The Undefeated Platform for Business Operations
More than just project management: for nearly two decades, Redmine has been the silent backbone operating behind thousands of successful companies worldwide.
What is Redmine?
Created in 2006, Redmine is an open-source, highly flexible web application. Written using the Ruby on Rails framework, it is cross-platform and cross-database. Over the years, it has proven itself as an incredibly robust "operating system" that can be adapted to almost any internal business process. Out of the box, Redmine provides a wealth of features including project management, a multi-purpose ticketing system (such as bug tracking), multi-user rights management, unlimited customization of workflows, custom fields, and time tracking. The cherry on top? It can be infinitely extended with plugins to bring even more functionality.
The Ultimate Swiss Army Knife
Calling Redmine a "Project Management Tool" is far too reductive. The core underlying ticketing system is deeply flexible. Over a decade ago, using pure, vanilla Redmine without a single plugin, I managed an entire company's time-off requests, HR processes, and complex recruitment pipelines. Its raw adaptability is unmatched.
Industrial-Grade Security
Why is Redmine still thriving after 20 years? Security by design. Because it is open-source, its code is constantly scrutinized by a global community. It integrates perfectly with existing enterprise IT infrastructure (LDAP, Active Directory) and adapts to the strictest internal security requirements without compromise.
Total Data Governance
Storing your company's sensitive data in your own hosted Redmine and database is inherently safer than relying on a 3rd-party SaaS provider. You own your servers, you control the access logs, and your data residency remains under your absolute jurisdiction. The cloud shouldn't be mandatory.
Compliance in Your Hands (GDPR & SOC 2)
For GDPR-sensitive companies or those requiring strict compliance, relying on SaaS involves complex data processing agreements and blind trust. By hosting Redmine and MSS plugins yourself, you eliminate third-party data processors. The compliance remains entirely in your hands: you decide where the data physically lives, who accesses the servers, and how the network is secured. It is the gold standard for reassuring your internal legal team.
How Do I Get It?
Redmine itself is 100% free and open-source. Your only costs are hosting and maintenance.
You can host it on-premise on your own bare-metal servers, on a private cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure), or use a managed Redmine hosting provider. While there are no license fees, remember that data backups and server maintenance are the owner's responsibility.
Version Compatibility
The official supported versions of Redmine are 5.1, 6.0, and 6.1. All Makes Sense Software plugins are fully compatible and rigorously tested with all of these modern Redmine versions.
The Makes Sense Software Overlay
Even without our plugins, raw Redmine is a gold mine. It allows companies to avoid paying for extremely expensive SaaS services that are often far less flexible. MSS plugins (like HR+ and Board+) simply act as a modern, high-efficiency "cockpit" overlaid onto this rock-solid foundation—hiding the underlying complexity so your teams can focus entirely on their tasks.