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FogBugz vs Redmine
March 09, 2025 | Author: Michael Stromann
3★
FogBugz is the world's easiest bug tracking system, built for teams who are serious about shipping great software. FogBugz incorporates the lessons Joel Spolsky and the team at Fog Creek have learned over a decade of learning how to write software better.
14★
Redmine is a flexible alternative project management web application. Written using the Ruby on Rails framework, it is cross-platform and cross-database. Redmine is open source and released under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2 (GPL).
See also:
Top 10 Issue-tracking systems
Top 10 Issue-tracking systems
Both FogBugz and Redmine are, in essence, incredibly useful tools for keeping track of all the little things that inevitably go wrong during a project. They both allow you to keep a close eye on tasks, adjust workflows on the fly and generally try to avoid losing track of where things went sideways. They have a fondness for agile methodologies, as if they were trying to emulate the chaotic brilliance of an intergalactic voyage that somehow manages to stay on course. Also, they both let you keep an eye on how much time you’re spending pretending to work.
Now, FogBugz is a product that clearly enjoys being the smooth operator in the room. Born in 2000 in the land of tech innovation (that would be the USA, for the geographically challenged), it caters mostly to software developers and anyone else who finds themselves stuck in a world of bugs and code. It’s got a shiny, user-friendly interface that even your grandmother could probably figure out — if she was, of course, in the business of coding and bug-tracking. It also offers cloud-based solutions, which is a bit like offering a teleportation device in a world still largely using steam-powered cars. And if you happen to need customer support, well, that’s built right in, because someone, somewhere, always needs a bit of help.
Then there’s Redmine, the rebellious free spirit of the group, born in Japan in 2006. It’s open-source, meaning anyone can tinker with it like a frustrated mechanic trying to figure out how a hyperdrive works. It’s not just for software development; it’s as comfortable managing a construction project as it is organizing a battle against hostile aliens (okay, maybe not that, but it could). It’s built to support multiple databases and its vast array of plugins means you can customize it like a space-faring vehicle, just without the need for a mechanic. And all of this, of course, comes completely free of charge, as if the universe itself has decided to make up for all its other inconsistencies.
See also: Top 10 Issue Trackers
Now, FogBugz is a product that clearly enjoys being the smooth operator in the room. Born in 2000 in the land of tech innovation (that would be the USA, for the geographically challenged), it caters mostly to software developers and anyone else who finds themselves stuck in a world of bugs and code. It’s got a shiny, user-friendly interface that even your grandmother could probably figure out — if she was, of course, in the business of coding and bug-tracking. It also offers cloud-based solutions, which is a bit like offering a teleportation device in a world still largely using steam-powered cars. And if you happen to need customer support, well, that’s built right in, because someone, somewhere, always needs a bit of help.
Then there’s Redmine, the rebellious free spirit of the group, born in Japan in 2006. It’s open-source, meaning anyone can tinker with it like a frustrated mechanic trying to figure out how a hyperdrive works. It’s not just for software development; it’s as comfortable managing a construction project as it is organizing a battle against hostile aliens (okay, maybe not that, but it could). It’s built to support multiple databases and its vast array of plugins means you can customize it like a space-faring vehicle, just without the need for a mechanic. And all of this, of course, comes completely free of charge, as if the universe itself has decided to make up for all its other inconsistencies.
See also: Top 10 Issue Trackers
