Jetbrains YouTrack Server

What is included in JetBrains YouTrack Server?

Issue Tracking – Track tasks from creation to completion.
Agile Boards – Scrum and Kanban presets with custom boards.
Knowledge Base – Document projects in linked, searchable articles.
Ticket Helpdesk – Manage support channels with reporter submissions.
Core Capacity – Self-hosted instance free for up to ten users.
Important – You manage hosting, backups, and version upgrades yourself.

What are the main benefits of JetBrains YouTrack Server?

YouTrack Server is the self-hosted edition of JetBrains' project management and issue-tracking platform, installed on hardware you control. It combines agile boards, a knowledge base, a ticket-based helpdesk, and reporting in one customizable workspace.

Data Control – Keep all project data behind your firewall.
Agile Boards – Run Scrum and Kanban with shared backlogs.
Built-in Helpdesk – Handle support tickets from unlimited customer reporters.
Custom Workflows – Adapt fields, automation, and reports per project.
Developer Integration – Link commits to issues across major VCS.
Flexible Deployment – Install on a server, Docker, or Kubernetes.

What does JetBrains YouTrack Server do?

YouTrack Server is the on-premises edition of JetBrains' project management tool, installed and run on your own infrastructure. It covers issue tracking, Scrum and Kanban boards, a knowledge base, time tracking, an interactive project timeline, and a ticket-based helpdesk in a single workspace. Because the instance runs behind your own firewall, your data stays in-house and not even JetBrains' support team can access it unless you choose to share specific details for troubleshooting. That makes it a fit for teams that must keep project and customer data on systems they directly control.

Who is YouTrack Server best suited for?

YouTrack Server suits organizations that need their issue tracker hosted inside their own network rather than on a vendor's cloud. You can run it behind a corporate firewall or restrict access to an internal network only, which helps teams in regulated sectors meet data-residency or compliance rules that a hosted service would complicate. It also fits teams that want to decide exactly when upgrades happen, since you schedule version updates on your own maintenance window instead of receiving them automatically. For a small team, the same self-hosted build is free for up to 10 users, so a department can start without a paid plan.

What is the difference between YouTrack Server and YouTrack Cloud?

The core feature set is nearly identical; the real difference is who hosts and maintains the instance. YouTrack Cloud is hosted by JetBrains on AWS with updates, maintenance, and backups handled for you, while YouTrack Server runs on hardware you provide and manage yourself. You can move data in either direction at any time using a backup copy, so a team can start on Cloud and migrate to Server later, or the reverse. The table below summarizes the practical differences.

What should you check before choosing YouTrack Server?

Before choosing YouTrack Server, confirm your team can run and maintain the instance itself, because JetBrains does not host the self-hosted edition for you. You are responsible for provisioning the server, applying version upgrades, and creating your own backups, whereas YouTrack Cloud handles all of that on its side. There is also a clear consequence if a paid subscription lapses: access is limited to system administrators, who can still manage backups and either switch the instance to the free plan for up to 10 users and 3 helpdesk agents or apply a new license. If you lack server administration resources, Cloud removes that operational overhead.

Which integrations and version control systems does YouTrack Server support?

YouTrack Server integrates directly with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Azure Repos, and also connects to self-hosted systems including GitHub Enterprise, GitLab CE and EE, Bitbucket Server, Gogs, and Gitea. Once connected, you can reference an issue ID in a commit message to link the commit to that issue, and even apply commands — such as changing a status or leaving a comment — straight from the commit text. Commit-message commands run only for users in the integration's Committers group, matched by email address or VCS username. This lets a development team update tracker state as part of its normal push workflow without opening the web interface.

Does YouTrack Server include AI-powered features?

Yes. YouTrack Server installations with an active or free subscription receive free credits for JetBrains AI features, replenished weekly. These include Text-to-Issue transformation, writing assistance for grammar and spelling, and AI Assistant summaries of long tasks, articles, and support tickets.

Which sign-in and authentication methods does YouTrack Server support?

YouTrack Server supports its built-in Hub authentication plus external providers through OAuth 2.0, SAML, LDAP, and OpenID. This lets you connect it to directories and identity providers such as Azure AD, Okta, Keycloak, or GitLab so your team signs in with existing company credentials.

Can YouTrack Server be deployed with Docker or Kubernetes?

Yes. You can install YouTrack Server on a dedicated machine, run it as a Docker container, or deploy it with Kubernetes. A compatible Java runtime is bundled with the installation package, so you do not need to install Java separately on the host.