10 Jira Alternatives to Transform Your Project Management

If you’re part of an Agile software development team, then you’re probably no stranger to Jira. As one of the most popular project management tools for developers and IT teams, Jira is a robust platform with a lot of powerful features.

But just because Jira is wildly popular with Agile teams doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for every team.

And lucky for you, there are many Jira alternatives with better UX design and similar features that are easier to learn and less expensive.

Below, we’ll dive into 10 of the top Jira alternatives out there today. But first, let’s look at what all the hype is about.

An overview of Jira

Created by Atlassian, Jira is one of the most popular software project management tools out there that Agile teams use to plan, track, release, and report. Built with every member of the software team in mind, Jira offers a variety of features and integrations that teams can use to manage their product roadmap all in one location.

Features:

• Stay on track to achieve your goals with basic and advanced project roadmaps.
• Automate tasks and processes with built-in rule templates to get started quickly.
• Use Scrum or Kanban boards to stay focused on project deadlines and deliverables.
• Get out-of-the-box Agile reports with real-time, actionable insights.
• Design workflows for every initiative and project to plan, track, and release software.
• Integrate Jira with Confluence, Trello, Bitbucket, Slack, Google, Zoom, and more.

Why you may want an alternative: While Jira is a power-packed tool, it may be too complex for your team’s projects and needs. There can be a learning curve, and you may find it takes time to configure the interface to meet your needs.

1. Asana

Asana is a popular Jira alternative that’s built for all types of teams, not just software development. Its project management tools help you stay organized and connected while customizing and automating workflows. With 100+ integrations, Asana also plays well with a lot of the tools you may already be using, including Slack, Google Drive, Outlook, Zoom, Zapier, and many more.

Features:

• Manage projects from start to finish with projects, tasks, subtasks, and milestones.
• Assign tasks to specific people and specify due date and time.
• Project views allow you to visualize your work in a board, list, timeline, or calendar view.
• Attach files from your computer, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
• Use easy-to-fill forms to document and organize work requests.
• Automate important actions in your processes using rules.
• Create custom project templates to quickly and easily get to work.
• Access an inbox for automatic updates about projects, conversations, and tasks.

Why You Want It: Asana is beautiful and easy to use. The interface is intuitive, making it simple for your team to learn how to navigate and use it with confidence.

Price: Basic plan available for free. Paid plans start at $13.49/user/month.

2. Wrike

Recognized by Forrester as a leader in project management, Wrike is an all-in-one project management tool that helps teams maximize performance and growth while improving collaboration and the customer experience. With 400+ app integrations, Wrike works with many of the tools you may already be using, including Salesforce, QuickBooks, HubSpot, Outlook, Google Drive, and ADP.

Features:

• Customize dashboards, workflows, request forms, tasks, and more.
• Share files, tasks, calendars, and reports instantly.
• Visualize plans, tasks, and progress with Gantt charts and Kanban boards.
• Use pre-built workflows for product delivery, onboarding, and more to get started quickly.
• Ensure no feedback gets overlooked with visual proofing and a record of changes.
• Automate the approval process by notifying the right people when the task is ready.
• Track time manually or use a timer to track billable hours.
• Get real-time insights to help you visualize progress and team performance.

Why You Want It: Wrike gives you everything you need to manage any type of project in one space, eliminating the need to switch between different apps. If you use a lot of other software that you plan on connecting to your project management tool, Wrike may be the best choice for you, given its many integrations.

Price: Free plan available for up to 5 users. Paid plans start at $9.80/user/month for 5-200 users.

3. Trello

Owned by Atlassian, Trello is another popular Jira alternative for Agile teams (and every other kind of team!) Trello provides simplicity and visibility that just can’t be beat. This platform makes it easy to clearly see all projects, who is working on what, and the next steps to move the project forward.

Features:

• Keep everything you need to know about a project on one card, which can be managed, tracked, and shared with teammates.
• Drag and drop cards from one project stage to the next.
• Break down bigger card tasks into steps and include file attachments, previews, reminders, checklists, and comments.
• Use a timeline view for project planning or a calendar view for time management.
• Take advantage of Butler, Trello’s built-in automation to reduce the number of tedious tasks on your project board.
• Access a variety of templates for business, design, education, engineering, marketing, and more.
• Use the web, desktop, or mobile apps (available on iOS and Android).
• Integrate with tools such as Slack, Dropbox, Confluence, Google Drive, and Evernote.

Why You Want It: Trello is easy to use and has a small learning curve for teams that want to be up and running with a project management tool quickly.

Price: Free plans available. Paid plans start at $10/user/month, billed annually.

4. ClickUp

ClickUp is one of the more simple and intuitive Jira alternatives on the list. Marketed as “one app to replace them all,” ClickUp brings together everything you need to get stuff done, including to-do lists, reminders, email and chat, spreadsheets, docs and wikis, goal tracking, time tracking, and resource management.

Features:

• Customize workflows to fit each project by using multiple assignees, task dependencies, and recurring checklists.
• Filter, search, and sort tasks quickly to find exactly what you’re looking for.
• View tasks using boards, lists, Gantt, or calendar views.
• Access customizable templates for spaces, projects, lists, tasks, and more.
• Track time right within ClickUp, and generate reports including notes, billable time, and timesheets.
• Create and collaborate on wikis and docs in ClickUp, keeping it all in one place.
• Use dropdown custom fields to set unique point values for each task, making it easy to measure Scrum points in each sprint.
• Integrate with 1,000+ tools you already use every day like Dropbox, Zapier, Google Drive, Salesforce, Slack, Zoom, Outlook, and more.

Why You Want It: If you’re on a budget or looking for a totally free tool, ClickUp is the best option on this list. The free plan offers unlimited users, so you can really dive into the tool before investing.

Price: A Free Forever plan is available and paid plans start at $9/month/user.

5. ProofHub

ProofHub is one of the most popular Jira alternatives because it offers many of the same features that Jira does but for a flat rate (no per-user fee). With all the tools you need for your team to deliver your projects on time, ProofHub brings together your teams, projects, and clients in one convenient space.

Features:

• Assign tasks to multiple team members and prioritize by setting deadlines.
• Plan projects and visualize tasks with Gantt charts and Kanban boards.
• Share feedback, ideas, and information in discussion threads with @ mentions.
• Send direct messages or start a group chat for quick conversations and feedback.
• Track time spent on tasks with timers or manual time entries.
• Create project templates to create new projects without starting from scratch.
• Integrate with FreshBooks, Google Calendar, Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive.
• Manage your projects and collaborate on the go with a mobile application.

Why You Want It: ProofHub has an attractive and intuitive interface that can be easier to learn than Jira. It also offers a flat rate fee instead of a per-user fee, making it more affordable for some teams.

Price: The essential plan starts at $50/month, billed monthly, with a free trial available.

6. Pivotal Tracker

Built specifically for software teams, Pivotal Tracker is a tool that provides a single view of all priorities on the same page. Having that bird’s-eye view of your projects makes it easy to see which tasks need to be completed.

Features:

• Track and prioritize tasks in just a few clicks.
• Get a single view of your entire project and its tasks.
• Use the tracker to calculate your team’s velocity and provide an honest view of your team’s future based on past work.
• Access a live dashboard to see project progress and pending work.
• Drag and drop files from your computer or attach from Google Drive.
• Label, organize, and monitor stories with searchable labels.
• See where your roadblocks are by using story blockers so you can collaborate to resolve issues.
• Get a full project history of everything that’s happened from day 1.

Why You Want It: Pivotal Tracker is a budget-friendly option, especially if you have a team of 10 people or less. This tool is also packed with a ton of powerful features that make customizing your workflow quick and easy.

Price: A free plan is available; paid plans start at $10 per month for 6-10 collaborators.

7. Basecamp

Starting up in the early 2000s, Basecamp is a long-standing project management tool that gives Jira a run for its money. The greatest advantage of Basecamp is that it brings everything you need together in one platform, so you no longer have to switch between apps to get work done. This saves you both time and money, potentially allowing you to get rid of tools such as Slack and Dropbox.

Features:

• Keep all project work in one place — people, discussions, documents, files, tasks, dates, and more.
• Create task lists where you can assign items, set due dates, and have discussions.
• Use the message board to organize announcements, updates, ideas, and feedback.
• Share and organize docs, files, images, and spreadsheets in labeled folders.
• Set important dates on a shared schedule, including events subscribed to on Google Cal, iCal, or Outlook.
• Talk with teammates through a real-time group chat.
• Create recurring questions each week for automatic check-ins with team members.
• Keep projects on track with hill charts.

Why You Want It: Basecamp has almost everything you need to manage projects. It also has a ton of different collaboration tools that makes it easy for teams to work together without switching between apps.

Price: Basecamp Personal is free but limited, and Basecamp Business is a flat-rate fee of $99/month.

8. Bugzilla

Developed by the team that brought you Mozilla, Bugzilla is a web-based bug tracking tool that’s robust, full of features, and trusted by world leaders in technology. Bugzilla is under active development and is often used in high-volume, high-complexity environments like Mozilla. It may be free, but it still has powerful features.

Features:

• Use advanced search capabilities, including time-based searches and other specific queries.
• Get advanced bug database reports with table, line graph, bar graph, or pie chart views.
• Track hours spent working on bugs and set deadlines for bug fixes.
• Use the request system to ask other team members to help with bug fixes.
• Get a colorful view of any patch attached to a bug with the Patch Viewer.
• Build a custom workflow by editing the default list of bug statuses and resolutions to meet your needs.
• Define which group of users can edit or see specific bugs.
• Use Sanity Check to scan your database for inconsistencies and report errors.

Why You Want It: If you’re looking for a robust, open-source bug tracking tool, then Bugzilla might be just what you need. It’s also 100% free, which is a plus for the budget-conscious.

Price: Free

9. Digital.ai Agility

Digital.ai Agility markets itself as a scalable, enterprise-grade Agile lifecycle management platform built to help Agile teams develop better software faster. This comprehensive and versatile tool supports Agile methodologies, including Kanban, Scrum, XP, and Lean.

Features:

• View progression of work and track development status through Kanban boards and other visualization tools.
• Bring the team together in a single environment with conversations, dedicated planning rooms, and communities.
• Access Agile metrics and analytics to track progress and performance at team and portfolio levels.
• Support the core competencies of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe®).
• Integrate with Agile team tools like Atlassian Jira, ServiceNow, and Microsoft Azure DevOps.

Why You Want It: Unlike Jira, Digital.ai Agility provides built-in support for Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). It also supports a variety of report types that can be customized based on your needs.

Price: Offers a 30-day free trial, but you have to request pricing.

10. Redmine

Written using the Ruby on Rails framework, Redmine is a cross-platform, cross-database project management web application. Redmine offers developers a flexible tool to track projects while tracking and addressing bugs and other issues.

Features:

• Supports multiple projects with flexible role-based access control.
• Access a Gantt chart and calendar view.
• Manage documents and files within the application.
• Use a wiki and forum for each project.
• Track time manually at both the issue and project level.
• Get multi-language support beyond English.
• Customize your dashboard to meet your needs.
• Integrate with SVN, CVS, and Git.

Why You Want It: Redmine is a free, open-source tool, making it easily accessible to freelance developers.

Price: Free

Choosing the best Jira alternative

As with any business tool, the best one for you will depend on your team’s needs and budget. Many of the Jira alternatives above have a free version or offer a free trial, so test a few out before you make a decision. (You’re going to be in your project management tool every day, so you should love it!)

While you’re testing new platforms out, be sure to check out some of the deals AppSumo is running on project management software. Beesbusy and Bloo are just two of the tools we’re currently running deals on.