Benefits of Using Redmine as an Open-Source Project Management Tool

Redmine is a few steps ahead of standard project management tools. It is open-source software wherein users can download and rewrite source code, thereby contributing to the community. That’s one reason Redmine has the biggest community compared to other similar applications.

The community is strong and active with a massive number of dedicated people building and sharing new features on the internet. Due to this, Redmine developers release regular updates to facilitate their users.

Why Choose an Open-Source Tool?

Open-source software is a program that enables users to access source code. Users can use, modify, add, and distribute parts of the tools. These tools offer effective collaboration to software development teams so they can find new and innovative solutions for different challenges. For instance, open-source project management tools help developers fix bugs, solve issues, create stability, and offer customization.

The reason every developer in the software industry is fussing about open source and its strategic relevance is transparency and faster development. Even leading companies in the industry are investing in open source companies. For instance, Microsoft took over GitHub and is investing in new open-source projects. On the other hand, IBM purchased Red Hat, which is the biggest open-source company. Considering examples of these industry-leading companies, you can visualize the importance of an open-source project management tool such as Redmine.

Types of Benefits Redmine Offers as an Open-Source Tool

1. Better Security

Redmine is an open-source tool, which means that every user can access the source code. As a result, the Redmine community can easily review the interface and spot errors. Furthermore, experts can diligently resolve issues for users, thereby creating a transparent environment for data privacy. 

On top of that, experts leading the Redmine community conduct tests and generate new ideas to enhance security and privacy features. Therefore, businesses that use Redmine for project management have no security concerns. Moreover, Redmine developers heavily invested in the freedom of the user and regularly release updates for maximum security and data privacy.

2. Supportive Community

Open-source project management tools have a community of developers. These developers are not just enthusiasts, but they actively contribute by testing, promoting, developing, and supporting the product. Fortunately, Redmine has one of the biggest communities in the open-source world. The global community can support users by reporting bugs, fixing issues, rapid troubleshooting, and generating more ideas. Because this is a group of experts with the tool, they can perform better and faster than internal teams.

3. Regular Update

Developers can download the source code and contribute to the development and maintenance of Redmine. As you already know that Redmine has one of the largest communities, the company releases new updates almost every day. With so many expert minds working on the same project, you can get the best project management solution for your business.

4. Lower Administrative Costs

Another major benefit of choosing Redmine for project management is free installation. Yes, because this is an open-source tool, users can download and install the tool without any initial investment. However, you need to pay for the plug-ins, computing power, and storage. Moreover, you have to pay for premium features such as Cloud and Enterprise On-Premise Editions.

5. Intuitive Interface

Redmine interface is suitable for every type of project management team. For instance, teams with entry-level project managers can use simple and quick layouts. Furthermore, they can easily integrate tools and perform additional tasks. Meanwhile, professional teams with coding experience can download the source code and customize the interface according to their requirements. Moreover, they can create and utilize new plug-ins or improve the interface by shifting to Easy Redmine and other versions.

6. Transparency and Flexibility

Redmine is a free-to-use project management tool. The open-source community of Redmine continuously develops and improves the platform. Even developers from your company can contribute to the community and customize interfaces according to your business needs. The team can develop new plug-ins and integrate them with the tool.

Besides customization, Redmine’s installation process is remarkable. As we discussed, the active community provides solutions to every issue that users encounter. They release updates, respond to queries, and fix identified issues for the users.

7. On-Premise and Cloud

Redmine offers both Cloud-based and On-Premise interfaces for project management. With these versions, project management teams can create a roadmap, use task boards, generate tickets and issues, plan sprints, and combine agile boards and Gantt charts. Whether you use a cloud or On-Premise tool, you can manage your projects and increase productivity and collaboration among the teams.

8. Comprehensive Features

Initially, people used Redmine as an issue tracker. But, because it is an open-source application, teams can customize and use it for different purposes. Despite issues tracking, Redmine can offer budgeting, time tracking, project management, meetings, Wiki interlinks, cost reports, and many other features. You can define roles and restrictions for different users in your team as well. Redmine can support teams through the entire lifecycle of the project, from start to closing.

Conclusion

Redmine is a prime tool for project management teams, especially when they have a limited budget. Because Redmine is an open-source application, it is backed by a huge community. Developers in the Redmine community can download the source code for the tool and modify it according to the need. In fact, if you have basic coding information and experience, you can download the code and customize it according to your needs.

On top of that, Redmine can deliver substantial benefits to the project management teams as well as other business departments. For instance, you can use this tool for time tracking, reporting, resource management, and integrate it with code repository tools such as GitHub, Redmine Global Cloud, or Redmine Private Cloud.