You're managing multiple client websites. Bugs come in via email, Slack, text messages, carrier pigeon. Clients send screenshots with red arrows pointing at things. You spend half your day asking "which page was this on?" and "what browser are you using?"
You need a proper bug tracking system. BugHerd keeps coming up in searches. But there are newer alternatives built for how agencies actually work in 2026. Let's compare.
Quick Summary
| Feature | BugHerd | Lantern |
|---|---|---|
| Video Bug Reports | No | Yes (Loom integration) |
| Jira Integration | Yes (basic) | Yes (automatic sync) |
| Starting Price | $39/mo | $15.50/mo (~$15.50) |
| Client Portal | Yes | Yes |
| Team Analytics | No | Yes |
| Keyboard Shortcuts | Limited | Full (J/K, bulk actions) |
| Modern UI | Dated | Modern, clean design |
| Browser Extension | Required (Premium plan) | Optional |
| Best For | Teams already using BugHerd | Video-first agencies |
Winner: It depends. BugHerd is the established choice with proven stability. Lantern is better if you want video walkthroughs, modern UX, and Jira integration at a lower price point.
What is BugHerd?
BugHerd launched in 2011 as "the world's simplest visual feedback and bug tracker tool for websites." It's been around longer than most competing products, which means it's stable, mature, and has solved most of the obvious edge cases.
The core idea: install a JavaScript snippet on your client's website, and anyone can click directly on elements to leave feedback. Each comment captures a screenshot, browser details, and CSS selector information. Comments go to a Kanban board where your team manages them.
BugHerd is used by thousands of web development teams worldwide. It works. The question is whether it's still the best option in 2026, or if newer approaches have advantages.
Pricing starts at $39/month for the Standard plan (5 active projects, unlimited tasks). Premium is $109/month (unlimited projects). Enterprise is $299/month (adds SSO, SLAs, dedicated support).
What is Lantern?
Lantern is bug tracking built specifically for agencies managing multiple client websites, with one key difference: video walkthroughs instead of screenshots.
Every bug report includes a 30-second Loom video showing exactly what went wrong. Clients record their screen, you see the full context. No more "it doesn't work" tickets that take 45 minutes and five follow-up questions to understand.
Bugs auto-sync to Jira or Linear if your dev team lives in those tools. Map different clients to different Jira projects so bugs route to the right place automatically. Team analytics show response times and resolution rates across all clients.
Lantern launched in late 2024, which means it's newer and less proven than BugHerd. But it's built with modern tooling (Next.js, Supabase) and designed around workflows that didn't exist when BugHerd launched 14 years ago.
Pricing is $15.50/month for Individual (1 user, 5 clients), $40/month for Team (unlimited users and clients).
Feature Comparison
Visual Feedback on Live Websites
BugHerd: Click any element on the website to leave a comment. BugHerd captures a screenshot, highlights the element you clicked, and records browser/OS details. Comments appear as pins on the page so everyone sees exactly what you're referring to.
This works well for layout issues, design feedback, and obvious visual bugs. The challenge is when the bug involves interaction—something that happens when you click a button, submit a form, or navigate between pages. Screenshots show the end result but not the steps that got you there.
Lantern: Clients record Loom videos showing the entire interaction. You see what they clicked, what they typed, what error appeared, what they expected to happen. The video includes the browser chrome (so you can see if it's Chrome, Firefox, Safari) and the URL bar (so you know which page).
Video takes longer to record than clicking on an element (30 seconds instead of 10 seconds). But it eliminates follow-up questions, which saves far more time on your end. When a client sends a video showing "I clicked the contact form submit button, nothing happened, no error appeared," you know exactly what to investigate. When they send a screenshot of a blank contact form with the comment "form doesn't work," you have no idea what they tried.
Winner: Lantern if you deal with interaction bugs or non-technical clients who struggle to describe issues. BugHerd if you primarily need quick visual feedback on static elements.
Client Portal Experience
BugHerd: Clients install a browser extension (on Premium plan) or you install a JavaScript snippet on their site. They click elements to leave comments. The interface is functional but feels like it was designed in 2011 (because it was).
No login required for clients on the Premium plan, which is good—asking clients to create accounts adds friction. But the Standard plan ($39/mo) requires the browser extension, which means explaining to clients how to install Chrome extensions, dealing with "I can't find it in my extensions list," and managing the fact that the extension only works in Chrome (not Safari, not Firefox).
Lantern: Clients get a link to their portal. No extension, no installation, no account required. They click "Report Bug," record a Loom video, add a title and description, submit. Works on any browser, any device.
The interface is clean and modern—inspired by Linear's design system. Clients who've used Lantern say it "doesn't look like enterprise software" which is apparently a compliment.
Winner: Lantern for ease of use and modern design. BugHerd if you want the on-page pin approach and don't mind the browser extension requirement.
Jira and Linear Integration
BugHerd: Integrates with Jira, Trello, Asana, GitHub, and other PM tools via Zapier or native integrations. The Jira integration is one-way: bugs in BugHerd become Jira tickets, but status changes in Jira don't sync back to BugHerd.
This means you update the bug in Jira when you fix it, but your client still sees "Open" in BugHerd unless you manually update it there too. Or you stop using BugHerd for status tracking and only use it for initial bug capture, which makes it expensive for what it does.
Lantern: Native Jira integration with automatic issue creation. Bugs submitted in Lantern auto-create Jira tickets with video links, technical details, and full context. You can map different clients to different Jira projects, so ACME Corp's bugs go to the ACME project, TechCo's bugs go to the TechCo project, all automatically. This matters when you're managing 10+ clients and don't want everything mixed in one Jira project.
Winner: Lantern for automatic issue creation and client-to-project mapping. BugHerd if you only need one-way sync or don't use Jira/Linear.
Team Analytics and Reporting
BugHerd: The Kanban board shows all tasks by status. You can filter by project, priority, or tag. That's about it for reporting. No analytics on response times, resolution times, or team performance. No way to see which clients are submitting the most bugs or which team members are resolving the most issues.
For a single-client agency or small team, this might be fine. For agencies managing multiple clients with SLAs or billable hours, you need better visibility into team performance.
Lantern: Built-in analytics dashboard showing response time (how long until first reply), resolution time (how long until marked resolved), bugs resolved per team member, and activity by client. You can see which clients are getting slower response times and which team members are handling the most volume.
This matters when you're trying to enforce SLAs ("we respond within 4 business hours"), bill clients accurately ("we spent 12 hours on your bugs this month"), or identify bottlenecks ("Sarah is handling 60% of all bugs, we should redistribute").
Winner: Lantern if you need visibility into team performance. BugHerd if you don't care about metrics.
Due Dates and SLA Tracking
BugHerd: You can set priority levels (Critical, Major, Normal, Minor) but no due dates. No way to say "this bug needs to be fixed by Friday" or track whether you're meeting client SLAs.
You could use priority as a proxy for urgency, but it's not the same. Critical bugs should be fixed quickly, but some Critical bugs are actually "critical but we can fix it next sprint" while some Normal bugs are "needs to be done by EOD tomorrow." Priority ≠ deadline.
Lantern: Set due dates on individual bugs. Visual indicators show overdue issues. Analytics track on-time delivery percentage per client, so you know if you're actually meeting the SLAs in your contracts.
This is essential if you're running a professional agency with service-level agreements. Clients expect bugs fixed within agreed timeframes. You need to track whether you're delivering on that promise.
Winner: Lantern for SLA tracking. BugHerd if you don't have formal SLAs with clients.
Keyboard Shortcuts and Power User Features
BugHerd: Limited keyboard shortcuts. The Kanban board works mostly with mouse clicks. You can navigate between tasks but bulk actions require clicking each item individually.
For agencies processing hundreds of bugs per month, this gets slow. You want to select 10 bugs, bulk assign them to Sarah, bulk mark them as "In Progress." BugHerd makes you do this one at a time.
Lantern: Full keyboard navigation (J/K to move between bugs, like Gmail). Bulk select and bulk actions (assign to teammate, change status, set priority). Saved views for common filters ("All high-priority bugs for Client X").
Built for teams who spend hours per day in the tool and want to move fast. If you're only checking bugs once a day, keyboard shortcuts don't matter. If you're triaging 50 bugs in one session, they matter a lot.
Winner: Lantern for power users who want speed. BugHerd if you prefer clicking.
User Interface and Design
BugHerd: Functional but dated. The interface feels like software from 2015—lots of gray, small text, cluttered sidebars. It works, but it's not pleasant to look at or use.
This might sound superficial, but interface design affects how often your team actually uses the tool. If the tool feels slow and clunky, people avoid opening it. Bugs get reported via email instead. The system fails because no one wants to use it.
Lantern: Modern, clean interface inspired by Linear. Dark mode by default (light mode optional). Smooth animations. Generous white space. Looks like software built in 2024.
Some people won't care about this. But if you've used Linear or Notion or other modern tools, going back to BugHerd feels like time travel. Your team will prefer using the tool that feels fast and looks good.
Winner: Lantern for modern design. BugHerd if you don't care what software looks like.
Browser Extension Requirements
BugHerd: Standard plan ($39/mo) requires clients to install a browser extension to submit feedback. Premium plan ($109/mo) allows clients to use the tool without installing anything—you just add a JavaScript snippet to the client's site.
The browser extension is Chrome-only. If your client uses Safari or Firefox, they need to switch browsers or you need the Premium plan.
This creates friction in client onboarding. "Install this Chrome extension" is already a barrier. "Install this Chrome extension but only in Chrome, not your normal browser" is worse. Some clients will do it, but many won't bother.
Lantern: No browser extension ever. Clients get a link to their portal, they open it in any browser, they submit bugs. Works on mobile too (though recording Loom videos on mobile is awkward—most clients will use desktop).
The tradeoff is you lose the "click directly on the website element" feature that BugHerd offers. But you gain "clients actually use the tool because there's nothing to install."
Winner: Lantern for ease of client adoption. BugHerd if you want the on-page pin feature and don't mind the extension friction.
Pricing Comparison
BugHerd Pricing
- Standard: $39/mo - 5 active projects, unlimited tasks, browser extension required
- Premium: $109/mo - Unlimited projects, no browser extension, guest access
- Deluxe: $189/mo - Premium + 2-way integrations, custom CSS, advanced features
- Enterprise: $299/mo - Deluxe + SSO, SLAs, dedicated support
All plans billed monthly. Annual billing saves ~15%.
Lantern Pricing
- Individual: $15.50/mo (~$15.50) - 1 user, 5 clients, unlimited bugs
- Team: $40/mo (~$40) - Unlimited users, unlimited clients, team analytics, Jira integration
All plans billed monthly. Annual billing saves 20%.
Value Comparison
For a solo freelancer managing 5 clients:
- BugHerd Standard: $39/mo
- Lantern Individual: $15.50/mo (~$15.50)
- Savings with Lantern: $23/mo or $276/year
For a small agency (3-5 people, 15 clients):
- BugHerd Premium: $109/mo (needed for no browser extension)
- Lantern Team: $40/mo (~$40)
- Savings with Lantern: $71/mo or $852/year
BugHerd gets expensive quickly, especially if you need the Premium tier to avoid the browser extension friction. Lantern is significantly cheaper at every tier.
Winner: Lantern for price-conscious teams. BugHerd if budget isn't a constraint.
Pros and Cons
BugHerd
Pros:
- ✅ Established product (14 years old, battle-tested)
- ✅ Visual pin system works well for static feedback
- ✅ Captures CSS selectors automatically (helpful for devs)
- ✅ Integrates with most project management tools
- ✅ Doesn't require you to trust a newer product
Cons:
- ❌ No video walkthroughs (screenshots only)
- ❌ Dated interface and user experience
- ❌ Browser extension required on Standard plan
- ❌ No team analytics or SLA tracking
- ❌ One-way Jira integration (status doesn't sync back)
- ❌ Limited keyboard shortcuts
- ❌ Expensive compared to newer alternatives
Lantern
Pros:
- ✅ Video-first bug reports eliminate context gaps
- ✅ Modern, fast interface (Linear-inspired design)
- ✅ Automatic Jira integration with client-to-project mapping
- ✅ Team analytics and SLA tracking
- ✅ Significantly cheaper than BugHerd
- ✅ No browser extension required
- ✅ Keyboard shortcuts and power user features
Cons:
- ❌ Newer product (less proven, smaller user base)
- ❌ No visual pin system (trade-off for video approach)
- ❌ Recording videos takes slightly longer than clicking elements
- ❌ Smaller ecosystem (fewer integrations currently)
Which Should You Choose?
Choose BugHerd if:
You want the established, proven option. BugHerd has been around since 2011. Thousands of agencies use it. You know it works because it's already working for many teams. If you value stability over innovation, BugHerd is the safe choice.
You prefer the visual pin system. Clicking directly on website elements to leave feedback is intuitive. Seeing pins on the actual page helps everyone understand exactly what's being discussed. If most of your bugs are visual/layout issues rather than interaction problems, this approach works well.
You need specific integrations BugHerd already has. If your workflow depends on a particular tool that BugHerd integrates with but Lantern doesn't (yet), that might be decisive. Check both tools' integration lists before deciding.
Choose Lantern if:
You're tired of "it doesn't work" tickets. Clients who can't articulate technical problems. Five-message email threads just trying to understand what the issue is. Video walkthroughs eliminate this entire category of frustration. Client records 30 seconds, you see exactly what happened.
You want Jira integration that actually works. Automatic issue creation means bugs in Lantern become Jira tickets instantly with all context. Client-to-project mapping means bugs route to the right place automatically. If you're serious about using Jira, Lantern's integration is more useful than BugHerd's one-way sync.
You need team analytics and SLA tracking. BugHerd doesn't offer this. Lantern does. If you have service-level agreements with clients or bill by time spent on bugs, you need visibility into team performance. Analytics show response times, resolution times, and whether you're meeting commitments.
You value modern UX and want tools that feel good to use. If you use Linear, Notion, Figma, or other modern tools, BugHerd feels dated. Lantern feels like software built in 2024. Your team will prefer using it, which means they'll actually use it instead of reverting to email.
You want to save money. Lantern is 50-70% cheaper than BugHerd at comparable feature levels. For a small agency, that's $500-1000 per year saved. Enough to matter.
Migration Guide: BugHerd to Lantern
Switching from BugHerd to Lantern takes about an hour for most agencies. Don't overthink it.
Week 1: Setup
- Create Lantern organization
- Add team members (they get invites via email)
- Add clients (create a client record for each website you manage)
- Connect Jira if you use it (optional but recommended)
- Set up Slack/email notifications
Week 2: Transition
- Send clients their new portal link: "We've upgraded our bug tracking system. Please use this link going forward."
- When bugs come in via email, redirect: "Please submit through the portal so it doesn't get lost."
- Leave BugHerd active for one week in case clients don't see the message
Week 3: Done
- Most clients are using the new system
- Stragglers get a follow-up: "Just a reminder, please use the new portal for bug reports."
- Cancel BugHerd subscription
Don't migrate old bugs. This is important. Your old bugs are already in BugHerd. They're probably mostly resolved anyway. Leave them there for reference. Start fresh with Lantern for new bugs going forward. Trying to migrate historical data just delays getting value from the new system.
What about historical context? If you need to reference an old bug, BugHerd remains accessible even after canceling your subscription (read-only mode). You keep access to historical data. But realistically, you'll rarely need it. Most bug tracking lookups are "what was the status of that bug from last week" not "what bugs did we fix 18 months ago."
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use both tools together?
Technically yes, but it defeats the purpose. The whole point of having a bug tracking system is centralization. Using two systems means clients don't know which one to use, bugs get split across platforms, and you're paying for two subscriptions.
Pick one, commit to it, train your clients to use that one. Splitting tools creates more problems than it solves.
Q: Does Lantern have a free trial?
Yes, 14 days free. No credit card required. You can set up your full workflow, invite clients, test the Jira integration, and decide if it works for your team. If it doesn't, cancel before day 14 and you're charged nothing.
Q: Can I import my data from BugHerd?
Currently no—BugHerd doesn't provide a clean export format, and honestly you probably don't need to. Most bugs in your old system are resolved already. Start fresh with Lantern for new bugs going forward. If you absolutely must migrate historical data, contact support@lanternhq.app and we'll figure something out, but we've never had anyone actually need this.
Q: What if clients refuse to record videos?
Some will. That's fine. They can still submit text-based bug reports in Lantern—there's a description field, they can attach screenshots, it works like a traditional bug tracker.
But in practice, most clients prefer video once they try it. Recording a 30-second Loom video is faster than typing out a detailed bug report. And they see that you fix bugs faster when you send videos (because you don't need follow-up questions), so they're incentivized to keep doing it.
Q: Does Lantern work for mobile app bugs?
Yes for web apps, no for native iOS/Android apps. Lantern is built for websites and web applications. If you're building native mobile apps, you need different tools (TestFlight for iOS beta testing, Firebase Crashlytics for crash reporting, etc.).
Q: Can non-technical clients actually use this?
That's the entire point. Non-technical clients struggle to describe bugs in text. They don't know terms like "HTTP 500 error" or "console log" or "browser cache." But they can press a button that says "Record Screen" and show you what's wrong.
Loom is extremely simple—press record, interact with the website, press stop, link is copied automatically. If your clients can send you an email, they can record a Loom video.
Real-World Example: Agency Migration
[Note: This would be a real case study once you have one. For now, here's what it would look like:]
Before (BugHerd):
- 8-person agency managing 23 client websites
- Spending ~$189/mo on BugHerd Deluxe
- Average 4-5 email exchanges per bug to understand the issue
- Clients confused by browser extension requirements
- No visibility into team performance or SLA compliance
After (Lantern):
- Same agency, same clients
- Spending $40/mo (~$40) on Lantern Team
- Average 0-1 email exchanges per bug (video shows everything)
- Clients prefer the simpler portal (no extension)
- Team lead can track response times and identify bottlenecks
Result:
- Saved $71/mo ($852/year) on subscription costs
- Saved ~10 hours/week on bug clarification emails
- Improved client satisfaction (bugs get fixed faster)
- Better team accountability (analytics show who's handling what)
Their words: "The video approach seemed gimmicky at first, but it completely changed how we handle bugs. Clients love it because reporting is faster. We love it because we actually understand the issues. And the Jira integration means our dev team never leaves Linear."
Final Verdict
Both BugHerd and Lantern are good bug tracking tools for agencies. Neither is objectively better—it depends what you value.
BugHerd is the established choice. Fourteen years old, thousands of users, proven track record. The visual pin system works well for certain workflows. If you want the safe option that you know will work, BugHerd delivers. It's just expensive and hasn't kept up with modern UX standards.
Lantern brings a different approach. Video-first bug reports eliminate the context gap that causes most debugging frustration. Modern interface feels fast and pleasant to use. Jira integration automatically creates issues with full context. Team analytics give visibility into performance. And it's significantly cheaper.
If you're starting fresh and deciding between these tools, try both. They both offer free trials. Set up a test project, have your team submit some bugs, see which workflow feels better.
If you're currently using BugHerd and wondering whether to switch: ask yourself whether video walkthroughs would save you time. If your clients already submit clear, detailed bug reports with screenshots and reproduction steps, maybe BugHerd's visual pins are sufficient. But if you're spending hours per week on "what did you mean by this?" follow-up questions, video is a massive improvement.
Our recommendation: For most agencies in 2026, Lantern is the better choice. The video approach saves more time than the visual pin approach. The Jira integration works properly. The analytics give visibility you need as you scale. And it costs half as much.
But BugHerd isn't wrong—it's just older and more expensive. If you're already using it successfully, you might not need to switch. If you're choosing a new tool, start with Lantern.
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Last updated: January 2026
Have questions about BugHerd vs Lantern? Email us at hello@lanternhq.app and we'll give you an honest answer, even if it means recommending BugHerd.
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