The definitive list of the best issue tracking software tools

As you know first-hand, bugs and issues are as inevitable in the software development process as they are frustrating.  

Keeping track of these issues, prioritizing them, and ensuring they get resolved efficiently is crucial for delivering high-quality products, and issue tracking software is essential for this process.

But, with a large number of issue tracking tools on the market, choosing the right one for your team can seem overwhelming.

To help you sort through these options, we’ve compiled our definitive list of the best issue tracking software tools out there. 

In this article, we’ll break down the features, strengths, and potential drawbacks of each tool, empowering you to make a more confident decision that aligns with your team’s specific needs.

Let’s get started.

First off, we have our very own Shake.

While Shake isn’t an issue tracking tool itself, it plays a pivotal role in optimizing your issue tracking process. 

Before you start working on issues, you first need to detect them and write out a ticket, and a robust bug and crash reporting tool is key here.

Shake’s comprehensive bug reporting features allow you to pinpoint and communicate issues with unmatched clarity, ultimately speeding up issue resolution within your chosen issue tracker.

Shake is ideal for mobile and website development teams seeking a user-friendly bug reporting solution that provides the rich context needed to streamline error resolution and acts as a power-up to their existing systems.

Our tool can generate an extensive issue report automatically attaching more than 70 pieces of information, like detailed environment data, user activity history, screen recordings, and more.

The generated report will then automatically surface on your issue tracker’s dashboard using our powerful integrations, letting your team start working on the issue immediately.

Key Features:

Let’s now look at Shake’s three pricing tiers.

There are three pricing plans available, with a free plan and paid plans starting at $160 per month, plus an attractive 20% discount on annual plans. 

All tiers come with unlimited seats, meaning you don’t have to worry about additional costs as you add more team members to the process.

Also, if you’re a startup in need of our Premium plan, you can get a discount: $15 per month for your first year, and $60 per month for your second.

Overall, Shake empowers mobile development teams to capture detailed bug reports effortlessly, leading to faster resolution times and enhanced product quality when paired with a robust issue tracking system.

Jira, an Atlassian product, is a titan in the world of project management and issue tracking. 

Popular for its extensive features and adaptability, it provides a comprehensive solution for managing and tracking issues throughout a project’s lifecycle. 

Jira’s flexibility and robust capabilities make it a great issue tracker for teams of all sizes, from small agile teams to large-scale enterprises.

Jira is well-suited for teams with complex workflows, those requiring in-depth reporting, and organizations seeking a platform that can scale alongside them. 

It’s a flexible tool that offers a variety of ways to track and manage issues, from specialized searches for advanced users with JQL (Jira Query Language) to user-friendly Kanban and Scrum boards.

Key features:

Now, let’s check out Jira’s pricing options.

Jira offers a free plan for up to 10 users, providing a great starting point for smaller teams. 

But, for more advanced features and larger teams, you’ll want to explore the paid plans starting at $7.75 per user per month.

In summary, teams seeking a powerful and highly customizable issue tracking solution that integrates seamlessly into their existing workflows will find Jira a top contender.

GitHub Issues is a robust issue tracking system built directly into the popular GitHub code repository platform. 

Known for its superior version control and collaborative features, GitHub Issues empowers software development teams to track bugs, feature requests, and other tasks seamlessly within their existing workflows.

GitHub Issues will be best adopted by software development teams already using GitHub’s version control features. 

It’s particularly well-suited for organizations that prioritize robust code management, streamlined collaboration, and close integration between their issue tracker and repository.

Key Features:

The upside with GitHub Issues is that it’s already included in each price tier of GitHub, including the free one.

So, whether you use the free option or are a larger team and need to go for the paid tiers for extended features, you get GitHub Issues ready to go.

Therefore, for software development teams seeking a tightly integrated issue tracking solution that excels in version control and collaboration, GitHub Issues provides a powerful and flexible platform.

Sentry is an efficient application performance monitoring and error tracking platform designed to help developers quickly identify, troubleshoot, and resolve issues affecting their code. 

With a strong focus on real-time visibility and in-depth analysis, this tool is particularly well-suited for cross-functional teams and organizations managing large, complex applications.

Sentry is also an excellent choice for development teams that prioritize robust error tracking and rich performance insights, as well as need scalable monitoring solutions for their growing software.

Key Features:

When it comes to Sentry’s pricing options, there are four tiers available highlighted below.

As you can see, Sentry offers a limited free plan and paid tiers starting at $26 per user per month. 

It’s important to note that Sentry’s pricing structure is based on the number of events captured, which may be an issue for companies that generate a lot of events.

That aside, Sentry is a great tool that empowers development teams with everything they need to proactively monitor application health and identify and resolve errors quickly.

nTask is a versatile project management solution that excels in streamlining workflow and issue tracking, particularly for smaller teams looking for a straightforward and intuitive platform. 

Its emphasis on accessibility and collaboration makes it a great choice for teams seeking to quickly adopt a new management tool.

nTask is ideal for software development teams, project managers, and anyone prioritizing a straightforward issue tracking system that integrates seamlessly with their existing project management workflows.

Key Features:

Now, for nTask’s pricing tiers.

nTask offers scalable pricing plans to fit different team sizes and requirements. 

There’s a 7-day free trial and a limited free tier for up to 5 users. 

The three paid tiers with more advanced features start at $3 per user per month if billed annually.

All in all, nTask aims to help teams with intuitive tools to simplify issue tracking, resolve bugs quickly, enhance collaboration, and streamline project management without complex configurations.

Finally, we have Nuclino—a versatile collaboration platform that seamlessly integrates issue tracking within a larger ecosystem of knowledge management and project organization. 

Its emphasis on speed, a clean interface, and real-time collaboration make it a lightweight yet powerful solution.

This tool is well-suited for teams across various industries seeking efficient communication, knowledge sharing, and issue tracking, particularly those prioritizing a minimalist approach and fast onboarding.

Key Features:

Now, take a look at Nuclino’s three pricing tiers shown below.

Nuclino offers a generous free plan with unlimited items and users. 

For teams requiring advanced features and more control, paid plans start at $5 per user per month (billed annually).

All in all, we can summarize Nuclino as a tool that empowers teams needing a unified platform for issue tracking, knowledge sharing, and collaborative problem-solving, with a focus on the essentials.

Choosing the right issue tracking software doesn’t need to be a gamble. 

By carefully considering the features, pros and cons, and pricing of the tools outlined in this guide, you’ve hopefully gotten some much-needed clarity needed to make the right decision. 

Remember, finding the perfect tool is an iterative process. Start by exploring options that pique your interest, and don’t hesitate to explore some free trials or demos to gain hands-on experience.

The ideal issue tracking software should empower your team to collaborate seamlessly, prioritize issues effectively, and ultimately help you deliver high-quality software to your users. 

So choose carefully, as with the right tool in your arsenal, you can make a noticeable improvement in your issue management process.