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10 Best open source bug tracking tools

-by
Shivam Singh
,
Jul 29, 2022
10 Best open source bug tracking tools

In the past decade, we have witnessed a massive increase in software development. Every industry now uses some software/web-based service in its daily operations. But with such a surge in software development, there also comes a risk for greater disasters, bugs. Fortunately, there are web-based bug tracking tools and issue management systems that enable developers to efficiently fix bugs.

The biggest challenge that developers face while building software or application is ensuring that it works with no issues/bugs. Only after fixing the bugs, you can deliver the end-user an efficient service that provides an amazing user experience. 

In this blog, we are going to look at some of the best free open-source bug tracking tools that can help deliver a fully optimized and bug-free software service.  

Why do you need an open source bug tracking tool?

There are a number of reasons why you might want to use an open source bug tracking tool, the most common of which is that it can be a great way to manage and track your project's progress. By using an open source bug tracking tool, you can quickly and easily track down issues and assign them to the right person or team.

Additionally, open source bug tracking tools can be a valuable resource for debugging projects. By logging all the details related to your bug, you can quickly identify the cause and solution. This can save you a lot of time and hassle down the road.

Finally, open source bug tracking tools can be a great way to communicate with your team. By tracking all the changes made to your project, you can ensure that everyone is on the same page and that all feedback is being taken into account.

If you're looking for a bug tracking tool that is both reliable and user-friendly, I recommend taking a look at Disbug - it's one of the most popular bug tracking tools out there with a range of essential features.

Open-source bug tracking tools

Here’s a list of the best free open-source bug tracking tool that you can use. 

BugZilla 

A bug report in Bugzilla

Bugzilla is a popular open-source, web-based defect or bug tracker written in Perl. It supports all databases, along with SQLite and PostgreSQL. Its bug reporting and tracking systems allow development teams to keep track of all open bugs’ status changes. All Mozilla Foundation projects use Bugzilla. It also has a wide range of features, such as automatic detection of duplicate issues. 

Bugzilla has been a favorite among thousands of businesses worldwide since its inception. It also lets you communicate with coworkers and submit and review patches. Bugzilla is a bug reporting and issue management tool that is both effective and cost-effective in the software development process. 

BugZilla Pros:

  • Its interface is very easy to understand and work on instead of having any extra technical knowledge.
  • It has a good documentation part where can filter out all bugs as per its status
  • Logging defects by providing necessary details is easy.

BigZilla Cons:

  • Sometimes Bugzilla is slow and takes time to navigate to different screens.
  • Plugins are also limited which is a troublesome experience.

Mantis BT

Bug report in Mantis Bug Tracker

As a web-based bug tracker, Mantis BT can help you keep track of multiple projects. Using this tool, you can allow multiple users to engage with one other and with the system at large. An integrated wiki, chat, RSS feeds and time tracking are just a few of the features available in the program. Other features include built-in bug reporting and email notifications with attachments. 

Because of its simplicity, low cost, and lack of complexity, Mantis BT is an obvious solution for any small or medium-sized business.

Mantis Bug Tracker Pros:

  • It is easy to use and very simple. It has its own inbuilt bug tracking feature which helps us for effective reports for the specific issues.
  • Suitable software to track errors, inform the team through fault reports.
  • Easy to customise system, could add workflow and structure to it suited to our specific use case and set up.

Mantis Bug Tracker Cons:

  • Notification and feature management through pipeline doesn't have the best visibility
  • Sometimes there are the occasional hiccups like missing token error mesage.
  • Some configuration options are difficult to understand.

Trac

A screenshot of Trac dashboard

Trac, besides being a bug tracker, has a slew of other features. It is both a wiki-based bug reporting system and a project management solution. From a design standpoint, Trac takes a simple approach while not sacrificing any important features. 

If you use Trac, you can create project roadmaps, milestones, and even customize the bug reporting system to meet your needs. When you combine this with deep integrations, you have a solid bug reporting and tracking system that can help you streamline the entire process. 

Trac Pros:

  • Great open source option for task/milestone management.
  • It was also useful to link similar tickets so that recurring issues can be easily resolved
  • Creating and managing tickets in Trac is extremely easy to use.

Trac Cons:

  • Its not a friendly app. Every person who want to use it, have to know about its wiki written command.
  • It does not have auth authentication or additional integration with other software packages

The Bug Genie

Bug genie dashboard

The Bug Genie is a free open-source bug tracker that is based on open-source technologies. A comprehensive bug tracking system, feature requests, and customer feedback management tool all help to improve the product development process. Because of all its features, this program combines defect and project management capabilities. 

One of Bug Genie’s bug tracking features is the ability to design custom transition screens for each process. You can also personalize the bug reporting and tracking system. Custom text input fields, custom status fields, multiple choice drop-down sections, bug status fields, and many other features are available. 

The Bug Genie Pros:

  • It is completely integrated: tickets, authentication, code review and code viewing of repositories.

The Bug Genie Cons:

  • The worst are translations, that do not keep up with the development of the application.

Redmine 

A screenshot of Redmine issue page

Redmine, like Trac, is an open-source bug tracker and project management tool that is accessible via the web. It is entirely free to use. To help you manage bugs efficiently, time tracking, wikis, calendars, bug reporting, and other features are available. 

Redmine is far more than a bug tracking system. Development teams all over the world use it to keep track of and manage their development projects. It is well-suited to agile and scrum workflows because of its characteristics. Some consider it a viable alternative to JIRA and Microsoft Project due to the similarities it offers. 

Redmine Pros:

  • Basic, lightweight project management tool with issue tracking, wiki, Gantt charts, calendars, and document/file storage.
  • Flexible hosting options. You can host it yourself on your own web server for free or pay to have it hosted as a software-as-a-service.
  • Because Redmine is open source, it can be customized to fit your businesses needs.

Redmine Cons:

  • The design and user-interface are a little outdated
  • It's not particularly designed to support agile-based project management methodologies such as Scrum.
  • It takes some training time to become an expert on using it.

OTRS

A screenshot of OTRS ticketing system

As a bug tracker, OTRS (Open-source Ticket Requesting System) is one of the best Redmine alternatives. It has nearly all the same features as Redmine. You can also use it for other purposes because it is a ticketing system. You can use the service to create an effective customer support system. 

OTRS Pros:

  • Easy to configure and Easy to implement.
  • Low-cost, scalabale solution that could handle multiple trouble ticket queues within one software context.

OTRS Cons:

  • The CGI-based design is relatively inefficient and can be sluggish without making some optimizations.
  • It is basic application and nothing much can be expected put of this.

Request Tracker 

Request tracker issue page

Request Tracker is a high-end ticketing and customer service system. It is one of the best tools for managing tasks, reporting bugs, and even assessing end-user issues. 

You can also use Request Tracker as a project management tool, a help desk, a ticketing system, and even a CRM. It also has a mobile-optimized interface for reporting, assigning, managing, and monitoring bugs remotely. Request Tracker gives its users a lot of flexibility as they can customize it to meet their specific needs.

Request Tracker Pros:

  • It enables creation of Custom Dashboards for different processes and how we can share the same with a group of people in the company
  • Has the ability to update the frequency of how often tickets come in.
  • You can manage requests of any type and have an audit trail of all of them.

Request Tracker Cons:

  • The way how the UI looks for this tool is not that great as some other ticketing software
  • Search takes too long to perform, especially if we search by date.
  • Merging tickets and replying to tickets with a long email chain is frustrating.

RoundUp

A bug report in Roundup tool

Roundup is yet another excellent web-based bug tracker that includes command-line and email interfaces. This open-source tool is simple to integrate and use in your day-to-day operations. The most recent release is quite extensive, with a slew of new features for better issue management.

Roundup Pros:

  • Easy to configure and Easy to implement.
  • Suitable software to track errors, inform the team through fault reports.

Roundup Cons:

  • It is basic application and nothing much can be expected put of this.

WebIssues

WebIssues reporting page

The GNU General Public License applies to WebIssues, a cross-platform open-source bug tracking tool. It allows you to save, discuss, and track issues with a variety of attributes, descriptions, comments, and file attachments.

WebIssues Pros:

  • WebIssues is a solid customer/server based issue following and group joint effort framework that your end clients will discover simple to utilize.
  • The most beneficial part of WebIssues has been the ease of transparency and collaboration with our team

WebIssues Cons:

  • The UI could have an update

Fossil

Issue tracking using Fossil

Another easy-to-use method for tracking bugs is Fossil. It offers more than just issue tracking; it also has a wiki and other vital project management and bug tracking tools. Fossil’s distributed version control mechanism is its most important feature. It entails keeping track of and resolving bugs. 

Developers can fix issues before releasing a newer version, ensuring that old issues do not resurface. In addition, the system includes a wiki, forum, and technotes features. Developers can use this to share technical details and expedite the completion of their projects.

Fossil Pros:

  • The built-in bug tracker and wiki is very useful
  • The actual version control system is pretty good as well.

Fossil Cons:

  • Fossil is hard to customize. Scripting must be written in TCL

Closing Thoughts

At Disbug, we love bugs. While this may sound weird, the joy of finding bugs and issues keeps us going. Therefore, we built a bug tracking tool of our own. You can choose any of the above free open-source bug tracking tools to get started. But if you want an effective and intuitive project management and bug tracking tool with a dedicated support team, try Disbug

 

Disbug offers a free plan that you can use to try and test its features. Do give it a try!


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