Launchpad
Bug tracking software
Peer code review software
DevOps software
Source code management software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$250 per project per year
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What is Launchpad
Launchpad is a web-based platform for hosting and managing software projects, with integrated tools for source code hosting, bug tracking, and peer code review. It is used by development teams and open-source communities to collaborate on code changes, review contributions, and track issues in a single system. The product is closely associated with Bazaar (bzr) repositories and supports merge proposals and project-level workflows.
Integrated code and issue tracking
Launchpad combines source code hosting, bug tracking, and code review in one platform. This reduces the need to connect separate tools for basic development workflows. Teams can link bugs to branches and proposed merges to keep context in one place.
Structured merge proposal workflow
Launchpad supports peer review through merge proposals, reviewer assignment, and discussion threads tied to specific changes. This provides an auditable review history that is useful for distributed contributors. The workflow is designed for asynchronous collaboration across time zones.
Strong fit for open source
Launchpad is widely used in open-source project collaboration patterns, including public project hosting and community contribution workflows. It supports public visibility and contributor interaction around issues and code changes. This can simplify governance and contribution management for community-driven projects.
Limited modern SCM ecosystem
Launchpad is most closely aligned with Bazaar (bzr), while many teams standardize on other distributed version control systems. This can create friction when integrating with common developer tooling and CI/CD pipelines. Organizations may need additional process or tooling to align with prevailing workflows.
DevOps depth varies by need
Launchpad provides core collaboration features but may not cover the full range of DevOps capabilities some teams expect (for example, advanced release controls, experimentation/feature flagging, or deep observability workflows). Teams often rely on additional specialized products for those areas. This increases integration and administration overhead.
UI and workflow expectations
Some teams may find the user experience and workflow conventions less aligned with newer code hosting and review interfaces. Onboarding can take longer for developers accustomed to different review and branching models. This can affect adoption in mixed-tool environments.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open-source / Public projects | Free | Launchpad hosts open-source (public) projects at no cost; includes public bug tracking, code hosting, merge proposals/code review, translations, etc. |
| Commercial ("Commercial subscription" / Basic) | $250 per project per year (+ applicable VAT) | Enables Launchpad commercial features: private bugs, private branches, private teams, private mailing lists, private PPAs (private Personal Package Archives). 12-month subscription; newly registered proprietary projects receive a complimentary 30-day commercial subscription. Purchases historically made via the Canonical store and redeemed as vouchers on Launchpad. |
Seller details
Canonical Ltd.
London, United Kingdom
2004
Private
https://canonical.com/
https://x.com/Canonical
https://www.linkedin.com/company/canonical-ltd-/
