Most Redmine alternatives keep you self-hosting, so you'll still carry upgrades, plugins and backups. Choose by what you use Redmine for: issue and bug tracking, plans and Gantt charts for a team, or a simple board. Shortlist two tools from the matching group and move one real project across before committing.
Redmine's freedom is also its chore: you run it, so you carry the upgrades, the plugins and the backups. Most of the tools below put you in the same position, and ProjectLibre, a name you might expect, isn't one of them for a different reason covered below.
Split the list by what Redmine does for you
Bug and issue tracking. MantisBT describes itself as a web-based tracker written in PHP that works with several databases. YouTrack is the JetBrains option and says it covers customer support as well. Tuleap describes an application lifecycle platform for agile management and software development.
Plans, tasks and Gantt charts. OpenProject says it includes Gantt charts, boards and time reporting. Leantime says it's built for people who aren't trained project managers. Taiga calls itself a free and open source agile tool you can self-host. Orangescrum offers open source project management.
Just a board. WeKan is an open source kanban board, and it does that and little else.
If your team uses Redmine for more than one of these jobs, say bugs for developers and plans for managers, you have two options. Pick one tool from the planning group that also handles issues well enough, or run a tracker and a planner side by side and link them. The first is simpler to run; the second gives each group a better fit.
ProjectLibre's page currently says the Microsoft Project Online service retired on 30 September, which is why it isn't a row: it targets people leaving that product, not people leaving Redmine.
Maintain an open source project or issue tracker? Suggest it for this page.
Trackers, planners and a board, side by side
| Tool | Free option | Group on this page |
|---|---|---|
| Leantime | Free, open source | Plans, tasks and Gantt |
| MantisBT | Free, open source | Bug and issue tracking |
| OpenProject | Free, open source | Plans, tasks and Gantt |
| Orangescrum | Free, open source | Plans, tasks and Gantt |
| Taiga | Free, open source | Plans, tasks and Gantt |
| Tuleap | Free, open source | Bug and issue tracking |
| WeKan | Free, open source | Kanban board only |
| YouTrack | Not stated | Bug and issue tracking |
If issue tracking is the main job, my issue tracking software guide covers hosted tools as well, and the free task management tools list helps if your needs are lighter.
Advice for whoever looks after the server
Before you pick, be clear about who will run the new tool. If it's the same person who keeps Redmine alive today, ask them which parts of that job they'd most like to stop doing, then check how each shortlisted tool handles upgrades, backups and add-ons. A tool that's easy to install but painful to upgrade only moves the chore.
- Check whether the self-hosted edition is the same product as the vendor's cloud version or a cut-down one.
- Read the licence on the vendor's own site, since some community editions carry conditions on changes you distribute.
- Find out how plugins or extensions are installed and whether they survive an upgrade.
- Plan backups and a restore test before the first real project goes in.
- Ask how the tool signals that a security update is available, and who on your side will apply it.
Write the answers into a short runbook for the new tool before it holds anything important, so the next person who looks after the server isn't starting from scratch.
If you'd rather stop self-hosting altogether, my Jira alternatives page covers hosted trackers too.
The eight, alphabetically
Here's the list in no particular order; quoted words come from each vendor.
Leantime
Best for: Teams of every working style, in a tool "designed for ADHD, ADD and all brains".
MantisBT
Best for: Bug tracking you share with clients, which it says makes "collaboration with team members and clients easy".
OpenProject
Best for: Classic, agile or hybrid projects run "in a secure environment".
Orangescrum
Best for: Self-hosting with "no seat limits" under an AGPL v3 community edition.
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Taiga
Best for: Getting a team going "without training".
Tuleap
Best for: Bringing "teams, processes and requirements together" in one lifecycle platform.
WeKan
Best for: Privacy-minded teams after a "customisable and privacy-focused kanban".
YouTrack
Best for: Keeping a knowledge base next to tasks and projects, with "everything in one place".
Before you export the first project
Redmine holds more than tickets: wiki pages, custom fields, time entries and attachments all live there. Decide what has to come across before you start, and what can stay behind as a read-only archive.
- List the custom fields and statuses you use, and map each to the new tool.
- Check whether the new tool imports from Redmine directly or needs a CSV or API route.
- Move one finished project first and compare tickets and attachments on both sides.
- Keep Redmine read-only for a while so people can still look things up.
Tell people what's changing before the first move, not after. Share where the new tool lives, how their old ticket links will behave, and who to ask when something looks wrong. Put it in writing so the answers sit in one place.
Once the first project looks right, move the active ones in small batches, and only switch Redmine off when nobody has needed it for a few weeks.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Is self-hosting required with a Redmine alternative?
No. Several vendors offer a hosted option as well as a self-hosted edition. Check each vendor's site for which editions it offers.
Can I move Redmine tickets to another tool?
Usually, through an importer, a CSV export or the Redmine API. Test with one project and check attachments and custom fields carefully.
What's application lifecycle management?
It's tracking software from requirements through development, testing and release in one system, rather than tickets alone.
Is a kanban board enough for a small team?
If you only need to see who's doing what, yes. If you need time tracking, dependencies or reports, look at a fuller project tool.
Will my Redmine plugins have equivalents?
Some will and some won't. List the plugins your team uses each week, then check whether each tool covers that need out of the box or through its own extensions.
Why aren't Plane or Vikunja on this list?
They're covered on the open source project management page on this site, so this list sticks to other names.
