Shocking as it may be, poor-quality software costs organizations in the U.S. approximately $2.8 trillion a year. This figure includes expenses associated with fixing bugs, lost productivity, revenue losses, and damage to a brand reputation.
Bug tracking tools are crucial to effectively identifying, managing, and resolving software issues. With the increasing number of tools available on the market, how can dev teams select the most effective bug tracking tools that suit their needs?
Let’s explore the most popular and reliable bug tracking tools for manual software testing based on multiple factors, including functionalities, price, and user feedback.
What is Bug Tracking?
Bug tracking helps identify, record, and manage bugs or defects in software development and testing. It involves logging each issue, prioritizing it by severity, and tracking its resolution.
Bug tracking includes the following phases:
- Bug Identification
- Bug Reporting
- Bug Assigning
- Bug Fixing
- Testing the Bug Fix
- Reporting and Analysis.
One of the main aspects of bug tracking is the bug reporting process, which ensures that all bugs are thoroughly documented and escalated promptly to developers, helping maintain the software’s overall quality and functionality.
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Did you know the term ‘bug’ in software came from an actual bug? In 1947, a real moth got stuck in the relays of the Harvard Mark II computer, causing a malfunction. This incident was recorded as the ‘first actual case of bug being found,’ and since then, the term ‘bug’ has been used to describe software defects.
Importance of Bug Tracking
Bug tracking is important for improving software development in several helpful ways:
1. Quality Boost: It discovers and eliminates issues before the end product meets the expectations of users.
2. Facilitates Collaboration: Bug tracking systems allow developers, testers, and stakeholders to easily communicate issues and stay on top of each other’s problems.
3. Assists With Prioritization: Bugs can be fixed by severity and impact so that teams can prioritize them.
4. Gains Efficiency: With low visibility, you can easily monitor and allocate resources.
5. Aids Continuous Regression: Analyzing bug information helps teams improve processes and prevent issues in the future.
The short answer is that bug tracking is crucial to making great software and maintaining customers.
12 Best Bug Tracking Tools in Software Development in 2025
1- Webvizio
Unlike traditional QA tools, Webvizio is a website feedback and bug tracking tool that offers a unique “visual” approach to identifying and reporting issues on live web pages.
- Visual Feedback: Enables users to provide feedback on live web pages, assign tasks, and report UI issues directly on web elements.
- Embedded Annotation Tools: Users can annotate and record video feedback for each task or issue separately, which clarifies what needs to be done and keeps the action items measurable.
- Testing Across Different Screen Sizes and Devices: Users can review issues across desktop, tablet, and mobile views using Chrome DevTools (via Chome browser extension) or embedded in the in-app emulation tool.
- Bug Reports in One Click: Webvizio automatically captures not only visual annotations but also all the technical information that developers need to resolve issues, illuminating unnecessary back-and-forths with QA teams. Each task includes details such as the device and browser information, console logs, and the steps the user took at the moment of reporting the issue.
- Embedded Planners and Kanban Boards: Webvizio provides all users with an embedded productivity tool, including task statuses and prioritizations, deadlines, time spent logs, and more. All tasks can be easily viewed and managed through the “Trello-like” visual boards.
- Integrations: Webvizio integrates with popular issue trackers such as Jira, ClickUp, and Trello, along with widely used communication tools like Slack and design tools like Figma. It provides the additional option for integration with any other third-party tools through its Webhooks API or the most popular connector like Zapier or Pipedream.
User Rating: 4.9⭐ across G2.com, Capterra.com, and Google Chrome Web Store.
Pricing: Webvizio offers a free trial and flexible pricing options based on team size, starting at $28 per month for a team of five users.
Reviews Summary: Users highly rated the tool for its intuitive interface and compelling collaboration features. Users like the embedded screenshot annotation tools, video recorder, and planner functionalities. QA managers appreciate the bug reporting features enhanced with technical logs.
2 – Jira
Jira, created by Atlassian, is one of the top choices of 65,000 customers worldwide for planning and managing development projects. Atlassian ecosystem includes dozens of collaboration and productivity tools, including Confluence and Loom.
Here’s what makes Jira one of the first choices for web development and bug tracking:
- Agile Support: Jira comes with built-in Scrum and Kanban features, making it a great choice for agile teams.
- Flexible Workflows: Dev teams can customize Jira’s workflows to suit unique in-house processes.
- Reporting: With detailed reports and dashboards, you can easily track progress and assess performance.
- Integrations: It natively connects with many “in-house” developer tools, including BitBucket, Compass, and others. Atlassian Marketplace offers hundreds of third-party integrations and add-ons, including integration with Webvizio.
- Robust Automation: Jira offers workflows, traceability, and many automation options for larger teams.
User Rating: 4.3⭐ across G2.com, Capterra.com, and TrustRadius.
Pricing: Jira pricing starts at $8.50 per user/month for the lower plan, not including paid add-ons.
User Reviews Summary: Many customers mention that Jira is a powerful tool that is easy to use, flexible, and great for task and bug tracking during development progress. Others say that Jira’s flexibility can also lead to a lack of standardization, a long adoption period, and higher costs for smaller organizations.
3- Trello
Trello is a simple and visually compelling project management and bug tracking tool loved by QA and dev teams because of its Kanban-style format. Part of the Atlassian product stack initially suits smaller teams that do not need a complex automated process.
Some key advantages include:
- Card-Based System: Users can work on tasks and bugs using Kanban-style board cards.
- Checklists: Tasks can be divided into smaller, manageable steps.
- Power-Ups: Enhance functionality with integrations and add-ons. By integrating with Webvizio’s visual reporting capabilities, Trello became a powerhouse for small development teams.
- Collaboration: Real-time collaboration features keep teams aligned.
User Rating: 4.2⭐ across G2.com, Capterra.com, and Trustpilot.
Pricing: Trello offers a free version, but its most essential plan starts at $10 per user each month.
User Reviews Summary: Trello users appreciate the simple and modern interface and fast performance. Some users also noted a smaller learning curve compared to other heavyweight alternatives. Some customers reported that it becomes complicated with multiple issues, screenshots, and feedback from different team members.
4- Linear
Linear is a popular and user-friendly issue tracking tool designed for product managers and development teams. It allows these teams to identify, prioritize, and resolve bugs within a modern and intuitive interface.
Here are some key advantages of using Linear for bug tracking:
- User-Friendly Interface: Linear offers a minimalist and intuitive interface, making it easy to start using it without extensive training.
- Real-Time Collaboration: The platform facilitates real-time collaboration, allowing team members to work together seamlessly, share updates, and keep everyone informed about the status of bugs.
- Customizable Labels and Filters: Users can create custom labels and filters to organize and prioritize issues according to their specific needs.
- Custom Workflows: Define workflows that match your team’s processes.
User Rating: 4.7⭐ across G2.com, Capterra.com, and ProductHunt.
Pricing: paid plans begin at $8 per user each month. The most popular plan, which features advanced integrations and analytics, costs $14 per user monthly.
User Reviews Summary: This tool is appreciated for its speed, sleek design, and simplicity, although some users wish for more advanced features. While it is generally easy to use, a few users have noted a learning curve when first starting with it.
5- GitHub Issues
GitHub community empowers developers to host and review code, collaborate on transformative projects, and seamlessly track changes. GitHub Issues is a handy add-on for the GitHub ecosystem that makes project and issue tracking a lot easier.
Its key benefits include:
- Issue Tracking: Allows to track bugs and feature requests without leaving the GitHub workspace.
- Collaboration: Enhanced with comment and mention features, making communications easy.
- Linking: Connects issues directly to code commits, which helps with tracking changes and understanding context.
- Community Engagement: It’s popular in the open-source community, making it simple for contributors to report bugs, suggest new features, and join in discussions, thus enhancing collaboration among users.
User Rating: 4.6⭐ across G2.com, Capterra.com, and Gather (overall for the entire platform).
Pricing: Included with GitHub repositories. The premium tier starts at $4/mo per user per month for the Team plan.
User Reviews Summary: Users appreciate the seamless integration with GitHub repositories, which makes it easy to link issues with commits, pull requests, and branches. Some users feel that GitHub Issues lacks advanced features compared to dedicated issue tracking tools.
6- BrowserStack
BrowserStack is a cloud platform that enables developers to test websites and mobile apps on multiple screen resolutions, browsers, operating systems, and real mobile devices.
Users appreciate these features the most:
- Testing Capabilities: It enables simultaneous testing on multiple browsers and devices.
- Integrations: BrowserStack integrates seamlessly with popular test automation frameworks like Selenium, Appium, and Espresso, allowing developers to use their preferred tools
- Scalability and Reliability: The platform offers a scalable and reliable testing infrastructure, enabling developers to test applications in real time across various devices and browsers
- Integrations: Natively integrated with JIRAfor smooth bug reporting and management.
User Rating: 4.4⭐ across G2.com, Capterra.com, and Trustpilot.
Pricing: Single-user mobile and desktop testing license starts at $49 per month. The team plan (5 users) starts from $175 per month.
User Reviews Summary: Many users appreciate access to various real devices and operating systems, which helps with accurate testing. There are occasional reports of slow performance and loading times, and some users find BrowserStack to be on the expensive side.
7- Bugzilla
Bugzilla is an open-source, simple, and free bug tracking tool that has stood the test of time, thanks to the development community.
Its key features include:
- Advanced Search: Handy search capabilities to find and filter bugs in the list.
- Email Notifications: Automated notifications keep team members informed of updates.
- Time Tracking: The embedded time-tracking feature helps users stay organized and maintain productivity.
- Custom Fields: Custom fields to capture specific data relevant to your projects.
User Rating: 4.1⭐ across G2.com, Capterra.com, and TrustRadius.
Pricing: Bugzilla is a free and open-source tool.
User Reviews Summary: Users value Bugzilla for its reliability and customization, but some consider the interface outdated.
8 – Redmine
Redmine is an open-source management and bug tracking software offering custom fields and email issue creation.
Redmine is loved by users because of the following functionalities:
- Multiple Projects: Users can manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Role-Based Access: Allowing control access and permissions for different team members.
- Gantt Charts: Helps visualize project timelines and dependencies.
- Forums and Wikis: Extended documentation and FAQs are facilitated by the professional dev community through Slack and forums.
User Rating: 4.0⭐ across G2.com, Capterra.com, and PCMag.
Pricing: It’s free and open-source.
User Reviews Summary: Known for its flexibility and handy features, but the setup can be complex and time-consuming due to outdated UI and “organically-grown” functionalities.
9 – MantisBT
MantisBT is a great bug tracking self-deployment platform that provides flexible customization options.
- Customizable: Tailored interface and fields that suit users’ needs.
- Email Notifications: Keep stakeholders informed of bug status changes.
- Role-Based Access: Offers advanced user roles and permissions.
- Plugins: Extend the functionality with a wide range of add-ons managed and updated by the community.
User Rating: 4.1⭐ across G2.com, Capterra.com, and Software Advice.
Pricing: Mantis is an open-source tool you can download from the website for free. The paid SaaS option, MantisHub, offers advanced features for a fee of $27.50 per month, which includes up to 15 users.
User Reviews Summary: Users favor Mantis for its simplicity and efficiency. On the other hand, the UI is seen as dated and less intuitive for some users.
10 – BugHerd
BugHerd is a visual bug tracking tool that captures website feedback and bugs. BugHerd’s browser extension allows users to pin issues and bugs on live pages and view them in the Kanban style.
Key features of BugHerd include:
- Visual Feedback: Feedback directly on the website for easy reference.
- Annotations: Captures screenshots and screen recordings with annotations.
- Collaboration: Collaboration with team members and clients in real time.
- Task Management: Convert feedback into actionable tasks.
User Rating: 4.1⭐ across G2.com, Capterra.com, and SourceForge.
Pricing: The standard plan starts at $49 monthly for up to 5 users.
User Reviews Summary: Users highly appreciate its visual approach and ability to capture screenshots and screen recordings with annotations. Some users point to a lack of notification customization options and advanced user roles.
11 – YouTrack
YouTrack is a project management tool that offers agile solutions, including Scrum and Kanban boards, backlogs, and custom workflows, as well as bug and issue tracking, reporting, and time management.
- Agile Boards: Support for Scrum and Kanban boards.
- Time Tracking: Log time spent on issues directly within the tool.
- Keyboard Shortcuts: Navigate and manage issues quickly.
- Custom Workflows: Define workflows that match your team’s processes.
User Rating: 4.4⭐ across G2.com, Capterra.com, and TrustRadius.
Pricing: YouTrack’s premium cloud version starts at $4.40 per user/month.
User Reviews Summary: Users appreciate YouTrack’s adaptability to various workflows, allowing extensive customization of fields and processes to meet specific project needs. However, they note that while it has a user-friendly interface, there is a learning curve and challenges related to the initial setup.
12 – Backlog
This bug tracking tool offers effective bug-capturing and tracking activities. Like some of the tools mentioned above, it facilitates various project management features such as Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and burndown charts.
- Gantt Charts: Allows planning and visualizing project timelines.
- Version Control: Integrated Git and Subversion repositories.
- Wiki: Document project details and share knowledge.
- Custom Fields: Capture additional data specific to the projects.
User Rating: 4.3⭐ across G2.com, Capterra.com, and Gather.
Pricing: Backlog subscriptioncosts $35 per month for up to 30 users.
User Reviews Summary: Backlog is appreciated for its user-friendly design and comprehensive bug-tracking features. However, some users feel it offers less customization than other tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
An effective bug tracking tool not only helps in identifying and resolving issues quickly but also improves overall project management and team collaboration. What’s what you need to look for when you are choosing the bug tracking and bug reporting tools:
1. User-Friendly Interface: A clear, intuitive interface makes it easier for team members to report and track bugs without needing extensive training.
2. Short Implementation Time: No one enjoys being trapped in implementation loops that slow down the entire process. Ensure you choose a tool that is easy to implement and does not disrupt the current processes.
3. Issue Tracking: It must be able to log detailed bug reports, including issue description, steps to reproduce, screenshots, priority and severity level.
4. Customizable Workflows: The tool should allow for customization to fit the unique processes and requirements of different projects or teams.
5. Collaborative Features: Functionalities like commenting, mentions, and automatic notifications to messengers like Slack help teams communicate and collaborate effectively.
6. Integration with Other Tools: It should integrate seamlessly with other project management and collaboration tools to streamline the workflow.
The easiest way to start with bug reporting is to choose a tool that does not require significant time to adopt and advanced technical skills.
Tools like Webvizio use an easy-to-adapt visual approach that helps track and report bugs without needing advanced programming and development skills.
1. Include a descriptive title and detailed steps to reproduce the issue.
2. Add relevant environmental details (screen resolution, browser, product build version, etc.).
3. Provide retro steps (recent history of action that caused the issue) and the expected and actual results.
4. Include visual evidence to support your report, such as annotated screenshots and video recordings.
Learn more about writing a good bug report from this guide.
Wrapping up
That’s a wrap! We have established that issue reporting is critical for QA testers and web developers to produce high-quality software and provided the list of the most popular, innovative, and reliable bug tools for 2025.
All tools mentioned above are great for planning, testing, and monitoring debugging progress. As a part of the complete process, it’s important to provide as much visual context and technical data as possible so developers can easily understand and fix the issues. A new generation of bug reporting tools like Webvizio helps you to cut issue reporting time by half through automation that is not available in other tools. Besides the automatic screenshots and video recording features, it auto-generates comprehensive bug reports with a single click.
