Bugzilla vs Redmine

Bugzilla and Redmine both cost nothing to license and neither sells a hosted version, so the real question is how much tool you want to run. Bugzilla stays close to defects, with tracking by product and component, milestones and per-bug visibility rules. Redmine treats issues as one part of a project suite that adds subprojects, a Gantt chart, a wiki and time tracking. In both cases someone on your side installs, upgrades and backs up the server.

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.

Both are reviewed in full in our bug tracking software ranking: Bugzilla and Redmine.

1. 01

   Install it yourself, in both cases

   The Bugzilla about page calls the software free in price and says it must be installed on your server. Its homepage points to installation instructions and a Try it out demo link, with no hosted or commercial offering listed. Redmine describes itself as self-hosted too, names no official cloud service and invites donations instead of stating a price. Neither site gives you a vendor to buy hosting from.

   Depends on the buyer

2. 02

   Beyond the defect list

   Redmine states support for multiple projects and subprojects, a Gantt chart and calendar, time tracking and a wiki and forums for each project. Bugzilla lists advanced search, issue tracking by product and component, milestones for releases, and planning and release management. A team that also schedules work and logs hours will find Redmine covers the wider day, while Bugzilla stays narrower on purpose.

   Edge: Redmine

3. 03

   Hiding a sensitive bug

   On its about page Bugzilla names workflow management, bug visibility control and custom fields among its functions, which is the combination a security team looks for. Redmine states flexible role-based access control and issue workflows that can differ per role. Both can limit what people do, yet only Bugzilla puts visibility of individual bugs forward in its own description. That is a narrow point.

   Edge: Bugzilla

4. 04

   Code, database and repositories

   Redmine is built on Ruby on Rails, released under the GNU GPL v2, and the features page lists MySQL, PostgreSQL or SQLite for storage. It attaches Subversion, Git, Mercurial, CVS and Bazaar repositories to projects. The Bugzilla repository README names the Mozilla Public License 2.0, while its homepage names no licence for the software itself, only Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 for the site content.

   Edge: Redmine

5. 05

   Who is behind the project

   Bugzilla links to Zarro Boogs Corporation, a US-based non-profit founded in 2023 that is not affiliated with the Mozilla Foundation. The homepage says people and companies fund the project independently, and Mozilla licenses the logo and uses Bugzilla. Redmine credits copyright to Jean-Philippe Lang and says community volunteers maintain it. The pages we read show no country or company address for Redmine.

   Edge: Bugzilla

6. 06

   Support when something breaks

   The Bugzilla repository describes development as carried out by volunteers in the Mozilla community, and the pages we read list no paid support contract. Redmine also says volunteers build and maintain it, and its features page describes no commercial support or hosting. Its only hosted demo is an unofficial third party that the site says has no connection to Redmine.org. Neither project offers service levels.

   Depends on the buyer

Does Bugzilla still belong to Mozilla?

The about page says Zarro Boogs Corporation manages the project and is not affiliated with the Mozilla Foundation. It adds that Mozilla licenses the logo and uses Bugzilla. The repository README also places development with volunteers in the Mozilla community.

Which tracker needs a Rails server?

Redmine does, because the homepage describes it as built on Ruby on Rails. The features page lists MySQL, PostgreSQL or SQLite as the database choices. The Bugzilla pages we read do not state a language or database.

Can a team log working hours in either one?

Redmine lists time tracking among its stated functions, next to a Gantt chart and calendar. The Bugzilla pages we read describe defect tracking, milestones and release planning but do not mention time logging. A team that bills hours would lean to Redmine on those facts.

• Bugzilla about page: Zarro Boogs Corporation, 2023 founding, free in price, install on your server, visibility control.
• Bugzilla homepage: Try it out demo link, advanced search, product and component tracking, milestones, CC BY-SA site content.
• Bugzilla repository: MPL 2.0 on the code and volunteer development.
• Redmine homepage: Rails, GPL v2, donations, Jean-Philippe Lang credit, unofficial demo, role-based access.
• Redmine features: subprojects, Gantt, wiki, forums, time tracking, repository list, database list.