People start comparing Redmine alternatives when nobody on the team wants to keep a Ruby on Rails server patched, when the interface feels dated beside newer trackers, or when they need vendor support and hosting that the project does not sell. Options run from other self-hosted trackers to hosted products and to capture tools that feed a tracker.
Short answer: Ranking order favours the challenger over the household name, so the best-known vendors begin at place 4 where the category allows it. For Redmine users, the top three picks from our bug tracking software ranking are MantisBT, Bugzilla and Plane. Pick MantisBT if you only need a bug queue and want a lighter system to run. The 11 entries that follow are all ranked in Best Bug Tracking Software in 2026; each one explains what sets it apart from Redmine.
Vendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.
Pricing: Open source GPL v2, self-hosted; donations invited, no hosted plans listed
Established in: Not stated by the vendor
Built for: Teams that want issues, wiki and time logging in one self-run application
Not for: Teams without anyone to administer a Rails server
01
Why buyers look past Redmine
01
Redmine is software you install, with no vendor behind it
The homepage says Redmine can be self-hosted and that volunteers maintain it, and we found no hosted plan or price list on the pages we read. Someone on your side owns installation, upgrades and backups. The install guide lists database setup, Bundler, migrations and file permissions, and asks you to back up both the database and the files directory.
02
Version requirements move with each release line
The install page for Redmine 7.0 names Ruby 3.2 to 4.0 and Rails 8.1, and recommends Ruby 4.0.4 or later because earlier 4.0 releases slow wiki rendering. The homepage lists three lines released on 2026-11-01: 6.0.12, 6.1.6 and 7.0.3. Tracking which line your plugins support becomes a recurring chore for a small team.
03
A wide feature set means more to configure
Roles per project, workflows per issue type, custom fields on four object types, Gantt, wiki, forums and time logging all come built in. Teams that mainly want to log defects and move them through states often use a fraction of that. The Features page describes the wiki as Textile syntax, which some editors will find unfamiliar.
you want replay and survey data alongside bug reports
#10
03
What each one does differently
1
MantisBT
Not stated by the vendor · Published
MantisBT is a PHP tracker under a GPL licence, so a small team can install it on its own server, or rent the hosted MantisHub whose published plans bundle a user count and storage. Workflows and notifications are configurable and access is role-based per project. Sprint planning and roadmaps are outside its scale.
Switch from Redmine if you only need a bug queue and want a lighter system to run.
Bugzilla is installed on your own server under MPL 2.0 and carries custom fields, workflow control and visibility rules for security bugs. Zarro Boogs Corporation, a US nonprofit formed in 2023 by core developers, maintains it. Nobody sells hosting or support through the project, so the same upkeep burden remains with you.
Switch from Redmine if you want a long-standing defect tracker with strict visibility rules.
Plane publishes its code under AGPL-3.0 and offers a cloud service and self-hosted editions. The cloud free plan covers up to 12 users but omits wiki, time tracking, integrations and dashboards, which Pro adds per user. AI credits apply to the cloud plans only. The interface is newer than Redmine's.
Switch from Redmine if you want a modern open source tracker with the option of vendor-run hosting.
Backlog, from the Japanese company Nulab, bundles issue tracking, boards and Git or Subversion hosting at a flat monthly price. The free plan holds 10 users, one project and 100 MB, Starter stops at 30 users, and Standard has unlimited users. AI credits are bought separately. Repository hosting sits in the same product, much as Redmine browses repositories.
Switch from Redmine if you want repositories and issues together at a price that ignores headcount.
Shortcut, founded in 2014, arranges work into boards, backlogs, sprints, docs and roadmaps. Its free plan allows 10 users, one workspace and one workflow; Team lifts the user cap and allows five workflows. A 14-day trial comes first. The pages we read do not name a country of establishment.
Switch from Redmine if your team plans in sprints and has outgrown ticket queues.
Linear treats a bug as one issue inside cycles and projects. The free plan has unlimited members but 250 issues and 2 teams, Basic lifts the issue cap and allows 5 teams, and Business adds private teams, guests and the Zendesk and Intercom integrations. The code is closed and each seat adds to the bill.
Switch from Redmine if you want a fast hosted tracker and accept per-seat pricing.
Jam records a screen or takes a screenshot and attaches console and network logs, device data and user actions to the report. Free allows 30 Jams a month with five-minute recordings; Team is billed yearly per creator. Reports go to a tracker such as Jira or Linear, so Jam sits in front of a backlog.
Switch from Redmine if testers keep sending screenshots without enough technical detail.
Marker.io is a widget that converts what a tester or visitor reports into a ticket in the tracker you already use, screenshots and technical context included. Reporters are free and only internal users take a seat. Starter covers three users and ten projects; Jira and Azure DevOps integrations begin on Team. A 15-day trial applies. The company is Belgian.
Switch from Redmine if outside reporters should file into your existing tracker without accounts.
Usersnap GmbH in Linz, Austria, prices by projects and channels instead of seats: Starter has 2 seats and higher plans give unlimited ones. Its integrations name Jira, Azure DevOps and Linear. The pricing now leans towards product discovery with AI analysis credits, which a plain bug-reporting team may not need. A free trial precedes any plan.
Switch from Redmine if many colleagues need to comment and you would rather not count seats.
BugHerd lets a client click an element on a live website and comment, and each comment arrives as a task with screenshot, browser, operating system and screen size. Plans are priced by member count with unlimited clients and projects, and a 60-day money-back guarantee applies. It covers website defects, and the public pages do not mention export.
Switch from Redmine if agencies collect client feedback on websites under construction.
Userback, an Australian company, gathers feedback through a widget, extension and surveys, with annotation, video and session replay. The free plan gives 2 seats and 2 sites but hides feedback older than seven days, so it works as a trial. Business and above allow unlimited seats. Queensland law governs the entity.
Switch from Redmine if you want replay and survey data alongside bug reports.
MantisBT: GPL-licensed PHP tracker with configurable workflows, and a hosted MantisHub if you later tire of running it.
02
You want issues and Git in one product at a flat price
Backlog: Standard has unlimited users, and the free plan holds 10 users, one project and 100 MB.
03
You want a modern open source tracker, self-hosted or cloud
Plane: AGPL-3.0 code, a free cloud plan for up to 12 users, and Pro for wiki, time tracking and integrations.
04
You want testers to report with logs attached
Jam: Console and network logs, device data and user actions arrive with each report; Free allows 30 Jams a month.
05
You collect feedback from clients on a live website
BugHerd: Comments pinned to page elements become tasks with browser and screen details, and clients are unlimited.
04
When Redmine is still the right choice
Redmine stays a sound choice when you want one self-hosted system that holds issues, a Gantt chart, wikis, forums, time reports and repository browsing for Subversion, Git, Mercurial and others, with LDAP sign-in against several directories. The licence is GNU GPL v2 and there is no per-seat fee. If your organisation already runs Ruby services and keeps backups, the upkeep is modest.
05
What moving off Redmine involves
01
Check what leaves cleanly before choosing a target
Redmine holds custom fields on issues, time entries, projects and users, and workflows per issue type and role. Few trackers map all of these one to one. Export a sample project and see which fields, time logs and wiki pages arrive intact.
02
Plan for wikis, repositories and attachments separately
Wiki pages use Textile and attachments live in the files directory, not the database. Repository browsing is a Redmine feature, so decide whether the new tool hosts Git itself or links out. Keep the old instance read-only until references in commits and tickets have been checked.
03
Time logs and Gantt dates need a new home
Gantt charts are generated from issue dates and time can be logged per ticket. If your target does not log time, keep a spreadsheet or a separate tool for it before you switch off Redmine.
06
Questions about replacing Redmine
6 answers
Is Redmine free to use?
The homepage states the GNU General Public License v2 and invites donations. There is no licence fee, but server, upkeep and backups cost time or money on your side.
Which databases does Redmine 7.0 support?
The install guide lists PostgreSQL 14, MySQL 8.0 to 8.4, Microsoft SQL Server 2012 or higher, and SQLite 3, with SQLite marked as unsuitable for multi-user production use.
Does Redmine offer a hosted plan?
We found none on the pages we read. The homepage links to a third-party demo and says it has no connection to Redmine.org. Of the alternatives listed here, MantisBT sells MantisHub and Plane and Backlog run cloud services.
Which alternative is open source too?
MantisBT is GPL, Bugzilla is MPL 2.0 and Plane is AGPL-3.0. All three can be self-hosted, though only Plane and MantisBT list a vendor-run cloud option.
Can a tool replace the tracker if I only need bug capture?
Marker.io, Jam, Userback, BugHerd and Usersnap collect reports from testers or visitors. Several name Jira or Linear as the destination, so they feed a tracker and do not replace one.
Which options have a free plan?
Backlog allows 10 users free, Plane 12 users, Shortcut 10 users, Linear 250 issues, Jam 30 Jams a month and Userback 2 seats and 2 sites. Limits differ, so read each page before migrating a backlog.
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Sources
Checked 6 November 2026
Redmine homepage: GNU GPL v2, self-hosted, volunteers, donations, releases 6.0.12, 6.1.6 and 7.0.3 dated 2026-11-01.
Founder of The Knowledge Engineers and of 2 Steps Ahead, an AI search visibility agency. Editorially responsible for every page on this site; research and drafting are AI-assisted.
Sebastiaan Smits wrote and checked this page, most recently on 6 November 2026. See how we review.
