GitHub vs Trac

May 19, 2023 | Author: Michael Stromann
20
GitHub
GitHub is the best place to share code with friends, co-workers, classmates, and complete strangers. Over seven million people use GitHub to build amazing things together. Free public repositories, collaborator management, issue tracking, wikis, downloads, code review, graphs and much more…
7
Trac
Trac is an alternative wiki and issue tracking system for software development projects. Trac uses a minimalistic approach to web-based software project management. Our mission is to help developers write great software while staying out of the way. Trac should impose as little as possible on a team's established development process and policies.
GitHub and Trac are both widely used tools in software development, but they have distinct features and focuses. GitHub is primarily known as a web-based platform for version control using Git. It offers features like code hosting, collaborative coding, pull requests, code reviews, issue tracking, and project management tools. GitHub emphasizes open-source development and provides a robust ecosystem for code collaboration and community engagement. On the other hand, Trac is a lightweight issue tracking system that integrates tightly with version control systems like Subversion and Git. It provides features like issue tracking, wiki documentation, and a simple web interface. Trac is known for its simplicity, ease of use, and integration with version control systems.

See also: Top 10 Issue Trackers
GitHub vs Trac in our news:

2020. GitHub is now free for all teams



GitHub has recently announced that all of its core features are now available for free to all users. This includes unlimited private repositories with unlimited collaborators, catering to both individual users and teams engaged in commercial projects. Additionally, users can enjoy up to 2,000 minutes per month of free access to GitHub Actions, the platform's automation and CI/CD solution. While advanced features such as code owners and enterprise functionalities like SAML support still require a paid plan, the pricing structure has been revised. Teams can now upgrade to the Teams plan starting at $4 per month and user, compared to the previous cost of $9, while the Enterprise plan starts at $21 per month and user.


2018. GitHub business users now get access to public repos



GitHub, the code hosting service recently acquired by Microsoft, is introducing several new features for its business users, enhancing their ability to access public repositories on the platform. Previously, users on the hosted Business Cloud and self-hosted Enterprise environments lacked direct access to the vast array of public open-source repositories available on GitHub. However, with the latest update, this limitation is being addressed, enabling business users to extend their reach beyond their firewalls and actively engage and collaborate with the wider GitHub community. Additionally, GitHub now provides its business and enterprise users with a new unified search functionality, allowing them to explore both their internal repositories and open-source ones.


2018. Microsoft acquired GitHub



Microsoft has recently completed the acquisition of the widely used code sharing and collaboration platform, GitHub, for a whopping $7.5 billion. This cloud-based service enables companies of all sizes, including Microsoft, to collaboratively work on code. With 27 million software developers actively engaged in 80 million code repositories, GitHub has become an essential platform for various software development projects. Considering Microsoft's strategic focus on catering to software developers through cloud services, this acquisition aligns naturally with their vision, as spearheaded by CEO Satya Nadella. GitHub serves as a versatile tool utilized not only for coding Microsoft Windows applications but also for a wide range of projects, spanning from websites to iPhone apps. As a result of Microsoft's acquisition of GitHub, users can expect even deeper integration between Microsoft's developer tools and this platform, enabling a more seamless and enhanced experience.


2016. GitHub gets project management tool



GitHub has introduced its "most significant update" to its Git-based code hosting service. This update expands GitHub's offerings beyond code hosting and includes basic project management features reminiscent of a Kanban board. While GitHub has always supported integrations with various project management tools, this update introduces a built-in tool that allows users to organize cards, such as pull requests, issues, and notes, into customizable columns like "in-progress," "done," or any other preferred labels. Similar to platforms like Trello, users can easily drag and drop cards between columns to reflect changes in project status. This enhancement enables GitHub to provide a more comprehensive solution for project management in addition to its existing code hosting capabilities.


2015. Version control service GitHub raises $250M



GitHub, the widely-used software development collaboration and version control service built upon the popular open-source Git tool, has successfully raised an impressive $250 million in funding. The company intends to utilize this new capital infusion to accelerate its growth trajectory and expand its sales and engineering teams, a common strategy for companies following fundraising initiatives. Git has undoubtedly emerged as a de facto version control system for numerous startups, with GitHub leading the pack among companies that essentially provide Git as a service. While Atlassian, Microsoft, GitLab, and others offer similar services, both cloud-hosted and on-premises, GitHub has unquestionably garnered the lion's share of attention in recent years. GitHub reports a current user base of approximately 10 million individuals actively collaborating on over 25 million projects (a significant increase from 10 million users in January 2014). However, considering GitHub offers free accounts, it remains unclear how many of these users are paying subscribers (with pricing starting at $5/month).


2014. GitHub Enterprise now works on Amazon Web Services



The latest release of code repository software, GitHub Enterprise 2.0, introduces the capability to leverage the service's virtual machines to establish a highly scalable version of GitHub's services on Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing platform provided by Amazon. This update encompasses various features, regardless of whether it is hosted on AWS or any other platform. One significant enhancement is the ability for companies to utilize their existing single sign-on solution with GitHub. They can now employ LDAP or SAML compatible solutions to achieve this integration. Furthermore, the update introduces security audit logs, enabling administrators to closely monitor user activities and facilitate auditing of account, team, and repository access over time.


2014. ZenHub helps engineering teams manage projects inside GitHub



Other companies are now capitalizing on the popularity of GitHub by developing services designed to enhance the platform. One such project is ZenHub, which aims to streamline and expedite workflows on GitHub. ZenHub offers teams a project management service that seamlessly integrates with GitHub, offering features such as Trello-like drag-and-drop task boards, convenient file uploads for any file type (as opposed to GitHub's default limitation to image files), and +1 buttons for quick feedback on commits, pull requests, suggestions, and comments. While primarily targeted at developers, the user-friendly interface of ZenHub also enables business users to efficiently manage their workflows within GitHub, potentially eliminating the need for additional third-party management tools.


2006. Trac - web-based project management with wiki + bug-tracker + svn code browser



Trac emerges as a fresh contender in the realm of issue tracking tools, offering a delightful web-based project management solution developed in Python. One of its key strengths lies in its seamless integration with existing Subversion repositories. With Trac, you can conveniently browse the code within your repositories, complete with syntax highlighting, and effortlessly view differences between revisions. Notably, Trac goes beyond version control integration and extends its capabilities to include a wiki feature for project documentation. Moreover, it incorporates a built-in bug tracker reminiscent of Bugzilla, resulting in a comprehensive, all-in-one software solution. It's important to note that Trac is Free Software, and although its license recently transitioned from GPL to the revised BSD license, it continues to uphold its open-source principles. To enhance Trac's functionality, you can explore a wide array of useful plugins and macros available at trac-hacks.org. These include noteworthy additions such as DoxygenPlugin, GanttPlugin, DebianBtsMacro, and many others, enabling you to tailor Trac to your specific needs and requirements. Discover the power and versatility of Trac for effective project management and issue tracking.

Author: Michael Stromann
Michael is an expert in IT Service Management, IT Security and software development. With his extensive experience as a software developer and active involvement in multiple ERP implementation projects, Michael brings a wealth of practical knowledge to his writings. Having previously worked at SAP, he has honed his expertise and gained a deep understanding of software development and implementation processes. Currently, as a freelance developer, Michael continues to contribute to the IT community by sharing his insights through guest articles published on several IT portals. You can contact Michael by email stromann@liventerprise.com