Blog ComparisonsTop 17 Bug Tracking Tools for Startups in 2026

Top 17 Bug Tracking Tools for Startups in 2026

The best tools to collect and track bug reports for your SaaS product.

Comparisons
Last updated on
Β·17 min read
Illustration image for blog post
πŸ₯‡ Our top pick: Featurebase, the all-in-one bug tracking and management tool, best value for money.

Looking for a bug reporting tool with an in-app widget, screenshotting engine, and voting boards? You're in the right place!

The right bug tracking system helps you collect bug reports and user feedback in one place, making your customers happy and ensuring your software development resources are spent on the right priorities.

Today, we listed out the best bug tracking tools to help you improve your software development lifecycle and increase your customer satisfaction. Look at our top picks below.πŸ‘‡


TL;DR - Best bug tracking tools in 2026:

  1. ✨ Featurebase – Best modern tool for bug tracking, feedback voting, and support
  2. Bugherd – Best for visual bug reporting directly on live websites
  3. Bugzilla – Best for technical teams needing powerful, open-source tracking
  4. Mantis – Best lightweight, open-source tracker for small to mid-size teams
  5. Zoho BugTracker – Best simple and affordable SaaS bug tracker
  6. Bugasura – Best for fast, collaborative bug reporting in agile and mobile dev
  7. Marker.io – Best for visual bug reports sent to project tools
  8. Loom – Best for recording and sharing bug walkthrough videos
  9. Redmine – Best self-hosted, customizable tracking tool
  10. Linear – Best for fast bug tracking tied to sprints and dev workflows
  11. Kualitee – Best for QA teams managing tests and bugs together
  12. YouTrack – Best flexible bug tracker for agile teams
  13. Jira – Best for large-scale bug tracking with agile projects
  14. Trello – Best simple, visual bug tracker for small teams
  15. Asana – Best for tracking bugs alongside broader tasks
  16. ClickUp – Best customizable tracker within a full PM suite
  17. Backlog – Best for devs needing bug tracking + version control

What is a bug-tracking tool?

Featurebase's bug-reporting form with required fields.
Featurebase's bug-reporting form with required fields

A bug-tracking tool is a software application used to report and track bugs in a software product. These tools are also commonly called defect tracking tools or issue tracking tools.

Users can report errors they encounter, providing details such as the nature of the bug, its location, and impact.

Developers and teams can use these tools to manage and prioritize issues efficiently and collaborate on fixing problems.


Why are bug-reporting tools important?

Bug-reporting tools play a crucial role in developing and maintaining software products. They're vital for a few key reasons:

  • Maintain software quality: By letting users submit bugs and allowing developers to act quickly, these tools ensure high-quality software, enhancing the overall user experience.
  • Improve user satisfaction: Taking user-reported bugs seriously and resolving them quickly builds trust and loyalty, showing users that their feedback is valued.
  • Help prioritize: Developers can prioritize critical issues, focusing on solving major problems first, which prevents minor bugs from escalating.
  • Fosters transparency: A transparent system allows all team members and users to see the status of issues, improving communication and trust.

What to look for in a bug tracking tool?

First, let's quickly cover some important aspects you should keep in mind when choosing a bug-reporting tool for your company. πŸ”Ž

Here's what to look for:

  • Widgets & seamless integration: To make it effortless for users to report bugs and leave feedback, it's important to look for tools that support widgets. You'd like to collect in-app feedback so users never have to leave your product. Widgets should also support taking screenshots since many bugs are visual.
  • Tools to manage feedback at scale: Many tools offer limited dashboards that make it difficult to stay on top of your bug reports when you receive a lot of feedback daily. Look for bulk action and post-merging features to help with this.
  • Automatic authentication: Users shouldn't be forced to sign up for a new account to submit bugs. Great feature request tools let you automatically authenticate users with the account you already have with your app.
  • Integrations: A great bug-tracking tool should plug into your workflow and connect with all the tools you already use. This can be Jira for task management, Intercom for pushing requests straight into your dashboard, or Slack for syncing release notes into the announcement channel.
  • Revenue sorting: Not all bug reports are equally crucial. That's why it's important to be able to sync your user data to feedback. This allows you to sort bugs by customer revenue potential and prioritize different groups, such as paying customers first.
  • User notifications: Closing the feedback loop is one of the most important parts of a feature voting tool. Look for tools that send email notifications to upvoters about the progress of their upvoted features. It's a bonus if they also offer a changelog.
  • An intuitive interface: It should be intuitive to make sure your users don't get confused with complex or dated interfaces. This may result in lost feedback.

After all the features, it's also important to consider the price of the bug-tracking software.


The best bug-tracking tools for startups in 2026

Let's jump into our hand-picked list of top bug-tracking tools that offer the best value for price, so you don't have to waste hours searching and comparing the tools yourself. πŸ‘‡

1. Featurebase ✨

Featurebase is a modern feedback tool.

Featurebase is a modern support & feedback platform that also provides a powerful solution for bug tracking, making it easy to collect, prioritize, and resolve issues while staying connected with your users. It’s loved by thousands of product, marketing, and support teams from companies like Lovable.dev, Elementor, and Beehiiv.

Top features

  • Embedded feedback widgets β€“ Collect bug reports, and suggestions directly from your website or webapp with an interactive feedback widget
  • Bug prioritization scoring – Score bugs based on severity, impact, and urgency to help teams fix the most critical issues first.
  • Customizable widget design β€“ fully customizable and fits right into your website content regarding design and user experience
  • Automated email updates β€“ Automatically notify users when their requested features are implemented
  • Voting and commenting β€“ Let users upvote and discuss feedback, helping you prioritize based on real demand
  • User segmentation β€“ Connect feedback with customer data like revenue and company size to group important customers and prioritize feedback by revenue
  • Integrations β€“ Slack, Linear, Intercom, Jira, Hubspot, Zendesk, Clickup, and many others
  • Plus, help center, live chat, product roadmaps, release notes, and customer surveys – all in one place

Pricing: Featurebase offers a free plan with unlimited feedback. Paid plans start at $29 per user per month. The onboarding is super fast, so there's no downside to trying it. πŸ‘‡

✨ Start collecting & managing bug reports with Featurebase for free β†’
Featurebase's in-app bug reporting widget.
Bug-reporting widget with screenshot option

2. Bugherd

Website feedback tool: BugHerd

BugHerd is a bug tracking and website feedback tool that makes it easy for teams to collect, manage, and resolve bugs directly on live websites. It’s ideal for product managers, developers, and QA teams working on web apps, marketing sites, or digital products.

Top features

  • Visual bug reporting: Users can click on any part of a live website to report a bug, automatically capturing screenshots, browser info, and metadata.
  • Task board view: Reported bugs show up as actionable tasks on a kanban-style board, making it easy to prioritize and assign fixes.
  • User and client feedback: Non-technical users can leave feedback without needing to explain technical details, reducing back-and-forth.
  • Automatic context capture: Each bug report includes details like browser version, operating system, screen resolution, and console logs.
  • Integrations with project management tools: BugHerd connects with Jira, Trello, Slack, and more to keep bug tracking aligned with development workflows.

Pros and cons

βœ… Makes bug reporting easy for non-technical users
βœ… Captures detailed technical data automatically
βœ… Clean and simple task management interface

❌ Best suited for website and front-end bugs, not backend issues
❌ Some users find the UI a little dated
❌ Limited customization options for workflows compared to larger PM tools

Pricing: Starts at $39 per month for up to 5 users.


3. Bugzilla

Bugzilla is a long-established, open-source bug tracking system that helps teams manage software defects, enhancement requests, and development workflows. It’s best suited for engineering teams and open-source projects that need a powerful but no-frills bug management solution.

Top features

  • Advanced search and filtering: Teams can quickly find and sort bugs by project, severity, assignee, and more.
  • Custom workflows: Bugzilla allows full control over bug life cycles, making it adaptable to different development processes.
  • Email notifications: Automatic updates keep developers informed about changes to bug status or assignments.
  • Dependency tracking: Track relationships between bugs, like blockers or duplicates, to manage complex releases.
  • Security features: Fine-grained permissions help protect sensitive bug reports and internal discussions.

Pros and cons

βœ… Extremely powerful and customizable for technical teams
βœ… Proven reliability over many years of open-source development
βœ… No licensing fees for using the core platform

❌ Outdated user interface compared to modern SaaS tools
❌ Requires technical setup and server maintenance
❌ Steeper learning curve for non-technical users

Pricing: Free and open-source (has to be self-hosted).


4. Mantis

Mantis bug tracker.

Mantis is an open-source bug tracking tool designed to help software teams log, manage, and resolve issues across multiple projects. It’s a good choice for small to medium-sized teams that want a lightweight, customizable bug tracking system.

Top features

  • Simple issue reporting: Submit bugs with descriptions, priorities, categories, and attachments.
  • Email notifications and alerts: Keep teams updated when new bugs are reported or status changes occur.
  • Role-based access control: Set different permissions for reporters, developers, and managers.
  • Project and subproject support: Manage multiple products and track bugs separately under one account.
  • Plugin system: Extend Mantis with plugins for time tracking, custom fields, and integrations.

Pros and cons

βœ… Easy to install and lightweight to run
βœ… Clear and straightforward interface for basic bug tracking
βœ… Highly customizable through plugins

❌ Lacks modern UI and UX polish
❌ Limited reporting and analytics features out of the box
❌ Requires manual setup for advanced integrations

Pricing: Free for self-hosted version; cloud hosting starts at $4.95 per user per month.


5. Zoho BugTracker

Zoho BugTracker.

Zoho Bug Tracker is part of Zoho’s broader suite of project management tools, offering a dedicated space for logging, tracking, and closing bugs. It’s ideal for growing teams already using Zoho or looking for an affordable, SaaS-based bug tracking system.

Top features

  • Custom bug fields and statuses: Tailor bug reports and workflows to match your development process.
  • Automation rules: Set up automatic notifications, task assignments, and status updates based on triggers.
  • Time tracking on bugs: Log hours spent on bug fixes for better project estimation.
  • Bug reports and dashboards: Visualize bug trends, resolution times, and team performance.
  • Integrations with Zoho Projects and external tools: Connect bug tracking directly into broader project management workflows.

Pros and cons

βœ… Affordable option for startups and small businesses
βœ… Tight integration with Zoho’s other apps
βœ… Easy-to-use SaaS platform, no technical setup needed

❌ Best suited for simpler bug tracking needs
❌ Customization options are not as deep as dedicated dev tools
❌ Some users find notification settings too basic

Pricing: Starts at $5 per user per month.


6. Bugasura

Bugasura bug reporting

Bugasura is a modern, lightweight bug tracker designed for fast reporting and collaboration between QA testers, developers, and product teams. It’s especially useful for agile teams that need to move quickly and manage bugs across sprints.

Top features

  • One-click bug reporting: Quickly log issues during testing sessions, capturing screenshots and metadata automatically.
  • Collaborative bug management: Teams can comment, tag, and prioritize bugs together in one simple view.
  • Mobile app for testing on the go: Report bugs from mobile devices during app or mobile website testing.
  • Workflow customization: Tailor bug status flows to fit different projects or teams.
  • API and integration options: Connect Bugasura with project management or CI/CD tools.

Pros and cons

βœ… Extremely fast for creating and assigning bugs
βœ… Mobile support makes it easy to report app-specific issues
βœ… Clean, modern interface that’s easy to navigate

❌ Limited feature set compared to larger PM suites
❌ Reporting and analytics are fairly basic
❌ Some integrations require manual setup

Pricing: Starts at $599 per year.


7. Marker.io

Website feedback tool: Marker.io

Marker.io is a bug reporting and visual feedback tool that lets users capture issues directly from a live website and send them into project management systems. It’s perfect for product managers, designers, and QA teams who want faster, more visual bug reporting.

Top features

  • Visual bug capture: Users can annotate screenshots and highlight issues directly from any website.
  • Console logs and environment data: Every report includes technical details like browser info, console errors, and screen resolution.
  • Direct integrations: Send bug reports straight into Jira, Trello, Asana, GitHub, and more.
  • Feedback forms and widgets: Embed feedback widgets in your app to collect bug reports from real users.
  • Automatic status syncing: Keep feedback reporters updated when bugs are fixed or moved in the project board.

Pros and cons

βœ… Speeds up bug reporting and reduces back-and-forth questions
βœ… Great for client feedback on website or UI bugs
βœ… Easy setup with major project management tools

❌ Primarily focused on front-end/web issues, not backend bugs
❌ Some teams may still need a traditional tracker for detailed issue management
❌ Pricing can be high for smaller QA teams

Pricing: Starts at $39 per month for up to 10 users.


8. Loom

Loom.

Loom is primarily a video messaging tool, but it plays an important role in bug tracking by letting users quickly record and share video walkthroughs of bugs and errors. It’s ideal for product teams, QA testers, and customer support agents who need a faster way to show, not just tell, about bugs.

Top features

  • Instant screen recording: Quickly capture bug behavior in action, including clicks, errors, and UI issues.
  • Shareable video links: Send recordings directly to developers or attach them to bug reports.
  • Commenting on videos: Teams can leave comments at specific timestamps, making bug discussions clearer.
  • High-quality video capture: Recordings are smooth and detailed, helping developers replicate and fix issues faster.
  • Integration with project management tools: Embed Loom videos in Jira, Trello, Slack, and other platforms.

Pros and cons

βœ… Great for showing complex or hard-to-describe bugs
βœ… Saves time compared to writing detailed bug reproduction steps
βœ… Easy to use across technical and non-technical teams

❌ Not a replacement for traditional bug tracking tools
❌ Free plan limits recording length and features
❌ Some users report slower uploads for large videos

Pricing: Starts at $12.50 per user per month.


9. Redmine

Redmine bug reporting tool

Redmine is a flexible, open-source project management and issue tracking tool that gives teams a reliable way to log, prioritize, and resolve bugs. It’s a good fit for engineering teams that need full control over their bug tracking system without SaaS limitations.

Top features

  • Issue tracking and customization: Log bugs, assign severity levels, and create custom fields for detailed tracking.
  • Gantt charts and calendars: Visualize bug fix timelines alongside broader project schedules.
  • Role-based permissions: Manage who can view, edit, and close bug reports across different projects.
  • Email notifications: Keep team members updated when bugs are reported, assigned, or resolved.
  • Extensive plugin ecosystem: Add features like time tracking, agile boards, or Git integrations as needed.

Pros and cons

βœ… Highly customizable and extendable with plugins
βœ… Good for teams wanting full data ownership
βœ… Supports multiple projects and teams in one platform

❌ Outdated interface compared to newer tools
❌ Requires manual hosting and server maintenance
❌ Steeper learning curve for non-technical users

Pricing: Free and open-source (self-hosted).


10. Linear

Linear marketing.

Linear is a fast and modern issue tracking tool built for product and engineering teams that want to manage bugs, tasks, and feature development with minimal friction. It’s ideal for startups and tech companies that need lightweight but structured bug tracking tightly connected to their product cycles.

Top features

  • Lightning-fast issue tracking: Quickly log, assign, and prioritize bugs with a clean, keyboard-friendly interface.
  • Customizable workflows: Set up custom bug statuses and automate transitions as issues move through the fix process.
  • Cycle management: Plan and track bug fixes within regular sprint cycles for better predictability.
  • Powerful integrations: Connect Linear with GitHub, GitLab, Slack, and more to link bug fixes to code changes.
  • Automated backlog management: Old or stale bugs are flagged automatically to keep backlogs manageable.

Pros and cons

βœ… Extremely fast and intuitive for daily bug tracking
βœ… Clean, minimal design reduces noise and clutter
βœ… Great integrations with developer tools for smoother fixes

❌ Limited built-in reporting compared to larger PM suites
❌ Best suited for engineering-heavy teams
❌ Some customization features are still evolving

Pricing: Starts at $8 per user per month.

Tip: You can integrate Linear with Featurebase to collect bug reports & feedback for your Linear issues, automatically keep customers updated with a synced public roadmap, and much more. ✨

11. Kualitee

Kualitee.

Kualitee is a dedicated bug tracking and test management tool that helps QA teams and developers track issues throughout the testing lifecycle. It’s best for mid-size teams that need structured, test-driven bug tracking.

Top features

  • Bug tracking linked to test cases: Connect bugs directly to failed test cases for better traceability.
  • Custom workflows and fields: Adapt bug reports and resolution steps to match your development process.
  • Comprehensive reporting: View detailed metrics on bug trends, resolution times, and testing outcomes.
  • Mobile app support: Report and update bugs from mobile devices during testing sessions.
  • Third-party integrations: Connects with Jira, Selenium, GitHub, and more for easy bug management.

Pros and cons

βœ… Purpose-built for QA teams and testers
βœ… Strong link between test management and bug reporting
βœ… Clean UI that’s easy to learn

❌ Some integrations can be tricky to configure
❌ Pricing can add up for larger teams
❌ Less suitable if you don’t need structured testing features

Pricing: Starts at $15 per user per month.


12. YouTrack

YouTrack by JetBrains is a flexible project management and bug tracking tool focused on agile teams, offering a mix of issue tracking, sprints, and team planning. It’s ideal for software development teams that want powerful, customizable bug tracking alongside agile support.

Top features

  • Customizable issue tracking: Teams can create detailed bug reports with flexible workflows, tags, and custom fields.
  • Agile boards and sprints: Manage bugs as part of broader sprint planning and kanban workflows.
  • Smart search and filtering: Quickly find bugs using a powerful query language.
  • Reports and dashboards: Visualize bug resolution rates, trends, and team performance metrics.
  • Built-in time tracking: Log time spent fixing bugs to improve project estimates.

Pros and cons

βœ… Extremely flexible and customizable for bug tracking
βœ… Great for agile teams needing tight sprint management
βœ… Strong reporting and visualization tools

❌ Initial setup can feel overwhelming for new users
❌ Requires some technical knowledge to unlock full customization
❌ Mobile experience is less polished than desktop

Pricing: Starts at $4.67 per user per month.


13. Jira

Jira marketing page.

Jira is a leading issue and project tracking tool, widely used by software teams to manage bugs, sprints, and development tasks. It’s the go-to choice for companies that need robust bug tracking tied into their agile product development.

Top features

  • Bug tracking templates: Quickly spin up projects dedicated to logging, prioritizing, and resolving bugs.
  • Custom workflows: Define custom statuses, transitions, and notifications for bug life cycles during software development.
  • Advanced reporting: Track bug resolution times, backlog size, and team velocity with built-in charts.
  • Agile board support: Handle bugs within kanban or scrum boards alongside feature development.
  • Marketplace integrations: Extend Jira’s bug tracking with test management, code review, and CI/CD tools.

Pros and cons

βœ… Extremely powerful for structured bug tracking at scale
βœ… Deep customization options for workflows and fields
βœ… Massive ecosystem of plugins and integrations

❌ Steeper learning curve for new teams
❌ Can get bloated if not configured carefully
❌ Pricing grows quickly with larger teams and plugins

Pricing: Starts at $7.75 per user per month.

Tip: You can integrate Jira with Featurebase to collect user feedback and ideas for your Jira issues, automatically keep customers updated with a synced public roadmap, and much more ✨

14. Trello

Trello marketring page.

Trello is a visual task management tool that can be adapted for simple bug tracking, especially for smaller teams looking for a lightweight solution. It’s best for startups and agencies that want an easy, flexible way to track issues.

Top features

  • Custom kanban boards: Create columns like "Reported," "In Progress," and "Resolved" to manage bug statuses.
  • Card details and attachments: Add screenshots, environment details, and steps to reproduce directly to bug cards.
  • Labels and filters: Use color-coded labels to prioritize and categorize bugs easily.
  • Power-Ups for integrations: Connect Trello with Jira, Slack, GitHub, and other tools for better bug handling.
  • Automation via Butler: Automate repetitive bug tracking tasks like moving cards or assigning team members.

Pros and cons

βœ… Very quick to set up a basic bug tracking board
βœ… Visual and user friendly interface, even for non-technical teams
βœ… Integrates well with other tools through Power-Ups

❌ Not designed for complex or high-volume bug tracking
❌ Reporting and analytics are basic without add-ons
❌ Requires discipline to keep boards organized

Pricing: Starts at $5 per user per month.


15. Asana

asana marketing page.

Asana is a flexible work management platform that can double as a bug tracking tool when customized for issue reporting and resolution workflows. It’s ideal for teams that want lightweight bug tracking built into broader project tracking.

Top features

  • Custom bug tracking templates: Create simple workflows for bug reporting, prioritization, and resolution.
  • Task assignment and subtasks: Break down bug fixes into smaller tasks and assign them to the right team members.
  • Timeline and calendar views: Visualize when bugs need to be resolved in relation to upcoming releases.
  • Automation rules: Set triggers to auto-assign or escalate urgent bugs.
  • Integrations with development tools: Connect Asana with GitHub, Jira, and Slack to tie bugs into your tech stack.

Pros and cons

βœ… Easy to adapt for basic bug tracking needs
βœ… Visual timeline and board options for managing fixes
βœ… Good cross-functional collaboration features

❌ Not as specialized for bug tracking as dev-focused tools
❌ Advanced reporting features locked behind higher tiers
❌ Can get cluttered if projects aren’t structured carefully

Pricing: Starts at $10.99 per user per month.


16. Clickup

Clickup marketing page.

ClickUp is an all-in-one project management tool that offers bug tracking as part of its flexible, customizable workspace. It’s a strong fit for teams that want to handle bug tracking, feature development, and project planning under one roof.

Top features

  • Bug tracking templates: Pre-built spaces for logging, assigning, and prioritizing bugs.
  • Custom statuses and workflows: Tailor the bug life cycle to match different products or teams.
  • Built-in time tracking: Log how long it takes to fix bugs for better reporting and planning.
  • Automations: Set up rules to auto-assign critical bugs or escalate overdue issues.
  • Docs and knowledge base integration: Keep bug reproduction steps and troubleshooting guides linked to bug reports.

Pros and cons

βœ… Highly customizable for different bug tracking needs
βœ… Combines bug tracking with broader project and product management
βœ… Good value for money, especially for growing teams

❌ Some features can feel overwhelming to set up initially
❌ Mobile app experience lags behind desktop
❌ Performance can slow down with very large workspaces

Pricing: Starts at $7 per user per month.

Tip: You can integrate Clickup with Featurebase to collect bug reports & feedback into your Clickup workspace, automatically keep customers updated with a synced public roadmap, and much more. ✨

17. Backlog

Backlog is a project management and bug tracking tool designed for developers and product teams who need an easy way to track issues and manage code. It’s a great choice for teams that want built-in version control alongside bug tracking.

Top features

  • Bug tracking and task management: Log bugs with statuses, priorities, assignees, and due dates.
  • Built-in Git and SVN repositories: Manage code alongside bug reports without switching tools.
  • Customizable issue fields: Add fields for bug severity, environment, steps to reproduce, and more.
  • Gantt charts and burndown charts: Visualize bug resolution timelines and sprint progress.
  • Comment threads: Collaborate on bug reports with inline discussions and file attachments.

Pros and cons

βœ… Combines bug tracking with source code management
βœ… Clear, developer-friendly interface
βœ… Good reporting and project visibility features

❌ More limited integrations compared to bigger platforms
❌ Best suited for technical teams rather than non-technical users
❌ Mobile app could be more robust

Pricing: Starts at $35 per month for up to 30 users.


Conclusion

There are a lot of bug-tracking tools available in 2025 and finding one that ticks all the boxes is quite difficult.

Featurebase is one of the best modern feedback & bug-reporting tools. It has many advanced features like in-app widgets and sorting posts by customer revenue. It also offers voting boards, roadmaps, changelogs, and automated emails - all with a beautiful and intuitive design.

It comes with a Free plan that allows unlimited posts. You can automatically migrate over from any tool in seconds, so there's no downside to trying it. πŸ‘‡

✨ Start collecting bugs & feature requests with Featurebase for free β†’
Featurebase's in-app bug reporting widget.
Bug-reporting widget with screenshot option (Featurebase).