Request Tracker (RT)
Open-source ticketing and request tracking software from Best Practical, available as Cloud RT, on-premise or self-hosted. Includes optional AI features.
What is Request Tracker (RT)?
Request Tracker is open-source ticketing and request tracking software made by Best Practical Solutions, which has run for over 25 years. You can use fully managed Cloud RT, install it on-premise, or self-host it in the cloud. It has email integration, custom ticket lifecycles, configurable automation and detailed permissions and roles. AI features include suggested replies, ticket summaries, sentiment detection and smart routing, and you can connect your own model (OpenAI, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude or self-hosted). An RT MCP Server lets AI assistants query tickets.
Who is it for?
IT, higher education, security, HR and professional services teams that want full source access and control over deployment. Teams that want a polished customer-facing portal with no admin work may prefer a SaaS help desk.
Pricing
- Open source: free to self-host.
- Cloud RT Starter: $15/user/mo (annual, 5-user minimum). 250 tickets a month, 10 GB storage, community support.
- Cloud RT Business: $29/user/mo (annual, 10-user minimum). 1,000 tickets a month, 30 GB, 2-business-day support SLA, 7-day backups.
- Cloud RT Growth: $39/user/mo. 5,000 tickets a month, 75 GB, 1-business-day SLA, 14-day backups.
- Enterprise: custom. Unlimited tickets, 1 TB+, 4-business-hour SLA.
- Discounts: 20% for academic institutions, 10% for non-profits. Annual billing saves up to 20%.
- Trial: 14 days, no credit card.
Prices checked on 6 October 2026.
Strengths
- Full source code and API: you can customize it and integrate it with other systems.
- Deployment choice: cloud, on-premise or self-hosted.
- Bring your own AI: connect OpenAI, Gemini, Claude or a self-hosted model.
- Unlimited external users: listed as included on every Cloud RT plan.
- Vendor support: Best Practical maintains it and sells support.
What to consider
- Cloud RT Starter has 250 tickets a month and community support only.
- Starter and Business set minimums of 5 and 10 users.
- Ticket volume decides the plan: 1,000 a month on Business, 5,000 on Growth.
- Self-hosting means you handle upgrades and backups.
Bottom line
Shortlist RT if you want an open-source ticketing system that you can host yourself or buy as a managed service. Before buying, estimate monthly tickets, because the plan tiers are set by volume.
WeekCRM score: 50 out of 100
Request Tracker (RT) is number 48 of 65 help desks and support tools we have scored. Every point comes from a fact with a source, checked on Oct 7, 2026.
| Check | Points | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Price for 10 agents | 20/20 | $150 a month on Cloud RT Starter, billed annually |
| Integrations | 2/20 | 2 of 20 common apps connect natively or through a marketplace |
| Ease of use | 0/20 | Fewer than 30 reviews on the review sites we read Capterra 4.7/5, 3 reviews (too few, not counted); G2 7.1/10, 9 reviews (too few, not counted) |
| Release pace | 3/15 | 2 dated releases in 180 days |
| Openness | 15/15 | public API docs, public changelog, self-serve export |
| Price transparency | 5/5 | Every plan has a public price |
| Free entry | 5/5 | Free plan |
Request Tracker (RT) integrations we verified
| App | How it connects | What syncs | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outlook | Built in | — | Oct 7, 2026 |
| Zapier | Marketplace app | — | Oct 7, 2026 |
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