the share of a product's recommending answers where it was named first, which separates “always mentioned” from “usually the top recommendation”. Full methodology.
Independence: Orbator customers are badged for disclosure. Customer status does not affect prompts, sampling, extraction, or ranking — see the methodology. Your product on this list? Claim it to see the prompts behind your rank and track it weekly.
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Head-to-head pages for products ranked in Self-hosted helpdesk software. Each one sets out sourced facts side by side, plus which product AI assistants recommend more, engine by engine.
Every number on this page is measured from sampled answers, and those answers are kept. The archive holds dated excerpts of what each engine answered, never full answers. Read the answer archive for self-hosted helpdesk software to see the excerpts by date and engine, or view the ranking history to see what entered and left this ranking and when.
Across 28 sampled AI answers from 4 engines (Aug 20, 2026 to Sep 17, 2026), HelpDesk is recommended most often for self-hosted helpdesk software, appearing in 85.7% of recommendations, followed by FreeScout (75%). This is a measurement of what AI assistants recommend, not an editorial verdict.
ChatGPT recommends HelpDesk most often for self-hosted helpdesk software. It appears as a recommendation in 85.7% of ChatGPT's sampled answers in this window (Aug 20, 2026 to Sep 17, 2026). Other engines answer differently. The per-engine breakdown in the ranking shows each one.
Orbator samples AI answers to buyer questions across 4 engines and counts how often each product is recommended. No product pays for placement. The self-hosted helpdesk software ranking is based on 28 answers in the current 4-week window (Aug 20, 2026 to Sep 17, 2026). Full methodology is published at https://www.orbator.io/ai-index/methodology.
Verified facts for the most-recommended products — each sourced and dated. No editorial scoring, just the data side by side.
| HelpDeskhelpdesk.com | FreeScoutfreescout.net | Zammadzammad.org | Zendeskzendesk.com | Help Scouthelpscout.com | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | — | — | — | Support Team: $19 a month ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | AI Answers Add-on: $0.75 a month (free tier available) ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 |
| Features | Ticketing ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Omnichannel ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | user support/ticketing solution ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Telephony ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Beacon ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 |
| Platforms | Windows ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Web ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Ubuntu ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Web ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Web ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 |
| Integrations | HubSpot ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Make ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | — | Forethought ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Salesforce ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 |
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