Roundup

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What Roundup is

Roundup is a customizable issue-tracking system for teams that need to manage work such as bugs, TODOs, customer help requests, IETF issues, sales leads, or conference paper submissions. It provides web, email, command-line, REST, and XML-RPC interfaces, with five tracker templates that users can adapt. Issues support saved or shared searches, full-text search across messages, detailed change histories, and email-based interaction.

Users can extend Roundup’s database schema and web interface, then add business rules with auditors and reactors. The system supports embedded SQLite and dbm databases, with upgrade paths to MySQL or PostgreSQL. It can run in Docker or Kubernetes, as a standalone network web server, or through WSGI, FastCGI, or CGI. The project says data remains on the user’s servers and describes HTTPS and fine-grained authorization options.

Roundup is Free Software, with the core under the MIT license and separate licenses noted for bundled Zope-derived templates and vendored cgi.py. It requires Python 3.10 or later. The project first released version 0.1.1 in late August 2001 and offers moderated mailing lists for user help, development, and check-in messages, as well as an IRC channel for contacting developers.

Who it suits

Roundup suits teams that need an issue tracker they can customize for bugs, help desk requests, sales leads, or other listed workflows. It is a fit for users comfortable running software on their own servers and meeting the Python 3.10 or later requirement.

What it does well

Free Software with an MIT-licensed core.
Five customizable tracker templates.
Supports web, email, command-line, REST, and XML-RPC interfaces.
Users can extend the schema, interface, and business rules.
Data stays on the user's servers.
Can run in Docker or Kubernetes.

What to know first

Requires Python 3.10 or later.
Self-hosting options include server or web-server deployment.
Some bundled components have licenses separate from the MIT-licensed core.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Roundup	Free Software; MIT licensed except noted bundled components	Free

As roundup-tracker.org lists them, read 8 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Visit roundup-tracker.org.
Prepare an environment with Python 3.10 or later.
Choose a deployment route: Docker, Kubernetes, standalone web server, WSGI, FastCGI, or CGI.
Select and customize one of the five included tracker templates.
Choose an embedded SQLite or dbm database, with upgrade paths to MySQL or PostgreSQL.

Verdict

Choose Roundup if you want a free, adaptable issue tracker and can operate it on your own server. Its customization and interface options suit varied workflows; teams looking for a hosted service should look elsewhere, as the listed deployment options are self-managed.

Questions

Is Roundup free?

Yes. Roundup is Free Software, and the listed Roundup plan is free. The core is MIT licensed, with separate licenses noted for some bundled components.

Which platforms does Roundup support?

Its listed platforms are API, Linux, self-hosted, web, and Windows.

What interfaces does Roundup provide?

It provides web, email, command-line, REST, and XML-RPC interfaces.

Can Roundup be customized?

Yes. It includes five customizable tracker templates, and users can extend its database schema and web interface and add business rules using auditors and reactors.

What databases can Roundup use?

It supports embedded SQLite and dbm databases, with upgrade paths to MySQL or PostgreSQL.

What does Roundup require?

Roundup requires Python 3.10 or later.

Facts from Roundup's own pages

Authentication: The REST API supports basic HTTP authentication or optional JWT, while XML-RPC supports basic HTTP authentication. · roundup-tracker.org, 8 Oct 2026
Customization: Users can extend the database schema and web interface and add business rules using auditors and reactors. · roundup-tracker.org, 8 Oct 2026
Databases: Roundup supports embedded SQLite and dbm databases, with upgrade paths to MySQL or PostgreSQL. · roundup-tracker.org, 8 Oct 2026
Deployment: Roundup can run in Docker or Kubernetes and be deployed on a network as a standalone web server or through WSGI, FastCGI, or CGI. · roundup-tracker.org, 8 Oct 2026
Issue management: Issues can have saved or shared searches, full-text message search, detailed change history, and email-based interaction. · roundup-tracker.org, 8 Oct 2026
Issue tracking: Roundup is a customizable issue-tracking system with web, email, command-line, REST, and XML-RPC interfaces. · roundup-tracker.org, 8 Oct 2026
License: Roundup is Free Software; the core is MIT licensed, with separate licenses noted for bundled Zope-derived templates and vendored cgi.py. · roundup-tracker.org, 8 Oct 2026
Project history: The site says Roundup was first released as version 0.1.1 in late August 2001. · roundup-tracker.org, 8 Oct 2026
Requirements: Roundup requires Python 3.10 or later; Python 2 support ended with release 2.4.0 in July 2024. · roundup-tracker.org, 8 Oct 2026
Security and data: The features page says data remains on the user's servers and describes HTTPS and fine-grained authorization options. · roundup-tracker.org, 8 Oct 2026
Security releases: The security page lists two issues fixed in version 2.6.0, including a PATCH method CSRF bypass and a history permission check issue. · roundup-tracker.org, 8 Oct 2026
Support: The project provides moderated mailing lists for user help, development, and check-in messages, plus an IRC channel for direct contact with developers. · roundup-tracker.org, 8 Oct 2026
Templates: Roundup includes five tracker templates that users can customize. · roundup-tracker.org, 8 Oct 2026
Use cases: The site lists bug and TODO tracking, customer help desk support, IETF issue management, sales lead tracking, and conference paper submission among its use cases. · roundup-tracker.org, 8 Oct 2026

Where Roundup stands on Freedom251

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