21 Best Jira Alternatives Reviewed in 2025
Best Jira Alternatives Shortlist
Here’s my shortlist of the best Jira alternatives:
In this article, I’ll give you my hand-picked list of top Jira alternatives to facilitate project management across all kinds of teams.
Whether you’re a small software team tracking bugs or a global marketing agency streamlining content to multiple clients worldwide, there’s a tool on this list for you.
Read on to learn how each tool stacks up next to Jira, the features that can enhance your business, and the pros and cons to help you weigh each choice.
Need expert help selecting the right tool?
In the following sections, I’ll share my thoughts on each platform, detailing its key features and discuss potential drawbacks.
What Is Jira?
Jira is a project management tool built to help teams plan, track, and manage their work. It’s used mostly by software developers, product teams, and project managers who need a way to organize tasks and workflows. Custom boards, backlog tracking, and reporting features help with managing agile projects, sprints, and team collaboration. Overall, Jira helps your team stay on top of tasks, timelines, and work progress.
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Best Jira Alternatives Summary
This comparison chart summarizes pricing details for my top Jira alternative selections to help you find the best one for your budget and business needs.
| Tool | Best For | Trial Info | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best for integrated issue tracking | Free plan available | Free to use | Website | |
| 2 | Best for prioritizing changes in Agile teams | 30-day free trial | Free plan available | Website | |
| 3 | Best for team coordination with visual task management | 30-day free trial | From $10.99/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 4 | Best for workspace flexibility and coordination | Free plan available | From $8/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 5 | Best for Kanban-style tracking and automation | 30-day free trial | From $158/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 6 | Best for bug tracking in software development | Not available | Free to use | Website | |
| 7 | Best for visual Kanban organization within small teams | 14-day free trial + free plan available | From $5/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 8 | Best for versatile project management and time tracking | 14-day-free trial + free plan available | From $7/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 9 | Best for dynamic collaboration across project types | 14-day free trial + free plan available | From $8/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 10 | Best for spreadsheet-like project management | 30-day free trial | From $9/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
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Docker
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.6 -
Pulumi
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.8 -
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Best Jira Alternatives Reviews
Below are my detailed summaries of the best Jira alternatives that made it onto my shortlist. My reviews offer a detailed look at the key features, pros & cons, integrations, and ideal use cases of each tool to help you find the best one for you.
Redmine is an open-source project management tool designed for software developers. It’s known for its integrated issue-tracking system, which is excellent for bug fixes and error tracking.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Extensive plugin library
- Highly customizable for complex projects
- Robust issue tracking
Cons:
- The interface isn’t particularly smooth and feels outdated
- Setup and configuration can be challenging for beginners
Pivotal Tracker is a project management platform that makes it easy to view and rearrange priorities. It’s great for Agile teams who struggle to prioritize shifting project demands and decide on action.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Velocity Tracking
- Unique, story-based management
- Clear view of team priorities
Cons:
- Not so well-suited to non-Agile teams
- Limited reporting options can make it difficult to quantify data
Asana is one of the most popular Jira alternatives. With a focus on visual task management and team coordination, it’s ideal for teams that need seamless project organization, tracking, and management.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Free tier and affordable premium packages for small companies
- A range of collaboration features
- Highly-visual task management
Cons:
- Advanced features are quite complex to use
- Range of features can be overwhelming
Notion is an all-in-one hub combining project management, note-taking, and data management into a single workspace. It’s very flexible and offers lots of tools for collaborative working.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Easy-to-use templates
- Blends tasks with wikis
- Highly flexible tools and collaborative spaces
Cons:
- The mobile app lacks some of the desktop features
- The range of tools feels overwhelming at first
Kanbanize is a project management tool designed specifically for Kanban-style project management. It combines Kanban-style boards with built-in automation to streamline workflows.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Insightful analytics
- Built-in automation
- Incredible Kanban system
Cons:
- Very expensive for small teams
- Unsuitable for non-Kanban workflows
Bugzilla is an open-source tool with a strong focus on big tracking. It’s a great Jira alternative for software development and quality assurance teams.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Strong security features
- Highly-customizable features
- Automatic bug detection and powerful tracking
Cons:
- The user interface is a little old-fashioned
- Setup can be challenging and time-consuming
Trello is a well-known project management tool, famous for its Kanban-style boards, lists, and cards that make it easy to organize tasks.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good collaboration features
- Flexible and responsive to varied workflows
- Simple, intuitive Kanban system
Cons:
- The dashboard can feel cluttered when projects become too complex
- There are limited reporting tools compared to more sophisticated platforms
While it functions slightly differently, ClickUp is a very adaptable Jira alternative. It specializes in versatile project management, helping teams coordinate, automate, execute, and track projects.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Built-in time tracking tool
- Advanced automation
- Detailed task customization and various view options
Cons:
- Mobile app isn’t as smooth as the desktop version
- Searchability is a little clunky
monday.com is a project management platform flexible enough for most types of projects. Designed to facilitate collaboration, the colorful dashboard team features make it easy to keep complex projects on track.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Intuitive, colorful interface
- Reliable, customizable automations
- Extremely versatile and flexible
Cons:
- Users have reported occasional performance issues with large projects
- Steep learning curve
Smartsheet uses a spreadsheet-like format to deliver project management capabilities. It caters perfectly to teams familiar with organizing work in a tabular format.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Advanced resource management
- Robust automation capabilities
- Familiar spreadsheet interface
Cons:
- Basic plans lack task dependencies
- High learning curve for complex features
Other Jira Alternatives
Here are some additional Jira alternatives that didn’t make it onto my shortlist, but are still worth checking out:
- Wrike
For comprehensive, high-security project management
- Basecamp
For simplifying communication and collaboration for remote teams
- Zoho Projects
For extensive integrations for diverse teams
- ProofHub
For simple project management for small to mid-sized teams
- Backlog
For combining project management with bug tracking
- Planview LeanKit
For streamlining workflows for lean enterprise teams
- ActiveCollab
For small business and solopreneur task management
- SpiraTeam
For integrated Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) for software testing
- Rally Software
For enterprise-scale Agile project management
- GitLab
For integrated DevOps lifecycle management for software developers
- Azure DevOps
For end-to-end development solutions in the Microsoft ecosystem
Jira Alternatives Selection Criteria
Here’s a brief rundown of the primary selection and evaluation criteria I employed to compile my list of top Jira alternatives for this article:
Core Functionality
I compared the whole spectrum of project management software to find tools that offer reliable, easy-to-follow task tracking and management systems.
Here are the basic functionalities I was looking for that would enable these tools to replace Jira:
- Effective project and task management solutions
- Issue tracking and resolution capabilities
- Agile project management support
- Project visualization tools
- Integration with development tools
Key Features
Here are the key features a tool needs to make it anywhere near my list of Jira alternatives:
- Customizable workflows: To match Jira’s capabilities, you need tools that tailor workflows to your team’s processes. Extra points for automation.
- A range of collaborative features: Tools should offer flexible, efficient ways for teams and stakeholders to discuss projects and receive updates.
- Reporting and analytics: Without advanced analytics, you’ll struggle to make accurate decisions based on real-time data.
- Flexible tools and platform: Your team should be able to personalize and customize tools and features to meet the unique requirements of different projects
- Intuitive interface: User-friendly tools and straightforward navigation make learning and adapting quickly easy for teams.
Usability
A user-friendly project management software facilitates onboarding, so your teams can quickly adapt to leverage the tool's capabilities.
I look for tools that offer:
- A user-friendly interface and intuitive navigation
- Clear and extensive documentation and support resources
- Efficient and straightforward setup and management processes
- Compatibility with existing tools and workflows
Scalability
You need a tool that can scale with your team’s requirements and project complexities to adapt and grow.
Here's what I focused on when considering scalability:
- Dynamic user limits: Tools that can scale user volumes as your teams grow and shrink
- Feature scalability: Tools that offer more advanced features as projects scale in complexity
- Performance consistency: Reliable network performance, no matter the size or complexity of the project or team
- Storage capacity: Tools that offer scalable storage to upgrade and downgrade depending on data cycles
Price
Don’t let price keep you tied to Jira. My list offers a range of pricing models that accommodate all sizes of companies.
I specifically choose tools that have the following:
- Transparent pricing models with no hidden charges
- Flexible pricing options to accommodate changing needs and usage patterns
Why Look for a Jira Alternative?
Initially designed for software development, Jira has evolved into a comprehensive solution for project management.
While famous for its strengths in Agile project management, Jira is a versatile tool. It’s designed to manage tasks and workflows and monitor project progress, regardless of your project methodology.
While Jira certainly has its benefits, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. It can be somewhat of a hard nut to crack, and its reliable interface isn’t particularly user-friendly.
If your business is on an upward trajectory, its price tag might make you reconsider, especially as it can skyrocket up to $12,000 a year for larger teams.
Jira is a favorite among software development teams, but it might be a little too overbearing for freelancers or non-tech experts.
Jira Key Features
Here are some of the key features of Jira, to help you contrast and compare what alternative solutions offer:
- Agile boards: You can use Kanban and Scrum boards to manage and track your team’s workflows visually.
- Backlog management: Your team can organize and prioritize tasks in a dedicated backlog space.
- Custom workflows: You can design workflows that match your team’s specific project stages and processes.
- Issue tracking: You can create, assign, and follow up on tasks, bugs, and tickets all in one place.
- Project templates: Your team can get started faster with built-in templates for different project types.
- Automation rules: You can reduce repetitive tasks by setting up simple if-this-then-that automations.
- Advanced search: You can use filters and queries to find specific issues, tasks, or updates quickly.
- Reports and dashboards: You get access to visual reports and charts that help your team track progress and spot bottlenecks.
- Permissions and roles: You can control who sees and edits what with detailed user permissions.
- Third-party integrations: You can connect Jira with tools like Slack, GitHub, and Confluence to fit into your team’s existing workflow.
Now that Jira’s sorted, what next?
Sure, Jira’s a big name. But it’s not suitable for everyone.
On one end of the scale, it lacks the flexibility for large, complex, overlapping projects and teams. Conversely, it can be expensive for small businesses in their early growth phases.
This list should offer at least a few Jira service management alternatives that focus on your specific requirements. Don’t forget to check out the extra options under my top twelve.
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