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Comparison · Support

Libredesk vs Request Tracker

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Libredesk and Request Tracker — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Libredesk vs Request Tracker: at a glance

FeatureLibredeskRequest Tracker
SectorSupportSupport
Velocity score5.00.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themeshelpdesk, omnichannel, ai-assist, open-sourceticketing, security-releases, multi-branch, cve
Last editorial update2d ago2mo ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Libredesk?

Libredesk moves to v2.9.1 candidates with AI reply handling and security audit fixes.

Libredesk, an open-source helpdesk, shipped v2.9.0 after ten release candidates that added a WhatsApp inbox, proactive chat, an in-widget help center, email aliases and cited AI replies. The first v2.9.1 candidate is a hardening pass: security audit fixes, dependency and Go updates, a database-aware health check, and immediate IMAP scanning on inbox start. It also answers customer messages that arrive while the AI is still replying and skips away agents in auto-assignment.

Read the full Libredesk trajectory →

What is Request Tracker?

Request Tracker maintains three branches in lockstep, and security is what sets the release calendar.

Best Practical ships RT across three concurrent branches, 4.4, 5.0 and 6.0, and coordinates security releases across all of them on the same day. The most recent pair, 5.0.10 and 6.0.3, both landed on 2026-05-20 carrying the same fixes: a privilege escalation and credential disclosure through the REST 2.0 user collection endpoint (CVE-2026-44231), SQL injection via the entry_aggregator parameter in JSON search (CVE-2026-41075), and an LDAP authentication bypass. Feature work rides along on the 6.0 branch, while 5.0 and 4.4 receive security fixes and little else.

Read the full Request Tracker trajectory →

Libredesk vs Request Tracker: editorial side-by-side

L
Libredesk
SUPPORT
5.0

Libredesk moves to v2.9.1 candidates with AI reply handling and security audit fixes.

◆ Current state

Libredesk, an open-source helpdesk, shipped v2.9.0 after ten release candidates that added a WhatsApp inbox, proactive chat, an in-widget help center, email aliases and cited AI replies. The first v2.9.1 candidate is a hardening pass: security audit fixes, dependency and Go updates, a database-aware health check, and immediate IMAP scanning on inbox start. It also answers customer messages that arrive while the AI is still replying and skips away agents in auto-assignment.

◆ Where it's heading

With 2.9's channel expansion done, work has shifted to reliability around those features: AI conversation edge cases, assignment accuracy and email decoding. The project keeps using long RC series before each release.

◆ Prediction

Expect a stable v2.9.1 after a few more candidates, then a 2.10 RC series. The entries don't show what 2.10 will add.

R0.0

Request Tracker maintains three branches in lockstep, and security is what sets the release calendar.

◆ Current state

Best Practical ships RT across three concurrent branches, 4.4, 5.0 and 6.0, and coordinates security releases across all of them on the same day. The most recent pair, 5.0.10 and 6.0.3, both landed on 2026-05-20 carrying the same fixes: a privilege escalation and credential disclosure through the REST 2.0 user collection endpoint (CVE-2026-44231), SQL injection via the entry_aggregator parameter in JSON search (CVE-2026-41075), and an LDAP authentication bypass. Feature work rides along on the 6.0 branch, while 5.0 and 4.4 receive security fixes and little else.

◆ Where it's heading

The branch structure is consolidating. RT 4.4 reached its last planned release at 4.4.9 in October 2025, with users pointed at 5 or 6, and 6.0 is where features now land: dashboard saved searches gained pagination and sorting, statuses take colors from lifecycle configuration, custom fields display multi-column by default, and keyboard menu navigation improved. The 5.0 line still gets real work but of a narrower kind, such as the inline CSS handling in ticket history that shipped with 5.0.10. Expect the same-day multi-branch security release to remain the pattern for as long as two branches are supported.

◆ Prediction

The next release is most likely another coordinated security pair on 5.0 and 6.0, with feature work continuing to accumulate only on 6.0.

Alternatives to Libredesk and Request Tracker

Other Support products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Libredesk or Request Tracker.

See all Libredesk alternatives → · See all Request Tracker alternatives →

Recent activity from Libredesk and Request Tracker

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 2d agoLibredeskv2.9.1 RC1: security audit fixes, AI reply and assignment fixes
  2. 8d agoLibredeskv2.9 RC10: widget language control, quoted history in emails
  3. 18d agoLibredeskv2.9 RC9: email aliases, AI reply citations, session hardening
  4. 1mo agoLibredeskv2.9 RC8: WhatsApp inbox, proactive chat, AI tools in copilot
  5. 5mo agoRequest TrackerSecurity release fixes REST 2.0 credential disclosure and SQL injection
  6. 5mo agoRequest TrackerSame security fixes as 5.0.10, plus dashboard and accessibility work
  7. 1y agoRequest TrackerCalendar view for saved searches and memory management work
  8. 1y agoRequest TrackerCSV injection fix in TSV export, with assorted updates
  9. 1y agoRequest TrackerFinal RT 4.4 release closes the branch with one security fix
  10. 1y agoRequest TrackerRelease exists mainly to support RTIR 6.0.1

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Libredesk and Request Tracker?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Libredesk is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Libredesk better than Request Tracker?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Libredesk is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Support products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Libredesk?

Top Libredesk alternatives in Support are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Libredesk alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/libredesk for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Request Tracker?

Top Request Tracker alternatives in Support are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Request Tracker alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/request-tracker for the full list with editorial commentary on each.