Kora vs osTicket
Open-source ticketing system. An honest look at pricing, features, and which tool fits your team.
osTicket is Teams wanting self-hosted, free ticketing, with free (self-hosted) pricing (free (self-hosted)). Kora is an AI helpdesk and issue tracker priced per ticket ($0.10 per ticket) with unlimited members and no monthly plans — AI ticket structuring, SLA tracking and automation rules are free, and the AI Analyst is 1 credit per answer. osTicket fits teams that need teams wanting self-hosted, free ticketing; teams that want per-ticket pricing with no seat fees typically choose Kora.
Kora wins on AI value and pricing simplicity. AI ticket structuring and the AI Analyst are included — usage billed as pay-as-you-go credits ($1 = 10 credits), with no per-seat pricing and no monthly commitment.
osTicket is a solid choice for teams wanting self-hosted, free ticketing. Free and open source and Self-hosted are genuine strengths. But no ai features.
At a glance
Pricing at your team size
Kora is pay-as-you-go ($1 = 10 credits, 1 credit per ticket). The Kora figure is an illustration that assumes 30 tickets and 10 AI answers per agent per month; use the cost calculator for your own volume. osTicket charges per agent. Drag the slider to compare.
Feature comparison
Honest, side-by-side. Where we differ, we say so.
osTicket prices are list prices from the vendor's pricing page as last checked (October 2026); where a price is marked not re-verified we have not rechecked it. Feature rows summarize vendor pages and may be out of date. Prices and features change, so confirm with osTicket before you buy. Spot an error? Email founder@usekora.app and we will fix it.
Where each one wins
No tool wins everything. Here's the honest split.
- AI ticket structuring (free)
- SLA tracking and automation (free)
- AI Analyst (1 credit per answer)
- No hosting needed
- Modern UI
- Free and open source
- Self-hosted
- Full control
- No vendor lock-in
Why teams switch from osTicket
Common reasons teams move to Kora.
- 1Export your tickets from osTicket as CSV
- 2Paste raw descriptions into Kora — AI structures them into clean tickets
- 3Or use the Public API to import tickets, comments, and attachments programmatically
- 4Invite your team — unlimited members, no seat fees
Common questions
Straight answers about switching to Kora.
Yes. Kora offers AI ticket structuring and an AI Analyst (text-to-SQL) — included, with usage billed as credits. osTicket is free and has no AI ticket structuring. Kora's pay-as-you-go credit pricing means no per-seat costs as your team grows.
See for yourself
Start free, invite your team, paste your first ticket. No credit card, no per-seat pricing, no setup call required.