Open-source management tools typically don't need customization

That "hidden yet unavoidable price" of customizing the code isn't at all hidden! Any manager realizes that assigning a technical resource to "customize" something has an entirely NON-hidden cost.

Re: Open source management-tool alternatives hit the mark.

It's just a matter of asking if the added features/functionality is worth the cost. If you have programmers on-staff, you should already be equipped to evaluate this sort of cost/benefit question.

Also note that in many cases, such customization is entirely unnecessary: all the functionality you need (and usually more) is included out-of-the-box.

If there *WERE* commonly-desired features absent from these tools, then this so-called "review" would be sadly deficient: we'd need to know how easy they are to modify.