Key takeaways Top pick: Jira , best for: Software development tracking. Also near the top: Linear and GitHub Issues . Free to start: GitHub Issues and Plane . How it was ranked: 10 SaaS products compared. Each verdict is below. Jira is the top choice for complex software development teams requiring deep customisation and robust agile workflows.
Linear excels for fast-moving startups and product teams prioritising speed and a modern user interface.
GitHub Issues is ideal for development teams already hosting their code repositories on GitHub, offering seamless integration.
Top 10 Issue Tracking Software, compared RANK ENTRY BEST FOR SCORE FROM 1 Jira Jira was originally released by Atlassian in 2002 as a bug and issue tracker. Software development tracking 95.0 USD 8.15 per user per month 2 Linear Linear was built to be lightning fast with local-first data architecture. Fast-moving product startups 92.7 $8 per user per month 3 GitHub Issues GitHub Issues is tightly integrated with GitHub Actions for automated workflows. Open source projects and GitHub users 90.3 Free 4 Asana Asana was co-founded by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz. Complex workflow management 88.0 GBP 8.89 per user per month 5 ClickUp ClickUp markets itself as the one app to replace them all. Feature heavy customisation 85.7 USD 7.00 per user per month 6 Monday.com Monday.com was formerly known as daPulse before rebranding in 2017. Customisable dashboards 83.3 GBP 8.00 per user per month 7 Trello Trello was acquired by Atlassian in 2017. Visual task management 81.0 USD 5.00 per user per month 8 Plane Plane can be self-hosted locally or deployed via Docker. Teams looking for open-source alternatives 78.7 Free 9 Zendesk Zendesk was founded in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2007. Medium to large enterprises 76.3 $55/agent/month 10 Freshservice Freshservice is a product of Freshworks, which was founded in India. IT service management teams 74.0 $19 per user per month
How to choose Start from what you need it for. Where each entry fits best:
Jira (#1): Software development trackingLinear (#2): Fast-moving product startupsGitHub Issues (#3): Open source projects and GitHub usersAsana (#4): Complex workflow managementClickUp (#5): Feature heavy customisationMonday.com (#6): Customisable dashboardsTrello (#7): Visual task managementPlane (#8): Teams looking for open-source alternativesZendesk (#9): Medium to large enterprisesFreshservice (#10): IT service management teamsEach entry's full verdict is below.
The ranking, in detail 01
The #1 software development tool used by agile teams
Atlassian Jira is an industry standard project and issue tracking tool designed for software development teams with complex workflows.
From USD 8.15 per user per month
PROS Industry standard for Agile teams Deep developer tool integrations CONS Complex configuration process Not ideal for non technical departments
Best for Software development tracking
Where it falls short The complex configuration process makes it difficult for non-technical departments to use effectively.
Pick something else if you are a non-technical department. 95.0
02
Linear is a streamlined issue tracker built for high-performance product teams who value speed and keyboard shortcuts.
From $8 per user per month
PROS Incredibly fast and responsive interface Clean, minimalist design focused on productivity CONS Fewer customisation options than legacy tools
Best for Fast-moving product startups
Where it falls short It offers fewer customization options than legacy tools.
Pick something else if you need extensive customization. 92.7
03
GitHub Issues provides native issue tracking directly alongside your code repositories for developer-centric project management.
Free
PROS Direct connection between issues and pull requests Free tier is very generous for public repositories CONS Lacks advanced non-developer project management features
Best for Open source projects and GitHub users
Where it falls short It lacks advanced non-developer project management features.
Pick something else if you need advanced non-developer project management features. 90.3
04
Manage your team's work, projects, and tasks online
Asana is a versatile work management platform that helps teams organise, track, and manage their daily tasks and larger projects.
From GBP 8.89 per user per month
PROS Highly versatile project views Robust integration ecosystem CONS Can be overwhelming for very small teams Advanced features require costly tiers
Best for Complex workflow management
Where it falls short Can be overwhelming for very small teams.
Pick something else if you need its advanced features on a tight budget. 88.0
05
One app to replace them all
ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity platform that replaces multiple apps with customisable docs, goals, and issue tracking.
From USD 7.00 per user per month
PROS Extensive feature set Good value for money CONS Interface can feel cluttered Overwhelming options for beginners
Best for Feature heavy customisation
Where it falls short Interface can feel cluttered.
Pick something else if you need a simple interface for beginners. 85.7
06
A platform where you can build anything
Monday.com is a customisable Work OS where teams can build bespoke workflow applications and track issues visually.
From GBP 8.00 per user per month
PROS Highly customisable interfaces Excellent automation builder CONS Pricing scales quickly Requires minimum seat purchases
Best for Customisable dashboards
Where it falls short Pricing scales quickly. 83.3
07
Collaborate, manage projects, and reach new productivity peaks
Trello uses a flexible Kanban board system to help teams manage projects and track tasks in a visual format.
From USD 5.00 per user per month
PROS Extremely intuitive interface Generous free tier CONS Lacks native advanced reporting Becomes cluttered with large projects
Best for Visual task management
Where it falls short It lacks native advanced reporting capabilities.
Pick something else if you need detailed analytics out of the box. 81.0
08
Plane is an open-source project planning and issue tracking tool designed to help software teams manage issues effectively.
Free
PROS Open-source with self-hosting capabilities Modern and clean user interface CONS Smaller ecosystem of integrations compared to Jira
Best for Teams looking for open-source alternatives
Where it falls short It has a smaller ecosystem of integrations compared to Jira.
Pick something else if you need extensive third-party integrations. 78.7
09
Complete customer service solution
Zendesk is primarily a customer service platform that includes robust ticketing and issue tracking for customer support operations.
From $55/agent/month
PROS Extensive enterprise reporting features Seamless multi-channel ticket management CONS Steep learning curve for new administrators
Best for Medium to large enterprises
Where it falls short New administrators may struggle with a steep learning curve.
Pick something else if you are a new administrator seeking easy setup. 76.3
10
Freshservice is an IT service desk and asset management solution built on ITIL best practices for internal IT issue tracking.
From $19 per user per month
PROS Strong ITIL-aligned incident and asset management Intuitive employee self-service portal CONS Can be overly complex for non-IT departments
Best for IT service management teams
Where it falls short It can be overly complex for non-IT departments.
Pick something else if you are a non-IT department seeking simplicity. 74.0
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Frequently asked questions What is issue tracking software? Issue tracking software is an application designed to help teams record, monitor, and resolve tasks, bugs, customer tickets, and project roadblocks throughout their lifecycle.
How do I choose the best issue tracker for my team? Consider your team size, technical background, budget, and workflow style. Developers often prefer Jira, GitHub Issues, or Linear, while general business teams may prefer Asana or Trello.
Are there free issue tracking tools available? Yes, many platforms offer free tiers, such as GitHub Issues and Trello, while open-source tools like Plane allow free self-hosting.
Sources Where we checked each company's facts, and when.
Sources for 3 more companies Trello #7 trello.com pricing, features, pros and cons and description, checked 13 Oct 2026 Plane #8 Zendesk #9 zendesk.co.uk pricing, features, pros and cons, description and founding date, checked 17 Oct 2026 Some links on Lister are affiliate links. Rankings are not affected.
