MantisBT
Mattermost
| Feature | MantisBT | Mattermost |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $4.95/mo | Free / from $10/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 3.9 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | developers, small-teams, open-source-projects, budget-conscious-teams | devops-teams, security-conscious-orgs, government, enterprise |
| Founded | 2000 | 2015 |
| Bug Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Custom Fields | ✓ | ✗ |
| Email Notifications | ✓ | ✗ |
| Role Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Plugins | ✓ | ✗ |
| Time Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Messaging | ✗ | ✓ |
| Channels | ✗ | ✓ |
| Playbooks | ✗ | ✓ |
| Integrations | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self Hosting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Compliance | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ MantisBT Pros
- Free and open-source
- Easy to set up
- Lightweight
- Extensible with plugins
✗ MantisBT Cons
- Dated interface
- Limited agile features
- Small community vs alternatives
✓ Mattermost Pros
- Self-hostable
- Open source
- DevOps integrations
- Secure
✗ Mattermost Cons
- Smaller ecosystem
- Fewer integrations than Slack
- Self-hosting complexity
The Verdict
MantisBT is built for developers and small teams, with a focus on bug-tracking and custom-fields. Mattermost targets devops teams and security conscious orgs and leads with messaging and channels.
On pricing, MantisBT is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $4.95/mo compared to $10/mo for Mattermost. That $5.05/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Mattermost edges out on user ratings (4.2 vs 3.9). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Bottom line: Mattermost has a slight overall edge — but if free and open-source matters most to you, MantisBT may still be the right call.