KIX

Overview

KIX is open-source service management software for IT teams, enterprise service operations, and technical customer support. It suits organizations that need ticket workflows tied to assets and service levels, especially those prepared to manage deployment and support choices. Its strongest case is the combination of ticketing, asset links, and integration options; Start's missing support and maintenance make it a limited entry point for production use.

Key features

Teams can work tickets together in list or Kanban views, with searchable records of internal and external communications. That gives help desks a shared record of activity rather than a bare queue. SLA management, a knowledge base, an employee portal, and approval workflows extend it beyond incident handling into broader service management.

Asset records connect to related tickets and SLAs, with integrations for inventory tools such as baramundi and opsi. The REST API, Connect add-ons, web services, and database access give teams several ways to connect external tools and data. This breadth is useful where service work depends on existing systems, but the value depends on the integrations and configuration an organization needs.

KIX says it is certified in 16 ITIL practices, but the ITIL Practices add-on is chargeable for Pro editions and unavailable in Start. That distinction matters: the headline certification does not mean every edition includes the related functionality. KIX Pro also supports LDAP/AD synchronization, OpenID Connect and Kerberos single sign-on, S/MIME, and multifactor authentication; these security capabilities are unavailable in Start.

Pricing

KIX uses a freemium model, with a free Start edition, Pro plans, and a 30-day no-obligation trial with full access. Start costs nothing, but has limited functionality and includes neither support nor maintenance. Several add-ons are also unavailable in Start, making it a poor fit for teams that need a supported service desk or the full feature set.

Pro Business Cloud costs €33 a month, billed from 33 € per month per agent. It includes service 12 hours a day, five days a week, a four-hour response for critical failures, 24 calls per year, and a 24-hour response to service and feature requests. It is the clearest option for teams wanting a managed cloud service with defined support terms.

Pro Business On-Prem costs €3,690, paid once, billed from 3.690 €, in packages of 10–250 agents with a support and maintenance contract. It suits organizations that want an on-premises deployment and can commit to a package rather than a per-agent monthly cloud plan.

Pro Enterprise Cloud has custom pricing, billed on request from 30 agents. It raises service coverage to 12 hours, seven days a week, includes a one-hour response for critical failures and 48 calls per year, and promises a 12-hour response to service and feature requests. Pro Enterprise On-Prem also has custom pricing, billed on request from 250 agents, with a support and maintenance contract. These enterprise plans are aimed at larger deployments; prospective buyers should weigh the quoted price against their agent count and support needs.

Platforms

KIX supports Android, iOS, Linux, self-hosted deployment, web, and API access. Regular single-instance operation requires a Debian- or Ubuntu-based Linux host with AMD64 architecture, so organizations planning self-hosting need compatible infrastructure. The KIX Field Service App requires iOS 17 or later or Android 13 or later.

Cloud and on-premises use are both offered. KIX says its Full Managed Service is hosted in Germany, ISO/IEC 27001 certified, and has 99.9% availability. The maker provides implementation, training, technical help, and user support directly, although Start excludes support and maintenance.

Who it's for

KIX is a strong candidate for help desks, IT service management, enterprise service management, customer support, and field service teams that need tickets connected to assets and SLAs. Its APIs and integration routes favor organizations with existing inventory or service systems to connect. The Pro editions make more sense for teams needing security controls, ITIL Practices, or contracted support; Start is better treated as a constrained way to begin than as a fully supported operational choice.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Tickets connect to assets and SLAs, helping teams keep service context alongside the work.
• Pros: REST API, Connect add-ons, web services, and database access offer multiple integration paths.
• Pros: Cloud and on-premises options serve organizations with different deployment requirements.
• Cons: Start has limited functionality and no support or maintenance, and several add-ons are unavailable.
• Cons: Key security features and the ITIL Practices add-on require Pro, so the free edition is not equivalent to the paid editions.
• Cons: Self-hosting regular single-instance operation requires a Debian- or Ubuntu-based AMD64 Linux host.

Alternatives

Choose Desk365 if a ticket-capped free option is preferable: its free plan allows up to 50 tickets per month, while its Standard plan is $12 a month billed annually. iTop is worth considering for a free, on-premises community offer. FreeITSM is another free option, made by an IT professional working in infrastructure and applications at a London law firm.

GLPI may suit teams looking for a public-cloud offer priced at €19 a month per IT agent, from one billed agent. QueueDesk has a free Starter plan for three agents and unlimited employees, which may fit smaller web-based teams. Vivantio is a paid option at a published range of $49–$99 per agent per month, billed annually, with free end users.

Jitbit Helpdesk is a paid alternative with a trial and a one-time perpetual-license approach. Matrix42 FastViewer is a paid alternative priced at €540 a year per concurrent session, plus 19% VAT. For broader comparisons, see IT SLA Management Software, IT Help Desk Software, and IT Incident Management Software.

Verdict

Choose KIX if your service team needs ticketing tied to assets and SLAs, integration flexibility, and a choice between cloud and on-premises deployment. Pro is the more credible fit when support, maintenance, ITIL Practices, or stronger security controls matter. Look elsewhere if you need a fully supported free edition or cannot meet the Linux requirements for self-hosting.