Bugzilla vs MantisBT (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Bugzilla and MantisBT share a 2.0 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Bugzilla if
- Fits if your team can host its own server and wants a free bug tracker
- Works for teams that only track defects
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a hosted version, as none exists
- Too light for project planning: no boards, timelines or Gantt
- Tight if you need support: it is community-run by a small nonprofit
- Watch out: the download page recommends a source checkout over a packaged release
Pick MantisBT if
- Fits if your team can host its own server and wants a free issue tracker
- Works for teams that only track issues
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a hosted version: that is MantisHub, a separate paid service by a different team
- Too light for project planning, as the site mentions no boards, sprints or Gantt
- Watch out: on the 1.3 legacy line only security fixes are made
- Tight if you need support: nothing on the page offers a support plan
How we grade them
| 2.0GPABugzillaFair | 2.0GPAMantisBTFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server. | CFree under the GPL, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree to download with no caps, no trial and no account. You supply the server. | BFree to download with no caps, no trial and no account. You supply the server. |
| Features | CSearch, reports and charts, custom fields, email filing, time tracking. It does defect tracking fully, but that is a smaller job than project management. | CEmail notifications, per-project access, custom fields and workflow, add-ons. It does issue tracking fully, but that is a smaller job than project management. |
| Ease of use | DInstall from a source checkout on your own server, per the download page. | DYou install and maintain it yourself, and the 1.3 legacy line only gets security fixes. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with extensions and web services but no integrations list. | CWeb only, with add-ons but no integrations list. |
| Best for | tracking software defects on your own server | tracking issues on your own server |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bugzilla and MantisBT. How we grade
Price against what you get
Bugzilla has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. MantisBT has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other project management tools on the chart, none scores higher than Bugzilla for less, and none scores higher than MantisBT for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Bugzilla also covers reports.
In commonFree planWebOpen sourceSelf-hostableIssue tracking
At a glance
| Bugzilla | MantisBT | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Zarro Boogs Corporation | MantisBT Team |
| Price read from | bugzilla.org | mantisbt.org |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Bugzilla
- It must be installed on your own server; the project describes no hosted version.
- It is built around tracking defects, and the project says it is not aiming to become a project management tool.
- The download page recommends installing from a source code checkout rather than a packaged release.
- Support is community-run: the project is managed by a small nonprofit and appeals for sponsors to hire a developer.
MantisBT
- You install and maintain it yourself; the download page offers a stable 2.x release and a legacy 1.3 line that gets security fixes only.
- The project site describes issue tracking only, with no mention of boards, sprints or Gantt charts.
- Hosted MantisBT is a separate paid service, MantisHub, run by a different team; its prices are not on the MantisBT site.
Key features
Bugzilla
- Advanced search
- A plain full-text search for new users, plus a query builder that supports time-based conditions and saved, shareable searches.
- Reports and charts
- Cross-tabulate bugs by any two fields and view the result as a table, line graph, bar graph or pie chart, or have reports emailed on a schedule.
- Custom fields and workflow
- Administrators can add custom fields, define their own workflow, and control who sees or edits bugs through groups.
- Email notifications and filing by email
- Users choose which changes they are emailed about, and bugs can be filed or modified by email.
- Time tracking and requests
- Bugs can carry time estimates and actuals, and a request system lets users ask others for reviews or information.
- Extensions and web services
- An extension mechanism customizes installations, and XML-RPC and JSON-RPC interfaces let other programs work with the data.
MantisBT
- Email notifications
- Team members and clients are notified by email when an issue is updated, resolved or commented on.
- Per-project access control
- Role-based access is set per project, so each user sees and changes only the projects they are given.
- Customizable fields and workflow
- Issue fields, notifications and the workflow can be adjusted to fit how a team handles its issues.
- Add-ons
- The project site lists add-ons that extend the core tracker with extra behavior.
Plans
Bugzilla
Open source$0
Free to download and run on your own server under the Mozilla Public License 2.0. There is no hosted edition.
MantisBT
Open source$0
Free to download and run on your own server under the GNU General Public License.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bugzilla or MantisBT?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Bugzilla and MantisBT are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Bugzilla or MantisBT?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Bugzilla and MantisBT have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.