MantisBT vs Trac (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Trac grades higher than MantisBT: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Trac grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
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
Pick Trac if
- Fits if you want a plain ticket and wiki system on your own server
- Works for software teams already comfortable running their own tools
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want hosted software, as the project site offers no hosted service
- Too light for boards, sprints or Gantt charts, which its pages do not list
- Not for you if you want paid support, since help comes from lists and a wiki
- Skip it if you do not run servers, as you install and maintain it
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAMantisBTFair | 2.2GPATracFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree under the GPL, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server. | CFree to download, but it only works once you host it on your own server, so it is a C under the ladder. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree to download with no caps, no trial and no account. You supply the server. | ANothing to pay at all. The project site lists no paid edition. |
| Features | 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. | CWiki, tickets, timeline, roadmap and source browser. No boards, sprints or Gantt on the project's pages. |
| Ease of use | DYou install and maintain it yourself, and the 1.3 legacy line only gets security fixes. | DYou install and run it yourself, and support is mailing lists, IRC and the project wiki. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with add-ons but no integrations list. | CWeb only, linking to Subversion and Git. |
| Best for | tracking issues on your own server | a free wiki and issue tracker you host yourself |
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: MantisBT and Trac. How we grade
Price against what you get
MantisBT has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Trac 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 MantisBT for less, and none scores higher than Trac 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
- Trac also covers wiki and reports.
At a glance
| MantisBT | Trac | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | MantisBT Team | Edgewall Software |
| Price read from | mantisbt.org | trac.edgewall.org |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Trac
- You install and run it yourself; the project site offers no hosted service.
- It has no boards, sprints or Gantt charts on the project's pages; it is a ticket and wiki system.
- Support comes from mailing lists, an IRC channel and the project wiki, not from a paid vendor.
Key features
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.
Trac
- Integrated wiki
- Wiki markup works in pages, ticket descriptions and commit messages, creating links between bugs, tasks, changesets, files and wiki pages.
- Ticket tracking
- Tickets record bugs and tasks, with convenient reporting facilities to list and filter them.
- Source browsing
- A repository interface works with Subversion and Git, or other version control systems through plugins.
- Timeline
- A chronological view shows current and past project events, which gives a quick overview of progress.
- Roadmap
- The roadmap lists upcoming milestones so the team can see what is planned next.
Plans
MantisBT
Open source$0
Free to download and run on your own server under the GNU General Public License.
Trac
Open source$0
Free to download and install yourself under the modified BSD license. No hosted edition is listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, MantisBT or Trac?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both MantisBT and Trac are free to use.
Which has a free plan, MantisBT or Trac?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both MantisBT and Trac 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.