There are many types of bug tracking systems. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages. Free, open-source bug tracking software is a type of bug tracking system that is simple to set up and easy to use, and it works well for small teams or individuals. If you’re looking for something more robust than a wiki or an issue tracker, but don’t need all the full-blown bug tracking system features, then free open source bug tracking may be what you’re looking for.

11 Best Free Open Source Bug Tracking Software

  1. Bugzilla –Best Bug Tracking Software and Test Management Tool
  2. Bugfender –Best Cloud-Based Remote Logging Tool
  3. MantisBT –Bug Tracking Tool for Teams and Clients Collaboration
  4. ClickUp – Best Tracker For Teams Planning And Building Great Products
  5. Lavagna – Project Tracker Software for Small Teams
  6. Trac – Bug Tracker and Project Management for WordPress
  7. Bird Eats Bug – Best Bug Reports for Cloud, Windows, Mac and Linux
  8. Redmine -Best Bug Tracking Tool for Multiple Projects
  9. User back –Best Bug Reporting ToolforSoftware Teams
  10. JIRA – Best Tracker for Teams Planning Great Products
  11. Kualitee – Best Test Case Management and Bug Tracker

1. Bugzilla: Best Bug Tracking Software and Test Management Tool

PRICING: $4.95 per month

Bugzilla is a powerful open-source bug tracking system that can handle large projects with hundreds of developers.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Multiple languages
  • Built-in web interface
  • Has a REST API
  • Has a plugin
  • Flexible
  • Good search engine
  • Built-in test suite
  • Documentation

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Highly customizable
  • Actively developed
  • Bugzilla is open source
  • Cross-platform
  • Fast
  • Scalable
  • Easy to learn

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Limited customization
  • Sophisticated interface

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2. Bugfender: Best Cloud-Based Remote Logging Tool

PRICING: starts at $39 per month

Bugfender provides services like integration with Github and Slack. It helps organizations manage their workflow, track issues, and collaborate across departments to ensure quality.

Key Features:

  • Unlimited Users
  • Custom Domains
  • Open Source
  • Support for Multiple Languages
  • Email Notifications
  • Searchable Issues
  • Attachments

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Free trial
  • Open source
  • Simple to use
  • Easy to scale
  • Multilingual
  • Well documented
  • Scalable

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • No messaging
  • No notifications
  • Poor access controls

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3. MantisBT: Bug Tracking Tool for Teams and Clients Collaboration

PRICING: Free

MantisBT is a free issue tracker written in PHP. It supports multiple and is suitable for small projects or teams where you need to keep track of tasks, bugs, and change requests.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Supports multiple languages
  • Fast
  • Fully configurable
  • Highly customizable
  • Open source

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Free
  • Easy to use
  • Flexible
  • Fully configurable
  • Stable
  • Scalable

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Requires a lot of maintenance
  • No official support

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4. ClickUp: Best Tracker for Teams Planning and Building Great Products

PRICING: starts at $5 per user per month

ClickUp is a web-based application that allows users to create and maintain a list of bugs, enhancements, and new features. The system can be used by any organization, from large corporations to small startups.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Unlimited Projects
  • User Management
  • Project Management
  • Issue Tracking
  • Change Tracking
  • Custom Fields
  • Workflow
  • Version Control
  • File Uploads
  • Reports

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Easy to use
  • Flexible
  • Easy to customize
  • ClickUp is open source
  • Highly customizable

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Poor API
  • Does not support custom fields
  • Does not store attachments

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5. Lavagna: Project Tracker Software for Small Teams

PRICING: starts at $9.95 per month

Lavagna is a lightweight issue tracking system designed specifically for agile development teams. It is suitable for small projects where you are looking for a quick solution.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Lightweight
  • Simple Interface
  • Quick
  • Easy to Use
  • Flexible
  • Supports Multiple Programming Languages
  • Supports multiple browsers
  • Supports multiple operating systems
  • Supports multiple file-formats

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Lavagna is free
  • Lavagna is easy to install
  • It is lightweight
  • It is easy to use
  • It is flexible
  • It is easy to customize
  • Many programming languages support it
  • It is cross-platform compatible

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Does not support version control
  • Does not support custom fields.
  • Does not support attachments

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6. Trac: Bug Tracker and Project Management for WordPress

PRICING: plan starts at $5 per month

Trac is an open-source project management tool written in Python using the Django Web framework. Trac is suitable for medium-sized organizations that need to track several projects simultaneously. Trac provides a complete set of tools for managing a project.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Issue Tracker
  • Wiki
  • Mailing Lists
  • Source Code Repositories
  • Ticket System
  • Bug Database
  • Project Planning
  • Project Reporting
  • Version Control

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Easy to install
  • Intuitive to use
  • Flexible
  • Extensible
  • Well documented

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Limited API
  • No attachments
  • Supports only basic authentication

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7. Bird Eats Bug: Best Bug Reports for Cloud, Windows, Mac and Linux

PRICING: $8 per month

Bird Eats Bug (BEE) is a web-based bug tracking application that allows users to create new bugs, view existing ones, and close them.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Integrated Wiki
  • Create New Bugs
  • View Existing Bugs
  • Close Bugs
  • Collaborate On Issues
  • Integrate With Other Services
  • Searchable
  • Customizable

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Easy to install
  • Intuitive to use
  • Flexible
  • It is very customizable
  • Multiprogramming languages

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • No version control
  • Does not support comment

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8. Redmine: Best Bug Tracking Tool for Multiple Projects

PRICING: starts at $25 per month

Redmine is a Ruby on Rails-based open source project management system. It is designed to help teams manage their projects from start to finish.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Issue Tracking
  • Wiki
  • Project Management
  • Issue Tracker
  • Bug Tracking
  • Documentation
  • Version Control
  • Integration with other services

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Easy to install and use
  • Flexible
  • Multiple programming languages
  • Supports issue tracking
  • Supports project management

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Does not support Version Control
  • Does not support Advanced Search
  • Does not has support for customization

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9. User back: Best Bug Reporting Tool for Software Teams

PRICING: starts at $8 per month

User back is a simple yet powerful bug tracker. It provides a clean interface, making it easy to use. User back uses a simple text file format to store all your data, making it easy to share your data between different systems.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Simple interface
  • File-based database
  • No setup required
  • Completely free
  • Support for multiple programming language

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Easy to install and use
  • Flexible
  • Searchable
  • Supports issue tracking
  • Supports wiki
  • Supports project management

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • No version control
  • No attachment
  • Poor integration with other services
  • Poor customization

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10. JIRA: Best Tracker for Teams Planning Great Products

PRICING: $0-$14.50 per user per month

This is an excellent tool for working in teams, mainly distributed ones. There’s a free version and many other paid versions. It has tools for bug tracking, integration with other tools, agile project management, and more cool stuff.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Work in a distributed team
  • Create a new project
  • Create, edit and destroy tasks
  • Track bugs
  • Time tracking
  • Integrate with other tools

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Good support
  • Easy to use
  • Customizable and flexible
  • Good integration

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • The price is relatively high
  • No free version
  • Not intuitive

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11. Kualitee: Best Test Case Management and Bug Tracker

PRICING: $15 per user per month

Quality is a test management tool that creates, organizes, and executes workflow builds. It has easily reusable test cycles and defects.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Third-party integration
  • REST APIs
  • Interactive dashboard
  • Tracking
  • Defect management

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Great features
  • Customizable
  • Easy to use
  • Traceability
  • Free trial

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Limited trial
  • Slow performance

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Frequently Asked Questions

How can I add new functionality to an existing project?

If you want to add new functionality to an already developed project, you should first ensure that the project is under active development. If not, then you may consider starting a new project instead.

What are the rules of bug tracking software?

The rules for bug tracking are quite simple. You should follow the rules of web design and web development to ensure that your bug tracker is easy to use and provides the functionality and features.

What if my project is more than a month old?

If your project is more than a week old, it is better to close the project and start a new one. It is expected that if you are developing something for the first time, you need to keep developing this software under strict control. The bug tracking software should be easy to use and provide the features you might need at every stage of development.

What if my project is close to being closed?

It’s better to leave some time to complete the project rather than closing it. If you choose to end the project, make sure it does not leave any bugs behind and is ready to be released.

If your project has bugs, you should fix them as soon as possible instead of simply closing the project and moving on to a new one. Otherwise, the bug tracking software will not be able to identify all the issues that exist in your project accurately.

What if I can’t find any bug tracking software that suits my requirements?

You should try to customize the existing application for your needs. You may need to hire a programmer for this purpose. Or you may try to find a custom application developer who can do the job for you.

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Resources

https://disbug.io/en/blog/best-open-source-bug-tracking-tools

https://www.softwareadvice.com/resources/free-bug-tracking-software/

https://www.goodfirms.co/blog/best-free-open-source-bug-tracking-software

https://www.guru99.com/top-20-bug-tracking-tools.html

https://medevel.com/19-os-bug-and-issues-tracking-and-management-solutions/