Best Jira Alternatives in 2025: Compare Features, Pricing, and Use Cases

Let’s face it—Jira is like that one friend who’s amazing at solving complex problems but insists on using a 20-step process for everything. Sure, it’s powerful, reliable, and wildly popular in the project management world, but not every team thrives on its rigid structure and steep learning curve.

The good news? There’s a whole world of project management tools out there designed to make your life easier. In this guide, we’ll explore the top Jira alternatives.

The best Jira alternative:

Kanban and task management tools

• Trello
• Asana
• Monday.com
• Hive
• Taskade
• Notion
• ClickUp

Agile and Scrum tools

• Zoho Sprints
• Hygger
• Backlog by Nulab
• Shortcut
• Targetprocess
• VersionOne
• YouTrack
• Taiga

Comprehensive project management platforms

• Wrike
• Smartsheet
• ProofHub
• Basecamp
• Aha!
• OpenProject

Bug and issue tracking tools

• Bugzilla
• Pivotal Tracker
• Redmine
• YouTrack
• Linear

IT service management

• ServiceNow
• DevRev
• Zendesk

Developer-centric tools

• GitLab
• GitHub Projects
• Microsoft Azure DevOps
• Assembla

The detailed list of Jira competitors

Here’s a more detailed look at the best Jira alternatives:

Kanban and task management tools

Trello

• Best for: simple task tracking and visual project management
• Used by: small to medium-sized teams across various industries
• Starting price: free; paid plans start at $5 per user/month

Asana

• Best for: no-frills project management
• Used by: marketing, IT operations, leadership teams
• Starting price: free; premium plans start at $10.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Monday.com

• Best for: workflow automation with a focus on usability
• Used by: marketing, product, sales, IT operations, PMO, HR teams
• Starting price: plans start at $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Hive

• Best for: agile management with AI project planner
• Used by: project management, marketing teams
• Starting price: plans start at $12 per user/month

Taskade

• Best for: real-time workspace for tasks and video collaboration
• Used by: project management, marketing teams
• Starting price: free; paid plans start at $5 per user/month

Notion

• Best for: content-centric workflow management
• Used by: design, engineering, product managers
• Starting price: free for personal use; team plans start at $8 per user/month (billed annually)

ClickUp

• Best for: advanced AI-enabled project management
• Used by: teams across the organization
• Starting price: free; paid plans start at $5 per user/month

Agile and Scrum tools

Zoho Sprints

• Best for: agile project management with Scrum focus
• Used by: agile software development teams
• Starting price: plans start at $3 per user/month for up to 100 users

Hygger

• Best for: prioritizing and managing Agile projects
• Used by: Scrum and Kanban teams
• Starting price: free; paid plans start at $7 per user/month

Backlog by Nulab

• Best for: project management combined with issue tracking and version control
• Used by: quality assurance, UX and design, development, product management, IT, sales, marketing teams
• Starting price: free for up to 10 users; paid plans start at $35 per month

Shortcut

• Best for: Agile project management for software teams
• Used by: software development teams
• Starting price: free for up to 10 users; paid plans start at $8.50 per user/month

Targetprocess

• Best for: visual management for Agile teams
• Used by: Agile software development teams
• Starting price: custom pricing; contact for details

VersionOne

• Best for: enterprise Agile project management
• Used by: large Agile software development teams
• Starting price: custom pricing; contact for details

YouTrack

• Best for: issue tracking and project management with Agile support
• Used by: Agile software development teams
• Starting price: free for up to 10 users; paid plans start at $4.40 per user/month

Taiga

• Best for: Agile project management with Scrum and Kanban support
• Used by: Agile software development teams
• Starting price: free for public projects; private projects start at $5 per user/month

Comprehensive project management platforms

Wrike

• Best for: complex project management needs
• Used by: marketing, professional services, PMO, creative and design teams
• Starting price: free; professional plans start at $9.80 per user/month

Smartsheet

• Best for: project management in an Excel-like interface
• Used by: project management, IT operations, strategic planning, marketing
• Starting price: plans start at $7 per user/month (billed annually)

ProofHub

• Best for: all-in-one project planning needs
• Used by: product development, marketing, creative and design, sales teams
• Starting price: plans start at $45 per month (billed annually)

Basecamp

• Best for: all-in-one project planning and team collaboration
• Used by: small to large teams across various industries
• Starting price: $99 per month flat fee for unlimited users and projects

Aha!

• Best for: product roadmap and strategy planning
• Used by: product managers, marketing teams
• Starting price: plans start at $59 per user/month

OpenProject

• Best for: open-source project management software
• Used by: project management teams across various industries
• Starting price: free; paid plans start at €4.95 per user/month

Bug and issue tracking tools

Bugzilla

• Best for: managing software builds with bug-tracking capabilities
• Used by: software development teams
• Starting price: free

Pivotal Tracker

• Best for: iterative project progress tracking for development teams
• Used by: Agile software teams
• Starting price: free for up to 5 collaborators; paid plans available

Redmine

• Best for: flexible project management web application
• Used by: project management teams across various industries
• Starting price: free

Linear

• Best for: issue tracking and project management for software teams
• Used by: software development teams
• Starting price: plans start at $8 per user/month

IT service management

ServiceNow

• Best for: IT service management and enterprise solutions
• Used by: IT departments, large enterprises
• Starting price: custom pricing; contact for details

DevRev

• Best for: AI-native project management and customer-centric development
• Used by: product and engineering teams
• Starting price: plans start at $9.99 per user/month

Zendesk

• Best for: customer service integrated into project management
• Used by: customer support teams
• Starting price: plans start at $49 per agent/month

Developer-centric tools

GitLab

• Best for: integrated DevOps platform with project management features
• Used by: software development teams
• Starting price: free; premium plans start at $19 per user/month

GitHub Projects

• Best for: project management integrated with GitHub repositories
• Used by: software development teams
• Starting price: free; GitHub Team plans start at $4 per user/month

Microsoft Azure DevOps

• Best for: comprehensive set of development tools and services
• Used by: software development teams
• Starting price: free for up to 5 users; additional users start at $6 per user/month

Assembla

• Best for: integrating source code with project management
• Used by: software development teams
• Starting price: plans start at $12 per user/month

Boosting Jira’s efficiency with Planyway

If Jira is the engine driving your projects, Planyway is the turbocharger that makes everything run smoother, faster, and more efficiently. Designed to seamlessly integrate into Jira, Planyway transforms the way you plan, manage, and visualize your work. Here’s why it’s the ultimate upgrade for your Jira setup:

1. Visualize your work with Timeline and Calendar

Jira’s default views work well for issue tracking, but they’re not always ideal for viewing the big picture. Planyway introduces intuitive timeline, calendar and time tracking views that let you see the big picture, manage dependencies, and track progress in real time.

2. Streamline resource management

Juggling multiple projects and team members? Planyway helps you allocate resources efficiently, avoid bottlenecks, and ensure no one is overloaded—or underutilized thanks to the workload view.

3. Plan across teams and projects

Break down silos by visualizing work across different teams and projects in one place. Whether it’s marketing, design, or development, everyone can stay on the same page without switching tools.

4. Track deadlines without the hassle

With Planyway, deadlines are front and center. Use drag-and-drop scheduling to adjust tasks on the fly, and let Planyway do the heavy lifting when it comes to keeping your team on track.

5. Easy-to-use and fully customizable

Unlike Jira’s sometimes overwhelming interface, Planyway is designed with simplicity in mind. Customize your views and set up workflows that fit your team’s unique needs—no coding required.

Why consider alternatives to Jira?

Jira has earned its reputation as a powerhouse for software development teams, but let’s be real—it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Here’s why some teams are exploring other options:

1. Steep learning curve

Jira’s rich feature set is both a blessing and a curse. For new team members or those less tech-savvy, navigating Jira can feel like learning a foreign language. Alternatives often provide a more intuitive, user-friendly experience.

2. Overkill for smaller teams

While Jira is perfect for large-scale projects and enterprise-level organizations, smaller teams may find it overwhelming, with too many features they don’t need—and don’t want to pay for.

3. Pricing that adds up

Let’s talk budget. Jira’s pricing is scalable, but as your team grows or your needs expand, costs can escalate quickly. Many alternatives offer competitive pricing with similar—or even better—functionality.

4. Limited customization for non-developers

Jira excels at development workflows but might not fit seamlessly for marketing, design, or operations teams. Flexible alternatives cater to diverse needs across various industries.

5. Time-consuming setup and maintenance

Setting up Jira workflows and integrations takes time—often more than you’d expect. Alternatives focus on simplicity, allowing you to get up and running faster without sacrificing functionality.

Why stick with Jira?

Let’s give credit where it’s due—Jira isn’t one of the most widely-used project management tools for nothing. It has some incredible strengths that make it an irreplaceable asset for many teams. Here’s why you might want to stay loyal to Jira:

1. Unmatched scalability

From startups to enterprise-level giants, Jira scales effortlessly with your team’s growth. Whether you’re managing 10 tasks or 10,000, it can handle the workload without breaking a sweat.

2. Powerful for developers

If you’re in software development, Jira is a dream come true. Its advanced tracking, agile boards, and seamless integration with tools like Bitbucket and GitHub make it a no-brainer for dev teams.

3. Extensive marketplace of add-ons

With thousands of plugins and integrations available in the Atlassian Marketplace, you can customize Jira to fit your team’s specific needs. Need better resource management, Gantt charts, or time tracking? There’s an app for that (spoiler alert: Planyway is one of them).

4. Robust reporting and dashboards

Jira’s reporting capabilities are second to none. Burnup charts, velocity tracking, and customizable dashboards give you full visibility into your projects, empowering you to make data-driven decisions.

5. Global community and support

Jira’s massive user base means there’s always someone who has tackled the same issue you’re facing. The active community forums, knowledge base, and Atlassian support ensure you’re never left in the dark.

Conclusion

When it comes to project management, the right tools can make all the difference. While Jira remains a powerhouse for many teams, it’s not always the perfect fit for everyone. Exploring alternatives can open up a world of possibilities, offering tools that are simpler, more intuitive, or better suited to your team’s unique needs.

But for those who love Jira’s capabilities and want to address its limitations, tools like Planyway provide the perfect middle ground. By enhancing Jira with powerful features like timeline views, resource management, and cross-team planning, Planyway turns Jira into an all-in-one solution that adapts to your workflow—not the other way around.

About the Author

Violetta Chernobuk is a skilled content strategist and writer at Planyway, specializing in crafting insightful and engaging articles on productivity and project management. With her keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of user needs, Violetta ensures that every piece of content is both informative and inspiring, helping readers optimize their workflows and stay ahead in their projects.