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Indie alternatives to GitHub Issues

4 products made by independent developers and small teams that do what GitHub Issues does, 4 of them with a free plan. Free and open-source options come first.

At a glance

Product	Price	Open source	Self-host	Platforms
Linear	Free plan	–	–	Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android
Plane	Free plan	Yes	Yes	Web, Self-hosted
Shortcut	Free plan	–	–	Web
YouTrack	Free plan	–	Yes	Web, Self-hosted

The alternatives

1. Linear

Fast issue tracking and project planning for product teams

An issue tracker and project management tool for software and product teams with cycles, roadmaps, triage and keyboard-first workflows.

Free plan · Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android · Website ↗

2. Plane

Open-source project management for issues, cycles and docs

An open-source project management tool with issues, cycles, modules, pages and analytics, available as cloud or self-hosted. For teams wanting a Jira or Linear style tool they control.

Free plan · Web, Self-hosted · Website ↗

3. Shortcut

Project management for software teams

A project management platform for software teams with stories, epics, iterations, roadmaps and docs. For engineering and product teams.

Free plan · Web · Website ↗

4. YouTrack

Project management and issue tracker from JetBrains

An issue tracker and project management tool with agile boards, a knowledge base, helpdesk and time tracking, available in the cloud or on-premises. For software and business teams.

Free plan · Web, Self-hosted · Website ↗

Questions

Is there a free alternative to GitHub Issues?

Yes. 4 of the 4 indie alternatives listed here have a free plan or are free: Linear, Plane, Shortcut and YouTrack.

Is there an open-source alternative to GitHub Issues?

Plane is open source.

Can I self-host an alternative to GitHub Issues?

Yes: Plane and YouTrack can run on your own server.

Which GitHub Issues alternatives work on Mac, Windows, iPhone or Android?

On Mac: Linear. On Windows: Linear. On iPhone and iPad: Linear. On Android: Linear.

What makes these alternatives to GitHub Issues “indie”?

They are built by independent developers or small teams rather than large companies. Each one is listed because it does the same core job as GitHub Issues.

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