YouTrack alternative
The open source YouTrack alternative
YouTrack can run in JetBrains’ cloud or on your own server, but it is proprietary and billed per user past 10 users. Kuayle is self-hosted too, under Apache 2.0, with no licence fee at any size.
At a glance
- Licence
YouTrack: Proprietary
Kuayle: Apache 2.0
- Hosting
YouTrack: Cloud or self-hosted
Kuayle: Self-hosted
- Pricing
YouTrack: From $4.50 per user a month
Kuayle: Free, no paid tier
- Difference
- Both can run on your server; YouTrack is proprietary and per-user, Kuayle is Apache 2.0 and free.
Why teams look for a YouTrack alternative
Closed source
YouTrack is proprietary software; you cannot read or change its code.
Billing starts at 11 users
YouTrack is free for up to 10 users and 3 helpdesk agents; after that every user is billed.
Pricing changed in 2025
JetBrains moved YouTrack Cloud to per-user pricing on 1 October 2025; legacy fixed-user plans could not be renewed.
Server is sold in user packs
Self-hosted YouTrack Server is licensed in user packs rather than free for any team size.
Kuayle vs YouTrack, side by side
| Topic | YouTrack | Kuayle |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | No Proprietary. | Yes Apache 2.0. The full source is in one public repository. |
| Hosting | Yes YouTrack Cloud or self-hosted YouTrack Server. | Yes Self-hosted with Docker Compose (Caddy, PostgreSQL, Redis, API, frontend). There is no hosted Kuayle service. |
| Pricing | In part Free for 10 users; Cloud $4.50 per user a month billed yearly; Server in user packs. | Yes No licence fee and no paid tier. Nothing is gated behind a key; you pay for your own server. |
| SSO and SCIM | Yes SAML 2.0 with SCIM 2.0 provisioning documented. | No Email and password sign-in with invite links. No SSO (SAML/OIDC), SCIM, passkeys or magic links yet. |
| AI and agents | Yes AI Assistant on Cloud and Server, currently free with weekly credits. | In part Opt-in Dev Machines run coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, opencode and others) in self-hosted containers linked to issues. There are no agents assigned as issue members. |
| MCP server | Yes Official remote MCP server (documented for Cloud). | No No MCP server yet. |
| API and webhooks | Yes REST API with permanent tokens. | In part HTTP API with scoped, expiring personal access tokens, plus HMAC-signed webhooks. No published OpenAPI reference yet. |
| Importers | Yes Jira, GitHub, GitLab, monday.com, ClickUp, Zendesk and more. | No No importer from other trackers. Kuayle-to-Kuayle workspace export and import (.kuayle.zip) is built in. |
| Git integrations | Yes GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure Repos and Gitea/Gogs. | In part GitHub App: branches, commits and pull requests link to issues, status automation on PR events, and PR comments. No GitLab, Bitbucket or Gitea yet. |
| Custom fields | Yes Custom fields, workflows and time tracking. | No No custom fields, estimates or time tracking. |
What YouTrack costs a year compared with Kuayle
| Team | YouTrack Cloud | Kuayle licence |
|---|---|---|
| 5 people | $270 | $0 |
| 20 people | $1,080 | $0 |
| 50 people | $2,700 | $0 |
| 100 people | $5,400 | $0 |
Moving from YouTrack to Kuayle
- 01
Export from YouTrack
Export selected issues to XLSX or CSV (500 by default), or read JSON through the REST API.
- 02
Deploy Kuayle
Run the Docker Compose stack on your server (Caddy, PostgreSQL, Redis, API and frontend), then create a workspace and invite the team.
- 03
Recreate teams and workflows
Set up teams (public or private), team statuses, labels and issue templates before moving work, so issues land in the right place.
- 04
Move open work through the API
Kuayle has no built-in YouTrack importer yet. Script the move of open issues with a scoped personal access token, or start fresh with active work and keep YouTrack read-only for history.
When to stay on YouTrack, and when to choose Kuayle
Stay on YouTrack if
- You use YouTrack’s custom fields, workflows, time tracking or helpdesk.
- You have 10 users or fewer and the free tier covers you.
- You need SSO now; Kuayle does not offer SSO yet.
Choose Kuayle if
- You want an open source tracker you can audit and change.
- Your team is past 10 users and seats should stay free.
- Issues, cycles, projects and GitHub linking cover your workflow.
Other YouTrack alternatives
Kuayle is not the only option. Compare these too, or see every tracker in the full comparison matrix.
- Jira alternative Proprietary · Vendor cloud only
- OpenProject alternative GPL-3.0 · Cloud or self-hosted
- Linear alternative Proprietary · Vendor cloud only
- Plane.so alternative AGPL-3.0 · Cloud or self-hosted
- GitLab alternative MIT core; EE under a separate licence · Cloud or self-hosted
- Taiga alternative MPL-2.0 · Cloud or self-hosted
YouTrack alternative FAQ
Is YouTrack open source?
- No. YouTrack is proprietary JetBrains software, available as Cloud or self-hosted Server.
What is a good open source YouTrack alternative?
- Kuayle is an Apache 2.0, self-hosted issue tracker with no licence fee. OpenProject and Taiga are other open source options.
Is YouTrack free?
- YouTrack is free for up to 10 users and 3 helpdesk agents. Beyond that, JetBrains bills per user.
Can I migrate from YouTrack to Kuayle?
- There is no built-in importer. Export to CSV or JSON and create issues through Kuayle’s API.
Sources
- JetBrains sales: YouTrack Cloud per-user price changes
- YouTrack buy page
- YouTrack Cloud: Managing your licence
- YouTrack AI Assistant
- YouTrack remote MCP server
- YouTrack Cloud imports
- YouTrack VCS integrations
- YouTrack SAML 2.0 auth module
- YouTrack export issue data
- YouTrack REST API
- Kuayle source code
YouTrack details were checked against YouTrack's own pages on 6 November 2026; Kuayle details against the v0.2.15 source code. Prices are list prices before tax and change over time; the vendor's pricing page is authoritative. This is a snapshot, not an endorsement. Kuayle is developed by Bakney and is not affiliated with YouTrack. YouTrack is a trademark of its owner.