eTraxis vs Trac
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted helpdesk & ticketing options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Trac
Integrated wiki and issue tracker for software projects
| Feature | eTraxis | Trac |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 0 · At risk | 75 · Good |
| Category | Helpdesk & Ticketing | Helpdesk & Ticketing |
| License | GPL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1 | ★ 545 |
| First released | 2014 | 2004 |
| Replaces | Jira, Redmine | Jira |
What are eTraxis and Trac?
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
Trac
Trac is a minimalistic web-based software project management and bug tracking system. It integrates a wiki, an issue tracker, and version control browsing.
- Integrated wiki and tickets
- Version control browser
- Roadmap and milestones
- Plugin ecosystem
eTraxis vs Trac: key differences
ETraxis is written in PHP, while Trac is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for eTraxis versus BSD-3-Clause for Trac. Trac is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for eTraxis. Trac is the more established project (first released 2004), while eTraxis arrived in 2014. Trac has the considerably larger community, at 545 GitHub stars versus 1. ETraxis lists first-class Docker deployment; Trac does not.
Why pick each one
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
Choose Trac if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is eTraxis or Trac better?
Neither is universally better. Trac has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are eTraxis and Trac free and open-source?
Yes. eTraxis is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Trac under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run eTraxis and Trac with Docker?
eTraxis: yes. Trac: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, eTraxis or Trac?
Trac has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for eTraxis. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.