OTRS

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Decision Snapshot

OTRS Evaluation Snapshot

Review the most important product facts, official access information, and SoftwareWorld’s page-level trust standards in one place.

User Rating4.5 / 5
Starting PriceContact Vendor
Free Trial14 Days
Free VersionNo
APINot specified
DeploymentCloud Hosted, Deployment Type
HeadquartersGermany
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Product Overview

OTRS Overview

Product description, media, company details, support, training, deployment, customer size, languages, and industries.

About OTRS

OTRS has been around long enough that a lot of the organizations using it today started with it decades ago, and it still shows in how deeply configurable the platform is. Rather than trying to be one thing, it stretches across customer service, IT service management, HR, office management, and even cyber defense through a dedicated module called STORM, all built on the same core ticketing engine.

That flexibility comes from how heavily it can be customized. Businesses can shape workflows, automations, and reporting around their exact processes instead of adapting their processes to fit the software, which is part of why it's certified for ITIL 4 and shows up often in audit heavy environments. One customer, a state education office handling over a thousand tickets a month with just seven agents, described it as the difference between chaos and actually being able to keep up.

  • CMDB and asset management built in for IT teams tracking devices, licenses, and dependencies
  • ISMS and ISO 27001 aligned tools for organizations with formal security compliance requirements
  • AI features including automated ticket summaries, layered on top of the existing platform
  • Available as on premise, managed, or through the free, community supported OTRS Community Edition
It's not the flashiest interface on the market, and the learning curve reflects just how much can be configured, but for organizations that need a serious, audit ready service management platform they can genuinely shape to their own workflows, that depth is exactly the point.
Company OTRS
Founded 2003
Headquarters Germany
Employees 101-500

Support

24x7 Support Email Phone Chat Knowledge Base

Training

In-person Live Online Webinar Documentation Videos

Licensing & Deployment

Proprietary Cloud Hosted On-Premise Web-Based iPhone Android Windows Linux

Typical Customers

Small-Business Midsize-Business Large-Enterprise-Business
Languages Supported 38 languages available
Arabic Bulgarian Catalan Chinese Croatian Czech Danish Dutch English Estonian Finnish French Galician German Greek Hebrew Hindi Hungarian Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Latvian Lithuanian Malay Norwegian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Slovak Slovenian Spanish Swedish Thai Turkish Ukrainian Vietnamese
Industries Served 1 industry available
Consumer Services

Why Choose OTRS

Problem it Solves

  • Problem it Solves Streamlines Enterprise Service Management And Request Handling

Target Users

  • Target Users IT Service Teams
  • Target Users Customer Support Teams
  • Target Users Service Desk Managers
  • Target Users Enterprise Organizations
  • Target Users Managed Service Providers

Core Use Case

  • Core Use Case Resolve Service Requests
  • Core Use Case Automate Support Workflows
  • Core Use Case Manage IT Changes
  • Core Use Case Track Service Performance
  • Core Use Case Deliver Self Service Support

USP

  • USP Enterprise Service Management With Highly Configurable Process Automation

Pros

  • Pros Every request automatically becomes a ticket with a unique ID, so nothing gets lost or duplicated
  • Pros Highly customizable, letting teams tailor queues, workflows, and automations to their needs
  • Pros Strong email inbound handling and API integration with tools like Odoo or Vtiger
  • Pros Automates repetitive tasks, freeing up teams to focus on more important support work
  • Pros Scalable and flexible, suiting both small teams and larger, complex organizations

Cons

  • Cons Interface looks a bit dated, though it stays functional despite the plain design
  • Cons Layout customization isn't as flexible as some users would like
  • Cons Can slow down or occasionally crash when handling multiple tickets at once
  • Cons Browser crashes can cause unsaved ticket updates to be lost
  • Cons Built on Perl, which feels less familiar to newer developers used to modern web tech
Editorial Buyer Guidance

Who Is OTRS Best For?

Review the buyer problem, target users, practical use cases, and product differentiator identified by the SoftwareWorld review team.

Problem It Solves

Streamlines Enterprise Service Management And Request Handling

Target Users

  • IT Service Teams
  • Customer Support Teams
  • Service Desk Managers
  • Enterprise Organizations
  • Managed Service Providers

Core Use Cases

  • Resolve Service Requests
  • Automate Support Workflows
  • Manage IT Changes
  • Track Service Performance
  • Deliver Self Service Support

Unique Selling Point

Enterprise Service Management With Highly Configurable Process Automation

Strengths and Limitations

OTRS Pros & Cons

Consider the practical advantages and limitations identified through SoftwareWorld's product assessment.

+

Pros

  • Every request automatically becomes a ticket with a unique ID, so nothing gets lost or duplicated
  • Highly customizable, letting teams tailor queues, workflows, and automations to their needs
  • Strong email inbound handling and API integration with tools like Odoo or Vtiger
  • Automates repetitive tasks, freeing up teams to focus on more important support work
  • Scalable and flexible, suiting both small teams and larger, complex organizations
!

Cons

  • Interface looks a bit dated, though it stays functional despite the plain design
  • Layout customization isn't as flexible as some users would like
  • Can slow down or occasionally crash when handling multiple tickets at once
  • Browser crashes can cause unsaved ticket updates to be lost
  • Built on Perl, which feels less familiar to newer developers used to modern web tech
Category-Based Capabilities

OTRS Features

Each category combines the selected software category, its category-specific description, and the features assigned to that category.

Workflow Management Software 29 selected features Open category ↗
Approval Process Control Reporting/Analytics Activity Dashboard Activity Tracking Role-Based Permissions Calendar Management Compliance Tracking Alerts/Notifications No-Code Email Management Real Time Notifications Collaboration Tools Document Storage Real Time Reporting Rules-Based Workflow Graphical Workflow Editor Task Management Search/Filter Monitoring Progress Tracking Document Management Drag & Drop Template Management Workflow Configuration Business Process Automation Commenting/Notes Access Controls/Permissions Forms Management Project Workflow
Customer Service Software 25 selected features Open category ↗
Performance Metrics Appointment Management Real Time Notifications Customer Segmentation Employee Management Queue Management Virtual Assistant Customer History Call Routing SMS Messaging Email Management Voice Mail Call Center Management Knowledge Base Management Multi-Channel Communication Live Chat Activity Tracking Self Service Portal Alerts/Escalation Auto-Responders Support Ticket Management Engagement Tracking Surveys & Feedback Social Media Integration Contact Management
Help Desk Software 26 selected features Open category ↗

OTRS is an open-source help desk software that turns every request into a trackable ticket with statuses, assignments, and history. It offers process automation, a knowledge base, CMDB for asset tracking, and multi-channel communication. With role-based access and detailed reporting, IT and support teams manage service requests efficiently.

Automated Routing Call Center Management Real-Time Chat Performance Metrics Customer Database Self Service Portal SLA Management CRM Real Time Notifications Multi-Channel Communication Support Ticket Management Surveys & Feedback Document Storage Social Media Integration Alerts/Escalation Prioritization Workflow Configuration Ticket Management Reporting/Analytics Access Controls/Permissions IT Asset Management Email Management Customer History Interaction Tracking Knowledge Base Management Remote Access/Control
ITSM Software 30 selected features Open category ↗

OTRS is one of the most widely used IT service management platforms, designed to support modern IT departments with structured and compliant processes. It enables automated incident and request handling, asset management, change enablement, and onboarding workflows, helping teams maintain control, improve service consistency, and manage IT operations efficiently as organizational needs evolve.

Service Catalog Alerts/Escalation Multi-Channel Communication Configuration Management Inventory Management Approval Process Control Contract/License Management Asset Tracking Prioritization Activity Tracking Change Management Knowledge Base Management Self Service Portal Incident Management Alerts/Notifications Chat/Messaging Project Management SLA Management Access Controls/Permissions Problem Management Availability Management Support Ticket Management Surveys & Feedback Help Desk Management Capacity Management Release Management Asset Lifecycle Management Task Management Audit Trail Remote Access & Monitoring
Issue Tracking Software 27 selected features Open category ↗
Issue Scheduling Customizable Reports Real Time Notifications Chat/Messaging Help Desk Management Assignment Management Task Management Collaboration Tools Role-Based Permissions Commenting/Notes Ticket Management Alerts/Notifications Projections Multi-Channel Communication Recurring Issues Issue Tracking Knowledge Base Management Email Management Support Ticket Tracking Monitoring Project Management Issue Auditing Prioritization Task Progress Tracking Self Service Portal Surveys & Feedback SLA Management
IT Service Software 19 selected features Open category ↗
Release Management Contract/License Management Knowledge Management Activity Dashboard Self Service Portal Workflow Management Service Catalog Third-Party Integrations Configuration Management Alerts/Notifications Inventory Management Change Management Problem Management Compliance Management Task Management Support Ticket Management Real-Time Monitoring Resource Allocation & Planning Service Request Management
Knowledge Base Software 16 selected features Open category ↗
Full Text Search Self Service Portal SEO Management Customizable Branding Feedback Management Reporting/Analytics Rich Text Editor Cataloging/Categorization Multi-Language Customizable Templates Collaboration Tools User Management Drag & Drop Editor Mobile Interface WYSIWYG Editor Knowledge Management
Remote Work Software 18 selected features Open category ↗
Softphone Video Conferencing Meeting Management Remote Support Communication Management Time Zone Tracking Third-Party Integrations Electronic Signature Live Chat Video Chat Task Management Workflow Management Collaboration Tools Access Controls/Permissions Progress Tracking Employee Activity Monitoring Reporting & Statistics Document Management
Service Desk Software 18 selected features Open category ↗
Change Management Incident Management Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management Reporting & Statistics IT Asset Management Remote Access/Control Procurement Management Self Service Portal Prioritization Real-Time Notifications Mobile Access Support Ticket Management CMDB Alerts/Notifications Knowledge Base Management Problem Management Customer Support Analytics
IT Ticketing Systems Software 31 selected features Open category ↗
Access Controls/Permissions Activity Dashboard Alerts/Escalation Asset Lifecycle Management Automated Responses Automated Routing Change Management Collaboration Tools Configurable Workflow Customizable Branding Customizable Fields Customizable Forms Customizable Reports Customizable Templates Help Desk Management Incident Management IT Asset Management Knowledge Base Management Macros/Templated Responses Multi-Channel Communication Multi-Language Prioritization Problem Management Release Management Reporting/Analytics Self Service Portal Service Catalog Service Reporting Support Ticket Management Support Ticket Tracking Task Management
Pricing Information

OTRS Pricing

Pricing type, currency, trial availability, payment frequency, destination links, and package-level starting prices.

Pricing Type Contact Vendor
Preferred Currency USD ($)
Free Trial 14 Days
Free Version NA
Payment Frequency NA
Verified User Feedback

OTRS Reviews

Approved reviews submitted through verified Google or LinkedIn reviewer accounts.

Write a OTRS Review ↗
4.5
Based on 1 approved review
5 stars 50%
4 stars 50%
3 stars 0%
2 stars 0%
1 star 0%
Justin H
Justin H CTO

Better than Average Support Team

It has been a better than average support tool for our service team. We rely on it as our main ticketing and internal support system. We started with the community edition which offered strong quality for the price. After moving to the cloud version we have been impressed. It includes all the standard ticketing features and the license fee feels reasonable and all inclusive.

Reviewed on January, 2025
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Frequently Asked Questions

OTRS FAQs

Answers generated from approved profile information, selected options, packages, integrations, support, training, deployment, and devices.

OTRS has been around long enough that a lot of the organizations using it today started with it decades ago, and it still shows in how deeply configurable the platform is. Rather than trying to be one thing, it stretches across customer service, IT service management, HR, office management, and even cyber defense through a dedicated module called STORM, all built on the same core ticketing engine.

That flexibility comes from how heavily it can be customized. Businesses can shape workflows, automations, and reporting around their exact processes instead of adapting their processes to fit the software, which is part of why it's certified for ITIL 4 and shows up often in audit heavy environments. One customer, a state education office handling over a thousand tickets a month with just seven agents, described it as the difference between chaos and actually being able to keep up.

  • CMDB and asset management built in for IT teams tracking devices, licenses, and dependencies
  • ISMS and ISO 27001 aligned tools for organizations with formal security compliance requirements
  • AI features including automated ticket summaries, layered on top of the existing platform
  • Available as on premise, managed, or through the free, community supported OTRS Community Edition
It's not the flashiest interface on the market, and the learning curve reflects just how much can be configured, but for organizations that need a serious, audit ready service management platform they can genuinely shape to their own workflows, that depth is exactly the point.

  • No, OTRS does not offer a free version.

  • Yes, OTRS offers a free trial.

  • No, Credit Card details are not required for the OTRS trial.

  • No, OTRS does not offer an API.

  • OTRS offers support with the following options:
    • 24x7 Support , Email , Phone , Chat , Knowledge Base

  • OTRS offers training with the following options:
    • In-person , Live Online , Webinar , Documentation , Videos

  • OTRS supports the following languages:
    • Arabic , Bulgarian , Catalan , Chinese , Croatian , Czech , Danish , Dutch , English , Estonian , Finnish , French , Galician , German , Greek , Hebrew , Hindi , Hungarian , Indonesian , Italian , Japanese , Korean , Latvian , Lithuanian , Malay , Norwegian , Polish , Portuguese , Romanian , Russian , Slovak , Slovenian , Spanish , Swedish , Thai , Turkish , Ukrainian , Vietnamese

  • Following are the typical users of the OTRS:
    • Small-Business , Midsize-Business , Large-Enterprise-Business

  • OTRS supports the following deployment:
    • Cloud Hosted , On-Premise

  • OTRS supports the following devices and operating systems:
    • Web-Based , iPhone , Android , Windows , Linux
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