Redmine is a popular open-source project management software, with a number of useful features available in both the free and paid versions (read our Redmine review for more details on the software). However, the ability to pair Redmine plugins with premium features takes the application to the next level. 

Key Takeaways:

• Redmine is a great project management software, especially for development teams. Its features can be taken to the next level through plugins.
• There are a number of plugin types available on Redmine for various use cases. Some can be used for free, whereas the more feature-rich ones require payment.
• Make sure to only install the Redmine plugins you really need, without going overboard. This will help avoid clutter and slower operational speeds.

Since Redmine is an open-source program, users can make tweaks to it. It can be expanded through the use of plugins — small programs that add some extra functionality to Redmine. 

In this article, our project management experts will briefly touch on the basics of what Redmine is. Then we’ll get into the meatier stuff: the plugins that help Redmine users get the greatest possible impact. The plugins we’ll be talking about will help you manage projects more efficiently than ever before.

What Are Redmine Plugins & How Do They Work?

Redmine is a powerful open-source project management system that can be used to manage everything from small personal or departmental projects to large corporate undertakings. It’s compatible across all major operating systems including Windows, Linux and macOS although Ruby must be installed for it to work effectively. 

Redmine is designed to be highly flexible, with each project retaining its own settings and users, but it also has a set of default features that work for most projects. To access and change these default features, you add plugins — small bits of code that extend the platform’s functionality and perform specialized functions. 

There’s a huge variety of Redmine plugins available, from bug trackers to agile development tools and everything in between, all of them helping to simplify executing on projects. 

Redmine plugins are free to download and use, but they do require some programming knowledge. Depending on the plugin you choose to implement, the installation process can be straightforward or require some advanced configuration. 

Also, you should be careful not to install too many plugins, as that can slow down the Redmine app’s operational speed and lead to lags or freezing. 

The 10 Best Available Redmine Plugins

If you’re not sure what kind of plugin you need for your team, the Redmine website offers a comprehensive comparison of all the available options. We tested them ourselves to bring you this list, which includes Usersnap, Redmine Agile, RedmineUP Checklist, Hide Sidebar and RedmineUP CRM, among others.

There are currently over 1,000 plugins on Redmine’s official directory. This is a growing list as more developers create new hacks and find more ways to integrate plugins with the software. One such prominent resource includes RedmineUP, a team of software developers and professionals who create and release plugins specific to Redmine on the site. 

However, the idea of scouring hundreds of pages of plugins might seem like a headache. There’s also the question of not knowing which plugins are compatible with Redmine’s latest version. 

It’s also worth noting that some plugins are free while premium plugins cost money. The latter benefit from periodic updates and customer support from the development team.

We’ve compiled a list of the top plugins for 10 different functions to serve as a starting point for upgrading your Redmine experience. You should also make sure there are no compatibility issues between your version of Redmine and the following plugins. Without further ado, here are 10 plugins to try on Redmine today. 

1. Usersnap

More information about Usersnap: 

• Pricing: 15-day free trial; Pricing from 9 euros per month on a one-year plan
• Website: usersnap.com

Software teams often use Redmine to keep track of website development or app creation projects. Such teams might encounter bugs and glitches on a regular basis as part of the prototyping and initial testing processes. 

Having a plugin that captures bugs and reports them to the concerned teams comes in handy, especially for time-sensitive projects. 

Usersnap’s paid plugin allows software teams to streamline feedback and project testing with built-in features for internal bug tracking and reporting. The plugin empowers project managers and smooths communication between them and their designers and developers. Users can easily capture bugs and send annotated screenshots to the Redmine team. 

2. Redmine Agile

More information about Redmine Agile: 

• Pricing: Free Light version; Pro version starting at $499
• Website: redmine.org/plugins/redmine_agile

Does your team use Agile project management? Whether your favorite framework is scrum or kanban, Redmine’s free plugin is a must-have for Agile teams. 

This plugin allows easy access to a kanban whiteboard for tracking backlogs and works in progress. It also provides visualization tools, offering 11 different types of charts. The sprint planner is great if your team works with the Scrum methodology, enabling easy collaboration and effective communication.

The Pro version unlocks features like access to customer support, saving your boards and chart templates, a version planner, bulk editing and more categorization options. 

3. RedmineUP Checklist

More information about RedmineUP Checklist: 

• Pricing: Free Light version; Pro version starting at $99
• Website: redmineup.com/pages/plugins/checklists

This plugin is actually the highest rated to date on the Redmine marketplace, and it’s not hard to understand why. You can create your own checklist templates to save time and integrate them with the agile boards from the previous plugin. 

Thanks to Ajax technology, the plugin can update instantaneously without compromising performance, and also provides a log of checklist version edits.

Along with customer support, a Pro subscription unlocks additional features that include issue checklists, templates and the ability to view the history of edits/changes in checklists. 

4. Hide Sidebar

More information about Hide Sidebar: 

• Pricing: Free 
• Website: redmine.org/plugins/sidebar_hide

You might be wondering how much difference hiding the sidebar can actually make to your workflow. This tiny element is surprisingly integral to optimizing your UI.

When you need to manage projects efficiently, it’s not always about how feature-rich the software is. The interface can make or break a user’s experience, so having this simple plugin installed can help in the long run. The tiny “hide” button allows you to collapse the sidebar and give yourself more screen space for the task at hand. 

5. RedmineUP CRM

More information about RedmineUP CRM: 

• Pricing: Free Light version; Pro version starting at $299
• Website: redmineup.com/pages/plugins/crm

Redmine isn’t just limited to project management. It can also be integrated with customer relationship and database management. Certain Redmine plugins make it a breeze to manage large contact lists.

The CRM plugin allows teams to access everything they need to know about their important contacts (customers or internal staff). You can also integrate it with other RedmineUP plugins so that all information pertaining to orders, tickets and projects is compiled in one spot. 

The plugin also comes with a notes feature, visibility for related issues and the ability to send HTML-formatted emails straight from Redmine. 

With the Pro version, you get to store more types of information including deals and attachments, kanban boards and time reports. You can also categorize on the basis of contact/deal groupings and custom fields in addition to bulk editing.

6. Monitoring & Controlling (M&C)

More information about Monitoring & Controlling: 

• Pricing: Free
• Website: github.com/alexmonteiro/Redmine-Monitoring-Controlling

If you’re looking for a lightweight plugin to build charts that give your project managers a 360-degree view of project progress, RedmineUP has you covered.

This Github plugin comes with no price tag attached to it. Though free and simple, it can be invaluable to managers who want at-a-glance updates on all ongoing projects. Also worthy of note is that this plugin features pie charts and column charts sorting issues by status type, manageable vs unmanageable, and which tasks are overdue. 

7. Redmine Gantt

More information about Redmine Gantt: 

• Pricing: Free; Pro available at a one-time fee of $525
• Website: easyredmine.com/redmine-gantt-plugin

Gantt charts are a great visualization tool to see where your team is on the project roadmap, modify timelines and plan project updates.

With the plugin installed, you can see the project under different timeline views, list out problematic issues and filter the timeline. It also provides support for parent-child issues, which alerts users to any issues between the parent (primary) file/folder and the child (secondary) file/folder that comes under it. 

With the Pro (paid) version of the plugin, users can also unlock critical path analysis, which helps to highlight the entire workflow and show which tasks are dependent on others. 

Other Pro features include setting baselines (reference points to measure your project against); global Gantt oversight, which provides a 360-degree, high-level view of all your projects; and access to any updates to new issues and versions.

8. RedmineUP Helpdesk

More information about RedmineUP Helpdesk: 

• Pricing: Single server for $399; Multiple (unlimited servers) for $899
• Website: redmineup.com/pages/plugins/helpdesk

Does your team use ticketing software to provide customer support? There’s a plugin you can integrate with Redmine to enhance your customers’ experiences even further.

The helpdesk plugin is completely integrated with the CRM plugin. With this combination, you can access all customer information from the database and put together an email address list for sending support emails. You can also respond to customer tickets directly from the plugin’s Issues page, or program auto-responders so customers aren’t left waiting for status updates.

9. RedmineUP Budgets

More information about RedmineUP Budgets: 

• Pricing: Single server for $299; Multiple (unlimited servers) for $749
• Website: redmineup.com/pages/plugins/budgets

It’s not enough for your team to track deliverables — project managers also need to keep an eye on the financials and expense limits. This is where having a budgeting plugin comes in handy.

The budgeting plugin incorporates the financial side of managing projects into the Redmine version of your project file. Users can view various billing options, assess expenses and project cost calculations, and get an overview of the hourly rates and project durations associated with each cost. 

They can also alter custom budgeting settings for each user, making projects easier to stay on top of from a financial documentation point of view.

10. RedmineUP Drive

More information about RedmineUP Drive: 

• Pricing: Free; Single server for $199, Multiple (unlimited servers) for $499
• Website: redmineup.com/pages/plugins/budgets

No matter the nature of your team, everyone in today’s digital age requires cloud storage to keep their projects securely stored and easily accessible. 

If you require a lot of storage, you can organize and map out your folder structure with the Redmine Drive plugin. Permissions can be altered for each user and toggled from global settings. Users can also link Drive file attachments and collate the files by date. 

However, if you want to unlock full use of the Drive plugin’s functionality, including features such as folder sharing, savable queries, time links and more, you should consider opting for the paid plans.

Final Thoughts

As mentioned before, Redmine has a lot of plugins you can choose from, but this list contains our favorites. No matter the use case, there’s sure to be a plugin for you. If you can’t find the one you want on this list, be sure to check out the other plugins on the Redmine directory here.

What is your favorite Redmine plugin? Do you prefer the free plugins or have you got your eye on some premium ones? Let us know in the comments.

FAQ

• Are Redmine Plugins Free?

  There are some Redmine plugins that you can use for free, but most of the useful plugins are best paid for, so you can collaborate and monitor team progress effectively.

• How to Add a Plugin in Redmine?

  The process for installing a plugin varies depending on your OS. However, the general steps are to go to Redmine’s root folder, copy the plugin file into the folder, install it and then restart the Redmine app.

• How Do I Install Bitnami Redmine Plugins?

  To install Bitnami Redmine plugins, find the plugins directory and copy the .ZIP file, expand it and then delete the original file. Then, navigate to Redmine’s installation directory and install the plugin.