OTRS vs OTRS Community Edition: What are the differences?

1. 1. Licensing Model: OTRS is a commercial software that requires a paid license, while OTRS Community Edition (OTRS CE) is an open-source version available under the GNU General Public License (GPL). This means that OTRS can only be used after purchasing a license, while OTRS CE can be freely used, modified, and distributed without any cost.
2. 2. Feature Set: OTRS offers a more comprehensive feature set compared to OTRS CE. OTRS includes advanced capabilities such as IT service management, service level agreement (SLA) management, process automation, and multi-channel communication. On the other hand, OTRS CE provides a basic set of features without these advanced functionalities.
3. 3. Support and Updates: OTRS users have access to official support and regular updates by the OTRS Group. The support includes assistance with installations, configurations, and troubleshooting. In contrast, OTRS CE users rely on community-based support, forums, and user-generated content for help and updates.
4. 4. Customization and Branding: OTRS allows extensive customization and branding options, enabling organizations to tailor the software to their specific requirements and branding guidelines. OTRS CE, while still customizable, may have limitations as it relies on community contributions and does not provide dedicated customization services.
5. 5. Integration Options: OTRS offers a wider range of integration options with third-party systems, applications, and plugins, thanks to its proprietary nature and commercial ecosystem. This includes pre-built integrations with popular tools and APIs for seamless data exchange. OTRS CE, being open-source, may have fewer pre-built integrations and requires custom development for specific integrations.
6. 6. Documentation and Additional Resources: OTRS provides detailed official documentation, user manuals, guides, and additional resources for its users, ensuring proper understanding and effective usage of the software. OTRS CE documentation mainly relies on community contributions, which may vary in terms of completeness and timeliness.

In Summary, the key differences between OTRS and OTRS Community Edition lie in their licensing model, feature set, support options, customization capabilities, integration options, and availability of official documentation and resources.