Issue tracking is the cornerstone of efficient project management. It's not as complex as it may seem, and with the right tool, it can significantly boost your team's productivity.

While project management encompasses broader aspects such as resource allocation and long-term planning, issue tracking builds its foundation.

In this article, we compare six leading tools, including Plane, focusing specifically on their issue tracking capabilities. We aim to provide a clear, actionable guide without getting bogged down in unnecessary complexity.

We'll provide concrete examples to help you choose the best solution for your needs, whether you're new to structured task management or looking for a more efficient alternative to your current setup.

Issue tracking is the cornerstone of efficient project management. It's not as complex as it may seem, and with the right tool, it can significantly boost your team's productivity.

While project management encompasses broader aspects such as resource allocation and long-term planning, issue tracking builds its foundation.

In this article, we compare six leading tools, including Plane, focusing specifically on their issue tracking capabilities. We aim to provide a clear, actionable guide without getting bogged down in unnecessary complexity.

We'll provide concrete examples to help you choose the best solution for your needs, whether you're new to structured task management or looking for a more efficient alternative to your current setup.

What is issue tracking?

Issue tracking is a systematic approach to managing tasks and work items throughout their lifecycle.

In this context, an "issue" simply refers to any unit of work, whether it's a new product design for a fashion brand, a customer inquiry in a call centre, a maintenance request for a property management company or a lesson plan for an educational institution.

Issue tracking usually involves the following steps:

1. Creating and describing work items;

2. Assigning tasks to team members;

3. Prioritizing and categorizing work;

4. Tracking progress and status updates;

5. Collaborating on task completion;

6. Closing items upon completion.

This process helps teams stay organized, focused and productive, regardless of the type of project or industry.

Why is issue tracking essential for project management?

Issue tracking lays the basis for more advanced project techniques such as resource allocation or Agile methodologies. Without the habit of tracking basic tasks effectively, it might be difficult to progress to higher value aspects of project management.

Here's why issue tracking is so important:

1. It establishes a clear workflow for handling tasks;

2. It creates accountability and transparency within the team;

3. It provides real-time insight into project progress;

4. It facilitates data-driven decision making.

As teams interact with issue tracking tools daily, these platforms should provide minimal friction and maximum support. The right tool can significantly improve productivity and collaboration, while a poorly chosen tool can hinder progress.

In the following sections, we compare several popular issue tracking tools and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses to help you find the best solution for your team's needs. Our goal is to provide you with insights that will allow you to choose a tool that not only meets your current needs, but also supports your team's growth and evolving project management practices.

What is the best tool for issue tracking?

Issue Tracking on Plane vs. Competitors

While the table above provides an overview of the features, the true value of an issue tracking tool lies in its practical application.

Let's dive into a real-world scenario and consider the case of rental property management. This use case represents a non-tech industry that's increasingly adopting project management methodologies.

We'll compare how Plane and several popular competitors handle key aspects of issue tracking in the context of property management. We'll cover everything from initial setup and onboarding to day-to-day operations like creating issues, managing inquiries and scheduling viewings.

What makes Plane simple, flexible, and extensible

• Workspaces → Teams + Projects → Everything else makes getting started a matter of minutes.
• Start with the simplest workflow, adopt more complex workflows in days.
• No configuration loops, approvals, and jumping through hoops to manage the tool. “Set it up, let it run” is how Plane works.
• Contextual toggles make life much easier when the need for just-in-time configuration does arise.
• A three-pane layout with collapse-expand menus that make screen real-estate your choice.
• Full-media editors everywhere so you can write beautifully and naturally
• Bring clients closer to everyday work with custom shares, Publish, and Inbox.
• Tons of experience delights AKA quality-of-life features to save clicks and headaches.
• APIs and webhooks to have Plane + other tools work together
• Open source, community-focused, and designed with thoughtfulness

Let's start with the onboarding process, a crucial step for teams adopting a new issue tracking system.

Onboarding and Training

As a team lead, I want to easily onboard and train my team members in the issue tracking tool so that they can quickly adapt to the new workflow and use the tool effectively.

How it works on Plane

Plane offers an intuitive interface with a quick set-up process. New users can access a comprehensive knowledge base and interactive tutorials directly in the app.

Initial Setup

As a system administrator, I’d like to set up a workspace and project for property management in Plane so that our team can effectively track rental properties and related activities.

How it works on Plane

1. Create a new workspace and a project.

2. Set up custom issue states relevant for property management.

3. Create labels to categorise properties.

Create and Assign Issues

As a property manager, I’d like to create new rental objects (as issues) and include relevant details so that I can have a comprehensive overview of our property portfolio.

How it works on Plane

1. Create a new issue for each property.

2. Add description.

3. Attach relevant files (e.g., floor plans).

4. Assign labels and team members.

Manage Sub-Issues

As a property manager, I’d like to keep track of communication with the landlord, manage tenant inquiries and property viewings as sub-issues under each property so that I can efficiently deal with potential tenants and their inquiries.

How it works on Plane

1. Create sub-issues for landlord communication, tenant inquiries and viewings.

2. Add relevant details to each sub-issue.

Track Progress and Schedule

As a property manager, I want to use Kanban and the calendar view to track the status of each property and manage scheduled viewings so that I can quickly assess the current state of our portfolio and plan my activities efficiently.

How it works on Plane

1. Use the spreadsheet layout for all activities.

2. Add a Kanban view to check property stages.

3. Add a calendar view for scheduling and tracking viewings.

How to track issues in Plane: practical examples

While we've explored a detailed use case for rental property management, Plane's versatility makes it suitable for a variety of industries and team types. Here are more examples of how different teams can use Plane for their issue tracking needs:

• IT teams (DevOps, developers etc.): Track bugs, feature requests and sprint tasks. Integrate with version control systems for seamless workflows.
• Researchers: Manage experiments, track data collection progress and collaborate on paper drafts.
• Event planning agents: Coordinate vendor bookings, track guest lists and manage event timelines.
• Teams in creative agencies: Manage client projects, track revisions and coordinate asset deliveries.
• Marketing & advertising teams: Plan campaigns, track content creation and manage social media schedules.
• Consultants: Organize client engagements, track billable hours and manage deliverables.
• E-commerce owners: Monitor inventory issues, track customer service requests, and manage website updates.
• Logistics specialists: Track shipments, manage warehouse inventory, and coordinate deliveries.
• Virtual Assistants: Manage tasks for multiple clients, track deadlines, and organize communication threads.
• Remote Teams: Coordinate across time zones, track project progress and manage team communications.
• Freelancers: Organize multiple client projects, track invoicing and manage personal task lists.
• School administrators, teachers & students: Plan curricula, track assignments and manage extracurricular activities.
• NGO teams: Coordinate volunteer activities, track fundraising efforts and manage project milestones.
• Online Community & Forums admins: Manage user reports, track content moderation tasks and plan community events.

Each of these teams can benefit from Plane's flexible issue tracking system. The beauty of Plane lies in its simplicity – you can start tracking issues right away. As your needs evolve, Plane's customizable workflows and collaborative features are there to support your team's growth and increasing complexity.

Why choose Plane for issue tracking?

Now that we've seen how Plane can be applied to practical scenarios, let's explore how it compares to its main competitors in the issue tracking space. While each tool has its strengths, Plane offers a unique combination of simplicity, speed and affordability that sets it apart.

Here’s why Plane might be the right choice for your team by comparing it to some of the leading competitors:

Plane vs Jira

• Plane offers a much simpler setup process, especially in self-hosted environments.
• Plane's user interface is more modern and intuitive, making it easier for non-technical team members to adopt and use effectively.
• Plane supports more flexible issue nesting, so teams can decide for themselves when to adopt other project management practices. Jira has only 1-level task nesting, forcing users to switch to epics and stories – Agile methodology terms that are not suitable for every industry.
• Plane offers a more cost-effective solution, with a generous free tier for up to 50 users, compared to Jira's more restrictive pricing model.

Plane vs Linear

• Plane caters to a broader range of teams and industries, while Linear is primarily focused on software engineering teams.
• Plane offers more flexible viewing options, including Gantt charts, which Linear only provides for Teams and Roadmaps.
• Plane's free tier is more generous and allows an unlimited number of issues, while Linear allows a maximum of 250 active tasks and 2 teams on a free tier.

Plane vs monday dev

• Plane offers core features like integrations and multiple views for both free and paid users, while monday dev gates even essential features behind higher-priced plans (such as integrations, time tracking, formula columns and project docs).
• We found Plane to be user-friendly and intuitive, while monday dev tries to cram spreadsheets into task management, which results in a clunky UI.
• Plane offers a self-hosting option that monday dev doesn't offer, giving users more control over their data.

Plane vs OpenProject

• Plane offers a more modern and user-friendly interface, making it easier for all team members to adopt and use effectively.
• Plane's UX is simpler for most actions and requires fewer clicks compared to OpenProject's more complex setup.
• Unlike OpenProject's Enterprise add-ons, Plane doesn't restrict essential features to higher-tier plans.

Plane vs Asana

• Plane offers better sub-task visibility and management, solving a common pain point in Asana.
• Plane offers a self-hosting option that Asana doesn't, allowing for better data control and customization.
• Plane's pricing is more competitive, especially for growing teams, compared to Asana's higher per-user costs at scale.
• Plane doesn’t limit access to basic features such as project views and API for automations. Asana, on the other hand, forces you to buy more expensive plans to just get access to these features.

FAQ

What to look for in an issue tracker?

When choosing an issue tracker, consider ease of use, customization options, integration capabilities and pricing. Look for features like multiple view options (Kanban, list, Gantt), custom fields and robust reporting. Plane offers all these features with a user-friendly interface and flexible pricing options.

Why is Plane more affordable?

Plane is designed to be cost-effective without compromising on features. By offering a generous free tier and competitive pricing for paid plans, Plane ensures that teams of all sizes and budgets have access to powerful issue tracking features. The self-hosting option also provides further cost savings for organizations with the necessary infrastructure.

Is Jira free?

Jira offers a free plan for up to 10 users, but has a limited range of features. For larger teams or more advanced needs, Jira requires paid plans. In contrast, Plane offers a more generous free tier for up to 50 users, making it a more cost-effective option for growing teams.

What is the best Jira alternative?

While the "best" alternative depends on your specific needs, Plane is emerging as a strong contender. It offers a modern interface, flexible issue management and robust features without the complexity and high costs associated with most other issue trackers. Plane's intuitive design and generous free tier make it an attractive option for teams looking for a fresh alternative.

Can I use project management software for non-tech teams?

Definitely! Modern project management tools like Plane are designed to be versatile and user-friendly, catering to both technical and non-technical teams. Thanks to its intuitive user interface and customizable workflows, Plane is suitable for various industries and project types, from software development to marketing campaigns, business operations and more.

Wrap Up

In this article, we’ve compared several leading project management tools, focusing on their issue tracking capabilities. We’ve provided a practical example for rental property management and discussed how different teams, from IT and marketing to event planning and logistics, can benefit from using Plane.

Plane stands out as a versatile and user-friendly option, offering:

1. A clean, intuitive interface

2. Flexible issue management with multiple view options and deep task nesting

3. Generous free tier for up to 50 users

4. Self-hosting capabilities

5. Competitive pricing for paid plans

Plane offers a balanced combination of features and simplicity to meet your issue tracking needs, whether you're a small team just starting out or a growing enterprise.

Try Plane and experience the difference for yourself!