MantisBT vs YouTrack (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, YouTrack grades higher than MantisBT: 3.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
YouTrack grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
YouTrack
Issue tracker and project management tool from JetBrains
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 YouTrack if
- Fits if you're a software team that wants issues linked to your IDE and build server
- Works for teams of 10 or fewer, since Cloud and Server are both free at that size
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you grow to 11, because then every user is paid, from $4.50 a month each billed annually
- Skip it if you want to buy Server licenses outright, as they've been annual subscriptions since June 23, 2026
- Tight if you store lots of files, since paid Cloud gives 3 GB per user with no way to buy more
- Pricey if you run a big helpdesk, because from 4 agents every agent is charged and needs a user license too
- Not for you if you want a desktop app, and self-hosting Server means running a Docker image yourself
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAMantisBTFair | 3.2GPAYouTrackVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree under the GPL, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server. | BFrom 11 users, Cloud is $4.50 a user a month billed annually with every feature in it, which is inside the cheapest quarter for project tools here, and the per-user price falls as the team grows. Helpdesk agents are extra beyond three, at $5.50 each a month. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree to download with no caps, no trial and no account. You supply the server. | AFree for up to 10 users on Cloud or Server, and it's the whole product bar a custom logo, with 30 GB of storage and 3 helpdesk agents. No cap a team of 10 would run into. |
| 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. | AIt covers the whole job and then some its rivals don't: Kanban, Scrum and mixed boards, a Gantt chart with estimates and dependencies, time tracking with timesheets, a knowledge base, whiteboards, workflow automation, and a ticket helpdesk with service-level agreements in the same product. |
| Ease of use | DYou install and maintain it yourself, and the 1.3 legacy line only gets security fixes. | CNo store rating on record, and this is a tracker you shape: projects, fields and workflow rules are yours to set before it fits how you work. Cloud is at least hosted, and the trial takes up to 100 users with no card. Server means running a Docker image yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with add-ons but no integrations list. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, plus a Server version for your own infrastructure, with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, TeamCity, Jenkins, Zendesk, Slack and Telegram wired in and apps adding more. No desktop app is listed, which is what holds it to a B. |
| Best for | tracking issues on your own server | issue tracking that's free for up to 10 users |
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 YouTrack. 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. YouTrack starts at $4.50 a month for each person and scores 3.0.
YouTrack scores higher, and starts $4.50 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other project management tools on the chart, none scores higher than MantisBT for less, and none scores higher than YouTrack 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
- MantisBT is open source, according to its own site.
- YouTrack also covers wiki, kanban boards, Gantt & timelines, workflow automation and time tracking.
At a glance
| MantisBT | YouTrack | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $4.50 per user / month, billed annually (Cloud, 11 or more users) |
| Free plan | None | Free for up to 10 users on Cloud or Server, with every feature except a custom logo. Cloud includes 30 GB of storage and 3 helpdesk agents. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day Cloud trial with up to 100 users, no credit card required; 60-day trial for YouTrack Server |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | MantisBT Team | JetBrains |
| Price read from | mantisbt.org | jetbrains.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 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.
YouTrack
- From 11 users every user is paid: Cloud starts at $4.50 per user / month billed annually, or $5.40 billed monthly.
- YouTrack Server is sold as an annual subscription in fixed user packs; licenses bought since June 23, 2026 are no longer perpetual.
- With 4 or more helpdesk agents, every agent is charged and each one also needs a user license.
- Cloud storage is tied to seats: 30 GB on the free plan and 3 GB per user on paid plans, with no way to buy more separately.
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.
YouTrack
- Agile boards
- Boards support Kanban, Scrum and mixed approaches, for planning at any level from an individual backlog to an enterprise portfolio.
- Gantt charts and time tracking
- An interactive Gantt timeline schedules tasks with estimates and dependencies. Time is tracked automatically or by hand and reviewed on timesheets.
- Knowledge base and whiteboards
- Articles hold internal notes and plans or a public knowledge base. Whiteboards gather issues, tickets and notes that can be turned into tasks and articles.
- Workflows and apps
- Workflows are rules that automate the life cycle of tasks, such as deadline reminders, field updates and recurring tasks. Apps add further features and integrations.
- Helpdesk
- Helpdesk projects give support agents ticket handling with service-level agreements and unlimited reporters. 3 agents are free; on larger teams each costs $5.50 a month, billed annually.
- AI Assistant
- JetBrains AI summarizes tasks, articles and tickets, suggests replies and turns text into issues. Free credits, refilled weekly, come with Cloud and with paid Server subscriptions.
Plans
MantisBT
Open source$0
Free to download and run on your own server under the GNU General Public License.
YouTrack
Cloud: 1–10 users$0
Hosted by JetBrains. All features except a custom logo, 30 GB of storage, 3 helpdesk agents and free AI Assistant credits.
Server: 10 users$0
Installed on your own server from a Linux or Windows Docker image. Free for up to 10 users and 3 agents, including updates.
Cloud: 11+ users$4.50
per user / month, billed annually ($5.40 billed monthly)
The per-user price falls as the team grows, down to $1.53 at 10,000 users on annual billing. 3 GB of storage per user and a custom logo.
Server: 15-user pack$900
per year, annual subscription
Self-hosted instance with a year of updates and technical support. Larger packs include 25 users for $1,500, 50 for $3,000 and 100 for $6,000.
Ways to pay less
MantisBT
No public discounts listed.
YouTrack
- Annual discount
Two months free on annual Cloud billing
Annual Cloud subscriptions start at $4.50 per user / month against $5.40 billed monthly, which JetBrains describes as saving 2 months' worth of costs.
- Startups
50% off for startup companies
Private software development companies in business for less than five years may qualify for 50% off up to 10 commercial licenses for JetBrains products, including YouTrack.
- Nonprofit
50% off for non-profit organizations
Registered non-profit organizations can apply for a 50% discount on commercial pricing, depending on their business model, by requesting a quote from sales.
- Education
50% off for universities, free for classrooms
Universities and accredited educational institutions can get 50% off commercial subscriptions for internal projects, and free classroom licenses for teaching.
- Other savings
Free licenses for open source projects
Non-commercial open source projects can qualify for free YouTrack licenses if they meet the requirements of JetBrains' support program.
- Other savings
25% off when migrating from another tool
Customers who currently hold a commercial license for a competing tool qualify for a 25% discount on commercial YouTrack subscriptions.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, MantisBT or YouTrack?
As of Nov 12, 2026, MantisBT is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $4.50 a month for each person for YouTrack. MantisBT is free, and YouTrack starts at $4.50 per user / month, billed annually (Cloud, 11 or more users).
Which has a free plan, MantisBT or YouTrack?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both MantisBT and YouTrack have a free plan.
Which platforms do MantisBT and YouTrack run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only YouTrack lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.