Bugzilla vs eTraxis
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted helpdesk & ticketing options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Bugzilla | eTraxis |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 77 · Good | 0 · At risk |
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Perl | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 861 | ★ 1 |
| First released | 1998 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Jira | Jira, Redmine |
What are Bugzilla and eTraxis?
Bugzilla
Bugzilla is a robust, time-tested bug tracking system originally developed by Mozilla. It handles large software projects with advanced search, dependencies, and reporting.
- Advanced bug search
- Dependency tracking
- Custom fields and workflows
- Email notifications
eTraxis
eTraxis is an open-source issue and records tracking system with fully customizable workflows and states. It can model bug trackers, help desks, and approval processes with role-based permissions.
- Customizable workflows
- Role-based permissions
- Custom ticket fields
- LDAP authentication
Bugzilla vs eTraxis: key differences
Bugzilla is written in Perl, while eTraxis is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Bugzilla versus GPL-3.0 for eTraxis. Bugzilla is the more established project (first released 1998), while eTraxis arrived in 2014. Bugzilla has the considerably larger community, at 861 GitHub stars versus 1. ETraxis lists first-class Docker deployment; Bugzilla does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Bugzilla if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Written in Perl
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose eTraxis if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Bugzilla or eTraxis better?
Neither is universally better. Bugzilla has the larger community, while eTraxis is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Bugzilla and eTraxis free and open-source?
Yes. Bugzilla is licensed under MPL-2.0 and eTraxis under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bugzilla and eTraxis with Docker?
Bugzilla: check the project docs for container support. eTraxis: yes.