Best Issue Tracking Software in 2026
From bugs to feature requests, issue tracking tools help teams organize work and keep its status visible. Jira and Linear lead the displayed order, followed by OpenProject and Backlog. Compared on custom workflows and workflow automation, the entries also cover roadmaps, time tracking, deployment, and single sign-on. Those details can help you judge how much process control you need, whether you want planning and time records close to issue work, and which deployment approach fits your stack. Check free-plan availability and paid-from pricing alongside the capabilities. The ranking gives you an order to browse; use the listed comparisons to assess fit for your team's way of tracking work.
36 issue tracking software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Custom workflows | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jira | 9.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $7.91/mo | — | — | — | View |
| 2 | Linear | 8.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $10/mo | Yes | 10 /user/mo | — | View |
| 3 | OpenProject | 8.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | €5.95/mo | Yes | — | — | View |
| 4 | Backlog | 8.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $35/mo | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 5 | YouTrack | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $5.40/mo | Yes | 4.5 /user/mo | — | View |
| 6 | Axosoft | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 7 | Plane | 7.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $6/mo | Yes | 6 /user/mo | — | View |
| 8 | Shortcut | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $8.50/mo | Yes | 8.5 /user/mo | — | View |
| 9 | Tuleap | 6.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 10 |  Zoho Sprints | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | 1 /user/mo | — | View |
| 11 | Taiga | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | €5/mo | Yes | — | — | View |
| 12 |  Zoho BugTracker | 6.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 13 |  The Bug Genie | 6.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 14 | Bugzilla | 6.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 15 |  Trac | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 16 |  Redmine | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 17 | Codetree | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $24/mo | No | — | Yes | View |
| 18 |  FogBugz | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $62/mo | No | — | Yes | View |
| 19 |  MantisBT | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 20 |  Flyspray | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 21 |  Traq | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 22 | Bugsee | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $8.25/mo | Yes | — | — | View |
| 23 |  Elementool | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | Yes | View |
| 24 | DoneDone | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $45/mo | No | — | Yes | View |
| 25 | Bird Eats Bug | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which issue tracking software is ranked first on Inferse?
Jira is ranked #1 of 36 with a score of 9.0. Linear is second and OpenProject third.
How many of these have a free plan?
19 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Taiga has the lowest first paid tier we found: €5/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.