Open source helpdesk from Archboard · AGPL-3.0
The helpdesk your team and your AI agents share.
Harbor Helpdesk turns your support inboxes into tickets your team can assign, track against SLAs and solve together. Every action is in the API and the MCP server too, so agents work the same queue with the same rules.
- Open source, AGPL-3.0
- Built-in MCP server
- Realtime updates for every agent
Everything a support team needs
From the first email to the satisfaction rating, in one place your whole team works from.
Shared mailboxes
Connect Gmail, Microsoft 365 or any IMAP inbox, or use a hosted address. Every email becomes a ticket and replies thread back.
Desks and assignment
Split work into desks with their own members. Assign by hand, round robin or to whoever has the lightest load.
SLAs and business hours
Set first response and resolution targets per policy, measured against each desk’s business schedule.
Automations and macros
Route, tag and update tickets when conditions match, and reply to common questions with one click.
Customer portal
Customers open and follow their tickets on the web, and rate the help they got when it is solved.
Reports and exports
Response, resolution, agent, SLA and satisfaction reports, plus full exports of your workspace data.
API and webhooks
Everything in the app is in the versioned JSON API. Webhooks tell your other systems when tickets change.
Passkeys and audit log
Agents sign in with passkeys or two-factor codes, and admin changes are recorded in an audit log.
AI agents are teammates, not a bolt-on
Connect Claude or any MCP client to your workspace. Agents search the queue, claim the next ticket, reply and apply macros through the same actions and permissions your people use, and every change shows up in the ticket history.
- Signed in with OAuth, scoped to one workspace
- No logic of its own: the MCP server calls the app’s actions
- Your model, your provider, no AI add-on fee
{
"mcpServers": {
"harbor": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://yourteam.harbor.help/mcp"
}
}
}- search_tickets
- claim_next_ticket
- reply_to_ticket
- apply_macro
- set_reminder
Host it yourself, or let Archboard run it
Both options run the same complete application.
Self-hosted
Free
Run Harbor Helpdesk on your own server with Docker or a plain Debian or Ubuntu VM. Install scripts set up everything it needs.
- The complete application, AGPL-3.0
- PHP, Postgres, Redis and Reverb, nothing else
- Community support on GitHub
Harbor Cloud
Hosted by Archboard
Your workspace on its own subdomain at harbor.help. We run updates, backups and mail delivery.
- yourteam.harbor.help
- Automatic updates and backups
- Same features as self-hosted
Questions
Is Harbor Helpdesk really free?
Yes. Harbor Helpdesk is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license, and you can self-host the complete application at no cost. Archboard also runs Harbor Cloud if you would rather not host it yourself.
Can AI agents work tickets?
Yes. Harbor Helpdesk includes an MCP server, so any MCP client can search, claim, update and reply to tickets with the same permissions as the person who connected it.
What do I need to self-host it?
A server with PHP, PostgreSQL, Redis and Reverb. The Docker setup script and the VM install script install and configure all of them, including HTTPS.
Which email providers does it work with?
Gmail and Microsoft 365 through their APIs, any provider over IMAP and SMTP, or a hosted address that Harbor Helpdesk receives mail on.
Is Harbor Helpdesk an alternative to Zendesk, Freshdesk or Help Scout?
Yes. Harbor Helpdesk covers the same ground as hosted help desk software: shared inboxes, ticket assignment, SLAs, automations, macros, a customer portal and reports. It is open source, so you can self-host it and keep your support data on your own servers.
Who makes Harbor Helpdesk?
Harbor Helpdesk is built and maintained by Archboard, which also runs Harbor Cloud.
Give your inbox a harbor.
Start a hosted workspace, or install it on your own server for free.