Every bit of software runs into a few bugs occasionally. 🐜
While it’s essential to catch them, we know it’s even more annoying digging through a ton of logs to find the bug and determine what caused it.
So how do you get rid of those little critters without losing out on productivity?
By using bug tracking software!
Bug tracking tools help you manage software bugs at each stage of the life cycle, from discovering the bug to resolving it. In this article, we’ll see why you need bug tracking software and highlight the 20 best bug tracking tools you can use today.
Let’s squash some bugs! 🐛
This Article Contains:
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe Benefits of Bug Tracking Software
Bugs are errors or defects found in any computer system or piece of code that either prevents software from running properly or altogether. They’re extremely common in software development with teams pushing new code on a regular basis.
Unfortunately, bugs just stay in your software until someone manually gets rid of them. That’s why bug tracking software is so critical to software development teams.
Bug tracking helps teams stay on top of issues that come from an endless number of places. And if bugs are left unresolved, they lead to broken pages, checkout tools, or unsaved data. All you’ll get from that is unhappy customers, loss in revenue, and a significant dent in your company’s reputation.
So what are the best bug tracking tools to help log and exterminate those bugs before they ruin your company?🙅
Sure, you could use Excel or Google Sheets spreadsheets for bug tracking. But that’s about all you can do. To manage bugs effectively, your software development teams need a robust bug tracking solution or defect tracking tools.
They help you with bug tracking through every project stage, from the software development process to the Q&A testing and launching stage. The best bug tracking tools will have features like:
- Task management
- Dashboards
- Agile project management (burndown charts, Gantt charts, etc.)
- Bug report submissions
- Analytical bug reports
- Email notifications
- Automation tools
Let’s see what bug tracking software is available to help your team stay agile and informed.
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 20 Best Bug Tracking Software for 2022
1. ClickUp
ClickUp is one of the highest-rated productivity and bug tracking tools. It provides wall-to-wall solutions for organizations needing to stay productive and efficient. Not only is ClickUp robust project management software, but it’s also a centralized work hub for teams to get work done. 🤝
One of the reasons it tops this list of best bug tracking tools is due to ClickUp’s powerful GitHub Integration. For example, software development teams can see all GitHub activity related to a task and receive notifications when items are added. Or you can change the status of a task from Github automatically in ClickUp.
ClickUp’s flexible features allow software development teams to collaboratively work across the organization. No more chasing down project managers or customer support, marketing, and design teams to connect on reporting bugs.
Discovered a bug? 🔍
Easily ensure every teammate knows what to do and who is working on what with assigned tasks in ClickUp. Assign bugs to an individual developer, multiple assignees, or an entire team.
Sure, task management tools are helpful for bug tracking, but we know truly efficient teams need more. That’s why ClickUp is the perfect bug tracking software for developers who need to build performance and tracking dashboards.
Create Dashboards within ClickUp to monitor team progress, discover bottlenecks, and manage resources to stay productive. Also, you can customize Dashboards with more than 50 Widgets, including Burnup, Burndown, Cumulative Flow, and Velocity Chart diagrams.
What about software development teams that need a better help desk software solution? Easily collect data with ClickUp’s Form view and receive bug submissions from users via a ClickUp Form to your app.
Use ClickUp to create tasks out of those Form responses so your support team moves them through a workflow.
ClickUp features
- Customizable bug tracking views: Use any project style like Agile, Scrum, or Gantt charts to best fit your teams’ needs
- Task dependencies: Use dependencies to help teams resolve bugs in the correct order and prevent unnecessary work from being completed
- Custom task status, Tags, and Priorities: Give more detail to bugs in task with custom tags and statuses like issues found and resolved, or set prioritizations to show the urgency of a task
- Task automation: Use 50+ automations to streamline workflows and cut the repetitive work
- Docs: Create roadmaps and outline processes for new teammates using ClickUp Docs
ClickUp limitations
- No Board view in the mobile app (yet)
- Customization can be complex for some users
- Search and filtering can be slower for some (major improvements coming soon 😉)
ClickUp pricing
Choose between multiple pricing plans:
- Free Forever plan
- Unlimited plan: $7 per month per member
- Business plan: $12 per month per member
- Enterprise: Contact us for more details!
ClickUp customer ratings
- G2: 4.7/5 (2000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (2000+ reviews)
2. Jira
Jira is a project management and issue tracking software that provides teams with several real-time, Agile reports for bug tracking. However, this bug tracking software doesn’t have any idea management features.
Why is that a problem?
Software developers need a creative space to develop new designs, software solutions, and bug tracking plans. But without idea management features, good luck memorizing your ideas mentally.
Secondly, besides software developers, Jira isn’t the most customizable tool, which prevents it from being a wall-to-wall solution for the entire organization.
Jira key features
- Agile views like Scrum boards and Kanban boards
- Access reports like the created vs. resolved issues report and recently created issues report
- Customizable dashboards
- Track milestones, launches, bugs, and more
Jira limitations
- No real-time document collaboration features that let teams work together on bugs
- Can’t search for issues easily without knowing the Jira Query Language
- Sandbox functionality for testing codes is only available in the premium plan
- The free plan is very limiting
Jira pricing
Jira has three pricing plans including a free offer:
- Free
- Standard: $7.50 per month per member
- Premium: $14.50 per month per member
- Enterprise: Contact for details
Jira customer ratings
- G2: 4.2/5 (3,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (10,000+ reviews)
Read about how to use Jira for project management and the top Jira alternatives.
3. Redmine
Redmine is a flexible open-source project management tool with Gantt charts, calendar views, and more. The bug tracking tool supports multiple projects and has a built-in time tracker. Let’s see if you can mine some bug-tracking treasures! 👑
Redmine key features
- Create subtasks and assign them to different team members
- Create issues and edit the subject and description
- Custom fields for issues, projects, and time entries
- Supports email notifications
Redmine limitations
- The user interface isn’t very intuitive
- Not suitable for Agile issue tracking teams
- Limited built-in integrations with powerful project management tools
Redmine pricing
Redmine is a free, open-source bug tracking system.
Redmine customer ratings
- G2: 3.9/5 (200+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.1/5 (100+ reviews)
Read more about using Redmine and its best alternatives.
4. Zoho Bug Tracker
Zoho Bug Tracker is a defect tracking tool that lets you create custom fields and workflows and personalize your interface to catch any software bug.
Unfortunately, this issue tracking system doesn’t offer unlimited storage, making it difficult for software developers to store all their bug tracking data in the app.
Zoho Bug Tracker key features
- Custom workflows that help you submit and fix bugs with ease
- Reports that show how many bugs have been reported, resolved, and more
- Email notifications that keep you and your team updated when bugs are created
- Add comments with bug descriptions and attachments
Zoho limitations
- Doesn’t offer unlimited storage to report bugs
- Limited integrations with non-Zoho apps
- Can only access Kanban boards and lists when viewing your bugs
Zoho pricing
Zoho’s specific bug tracking tool has three different plans:
- Free plan
- Standard: $3 per month per user
- Premium: $8 per month per user
Zoho customer ratings
- G2: 4.4/5 (30+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (100+ reviews)
5. Asana
Asana is a project management and issue tracking tool that lets you prioritize bugs so your team works on the most time-sensitive ones first. However, to assign tasks to multiple people in this project management tool, you’ll have to make copies of those tasks.
This means that over time, you’ll soon have a ton of duplicate tasks all over your workspace.
Asana key features
- Bug tracking template
- Create bug tracking forms
- Track bugs and spot trends with custom fields
- Agile board view
Asana limitations
- No native time tracking feature
- Can’t convert comments into tasks
- The free plan is limited (no custom fields or forms)
- Lacks a robust document editor or knowledge-sharing hub
Asana pricing
Asana offers four different plans:
- Basic plan: Free
- Premium plan: $10.99 per month per member
- Business plan: $24.99 per month per member
- Enterprise: Contact for details
Asana customer ratings
- G2: 4.3/5 (7000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (9000+ reviews)
Read about our recommended Asana alternatives.
6. nTask
nTask is project management software that enables Agile teams to manage and prioritize bugs. Combining its Kanban boards with robust team collaboration tools, such as issue and risk documentation, makes it a powerful tool for bug tracking and prioritization.
However, this platform has a limited number of built-in integrations. So, if you’re looking to incorporate nTask with your other tools, you’ll be relying heavily on Zapier.
nTask key features
- Agile views for bug tracking, including customizable Kanban boards
- Project planning views, including Gantt charts, for mapping large initiatives with dependencies and milestones
- Risk mitigation tools to help Agile teams document and track issues and bugs
- Schedule management tools to help you plan, schedule, and conduct meetings in-platform
nTask limitations
- Not many built-in integrations
- Limited customization and formatting options
nTask pricing
There are four plans to choose from, including:
- Free Plan
- Premium Plan: $3 per month per user
- Business Plan: $8 per month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for a quote
nTask customer ratings
- G2: 4.5/5 (10+ reviews)
- Capterra: 3.9/5 (10+ reviews)
7. Bugzilla
Bugzilla is an open-source bug reporting tool with advanced reporting systems. You can also use this defect tracking app to estimate the time needed to fix a bug and set a deadline for it.
However, this issue tracker doesn’t have the features that Agile teams need, like multiple project views. This could result in a frustrated Scrum team needing critical views or constantly hopping between platforms.
Bugzilla key features
- Native time tracking functionality
- Integrated email feature
- Comprehensive permissions options
- Visualize bug dependencies in a tree structure
Bugzilla limitations
- Limited to plain text or drop-down custom fields to report bugs
- Not suitable for Agile issue management teams
- Doesn’t integrate with powerful project management tools
Bugzilla pricing
Bugzilla is a free, open-source bug tracking system.
Bugzilla customer ratings
- G2: 3.8/5 (100+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.1/5 (100+ reviews)
8. BugHost
BugHost, according to its creators, is not merely a software defect tracking system; it also doubles as issue management. As a cloud-based bug tracking and issue management platform, BugHost provides a handy service called WebHost for end-users to create and manage issues in a project.
BugHost also has a real-time dashboard that provides users with a comprehensive overview of past and ongoing projects.
BugHost key features
- It offers a comprehensive audit trail with unlimited history for tracking every defect in a project
- Features a workflow process that allows the assignment of bugs to members of a team
- Simplified but robust “bug search and report” feature
- Customizable bug-linking of similar bugs
- WebSubmit feature allows customers to submit any bugs they find directly from the client’s website
BugHost limitations
- It is strictly cloud-based, which makes it unavailable without a connection
- Has an uninspiring and dull interface
- Does not offer a free pricing tier
- The pricing structure is unnecessarily rigid
- The website feels very outdated
BugHost pricing
Bughost has a ton of pricing tiers:
- Project Kickoff: $10 per month (10 users and 1 project)
- Startup: $29 per month (5 users and 5 projects)
- Team: $59 per month (10 users and 10 projects)
- Syndicate: $99 per month (15 users and 15 projects)
- Corporate: $159 per month (25 users and 25 projects)
- Enterprise: $299 per month (50 users/projects), $499 per month (100 users/projects), $699 per month (500 users/projects), $999 per month (1,000 users/projects)
BugHost customer ratings
- G2: 3.8/5 (3 reviews)
- Capterra: No reviews yet
9. Bird Eats Bug
Are you a developer who does everything they can on a browser? If so, Bird Eats Bug may be a great tool to find and track your bugs. This browser extension is built to simplify the process of creating interactive and data-rich data reports.
You can use the Bird’s browser extension to record an issue, make a screen recording, and attach useful technical data such as network errors, browser information, and console logs.
Bird Eats Bug key features
- One-click bug reporting feature to capture all the technical details engineers need to resolve an issue
- It does not require technical knowledge in software or coding skills to use
- It has a Replays feature that captures background data, including tech logs and rich screenshots that catch bugs not visible in the foreground
- It makes it easy to share bug reports with team members via integrated development tools
Bird Eats Bug limitations
- It does not capture JavaScript pop-up error boxes
- Bird Eats Bug is limited by the permissions the browser grants extensions
- It sends verbose error reports (annoying for software teams)
Bird Eats Bug pricing
Bird Eats Bug has four pricing plans:
- Free
- Starter: $50 per month
- Premium: $200 per month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing available
Bird Eats Bug customer ratings
- G2: 4.5/5 (2 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (40+ reviews)
10. Userback
Userback claims to offer the fastest way to report bugs and provide feedback from applications and websites. It “puts the user back in development” with automated screenshots, screen records, console logs, browser info, and event tracking features. This tool is designed for software designers, developers, and companies looking for one platform to manage all their projects.
Userback key features
- Detailed visual bug reporting for designers, developers, and users
- Creates custom workflows
- Visual contexts for reported bugs with annotations, session replays, and user insights
- Connects to project management tools including GitHub, Slack, Jira
Userback limitations
- Some users complain of Userback being “clunky”
- Customers and end-users need an account to track tickets
- Can be difficult for clients to use at first
Userback pricing
Userback has four pricing options:
- Solo: $19 per month
- Startup: $79 per month
- Company: $159 per month
- Premium: $289 per month
Userback Customer Ratings
- G2: 4.8/5 (140+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.8/5 (70+ reviews)
11. BugHerd
BugHerd is one of the top bug tracking options because it enables developers to easily track bugs and gather and manage feedback for web pages. Development teams and clients just need to pin feedback and bug reports to an element on a web page, and developers will precisely locate where it occurred.
BugHerd also captures all the technical data required to reproduce and resolve a bug faster. For bug tracking systems, this one is effective for multiple projects and is used by several software teams.
BugHerd key features
- Task ranking and Kanban-like task board
- Bug reporting and progress tracking
- Captures screenshots and screen recordings with annotations
BugHerd limitations
- Limited user roles
- Limited task board customization options
BugHerd pricing
This bug tracking tool has four plan options:
- Standard: $39 per month
- Premium: $129 per month
- Deluxe: $229 per month
- Custom: Contact for details
BugHerd customer ratings
- G2: 4.7/5 (70 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (50+ reviews)
12. Marker.io
Marker.io focuses on helping developers receive feedback and suggestions from teammates and clients while on the go. This bug tracking tool uses visual annotations and a real-time view of bugs to enable developers to find solutions to client and user problems easily.
A simple feedback widget placed on the client’s website makes it straightforward to report issues on a website to make the bug tracking process easy. The tool automatically records client-specific logs and errors and conveniently generates actionable bug reports.
Marker.io key features
- Three-step click, annotate, send issue reporting
- On-screen annotations
- Enabled on mobile and responsive websites
- Custom widget visibility options
Marker.io limitations
- User-level only integration with project management
- Can capture only one screenshot per bug report
Marker.io pricing
Marker.io offers three pricing plans:
- Starter: $49 per month
- Team: $99 per month
- Company: $199 per month
Marker.io customer ratings
- G2: 4.7/5 (10+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.8/5 (50+ reviews
13. SpiraTeam
SpiraTeam is a two-in-one tool: a bug tracking tool and an issue management solution. Its core selling point is how it simplifies in-depth bug report creation and streamlines its resolution, especially for software development projects.
As an integrated Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) platform, SpiraTeam is built to manage application portfolios. These include program requirements, releases, tests and issues, baselines, workflows, and tasks, all in one unified environment.
SpiraTeam key features
- Unified project lifecycle management platform
- Automatic incident creation (Check out these incident report templates)
- Robust team collaboration
- Screenshot and video recording feedback
SpiraTeam limitations
- Complicated issue and bug reporting process
- Wanting user interface
- Complicated pricing model in terms of this list of bug tracking tools
SpiraTeam pricing
SpiraTeam offers different pricing plans for floating and fixed licenses depending on selected features. It also sells licenses for specific features in its bug tracking tool, including:
- KronoDesk: $18.50 per user per month
- SpiraTest: $31 per user per month
- SpiraTeam: $40.30 per user per month
- SpiraPlan: $52.80 per user per month
- RemoteLaunch: $80 per plugin
- Rapise: $190 per license per month
SpiraTeam customer ratings
- G2: 4.0/5 (20+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.1/5 (90+ reviews)
14. Trac
While it is not a specialized bug tracking system, Trac is an open-sourced bug tracker that you can use to stay on top of issues in software projects. This wiki-styled tool uses a minimalist approach to manage projects on the web and help developers create great software.
Trac’s interface integrates with some of the top project management platforms, including Subversion and GitHub. This integration is what empowers its bug reporting capability.
Trac key features
- TracWiki offers issue management and milestone tracking
- Ticket-based customer support
- Screenshot and video recording feedback
- Powerful team collaboration
Trac limitations
- Relies on third-party integrations for complete bug tracking
- Limited project management tools
Trac pricing
- Trac is an open-source tool
Trac customer ratings
- G2: 3.0/5 (10+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.1/5 (10 reviews)
15. Shortcut
Shortcut, formerly Clubhouse, is one of the best bug tracking software options that also works as a collaborative project management platform. Easily navigate through tasks in a detailed-but-simple hierarchy that is ideal for planning or running software development sprints.
It integrates docs into the planning and development stages so teams work from one space. Additionally, Shortcut allows project managers to dive into the smallest details of a task or track an entire organization’s engineering velocity.
This project management tool also has several well-known integrations with tools like GitHub, GitLab, and Slack.
Shortcut key features
- Project management and bug tracking abilities
- Accessible API to automate workflows
- Kanban board views
- Milestone tracker and organizer
- Project reporting
- Docs platform
Shortcut limitations
- The platform needs more visible solutions (project views)
- Epics in a milestone have to be completely closed to be removed
- Lack of bug tracking templates to get started
- Design of the interface is a bit “monochrome”
- Lacks drag-and-drop capabilities where you need it most
Shortcut pricing
This platform offers four different plans:
- Free
- Team: $8.50 per month per user
- Business: $12 per month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for details
Shortcut customer ratings
- G2: 4.3/5 (130+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (320+ reviews)
16. Pachno (Formerly The Bug Genie)
Pachno, formerly The Bug Genie, is primarily bug tracking software with many other capabilities. This is an enterprise-grade tool that you can also use to track development issues and manage software development lifecycles.
The open-sourced tool supports Agile projects and can integrate multiple SCM platforms to supercharge its defect management features. With Pachno you can create new projects, track features and issues, and integrate wikis right from a web interface.
Pachno key features
- Live project and time tracking
- Complete source code integration
- Extensible module-based architecture
- Customizable workflow support
Pachno limitations
- Limited documentation and support information
- Its website is currently not secure, which raises some major questions
Pachno pricing
While Pachno is a free open-sourced bug tracker, it does offer paid hosting plans:
- Free
- Basic: €49 per month
- Professional: €149 per month
- Enterprise: €399 per month
Pachno customer ratings
- G2: 4.0/5 (1 review)
- Capterra: N/A
17. Lighthouse
Lighthouse is designed to be a simple bug tracking and collaboration tool for any project or team. Whether you are a small team of two or a large company of 500, this robust tool can help simplify your workflows and put back the fun in bug tracking.
The developers of Lighthouse put a lot of effort into retaining the old-school feel of project management in the Lighthouse app, which might feel really outdated to some. However, they still managed to pack many features in it.
Lighthouse key features
- Automatic bug and task organization
- Email-based ticket management
- Unified project overview platform
- Goal and milestone tracking
- Simple image and document sharing
Lighthouse limitations
- Outdated and unfriendly user interface
- Limited project management features
- Not the best bang for your buck
Lighthouse pricing
This bug tracking tool uses a three-tier pricing system:
- Bronze: $25 per month
- Silver: $50 per month
- Gold: $100 per month
Lighthouse customer ratings
- G2: 3.1/5 (10 reviews)
- Capterra: N/A
18. IBM Rational ClearQuest
IBM Rational ClearQuest, formerly Rational ClearQuest, is an application development and database workflow system. This robust development and production solution is a lot more than a bug tracking tool. It has flexible defect tracking tools, customizable processes, and real-time lifecycle tracking and reporting tools.
IBM Rational ClearQuest key features
- Real-time defect tracking and reporting
- Development lifecycle tracing
- Extensive audit trail management
- Portfolio management
IBM Rational ClearQuest limitations
- Clunky and unfriendly interface
- Limited customization options
- Tries to tackle more than its features can possibly do
IBM Rational ClearQuest pricing
- For bug tracking tools, IMB only offers custom pricing starting at $1,080 per license
IBM Rational ClearQuest customer ratings
- G2: 3.9/5 (30+ reviews)
- Capterra: 3.0/5 (1 review)
19. BackLog
BackLog is a web-based bug tracking and project management solution for remote teams. Developers and clients can use this tool to report and analyze bugs, monitor issues, and leave comments on events with ease.
With BackLog, a development team can improve productivity, communication, and collaboration. This is the one tool your team would need for a great user experience while they work to deliver a bug-free product.
BackLog key features
- Kanban-based visual workflow boards
- Built-in Git and SVN repositories
- Advanced search and filter
- Full development lifecycle management
BackLog limitations
- Messy subtask implementation compared to other bug tracking tools
- No screenshot or video recording feature
BackLog pricing
This bug tracking tool offers four tiers of plans:
- Free
- Starter: $35 per month
- Standard: $100 per month
- Premium: $175 per month
Backlog customer ratings
- G2: 4.5/5 (160+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (70+ reviews)
20. FogBugz
FogBugz is a lightweight but highly customizable tool to plan, track, and roll out bug-free software. It has robust out-of-the-box capabilities, including time tracking, app development lifecycle management, and email support.
The main selling point of FogBugz is its unification of all bug tracking in one place. Even though this tool isn’t at the top of the best bug tracking options, your development team can report, track, and resolve bugs in one location. The tool also conveniently integrates with Twitter, Slack, Trello, and GitHub for seamless collaboration.
FogBugz Key features
- Versatile bug tracking tool
- Powerful filters
- Export to Excel
- Kanban boards
FogBugz limitations
- The bug tracking tool cannot generate visual reports
- Not built for large teams
- Pricing information is difficult to find
FogBugz pricing
- $68 per month (5 users)
FogBugz customer ratings
- G2: 3.9/5 (10+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (20+ reviews)
Looking for more issue tracking tools? Check out these Linear alternatives!
Summarize this article for me pleaseSay ‘Bye-Bye’ to Lost Bugs and Issues 👋
Without the best bug tracking system, you risk increasing your product development costs, losing customers, and even decreasing your software’s quality.
And while we mentioned some great issue tracking tools here, ClickUp is by far the most advanced.
From motivating you through project Milestones to providing you with every key feature an efficient Agile team needs, ClickUp is the ultimate defect management tool.
Get ClickUp for free today to crush your bugs and business goals!
Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.