CompassDocs vs FreeITSM
CompassDocs
compassdocs.io
FreeITSM
freeitsm.co.ukSide by side
| Figure | CompassDocs | FreeITSM |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $8/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 2 |
| Spec score · IT Knowledge Base Software | 9.5 (#1) | 8.9 (#9) |
| Integrations | The product lists a Claude connector, Microsoft 365 and Entra sync, Google Workspace directory sync, and notifications through Webex, Teams, Slack, email, or webhooks. | Official pages document Microsoft 365, Google Workspace/Gmail, VMware vCenter, Microsoft Intune, WhatsApp through Twilio or Meta, and optional chat channels. |
| Licence | The Community software is open source under the GNU Affero General Public License version 3.0. | The project is released under the MIT License. |
| Security | The feature page states that credentials and backups are encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM, session tokens are hashed, and login throttling and security headers are included. | The System module lists OpenID Connect SSO, AES-256-GCM encryption key management, TOTP multi-factor authentication, account lockout, IP-based brute-force protection, and trusted device management. |
| Security controls | Documented protections include authenticator-app two-factor authentication, recovery codes, session controls, idle timeout, login throttling, security headers and audit logs. | System security features include OIDC SSO, TOTP MFA, password expiry, account lockout, IP brute-force bans, trusted devices and encrypted settings. |
| Self-hosting | A shell installer starts CompassDocs and PostgreSQL with Docker, while Docker Compose, manual Node/PostgreSQL and Azure deployment options are documented. | Supported deployment methods are Docker or manual installation on WAMP, XAMPP, LAMP, IIS or another PHP-capable server. |
| Support | The Community plan includes GitHub community support, while Enterprise offers optional dedicated support with a 48-hour response commitment for $3,000 per year. | The maker describes FreeITSM as a solo passion project with no formal support and directs users to GitHub to report bugs or ideas. |
| System requirements | Manual installation requires Node.js 20 or newer and PostgreSQL; Docker is the recommended installation path. | Manual installation requires PHP 7.4–8.4, MySQL 8.0 or newer, PDO MySQL, cURL, OpenSSL and mbstring; MariaDB 10.5+ is also listed on the getting-started page. |
| What it does | CompassDocs is a self-hosted team knowledge base for writing, organizing and searching SOPs, technical documentation, policies and internal knowledge. | FreeITSM is a self-hosted web IT service-management platform for running a service desk and related IT operations. |
Plans
CompassDocs
- CommunityFree
- Cloud$8 a month
- Enterprise$599 a year
- Enterprise dedicated support add-on$3,000 a year
In their own words
CompassDocs
CompassDocs is a self-hosted team knowledge base for writing, organizing, and searching SOPs, technical documentation, policies, and internal reference material. Staff can ask plain-English questions about documents and receive answers with inline citations; without an AI key, the product instead uses keyword search. Documents can be edited in rich text or Markdown, with AI proofreading and support for diagrams, tables, checklists, and embeds. Viewer, Editor, Approver, and Admin roles, custom roles, private spaces, and an optional review queue govern access and publishing. Integrations include a Claude connector, Microsoft 365 and Entra sync, Google Workspace directory sync, and notifications through Webex, Teams, Slack, email, or webhooks. Teams can run it with Docker or install Node.js and PostgreSQL manually. Self-hosted backups can be scheduled, restored, and mirrored to off-site storage. Community is free and self-hosted; Enterprise is $599 a year. A Cloud plan at $8 a month per user is listed as coming soon, not yet launched.
FreeITSM
FreeITSM is an open-source IT service management platform with 23 integrated modules for running a service desk. Its Tickets module connects Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace mailboxes for email ticketing, assignment, prioritisation, replies, attachments and audit trails. Assets tracks physical and virtual equipment and can discover VMware virtual machines through vCenter. Listed service-management tools include risk assessment, approval workflows, change calendars and change audit trails. Optional AI features provide knowledge answers, ticket-reply cleanup, form assistance, workflow authoring and problem detection. They use a customer-provided Anthropic, OpenAI or OpenRouter key, and provider usage may cost extra. FreeITSM runs with Docker on Linux or Windows, or through IIS with PHP or WAMP and MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.5+. Security options include OpenID Connect SSO, AES-256-GCM key management, TOTP multi-factor authentication, account lockout, brute-force protection and trusted devices. The project has no formal support.