GitHub Issues

GitHub Issues is the native issue tracker embedded within the world's largest software development platform. For teams already hosting their code on GitHub, it provides a supremely contextual and integrated bug-tracking experience. The primary advantage is the seamless connection between issues, pull requests, commits, and branches. Developers can reference issues directly in commit messages, automatically close them via PRs, and view linked code changes without ever leaving the GitHub ecosystem.

With the addition of Projects (a Kanban-style board), milestones, labels, and assignees, it forms a capable lightweight project management system. GitHub Actions can automate workflows around issues, such as triaging, labeling, and notifications. It is the default and often best choice for open-source projects due to its visibility and community contribution features. For professional teams, it's ideal for small to midsize engineering groups that prioritize developer workflow efficiency and minimal tool sprawl over advanced project management metrics and cross-functional reporting.