Having Trouble Finding The Right Bug Tracker Software

Question

I have searched all day today and have found a gazillion (well, ok -- a few dozen) Bug Trackers, some free, some hosted, some very expensive. I am quickly realizing that I don't have the time to spend evaluating them all (especially since it appears that many of them have so many features that we will never use).

Here is my list of modest requirements (at least I think they are modest):

1. Low Cost (or free): Let's say range of $100 +/- to own, or $10 +/- / month to host
2. PHP/MySql Based (if we are to own) - hosted, anything is fine
3. Easy to install (FTP, then setup database, then edit config.php kind of thing)
4. Just the basics please (basic submit/update/filing of bugs)
5. Decent filing/keyword tagging/searching mechanism

Anything else (like wikis, emailing, forums, graphs, etc -- not needed). We already have a helpdesk system (HelpSpot) so no need for that piece either.

I suppose I could write up a quick one myself, or just create pages on our internal Wiki, but doesn't anything this light-weight exist in the bug-tracking world? I don't mind evaluating 3 or 4 that come close to the requirements above if any of you have a good recommendation.

Thanks very much -

ADDED

First few suggestions are for FogBugz and Bugzilla. I had a look at both, and while they are both very nice (like the FogBugz especially), they have way too many features for our needs. What I am looking for (if it exists) is something much more basic. Thanks ~

Answer 1

JIRA seems pretty good for tracking bugs. It has some project management side effects as well.

Answer 2

Check out FogBugz (hosted or not). Hosted it's free for 2-3 users.

For a free alternative, try Bugzilla.

And of course there is Jira.

Of the two commercial ones, FogBugz on the face of it is more expensive but there are several compelling advantages over Jira:

• option to have a hosted version (but at $25+ a seat per month, it doesn't come cheap);
• it includes the emailing component;
• it has a wiki (you would need Confluence - another commercial product - or some other Wiki with Jira that won't be as nicely integrated);
• it has project management features, namely evidence based scheduling. I've yet to see this used in a large project but it certainly would be interesting as it seems more flexible (and realistic) than the classic GANTT Chart approach;
• easily ability to upload screenshots (very useful for testers);
• opening a new case is as easy as sending an email bug request (and you don't need a license to do this but you do if you want to track it, be assigned it and so on);
• source control integration; and
• hosted version is free for up to 2 users.

One comment I'll make is that I find the hosted version of FogBugz to be a bit... slow. It feels unresponsive. I've only ever used that version so I don't know how the local version compares but to me Jira seemed more responsive.

The advantages of Jira are (imho):

• cost;
• it runs on any Windows, Mac OS X and Linux
• a rich set of plug-ins (particularly for Confluence).

Bugzilla I know less about but it seems more narrowly focused on just tracking bugs whereas the other two have integrated a much broader range of features.

There are of course other bug tracking tools not listed above but I know less about those.

Answer 3

At the time I write this, Axosoft has OnTime Express available for a team of 5 developers for $5. Normally, it's $395 for 5 users. Not a typo. I've always like OnTime for it's simplicity and yet full-featured capability. And I'm not a shill (I'm not reimbursed in any way for this opinion).

Answer 4

BugHost is good, basic and free.

Answer 5

I have used both trac and Mantis on real projects, and can recommend both.

They both may contain features you don't need,but these don't hurt.

trac in particularly has a fairly clean UI, which might be a concern. It does have a wiki built-in, but you don't have to use it :-).

Answer 6

We started by rolling our own a bunch of years back (in Lotus Notes...), then we switched to Bugzilla, then to Mantis, and finally to Jira. Of the bunch of them, I am actually fondest of Jira for it's all around usability. Atlassian's other products come in handy as your needs grow.

In case you are interested, we dropped Bugzilla because of it's UI. We left Mantis due to some internal politics surrounding open source software. And, it appears that we have settled on Jira. Overall, I'm quite happy with the choice.

But if you are looking for simple, take a look at Mantis. It's PHP over "pick your DB". If you spend a little time getting used to the code base and how to customize it, it is actually quite nice.

Answer 7

Asked several times times already. See these SO posts:

What bug tracking software do you use?

Reasons not to build your own bug tracking system

Which issue trackers support sub-tickets, and how well do they work for bridging the gap between project managers and developers?

Answer 8

Roundup is a Python based generic "tracker". You can use it for bugs, but also a lot more (or less!). It is very simple to use, and setup. Also has a robust email interface.

Answer 9

Look at JIRA using a Personal License which should bring you well into the price range - Free in fact.

However this license does have limitations.

The free JIRA Personal license allows for:

• three registered users with full access and unlimited anonymous visitors
• your own deployment of a fully functional version of JIRA (Enterprise, Professional or Standard — compare editions)
• perpetual use

The free Personal JIRA license comes with a few restrictions:

• JIRA Personal license holders are not entitled to Atlassian support.
• all JIRA Personal licenses are solely permitted for personal environments.
• only one JIRA Personal License is allotted per person.

JIRA is by far the best bug tracking system I have ever used. I have used FogBugz at a previous workplace, and IMO was not as feature rich or as powerful as JIRA.