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Comparison · PM

Float vs Redmine

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Float and Redmine — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Float vs Redmine: at a glance

FeatureFloatRedmine
SectorPMPM
Velocity score6.32.5
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesresource-management, scheduling, ai-matching, rate-cardsissue tracking, self-hosted, security patching, webhooks
Last editorial update7d ago29d ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Float?

Float adds AI experience profiles and multi-currency rate cards — expanding from scheduling into project economics.

Float is a resource scheduling and time-tracking platform for agencies and professional services teams, shipping roughly every 2–3 weeks. The last 90 days show two substantive sparks: AI-powered experience profiles that surface who on the team has done similar work before, and multi-currency rate cards that bring consistent billing across clients and regions. Supporting releases added a dedicated Rates tab, Zapier project templates, people codes, and new API endpoints for project templates and rate cards.

Read the full Float trajectory →

What is Redmine?

Twenty years in, Redmine is on a disciplined security-patch cadence behind its first major release since 6.0.

Redmine shipped 7.0.0 at the end of June with webhook triggers, a Rails 8 migration, and a header redesign, then followed it eight weeks later with 7.0.1 alongside backports to the 6.1 and 6.0 branches. That August release fixes five security defects, including a session-affecting API flaw and a stored XSS in the Textile formatter, and lands them on all three supported series at once. Alongside the real releases the feed also carries version-index wiki pages captured as entries, which are crawl artifacts rather than releases.

Read the full Redmine trajectory →

Float vs Redmine: editorial side-by-side

F6.3

Float adds AI experience profiles and multi-currency rate cards — expanding from scheduling into project economics.

◆ Current state

Float is a resource scheduling and time-tracking platform for agencies and professional services teams, shipping roughly every 2–3 weeks. The last 90 days show two substantive sparks: AI-powered experience profiles that surface who on the team has done similar work before, and multi-currency rate cards that bring consistent billing across clients and regions. Supporting releases added a dedicated Rates tab, Zapier project templates, people codes, and new API endpoints for project templates and rate cards.

◆ Where it's heading

Float is building the financial layer of resource management — rate cards, multi-currency support, and a Rates tab form a coherent billing workflow that didn't exist six months ago. In parallel, AI experience profiles signal entry into talent-matching territory: the product can now answer 'who has done this type of work before' rather than just 'who is available.' These two vectors together position Float as a project economics tool, not just a scheduling view. The API expansion follows the financial features, suggesting partner and integration investment.

◆ Prediction

The most likely next move is connecting AI experience profiles directly into project assignment — auto-suggesting matches during scheduling based on past work. On the billing side, rate card data likely feeds a revenue or margin reporting view as the next logical release.

Redmine logo2.5

Twenty years in, Redmine is on a disciplined security-patch cadence behind its first major release since 6.0.

◆ Current state

Redmine shipped 7.0.0 at the end of June with webhook triggers, a Rails 8 migration, and a header redesign, then followed it eight weeks later with 7.0.1 alongside backports to the 6.1 and 6.0 branches. That August release fixes five security defects, including a session-affecting API flaw and a stored XSS in the Textile formatter, and lands them on all three supported series at once. Alongside the real releases the feed also carries version-index wiki pages captured as entries, which are crawl artifacts rather than releases.

◆ Where it's heading

The maintenance pattern is consistent and easy to read: coordinated multi-branch security releases roughly every two to three months, with the newest series also collecting performance and API work. Redmine 7.0.1 adds project information to the wiki page list API and fixes an OAuth2-related user deletion bug, so the 7.0 branch is absorbing polish rather than new capability. The three-branch support window is holding steady as 5.1 drops off the list.

◆ Prediction

Expect the next coordinated release to cover 7.0, 6.1, and 6.0 on the same schedule, with continued API and OAuth2 refinement on the 7.0 branch rather than new features before 7.1.

Alternatives to Float and Redmine

Other PM products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Float or Redmine.

See all Float alternatives → · See all Redmine alternatives →

Recent activity from Float and Redmine

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 1mo agoFloatFloat is the #1 resource management software, 8 seasons running
  2. 1mo agoRedmineRedmine 7.0.1, 6.1.4 and 6.0.11 released
  3. 1mo agoFloatRates tab, Zapier project templates, and people code
  4. 1mo agoFloatSmart insights: know who’s done this work before, with AI experience profiles ⚡
  5. 1mo agoFloatNew API endpoints: project templates and rate cards, and Zapier project updates
  6. 2mo agoFloatRate cards and multi-currency: consistent billing across every client and region ⚡
  7. 2mo agoFloatA new look: updates to the sidebar navigation
  8. 2mo agoRedmineRedmine 7.0.0 is now available ⚡
  9. 3mo agoRedmineRedmine 6.1.3, 6.0.10 and 5.1.13 released
  10. 6mo agoRedmineRedmine 6.1.2, 6.0.9 and 5.1.12 released
  11. 6mo agoRedmine1.1.x series
  12. 6mo agoRedmine1.4.x series

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Float and Redmine?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Float is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Float better than Redmine?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Float is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other PM products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Float?

Top Float alternatives in PM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Float alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/float for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Redmine?

Top Redmine alternatives in PM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Redmine alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/redmine for the full list with editorial commentary on each.