OpenProject vs Trac (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick OpenProject: it is third in our ranking of project management tools, and it grades higher too, 2.6 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
OpenProject grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. Trac grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
OpenProject
Open-source project management for classic and agile teams
Which one is for you
Pick OpenProject if
- Fits if your organization wants to self-host an open-source project tool and has someone to run the server
- Works for teams mixing Gantt-based planning with Scrum or Kanban, with cloud data hosted in the EU
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free hosted plan, as the cloud starts at paid Basic with a 5-user minimum
- Pricey if you're a small team needing single sign-on, since Professional requires at least 25 users at $13.50 each
- Not for you if you'd run projects from your phone, because the mobile apps are beta companions to the web app
- Tight if you want portfolios or resource management, which need Premium with at least 100 users
- Watch out: on-premises Enterprise plans start at 25 users and a one-year term, and SCIM is Corporate only
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
| 2.6GPAOpenProjectGood | 2.2GPATracFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CCloud Basic is $7.25 a user a month billed yearly, $8.50 monthly, which is mid-pack for this category, and it holds you to 5 users. The steps up carry big minimums: Professional $13.50 from 25 users, Premium $19.50 from 100. Self-hosting the Community edition costs nothing but your servers. | 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 means hosting it: the Community edition has no user minimum and keeps Gantt charts, agile boards, Scrum backlogs, time tracking, wiki and meetings. Support is community only, and there's no free cloud, just a 14-day trial. | ANothing to pay at all. The project site lists no paid edition. |
| Features | BWork packages on Gantt charts with relations and automatic or manual scheduling, Kanban and sprint boards with a backlog and burndown charts, time and costs against budgets, meeting minutes linked to the work, and a wiki. Both planning styles covered; portfolios and resource management wait for Premium. | CWiki, tickets, timeline, roadmap and source browser. No boards, sprints or Gantt on the project's pages. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. The paid cloud is hosted for you in the EU, but this is a big tool with work package types, roles and statuses to arrange, and the free edition is a Linux server job: DEB or RPM packages, Docker, Kubernetes or Helm. | DYou install and run it yourself, and support is mailing lists, IRC and the project wiki. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb with iPhone and Android apps, and no desktop app. The phone apps are in beta and the vendor calls them companions to the web version. It connects to Nextcloud, GitHub, GitLab and Excel, with OneDrive, SharePoint and an MCP server from Professional. | CWeb only, linking to Subversion and Git. |
| Best for | self-hosting classic and agile planning | 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: OpenProject and Trac. How we grade
Price against what you get
OpenProject starts at $7.25 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Trac has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
OpenProject scores higher, and starts $7.25 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other project management tools on the chart, 12 score higher than OpenProject 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
- OpenProject also covers kanban boards, Gantt & timelines and time tracking.
- Trac also covers reports.
At a glance
| OpenProject | Trac | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $7.25 per user / month, billed yearly (5-user minimum) | Free |
| Free plan | Community edition: free and open source, installed on your own servers, with no user minimum and community support only. It is not offered as a hosted cloud plan. | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the Enterprise cloud, or a 14-day trial license for a self-hosted installation | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | OpenProject GmbH | Edgewall Software |
| Price read from | openproject.org | trac.edgewall.org |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
OpenProject
- The free Community edition is self-hosted only. The hosted cloud starts at the paid Basic plan with a 5-user minimum.
- Professional requires at least 25 users and Premium at least 100. On-premises Enterprise plans start at 25 users and a one-year term.
- Single sign-on needs Professional or higher, and SCIM provisioning is limited to the Corporate plan.
- The iOS and Android apps are in beta and described by the vendor as companions to the web application.
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
OpenProject
- Work packages and Gantt charts
- Work is broken into work packages such as tasks, features, phases and milestones, then scheduled on Gantt charts with relations and automatic or manual scheduling.
- Agile boards and Scrum
- Kanban, team, version and subproject boards, a product backlog, sprint boards, story points and burndown charts are all part of the free Community edition.
- Time tracking, costs and budgets
- Time is logged on work packages, unit and labor costs are tracked against budgets, and reports break down spent time and costs.
- Meetings, wiki and documents
- Meeting agendas and minutes link to work packages, and a wiki, forums and collaboratively edited documents hold project information in one place.
- Self-hosting or vendor cloud
- The Community edition installs on your own Linux servers from DEB or RPM packages, Docker, Kubernetes or Helm charts. Enterprise cloud is hosted by OpenProject in the EU.
- Tiered Enterprise add-ons
- Paid plans unlock extra features by tier: the team planner on Basic, single sign-on on Professional, and portfolio and resource management on Premium.
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
OpenProject
CommunityFree
Self-hosted open-source edition with no user minimum: Gantt charts, agile boards, Scrum backlogs, time tracking, wiki and meetings, with community support.
Basic$7.25
per user / month, billed yearly ($8.50 monthly, cloud only)
From 5 users in the cloud or 25 on-premises. Adds the Basic Enterprise add-ons, such as the team planner, baseline comparisons and a custom theme, plus email support.
Professional$13.50
per user / month, billed yearly
Minimum 25 users. Adds single sign-on, OneDrive and SharePoint integration, sharing work packages with external users, the MCP server and phone support.
Premium$19.50
per user / month, billed yearly
Minimum 100 users. Adds portfolio management, resource management, LDAP user and group sync, and remote-hands support.
CorporateCustom
Priced on request and recommended from 250 users. Adds SCIM provisioning, XWiki and openDesk integrations, and a dedicated support engineer.
Trac
Open source$0
Free to download and install yourself under the modified BSD license. No hosted edition is listed.
Ways to pay less
OpenProject
- Annual discount
Yearly billing is $1.25 per user cheaper
Cloud Basic can be billed monthly for an extra $1.25 per user / month, so a one-year subscription costs $7.25 instead of $8.50 per user / month.
- Other savings
Free months on multi-year subscriptions
The pricing calculator lists 5 months free on a 2-year subscription, 8 on 3 years, 11 on 4 years and 15 on 5 years.
- Education
Special rates for educational institutions
OpenProject states that it offers discounted rates for educational institutions. No percentage is published; eligibility is checked by its sales team.
- Nonprofit
Special rates for NGOs
The same pricing page offers discounted rates for NGOs on request, again without a published percentage.
Trac
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, OpenProject or Trac?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Trac is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $7.25 a month for each person for OpenProject. OpenProject starts at $7.25 per user / month, billed yearly (5-user minimum), and Trac is free.
Which has a free plan, OpenProject or Trac?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both OpenProject and Trac have a free plan.
Which platforms do OpenProject and Trac run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only OpenProject 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.