MantisBT review (2026): is it any good?
Open source issue tracker for teams and clients
MantisBT report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for tracking issues on your own server
MantisBT is a free open-source issue tracker with per-project access control, custom fields and email notifications. You install and maintain it yourself, and its site describes issue tracking only.
Who MantisBT is for
- Fits if your team can host its own server and wants a free issue tracker
- Works for teams that only track issues
Who MantisBT is not for
- 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
Why MantisBT gets a 2.0
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyFree under the GPL, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server.
- BFree plan and trialFree to download with no caps, no trial and no account. You supply the server.
- CFeaturesEmail notifications, per-project access, custom fields and workflow, add-ons. It does issue tracking fully, but that is a smaller job than project management.
- DEase of useYou install and maintain it yourself, and the 1.3 legacy line only gets security fixes.
- CPlatforms and integrationsWeb only, with add-ons but no integrations list.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from MantisBT Team's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make MantisBT? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/mantisbt#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/mantisbt.svg" alt="MantisBT: 2.0 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where MantisBT stands among project management tools
MantisBT's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 6 of the 111 other project management tools we grade, and level with 15.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 77 of 111) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
MantisBT has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 112 project management tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. MantisBT’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 27 of 111, level with 57
- BFree plan and trialAbove 77 of 111, level with 24
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 111, level with 48
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 111, level with 6
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 1 of 111, level with 14
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 104 project management tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep MantisBT, or make your own?
Keep it
MantisBT is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 90 of the 111 other project management tools grade higher.
What you could make
- Issue tracking: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: roles and permissions.
What this rests on. MantisBT’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is MantisBT?
MantisBT is an open source, web-based bug tracking system written in PHP. Teams install it on their own Linux, Windows or macOS server to log issues, notify members and clients by email, and set per-project access roles. The project is released under the GNU General Public License.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
MantisBT pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, MantisBT is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | $0 | Free to download and run on your own server under the GNU General Public License. |
Read from mantisbt.org on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with MantisBT before you buy.
MantisBT alternatives
- MantisBT vs Trac
Free
- MantisBT vs YouTrack
Free plan · from $4.50/mo
Common questions
Does MantisBT have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. MantisBT is listed for Web.
Does MantisBT have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. MantisBT is listed for Web.
Is MantisBT open source?
Yes. MantisBT is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.