# UVDesk: Free Open Source Alternative to Zendesk & Freshdesk Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQsXm2TnxOw Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/OQsXm2TnxOw Generated: 2026-02-20T08:33:38.112+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The video demonstrates how to deploy and configure UVDesk, a free, open-source helpdesk system that serves as an alternative to Zendesk and Freshdesk, using the Elestio platform for simplified hosting and management, covering initial deployment, knowledge base setup, ticket creation, and agent management. **Key Points:** - UVDesk is presented as a free, open-source helpdesk alternative to commercial solutions like Zendesk and Freshdesk, deployable via Elestio in under 5 minutes. - The deployment process involves selecting UVDesk on Elestio, choosing a provider (Netcup in the demo), region (Nuremberg), and service plan (Medium-2C-4G for $0.0192/hour). - Once deployed, the admin receives credentials via email to access the UVDesk administration dashboard, which features organized sections for Apps, Knowledge Base, Users, Productivity, Reports, and Settings. - The tutorial shows creating a Knowledge Base article ('Article 1' with content 'Hello This is my article 1') and assigning it to a new category named 'marketing articles'. - Ticket management demonstration includes receiving a created ticket ('It doesn't work I need help'), assigning it to an agent, setting priority (Low), and changing the status to Resolved/Closed. - User management features are highlighted, allowing the creation of new agents, assigning them to groups, and defining granular privileges to control access. - The system supports multi-channel integration, including e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Magento, and WooCommerce, via various available apps. ![Screenshot at 00:05: The initial screen of the UVDesk website highlights its core offering as a Helpdesk System for Ecommerce, Marketplace, and Multichannel support, emphasizing its SaaS-based and Open Source nature, setting the stage for the deployment demonstration.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/OQsXm2TnxOw/00-00-05.jpg) **Context:** This video functions as a tutorial showcasing the deployment and initial setup of UVDesk, an open-source helpdesk software, using the Elestio cloud service provider. The presenter walks through the entire process, from launching the application instance on Elestio to configuring basic features within the UVDesk administrative panel, such as creating knowledge base content and managing support tickets and agents. ## Detailed Analysis The video begins by introducing UVDesk as a free, open-source helpdesk system, contrasting it with Zendesk and Freshdesk, and immediately demonstrates deploying it using Elestio. The deployment starts by searching for 'UVDesk' in the Elestio service catalog (00:59) and selecting it. The user chooses Netcup as the provider, Nuremberg as the region, and the MEDIUM-2C-4G plan at an estimated hourly price of $0.0192 (01:01-01:08). After service creation (01:21), an email confirms deployment with access URLs and credentials (01:24). The administrator then logs into the UVDesk dashboard (01:43), which is organized into sections like Apps, Knowledge Base, Users, Productivity, Reports, and Settings. The presenter then navigates to the Knowledge Base to create an article (02:00-02:03), titles it 'Article 1', inputs content, and saves it (02:26). Next, the video shows creating a new category 'marketing articles' (02:54-03:09) and assigning the article to it, setting its status to 'Publish' (03:24). After publishing, the user previews the article on the public portal (02:38-02:43). The tutorial then shifts to ticket handling: a test ticket titled 'It doesn't work I need help' is created via the support portal (03:50-04:13). In the ticket view, the agent assigns the ticket to themselves (04:38), sets the priority to Low, and changes the status to Resolved (04:46-04:50). The video also briefly touches upon agent creation (05:18-05:26), group/team assignments, and adding mailbox integration via the Settings panel (06:31-06:38) to automate ticket fetching from email. ### Deployment on Elestio - UVDesk is selected from Elestio's catalog - The user chooses the MEDIUM-2C-4G plan on Netcup for $0.0192/hour - Deployment takes under 5 minutes, confirmed by email with access details. ### UVDesk Dashboard Overview - Dashboard is organized into sections for Apps, Knowledge Base, Users (Agents, Customers, Groups, Teams), Productivity (Workflows, Tags), Reports, and Settings (Mailbox, Branding). ### Knowledge Base Setup - User creates a new article named 'Article 1' with basic text content - A new category, 'marketing articles', is created and published - The article is associated with the new category. ### Ticket Management - A test ticket created via the public portal ('It doesn't work I need help') appears in the agent view - The ticket is assigned to the admin agent, set to Low priority, and the status is updated to Resolved (04:46). ### User and Team Management - Demonstrates navigating to Agents, showing the existing 'admin' user - Mentions the ability to create new agents and assign them to Groups or Teams for structured support workflows. ### Email Integration - Shows navigation to Settings > Mailbox to configure IMAP/SMTP settings - This allows UVDesk to automatically fetch emails and create support tickets. ![Screenshot at 00:05: The initial screen of the UVDesk website highlights its core offering as a Helpdesk System for Ecommerce, Marketplace, and Multichannel support, emphasizing its SaaS-based and Open Source nature, setting the stage for the deployment demonstration.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/OQsXm2TnxOw/00-00-05.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:28: The Elestio pricing page clearly displays the three tiers: FREE \(Open Source\), PRO \($22/month\), and ENTERPRISE \($36/month\), illustrating cost options for deployment.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/OQsXm2TnxOw/00-00-28.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:58: The Elestio 'Create Service' screen showing the search result for 'UVDesk' under the 'All' tab, ready for selection and initiation of deployment.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/OQsXm2TnxOw/00-00-58.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:02: Step 2 of the deployment process on Elestio, showing selection of the cloud provider \(Netcup is highlighted as 'Best Value'\), region \(Nuremberg\), and various service plans.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/OQsXm2TnxOw/00-01-02.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:43: The main UVDesk dashboard upon successful login, showing major functional areas like Apps, Knowledge Base, Users, Productivity, Reports, and Settings via large icon links.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/OQsXm2TnxOw/00-01-43.jpg)