The Best Request Tracker Alternatives for Efficient Issue Management
Request Tracker (RT) has long been a robust and widely used enterprise-grade ticketing system, empowering organizations to intelligently manage tasks, issues, and requests. Since 1996, RT has served countless system administrators, customer support teams, IT managers, developers, and marketing departments with its object-oriented Perl foundation, offering a high-level, portable, and platform-independent solution for collaboration and customer care. However, for various reasons – be it specific feature requirements, budget constraints, or a preference for different technological stacks – many users seek a reliable Request Tracker alternative. This article explores some of the top contenders that can provide similar or even enhanced functionalities for your issue and project management needs.
Top Request Tracker Alternatives
Whether you're looking for open-source flexibility, commercial support, specific integrations, or a different user experience, there's a Request Tracker alternative out there that might be the perfect fit for your team. Here’s a detailed look at some of the best options available.
Redmine
Redmine is a highly flexible project management web application, developed using the Ruby on Rails framework. It stands out as a strong Request Tracker alternative due to its cross-platform and cross-database compatibility, making it adaptable to various environments including MySQL Community Edition, MariaDB, and PostgreSQL. As a free and open-source solution, Redmine offers extensive features such as customizable dashboards, built-in file management, employee time tracking, Gantt charts, an integrated wiki, multi-language support, multi-project management, task time tracking, and VCS integration. Its extensibility through plugins makes it a powerful and customizable choice for teams looking for an open-source helpdesk and project management system.
JIRA
JIRA, trusted by thousands of businesses worldwide, is a leading commercial bug tracking, issue tracking, and project management tool. It's a comprehensive Request Tracker alternative that combines robust issue tracking with agile project management capabilities. Available for Mac, Web, and Self-Hosted deployments, JIRA offers a wealth of features including multi-project management, bug reporting, project organization, highly customizable workflows, dependency tracking, Kanban boards, member statistics, SAAS metrics, and workflow automation. Its commercial nature provides dedicated support and advanced features often sought by larger enterprises.
Trac
Trac is an enhanced wiki and issue tracking system specifically designed for software development projects. It offers a minimalistic yet effective approach to web-based software project management, making it an excellent open-source Request Tracker alternative. Available for Mac, Windows, Linux, Web, and BSD platforms, Trac can be self-hosted and includes features like activity history, helpdesk ticketing, an integrated wiki, SCM integration, and a wiki-like interface for documentation and collaboration.
osTicket
osTicket is a lightweight, open-source support solution that serves as a solid Request Tracker alternative for customer service needs. It features a built-in customer portal and a rich admin dashboard for easy ticket management. Compatible with Windows, Linux, and Web environments, and utilizing MySQL Community Edition and PHP, osTicket is self-hosted and offers essential features like customer support, Dockerized deployment options, helpdesk ticketing, and task management. Its simplicity and open-source nature make it a popular choice for small to medium-sized businesses.
Mantis Bug Tracker
Mantis Bug Tracker is a free and open-source, web-based bug tracking system. Written in PHP and compatible with MySQL, MS SQL, and PostgreSQL, it's a versatile Request Tracker alternative focused on defect management. Available for Mac, Windows, Linux, and BSD platforms, and self-hosted, Mantis Bug Tracker includes features such as fast motion for quick navigation, integrated chat, multiple language support, robust reporting, role-based security access, Twitter integration, and version and source control, making it ideal for software development teams.
GoodDay
GoodDay is a comprehensive project, product, and work management platform that offers a freemium and commercial Web-based solution. As a Request Tracker alternative, it equips teams with tools for planning, day-to-day work, and continuous improvement. Key features include Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and robust team collaboration functionalities, making it suitable for diverse project management needs.
Zammad
Zammad is a modern, web-based, open-source helpdesk and customer support system that serves as an excellent Request Tracker alternative for organizations focused on customer communication. Available for Linux and self-hosted, Zammad manages customer interactions across various channels like telephone, Facebook, and Twitter. Its rich feature set includes email tracking, SLA management, auto-responders, customizable interfaces, REST API, email automation, Facebook and Slack integration, integrated chat, a knowledge base, and is built with Ruby, offering a comprehensive support solution.
((OTRS)) Community Edition
((OTRS)) Community Edition is the free, open-source version of OTRS, a widely recognized ticketing and process automation suite. As a direct Request Tracker alternative, particularly for those accustomed to Perl-based systems, it helps service teams improve communication and customer support. It is available for Mac, Linux, and Web platforms, and is self-hosted. Key features include SLA management, customer support, email notifications, helpdesk ticketing, a knowledge base, SOAP API, task management, and workflow automation, making it a powerful and flexible choice for service management.
A1 Project Manager
A1 Project Manager is a free task and project management software delivered as a Software as a Service (SaaS). It automatically keeps your team organized and monitors project progress, serving as a straightforward Request Tracker alternative for teams focused on basic project and task coordination. Its features include real-time collaboration and task management, making it an accessible option for smaller teams or those with simpler requirements.
Bugzilla
Bugzilla is a robust, feature-rich, and mature defect-tracking system, widely recognized as a bug-tracking system. As a free and open-source Request Tracker alternative, it enables development teams to efficiently keep track of bugs. It is a web-based and self-hosted solution, offering critical features such as comprehensive bug reporting and release management, making it an industry standard for software quality assurance.
The choice of a Request Tracker alternative ultimately depends on your organization's specific needs, budget, existing infrastructure, and preferred features. Whether you prioritize open-source flexibility, extensive customization, dedicated commercial support, or a specific set of project management and ticketing features, the options listed above provide diverse and capable solutions to help your team manage tasks, issues, and requests efficiently.