{"id":153,"date":"2026-10-12T14:31:56","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T14:31:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scmgalaxy.com\/tutorials\/2010\/01\/05\/list-of-free-issue-tracking-bug-tracking-system\/"},"modified":"2026-10-12T14:31:56","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T14:31:56","slug":"list-of-free-issue-tracking-bug-tracking-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/list-of-free-issue-tracking-bug-tracking-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Free Issue Tracking and Bug Tracking Systems: Updated 2010 Directory with a DevOps Evaluation Framework"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Free issue trackers can be a strong fit for DevOps teams, but only when the tool matches your incident, bug, and service workflows. This revised guide preserves the original 2010 directory and adds a practical method to evaluate and pilot candidates safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Originally published on 2010-01-05; fully revised and updated.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/issue-tracking-bug-tracking.png\" alt=\"Issue tracking and bug tracking systems\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What an issue tracking system covers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the original post, an issue tracking system is described as software that manages lists of reported issues for customer support teams and internal teams. It can overlap with classic bug tracking and may also include a knowledge base for common resolutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Track tickets from creation to resolution.<\/li><li>Assign ownership and prioritize work.<\/li><li>Support support-desk and engineering bug workflows.<\/li><li>In some tools, provide web, email, or command-line interfaces.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A practical selection workflow for DevOps teams<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because this catalog is historical, use a structured selection process before adopting any tool in production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"mermaid\">\nflowchart TD\n    A[Define use cases and ticket types] --> B[Set must have channels web email api]\n    B --> C[Shortlist candidates from archive]\n    C --> D[Validate docs activity and license]\n    D --> E[Run pilot with real tickets]\n    E --> F{Meets workflow reporting and access needs}\n    F -- no --> C\n    F -- yes --> G[Plan migration rollout and training]\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Comparison of notable tools mentioned in the original post<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The table below summarizes selected tools exactly in the spirit of the original descriptions. Treat this as a starting point, then verify current project status and documentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Tool<\/th><th>Original description summary<\/th><th>Likely fit<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Bugzilla<\/td><td>Perl-based bug tracker, also usable for help desk support.<\/td><td>Engineering bug tracking with structured workflows.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mantis<\/td><td>PHP software bug and issue tracking system.<\/td><td>General-purpose web bug tracking.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Redmine<\/td><td>Flexible project management web app (Ruby on Rails), cross-platform and cross-database.<\/td><td>Teams needing issues plus broader project management.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Request Tracker (RT)<\/td><td>Open source ticket tracking tool with email-first interface and web backend.<\/td><td>Support-heavy organizations using email-driven intake.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Trac<\/td><td>Minimalistic web-based project management and bug tracking tool with wiki, written in Python.<\/td><td>Teams wanting lightweight tracking plus documentation.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>OTRS<\/td><td>Trouble ticket system for calls and emails across support, sales, pre-sales, billing, and IT; written in Perl.<\/td><td>Multi-department ticket handling.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>osTicket<\/td><td>Lightweight ticketing system designed for easy setup and use, mostly PHP.<\/td><td>Simple help desk deployments.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Roundup<\/td><td>Issue tracker with command line, web, and email interfaces.<\/td><td>Teams that need flexible interface options.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quick commands to audit old project links<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before spending time on installation, quickly check whether candidate URLs are reachable.<\/p>\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\" aria-describedby=\"shcb-language-1\" data-shcb-language-name=\"JavaScript\" data-shcb-language-slug=\"javascript\"><span><code class=\"hljs language-javascript language-bash\">urls=(\n  <span class=\"hljs-string\">\"http:\/\/www.bugzilla.org\/\"<\/span>\n  <span class=\"hljs-string\">\"http:\/\/www.redmine.org\/\"<\/span>\n  <span class=\"hljs-string\">\"http:\/\/trac.edgewall.com\/\"<\/span>\n  <span class=\"hljs-string\">\"http:\/\/otrs.org\/\"<\/span>\n  <span class=\"hljs-string\">\"http:\/\/www.osticket.com\/\"<\/span>\n)\n\n<span class=\"hljs-keyword\">for<\/span> url <span class=\"hljs-keyword\">in<\/span> <span class=\"hljs-string\">\"${urls&#91;@]}\"<\/span>; <span class=\"hljs-keyword\">do<\/span>\n  code=$(curl -L -s -o \/dev\/<span class=\"hljs-literal\">null<\/span> -w <span class=\"hljs-string\">\"%{http_code}\"<\/span> <span class=\"hljs-string\">\"$url\"<\/span>)\n  printf <span class=\"hljs-string\">\"%-40s %s\\n\"<\/span> <span class=\"hljs-string\">\"$url\"<\/span> <span class=\"hljs-string\">\"$code\"<\/span>\ndone<\/code><\/span><small class=\"shcb-language\" id=\"shcb-language-1\"><span class=\"shcb-language__label\">Code language:<\/span> <span class=\"shcb-language__name\">JavaScript<\/span> <span class=\"shcb-language__paren\">(<\/span><span class=\"shcb-language__slug\">javascript<\/span><span class=\"shcb-language__paren\">)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use this as a first pass only. A reachable URL does <strong>not<\/strong> confirm active maintenance, security posture, or suitability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Full alphabetical list from the original post (archival)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the original-style directory preserved for reference, with minor wording cleanup. Verify each project independently before adoption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.adefhelpdesk.com\/\">aDefHelpDesk<\/a> \u2014 Open source DotNetNuke-based help desk module.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/asset-tracker.sourceforge.net\/\">Asset Tracker<\/a> \u2014 Asset database and tracking tool with plugin-based integration options.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/sourceforge.net\/projects\/astres\/\">Astres<\/a> \u2014 PHP help desk tool with English and French translations.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">B<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"http:\/\/82.45.46.132\/bsoftware\/\">Bartley Helpdesk<\/a> \u2014 Lightweight help desk for small to medium IT departments, includes inventory management.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.xisp.net\/batts\/\">BATTS<\/a> \u2014 Open source help desk designed for Linux\/Unix command-line use with email interface.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/github.com\/bigfolio\/big-help\/wikis\/home\">Big Help<\/a> \u2014 Help desk portal built with Ruby on Rails.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ifdefined.com\/bugtrackernet.html\">BugTracker.NET<\/a> \u2014 ASP.NET\/C# web-based bug or issue tracker with screenshot utility.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bugzilla.org\/\">Bugzilla<\/a> \u2014 Perl-based bug tracking system, also usable for help desk support.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">D<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ditrack.org\/\">DITrack<\/a> \u2014 Bug and ticket system using Subversion as backend database; command-line interface in original description.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/dcl.sourceforge.net\/\">Double Choco Latte<\/a> \u2014 GNU enterprise package for call tracking and project management.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">E<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.eticketsupport.com\/\">eTicket Support<\/a> \u2014 PHP-based electronic support ticket system.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/eventum.mysql.org\/wiki\/index.php\/Main_Page\">Eventum<\/a> \u2014 Open source help desk package from the MySQL creators; PHP and MySQL based.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">F<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"http:\/\/flyspray.org\/\">Flyspray<\/a> \u2014 Listed in the original post without additional description.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">H<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.helpdesklite.com\/\">Help Desk Lite<\/a> \u2014 Simple issue tracking for service tickets and operator assignment.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.helpdeskreloaded.com\/\">Help Desk Reloaded<\/a> \u2014 PHP help desk with ticket prioritization, multi-technician support, and search.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/helpdesk.centralmanclc.com\/\">Helpdesk Issue Manager<\/a> \u2014 Open source help desk tool running on PHP and PostgreSQL.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"http:\/\/irm.stackworks.net\">Information Resource Manager<\/a> \u2014 PHP-based help desk and asset tracker for IT departments.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.glpi-project.org\">Information Resource Manager \u2013 GLPI Edition<\/a> \u2014 Presented in the original post as IRM with additional enhancements.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.issuetrackerproduct.com\/\">IssueTrackerProduct<\/a> \u2014 Zope issue tracker focused on email communication and request management.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.itracker.org\/\">itracker<\/a> \u2014 Java-based open source help desk application emphasizing modularity and i18n support.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">J<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"http:\/\/jtrac.info\">JTrac<\/a> \u2014 Java-based open source issue tracking system.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jutdahelpdesk.com\/\">Jutda Helpdesk<\/a> \u2014 Django-powered ticket tracking system for small enterprise.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">L<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.liberum.org\/\">Liberum Help Desk<\/a> \u2014 Web-based help desk in ASP\/VBScript with SQL Server or Access support.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">M<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mantisbugtracker.com\/\">Mantis<\/a> \u2014 PHP software bug and issue tracking system.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">O<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.oneorzero.com\/\">One or Zero<\/a> \u2014 Open source help desk software optimized for task-oriented help desks.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.openpsa.org\/openpsa\/support.html\">OpenPsa<\/a> \u2014 Full project system with help desk as one component.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.opencsm.org\/\">OpenCSM<\/a> \u2014 Open source help desk solution with telephony component.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.osticket.com\/\">OS Ticket<\/a> \u2014 Lightweight ticket system designed for easy setup and use.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/otrs.org\/\">OTRS<\/a> \u2014 Trouble ticket system for telephone and email workflows across multiple departments.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">P<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"http:\/\/phpbt.sourceforge.net\/\">phpBugTracker<\/a> \u2014 Web-based software bug tracker with layered architecture for customization.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">R<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.redmine.org\/\">Redmine<\/a> \u2014 Flexible project management web app built on Ruby on Rails.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bestpractical.com\/rt\/\">Request Tracker<\/a> \u2014 Open source ticket tracking tool with email-centric workflow and web admin backend.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/roundup.sourceforge.net\/\">Roundup<\/a> \u2014 Issue tracker with command-line, web, and email interfaces.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">S<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/gna.org\/projects\/savane\">Savane<\/a> \u2014 Web-based libre software hosting with issue tracking and role management.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/sinergia.sourceforge.net\/\">Sinergia<\/a> \u2014 C# .NET framework for building customized help desk applications.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/sitracker.sourceforge.net\/\">SiT! Support Incident Tracker<\/a> \u2014 SLA-aware support incident tracking system (PHP\/MySQL).<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/slick-ticket.com\/\">Slick Ticket<\/a> \u2014 ASP ticket system with SQL Server and Active Directory support.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/subissue.tigris.org\/\">Subissue<\/a> \u2014 Stores issues within a Subversion repository; original post notes web UI in progress.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sugarforge.org\/content\/open-source\/sugar-open-source.php\">SugarCRM Open Source<\/a> \u2014 Primarily CRM, with light help desk capability.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">T<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"http:\/\/trac.edgewall.com\/\">Trac<\/a> \u2014 Minimalistic web-based project management and bug tracker with wiki features.<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.troubleticketexpress.com\/\">Trouble Ticket Express<\/a> \u2014 Web-based CGI help desk with MySQL and SQL Server support.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Z<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No entries were listed under Z in the original post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common pitfalls when choosing a free tracker<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Picking a tool before mapping real ticket workflows (incident, problem, bug, service request).<\/li><li>Assuming an old project list guarantees active maintenance.<\/li><li>Skipping email intake, authentication, and permission model validation during pilot.<\/li><li>Ignoring data export and migration strategy from day one.<\/li><li>Not defining ownership, triage rules, and SLA expectations before rollout.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you treat this list as an archive and combine it with disciplined evaluation, you can still use it to discover useful options quickly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This guide preserves a classic list of free issue and bug tracking tools from 2010 and adds a practical DevOps workflow for evaluating them today. Use it to shortlist candidates, verify viability, and run a safer pilot.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[647,3648,328,3643,3644,3639,3647,3641,3646,3640,3650,302,3642,3645,507,1268,341,637,776,3649],"class_list":["post-153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised","tag-best","tag-best-issue-tracking-software","tag-bug","tag-bug-tracking","tag-bug-tracking-system","tag-free","tag-free-bug-tracking-software","tag-free-bug-tracking-tools","tag-free-issue-tracking-software","tag-free-issue-tracking-tools","tag-incident-ticket-system","tag-issue","tag-issue-tracking","tag-issue-tracking-system","tag-list","tag-system","tag-tool","tag-top","tag-tracking","tag-trouble-ticket-system"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=153"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79001,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153\/revisions\/79001"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}