Jira alternative and ticket system: choose open-source tools with reasons
Jira Data Center ends in 2029, Zendesk is to be replaced, or requests get lost in a shared mailbox? We record your workflows in projects and support. During the selection you try OpenProject, Plane, Zammad, FreeScout and Chatwoot in your own demo instances, we compare them with your workflows and deliver a reasoned decision. Afterwards we roll out the tool and, if you wish, operate it in Germany.
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The following are trademarks of their respective owners: OpenProject (OpenProject GmbH), Plane (Plane Software, Inc.), Zammad (Zammad GmbH), Chatwoot (Chatwoot Inc.). WZ-IT is an independent service provider and has no business, partnership, or contractual relationship with these companies. We offer independent migration, installation, hosting, and operations services.
Starting point
Projects and requests need a tool that fits the way you work
- Jira Data Center is ending: no license purchases after 30 March 2028, end of life on 28 March 2029, read-only afterwards; this also applies to Jira Service Management Data Center
- Support requests land in a shared mailbox, and nobody can see who is responsible or where things stand
- Project work is spread across spreadsheets, chat and a tool that is barely maintained
- You do not know yet which tool fits and do not want to decide by feature lists
A decision paper instead of a feature list
The result is a reasoned decision that management, business units and IT can stand behind together. The paper belongs to you and is fully usable without a follow-up order.
Weighted decision matrix
Your criteria weighted by importance: classic or agile way of working, support channels, deadlines and escalation, reports, sign-in and operations.
License and cost picture
License costs from vendor information and limits of free editions, for example single sign-on in OpenProject only in the Enterprise tier or paid modules in FreeScout.
Migration path and recommendation
How issues, attachments and history move from Jira, Zendesk or the shared mailbox, and which tool we recommend and why.
Vendor-neutral among self-hostable software: if a SaaS product clearly fits better, the recommendation says so. WZ-IT offers rollout and operations; the decision remains yours.
Four steps to your Jira alternative or ticket system
The selection runs remotely; on-site meetings are possible plus travel costs. Your existing systems remain unchanged.
- 01
Record the workflows
Capture project and support workflows, channels, user groups, existing identities such as Active Directory or Entra ID and protection requirements.
- 02
Weight the criteria
Agree with business units and IT on what matters: way of working, channels, deadlines, reports, integrations, sign-in and operations.
- 03
Try all candidates
You receive demo instances of OpenProject, Plane, Zammad, FreeScout and Chatwoot with sample content. In parallel we check editions, license costs, single sign-on, import paths and the operating model.
- 04
Demonstrate the finalists
In addition we demonstrate the finalists with your own sample issues, collect feedback and hand over the decision paper.
What we need for the selection
- Contacts from the business side and IT
- Read access to or exports of today's tools, e.g. Jira, Zendesk or the mailbox
- Teams and roles that will use the tool
- A few test users who try the demo instances
- A few typical issues or tickets for the finalist demonstration
What the project and service tools selection covers
The selection covers two areas: project management with OpenProject and Plane, and service and helpdesk with Zammad, FreeScout and Chatwoot. Depending on your situation we assess both or only one. All candidates are available to you as demo instances during the selection.
Current-state review and criteria
Workflows, channels, user groups, identities and protection requirements; criteria weighted together with business units and IT.
Demo instances of all candidates
Project management: OpenProject, Plane. Service and helpdesk: Zammad, FreeScout, Chatwoot. Provided by WZ-IT with sample content to try for the duration of the selection.
License check
Editions and costs from vendor information, limits such as single sign-on, reports or LDAP only in paid tiers or modules.
Migration path
The way out of Jira, Jira Service Management, Zendesk or a shared mailbox including attachments and history.
Operating model
Hosting in German data centers, your infrastructure or a local server, with update and backup concept.
Finalist demonstration
In addition, the finalists with your own sample issues before you decide.
Boundary
The selection decides, the rollout implements
- Setting up the target system, migration and training (part of the rollout)
- Buying licenses such as OpenProject Enterprise, FreeScout modules or Chatwoot Enterprise; you purchase these directly from the vendor
- Process or ITIL consulting without reference to a tool
Price
Selection with a defined scope, rollout after the decision
Scope and price of the selection are agreed before you order. The scope of the rollout is only known after the current-state review, so you receive the proposal for it together with the decision paper.
Project and service tools selection
from €3,900
excl. VAT, one-time
Credited against the rollout if you order it within 6 months on the same topic.
For organizations before the decision, including preparation for replacing Jira Data Center or Zendesk.
- Current-state review and weighted criteria
- Demo instances of all five candidates to try
- License and operating limits of the candidates
- Demonstration of the finalists with your issues
- Decision paper with recommendation
Outcome: Decision paper with weighted matrix, license costs from vendor information, migration path, operating model and recommendation.
Rollout
On proposal
Proposal with the decision paper
Roll out the chosen tool with structure, pilot, migration and training, then hand it over to operations.
Building blocks
- Structure and role concept: projects, queues, roles and permissions
- Pilot team with single sign-on
- Migration, e.g. from Jira, Zendesk or the shared mailbox
- Workflows, deadlines and templates in the new tool
- In-house training for key users and admins
- Handover to managed operations
- Optional: AI-assisted ticket handling
Outcome: Running tool with acceptance, migrated content and regulated operations.
Remote is the default; on-site meetings are charged plus travel costs. You buy licenses for paid editions and modules directly from the vendor. The decision paper belongs to you and is usable without a follow-up order.
All prices are net and exclude statutory VAT. The offers are addressed to businesses.
Rollout, operations and AI support from one provider
After the decision we roll out the tool and, if you wish, operate it in German data centers or on your infrastructure. A ticket system with clean categories and history is also the basis for AI-assisted ticket handling.
Managed Open Source
Updates, backups with restore tests and monitoring for the chosen tool.
View operationsPilot from €14,900 excl. VATAI ticket automation
Classify and route incoming tickets and prepare reply drafts, inside the existing ticket system.
View ticket automationfrom €3,900 excl. VATWiki selection
Choose the right wiki for project documentation and knowledge base, with demo instances of all candidates.
View wiki selectionFrequently asked questions about choosing a Jira alternative and ticket system
Cost, demo instances, tool choice, Jira end of life and operations
The selection costs from €3,900 excl. VAT. It covers the current-state review, weighted criteria, demo instances of all five candidates to try, the check of license and operating limits and a demonstration of the finalists. You receive the proposal for the rollout with the decision paper. The selection price is credited if you order the rollout within 6 months on the same topic.
Yes. During the selection WZ-IT provides demo instances of OpenProject, Plane, Zammad, FreeScout and Chatwoot with sample content. Your staff try all tools themselves without committing beforehand; the demo instances are available for the duration of the selection. In addition we demonstrate the finalists with your own sample issues.
Mainly the way you work decides. OpenProject fits classic project management with dates, dependencies, time tracking and reports; single sign-on is an Enterprise feature there. Plane fits agile work with issues, cycles and modules; sign-in via an identity provider is possible in the free edition. The selection weights these differences against your requirements.
Zammad fits when several channels, deadlines and traceable workflows are needed. FreeScout replaces a shared mailbox and stays close to an email client in use; reports, time tracking and LDAP are paid modules there. Chatwoot is designed for conversations via chat, messengers and social networks. The selection checks which system fits your channels and workflows.
Since 30 March 2026 Atlassian no longer sells Data Center subscriptions to new customers. Existing customers can buy until 30 March 2028. On 28 March 2029 Data Center reaches end of life for Jira Software, Jira Service Management and Confluence; instances then become read-only (Atlassian, Data Center end of life). If you do not want to move to Atlassian Cloud, plan selection and pilot early.
Yes. All candidates are open source and self-hostable, and their licenses allow operation by a service provider. In a German data center or on your infrastructure, tickets and customer data stay under your control. The rollout defines permissions and deletion periods.
Issues, comments and attachments can usually be transferred. What takes effort is what has grown over the years: workflows, automations, custom field types and permission schemes. Which data moves with which tool and what is rebuilt is part of the migration path in the decision paper.
Vendor-neutral among self-hostable software: you buy licenses and modules directly from the vendor, not through us. If a SaaS product clearly fits better, the recommendation says so. WZ-IT offers rollout and operations, but the decision paper is usable without a follow-up order.
Yes. We operate OpenProject, Plane, Zammad, FreeScout and Chatwoot as Managed Open Source from from €129.90 excl. VAT / workload and month in German data centers, on your infrastructure or on a local server, with updates, backups and monitoring.
Request selection
What do projects and support work with today?
Briefly name today's tools, approximate number of users and the reason. We confirm the scope of the selection before you order.
What clients say about our consulting
Clearly explained, properly assessed and then implemented.
“WZ-IT moved our studio infrastructure from decentralised individual devices to a central platform: every site is securely connected via VPN, new devices are onboarded automatically and an entire site is provisioned from a template, without manual steps on location. What impressed me most is the breadth and depth of their knowledge: Timo and Robin are not a typical IT provider who sets up a server and leaves. The two of them think their way into highly complex infrastructure and software topics, work through every requirement we put in front of them, and build networking, provisioning and operations so that everything fits together in the end. WZ-IT is an excellent partner for complex software, network and architecture projects.”
Steve Kirchner
Managing Director, nextGYM GmbH
“We have had very good experiences with Mr. Wevelsiep and WZ-IT. The consultation was professional, clearly understandable, and at fair prices. The team not only implemented our requirements but also thought along and proactively. Instead of just processing individual tasks, they provided us with well-founded explanations that strengthened our own understanding. WZ-IT took a lot of pressure off us with their structured approach - that was exactly what we needed and is the reason why we keep coming back. (translated)”
Matthias Zimmermann
Managing Director, Annota GmbH
Annota - healthtech startup with an AI documentation assistant.
“I got to know Timo and Robin as dedicated and professional partners who make a lot of things possible for their clients that initially seem impossible. I felt very well advised. The services offered have thoroughly convinced me. (translated)”
Andrea Pawlowski
Communications Manager, Golem.de
Golem.de - leading German IT news outlet.
“I recently worked with Timo and the WZ-IT team, and honestly, it turned out to be one of the best tech decisions I have made for my business. Right from the start, Timo took the time to walk me through every step in a simple and calm way. No matter how many questions I had, he never rushed me. The results speak for themselves. With WZ-IT, we reduced our monthly expenses from $1,300 down to $250. This was a huge win for us.”
Aleksandr Shuliko
CTO, EVA Real Estate
EVA Real Estate - leading real-estate agency in Dubai.
“WZ-IT provided very competent support in implementing our server and virtualization infrastructure. As part of the project, a Proxmox-based virtualization environment was set up along with a virtual machine for our application systems. Additionally, a structured backup concept was implemented. A particular focus was on security: the setup of a VPN tunnel and the clean implementation of encryption and access concepts were professionally executed. The structured consulting as well as the reliable and swift implementation deserve special mention. We are very satisfied with the services provided and are happy to recommend WZ-IT.”
John Hellmerichs
Managing Director, AInergy GmbH
AInergy - consultancy for energy and facility management.
“With Timo and Robin, you're not only on the safe side technically - you also get the best human support! Whether it's quick help in everyday life or complex IT solutions: the guys from WZ-IT think along with you, act quickly and speak a language you understand. The collaboration is uncomplicated, reliable and always on an equal footing. That makes IT fun - and above all: it works! Big thank you to the team! (translated)”
Sonja Aßer
Data Manager, ARGE
ARGE Neue Medien - master data & digital standards for plumbing and building technology.
“Professional, honest and technically thoroughly sound: WZ-IT set up our Proxmox and backup infrastructure securely and future-proof. The consulting from Timo and Robin was objective and needs-driven, the implementation smooth and the final documentation exemplary. You can tell immediately that business-critical infrastructure is thought through holistically from the outset here and implemented with clear ownership.”
Pascal Block
Project Manager, Stadtwerke Brühl GmbH
Stadtwerke Brühl - municipal energy and infrastructure utility.
“Communication with WZ-IT was open, friendly and professional from the very beginning. Mr. Wevelsiep and Mr. Zins responded to every one of our questions patiently, promptly and respectfully, and contributed their own suggestions and good ideas on how to modernize our server infrastructure and adapt it even better to our needs. Throughout, WZ-IT consistently kept our need for data sovereignty and GDPR compliance in mind. Even short-notice adjustments and change requests from our side were implemented quickly and patiently and integrated consistently into the overall concept. From planning to the final handover, every step was documented transparently and comprehensively - so if a provider change should ever become necessary, the documentation would let us onboard a successor into our infrastructure very quickly. We are extremely satisfied with WZ-IT and hope to continue working together for a long time.”
Christoph Mußmann
Project Officer, DGHO e.V.
DGHO - German Society for Hematology and Medical Oncology.
“While looking for a partner to integrate a local AI solution, we came across Timo and Robin - and could not have made a better decision. They quickly understood our requirements and solved technical challenges competently and pragmatically. We were particularly impressed by the straightforward collaboration, their high level of expertise and the speed of implementation. We are delighted to have Timo and Robin at our side as reliable business partners and look forward to our next projects together. (translated)”
Henrik Jeche
Head of IT Administration
ml&s - full-service provider for the electronics industry.
“WZ-IT manages our Proxmox cluster reliably and professionally. The team handles continuous monitoring and regular updates for us and responds very quickly to any issues or inquiries. They also configure new nodes, systems, and applications that we need to add to our cluster. With WZ-IT's proactive support, our cluster and the business-critical applications running on it remain stable, and high availability is consistently ensured. We value the professional collaboration and the noticeable relief it brings to our daily operations.”
Pascal Hakkers
Aphy AG
Aphy AG - AI platform for hotel back-office.
“Timo and Robin from WZ-IT set up a RocketChat server for us - and I couldn't be more satisfied! From the initial consultation to the final implementation, everything was absolutely professional, efficient, and to my complete satisfaction. I particularly appreciate the clear communication, transparent pricing, and the comprehensive expertise that both bring to the table. Even after the setup, they take care of the maintenance, which frees up my time enormously and allows me to focus on other important areas of my business - with the good feeling that our IT is in the best hands. I can recommend WZ-IT without reservation and look forward to continuing our collaboration! (translated)”
Sebastian Maier
Managing Director, Yonju GmbH
Yonju - business coaching and AI products.
“Counting on WZ-IT team was crucial, their expertise and solutions gave us the pace to deploy in production our services, even suggesting and performing improvements over our configuration and setup. We expect to keep counting on them for continuous maintenance of our services and implementation of new solutions.”
Gabriel Sanz Señor
Managing Director, Odiseo Solutions
Odiseo Solutions - software engineering for the space industry.
“WZ-IT supported us professionally with the provisioning and setup of NetBird. Alongside the technical implementation, we also received well-founded advice on connecting our Kubernetes clusters. The recommendations were concrete and directly actionable. The collaboration was consistently reliable, fast and on equal terms. We can recommend WZ-IT without reservation.”
Kai Clauß
Head of Development, SweetConnect GmbH
SweetConnect - cross-manufacturer Industry 4.0 platform for confectionery production.
Let's Talk About Your Idea
Whether a specific IT challenge or just an idea - we look forward to the exchange. In a brief conversation, we'll evaluate together if and how your project fits with WZ-IT.
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Companies worldwide trust WZ-IT