Request Tracker

Request Tracker, commonly known as RT, is a mature open-source ticketing system developed and supported by Best Practical Solutions. First released in the late 1990s, it has become a widely used platform for managing requests of many kinds, from IT help desk support and customer service enquiries to security incident response, bug tracking and general project work. Organisations handling large volumes of requests via email often struggle to ensure that each one is assigned, tracked and resolved, and that a complete history is preserved for audit and knowledge purposes. Request Tracker addresses this with a flexible, queue-based model in which incoming messages become tickets that can be routed, prioritised, discussed and closed under configurable workflows. Its open-source nature and extensibility allow organisations to adapt the system closely to their own processes, while Best Practical offers commercial hosting, support and development services for those who prefer a managed option.

Core features include email integration for ticket creation and correspondence, customisable queues and custom fields, lifecycle definitions that model bespoke statuses and transitions, fine-grained access control, and scrips that automate actions based on ticket events. Dashboards, saved searches and charts give managers visibility into workloads and performance, and time tracking supports reporting on effort. Extensions add capabilities such as asset management, articles and knowledge bases, SLA management and integrations with authentication services, chat tools and other systems via a REST API. RT for Incident Response (RTIR) provides a specialised configuration for computer security incident teams. The software can be self-hosted on Linux and Unix platforms or used as a cloud service hosted by Best Practical. It is used by universities, government bodies, technology companies, research institutions and service organisations that value control and adaptability. Pricing for hosted plans starts from around USD 125, a free trial is offered, and a free version is available as the open-source software.