Best Jira Alternatives in 2024

Jira can be a bit much, especially if you’re looking for something simpler or more flexible. If you’ve been using Jira for your projects but feel like it’s too complicated or not really working for your team anymore, don’t worry—there are plenty of other great tools out there. Whether you want easier reporting, better ways to work together, or just a tool that feels less confusing, there are alternatives that can make your life easier.

Why You Might Need an Alternative to Jira

Jira’s popular with a lot of teams, but it’s not perfect for everyone. Here are a few reasons why you might be thinking about switching:

• Too complicated for smaller projects: Jira is great for big, complex projects, but if your team has smaller or less technical projects, it might feel like overkill.
• Hard to learn and use: A lot of people find Jira tricky to set up and navigate, especially if they’re not super technical. It can take time to figure out how everything works.
• Can get expensive: As your team grows or you need more advanced features, Jira’s costs can really add up.

List of Jira Alternatives

Below is a list of Jira alternatives, each offering different features.

• Breeze
• Asana
• Microsoft Planner
• Microsoft Project
• Taiga
• Zoho Projects
• Zoho Sprints
• Trello
• Redmine
• Wrike
• GitLab
• Pivotal Tracker
• YouTrack

1. Breeze

• Pricing: Simple pricing at $10 per user per month, with all features included. You can save 10% with a yearly plan
• Rating: 4.4/5 on Capterra

If you're in the market for a project management tool that's simpler and more intuitive than Jira, Breeze is the best option. User-friendly interface offers a clear view of project timelines, making it easy to prioritize tasks. Breeze allows teams to quickly adjust timelines and milestones, helping them stay agile.

Unlike Jira's more complex setup, Breeze streamlines collaboration with real-time updates, task comments, and file sharing, keeping your team in sync. With automatic notifications and reminders, Breeze ensures that deadlines are met and no tasks slip through the cracks.

Why Breeze is the Best Alternative to Jira:

• Straightforward task management that’s easier to navigate compared to Jira's more complex setup.
• Instant updates through real-time notifications to keep everyone aligned.
• Centralized communication with easy-to-use task comments and file sharing.
• Flexible workflows that can be customized, including recurring tasks for consistent processes.
• Project reporting and insights without the steep learning curve or overwhelming features found in Jira.

Learn about the key differences between Breeze and Jira. See our Breeze vs Jira comparison.

What People Think About Breeze:

"The best thing about Breeze is it's minimalist approach. The platform is super light which makes it easy to use and everything functions without unnecessary loading times."

Source: Capterra

2. Asana

• Pricing: Free for basic use, with premium features starting at $10.99 per user per month
• Rating: 4.5/5 on Capterra

Asana is a project management tool with ease of use and visual flexibility, making it a strong alternative to Jira’s complex setup. While Jira is feature-rich but often difficult to navigate, Asana delivers a user-friendly experience and customizable task views that cater to various team sizes and projects.

Why Asana is a Good Alternative to Jira:

• Offers diverse task views like timelines, calendars, and workload overviews for simpler project tracking.
• Enables workflow automation and powerful reporting without the clutter or confusion often found in Jira.
• Supports task dependencies and clear project phase tracking.
• Combines task assignments, prioritization, and team communication in an easy-to-navigate platform.

If you're interested in tools similar to Asana then we have made a list of Asana alternatives.

What People Think About Asana:

"Really excellent from start to finish, it syncs easily with our Google calendar workspaces, our time tracking softwares, it has helped our business grow, get organised and far more efficient. It's invaluable and we love it also from a personal organisation point of view now as well as professionally"

Source: Capterra

3. Microsoft Planner

• Pricing: Included in Microsoft 365 plans, starting at $5 per user per month
• Rating: 4.3/5 on Capterra

For teams invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, Microsoft Planner is a good alternative to Jira. It offers task management without the complexity. While it doesn’t have Jira’s range of advanced features, Microsoft Planner’s integration with tools like Teams, SharePoint, and Outlook makes it a strong choice for smaller teams looking for basic task organization and collaboration.

Why Microsoft Planner is a Good Alternative to Jira:

• Integrated with the Microsoft 365 suite, including Teams, SharePoint, and Outlook, ensuring easy collaboration across apps.
• Uses a Kanban-style layout with boards, buckets, and cards for straightforward task organization.
• Designed for small to medium-sized teams, offering simplicity where Jira’s features may be too much.
• Directly links tasks with other productivity tools within the Microsoft environment, streamlining workflows.

What People Think About Microsoft Planner:

"For task management it is a super good tool, it is very complete and the integration with 365 due to being from the same manufacturer makes it one of the most complete and easy on the market"

Source: Capterra

4. Microsoft Project

• Pricing: Starting at $10 per user per month
• Rating: 4.4/5 on Capterra

Microsoft Project is a good alternative to Jira. For teams that need more structured, traditional project management features like detailed Gantt charts and resource allocation. While Jira excels in agile environments, Microsoft Project offers advanced planning and scheduling tools, making it ideal for complex projects with strict timelines.

Why Microsoft Project is a Good Alternative to Jira:

• Project planning with Gantt charts and resource allocation, which go beyond Jira’s basic planning features.
• Reporting tools that provide insights into project progress and resource usage.
• Integration with Microsoft 365 tools like Teams, SharePoint, and Excel, which is perfect for organizations already using Microsoft’s ecosystem.
• Suited for traditional project management, such as waterfall methodologies, where Jira’s agile-centric approach might fall short.

What People Think About Microsoft Project:

“Microsoft Project's resource management feature is another key benefit. It is possible to prevent resource misuse and balance job distribution by using the platform's extensive insights about resource allocation, availability, and workload. Ensuring timely and budget-conscious project delivery and maximizing team productivity depend on this capacity.”

Source: Capterra

5. Taiga

• Pricing: Taiga Cloud Basic is free, and Taiga Cloud with premium support is $70 per month
• Rating: 4.3/5 on Capterra

Taiga is an open-source project management platform built for Agile teams. It offers features like sprint planning, backlog management, and user stories. Unlike Jira, which can feel overwhelming, Taiga provides a simpler, user-friendly experience while still supporting both Kanban and Scrum methodologies, making it an excellent choice for Agile teams looking for a flexible tool.

Why Taiga is a Good Alternative to Jira:

• Designed with Agile teams in mind, with features like sprint planning and backlog management.
• Supports both Kanban and Scrum, providing flexibility for teams to choose the approach that fits their needs.
• Open-source and highly customizable, allowing teams to tailor the tool to their workflows.
• Easier to use than Jira, with a straightforward and intuitive interface, reducing setup and training time.

What People Think About Taiga:

"Taiga is an excellent tool for managing agile projects. It has everything you need to apply Scrum or Kamban to your project. The interface is simple and beautiful. The features work and help a lot in management."

Source: Capterra

6. Zoho Projects

• Pricing: Free for small teams, with paid plans starting at $4 per user per month
• Rating: 4.5/5 on Capterra

Zoho Projects is a project management tool designed to handle complex tasks with ease. It offers features like Gantt charts, task dependencies, and time tracking. It provides teams with powerful project planning and tracking capabilities. While Jira can be overwhelming with its feature set, Zoho Projects provides an accessible and customizable platform that still supports the detailed management of large, complex projects.

Why Zoho Projects is a Good Alternative to Jira:

• Advanced project management features, including Gantt charts and task dependencies, for more precise planning.
• Integrated time tracking to monitor project progress and productivity.
• Built-in discussion forums and real-time updates to streamline communication.
• Highly customizable workflows that can be adapted to suit your team's processes.

What People Think About Zoho Projects:

"To enhance workflows, it integrates with a multitude of third-party tools and other Zoho applications. For efficient research project management, these features are the cherry on top of Zoho Projects."

Source: Capterra

7. Zoho Sprints

• Pricing: €1 per user per month (billed annually, a minimum of 12 users required); Elite: €2.50 per user per month (up to 100 users, billed annually)
• Rating: 4.5/5 on Capterra

Zoho Sprints is an agile project management tool built for teams using the Scrum methodology. With features like sprint planning, backlog management, and agile reports, Zoho Sprints helps teams manage iterative development with ease. The integration with other Zoho apps further enhances collaboration and productivity.

Why Zoho Sprints is a Good Alternative to Jira:

• Specifically designed for Agile teams using Scrum, with features like sprint planning and backlog management.
• Integrated reporting tools for tracking sprint progress and team performance.
• Highly customizable workflows to adapt to your team’s unique processes.
• Easier to set up and navigate than Jira, reducing the onboarding time for new users.

What People Think About Zoho Sprints:

"We decided to use Scrum methodology. Zoho Sprints was able to handle backlog and bug log the way we have been using it. It was available and it worked without a huge learning curve for a short deadline."

Source: Capterra

8. Trello

• Pricing: Free for basic use, with paid plans starting at $5 per user per month
• Rating: 4.5/5 on Capterra

Trello is a visual project management tool that simplifies task organization through its Kanban-style boards. Although Jira offers more advanced features, Trello’s user-friendly design makes it a popular alternative for teams that don’t need the complexity of Jira.

Why Trello is a Good Alternative to Jira:

• Simple and intuitive Kanban boards for task management.
• Quick setup with a minimal learning curve compared to Jira’s extensive feature set.
• Flexible workflows that are customizable with Power-Ups to suit different team needs.
• Ideal for smaller teams or projects that don’t require Jira’s advanced functionality.

Learn about the key differences between Trello and Jira. See our Jira vs Trello comparison

If you're interested in tools similar to Trello then we have made a list of Trello alternatives.

What People Think About Trello:

"The basic kanban-style board fits most projects and situations. The card-layout makes it very well-organized and all of my team-members quickly got the hang of it."

Source: Capterra

9. Redmine

• Pricing: Free, some plugins can be purchased
• Rating: 4.1/5 on Capterra

Redmine is an open-source project management tool that offers flexibility for teams that need highly customizable workflows. It supports multiple project management methodologies and is good for teams that want the control of an open-source tool, without the steep costs associated with Jira.

Why Redmine is a Good Alternative to Jira:

• Open-source, which allows for full customization and control.
• Supports multiple project management methodologies, including Agile and traditional models.
• Free to use with an active community providing support and plugins.
• Offers alightweight and less costly solution compared to Jira.

What People Think About Redmine:

"Our marketing teams felt overwhelmed by the complexity if Jira. We just couldn't make it work. Redmine, however, with a set of agile plugins, allowed us to have a true kanban board and implement really robust scrum workflows using Redmine. It was a tremendous experience and really helps us tackle our weekly tasks."

Source: Capterra

10. Wrike

• Pricing: Free for up to 5 users, with paid plans starting at $9.80 per user per month
• Rating: 4.3/5 on Capterra

Wrike is a project management tool that supports both Agile and traditional workflows, making it a versatile alternative to Jira. Its reporting and resource management tools make Wrike ideal for teams that need greater oversight and tracking capabilities than Jira provides.

Why Wrike is a Good Alternative to Jira:

• Versatile project management with support for Agile, Scrum, and waterfall methodologies.
• Advanced reporting and resource management for better team oversight.
• Real-time collaboration tools and document sharing to streamline workflows.
• Easier to customize and scale compared to Jira’s complex setup.

What People Think About Wrike:

"Wrike helps us share knowledge and divide tasks with my team. It is easy to log in and check the tasks that need attention. It keeps everyone informed and allows users to contribute even when they are away from work."

Source: Capterra

11. GitLab

• Pricing: Free for basic use, with paid plans starting at $29 per user per month
• Rating: 4.6/5 on Capterra

GitLab is an all-in-one DevOps platform that combines source code management with project management tools, making it an excellent alternative to Jira for development teams. With GitLab, teams can manage their entire DevOps lifecycle from a single platform, reducing the need for additional integrations.

Why GitLab is a Good Alternative to Jira:

• Integrated DevOps and project management for a unified development workflow.
• Built-in issue tracking, CI/CD pipelines, and project boards to manage tasks and development progress.
• Strong version control and source code management, ideal for software development teams.
• Provides a seamless integration of development and project management.

What People Think About GitLab:

"GitLab allows us to manage our development process and projects in one place, and it’s far easier to integrate than Jira."

Source: Capterra

12. Pivotal Tracker

• Pricing: Free for 1-5 collaborators; enterprise: custom pricing
• Rating: 4.3/5 on Capterra

Pivotal Tracker is a project management tool designed for Agile development teams. It offers features like user stories, backlog management, and velocity tracking. Its focus on Agile workflows makes it an efficient alternative to Jira, particularly for teams looking to simplify their sprint planning.

Why Pivotal is a Good Alternative to Jira:

• Tailored for Agile teams with built-in user stories and backlog management.
• Velocity tracking and reporting for more accurate sprint planning.
• Interface that simplifies the Agile process compared to Jira’s more complex system.
• Easier to set up and use, making it ideal for smaller Agile teams.

What People Think About Pivotal Tracker:

"With multiple projects and a large team size, Pivotal is a very useful tool to keep a track of your projects. Also, there is no room for a communication gap between product and team teams by having a binary system to track the tasks."

Source: Capterra

13. YouTrack

• Pricing: Free for up to 10 users, with paid plans starting at $4.40 per user per month
• Rating: 4.4/5 on Capterra

YouTrack is a powerful issue and project tracking tool developed by JetBrains, offering extensive customization and workflow automation. It’s designed for development teams that need a flexible, customizable alternative to Jira with less overhead and complexity.

Why YouTrack is a Good Alternative to Jira:

• Customizable workflows and issue tracking, allow teams to adapt YouTrack to their needs.
• Built-in Agile project management features like Scrum and Kanban boards.
• Integrated time tracking and reporting tools for monitoring project progress.
• Offers streamlined and customizable experience, without sacrificing essential features.

What People Think About YouTrack:

"We use Youtrack to keep track of the development of our software applications. To help consolidate our documentation we also rely on their equivalent of Confluence."

Source: Capterra

Takeaway

When searching for Jira alternatives, it’s important to think about what your team truly needs. Some tools offer simpler interfaces that save time, while others focus on giving you more control over project customization or reporting. The right tool can make a huge difference in how your projects run, so it's worth exploring a few options. With the right fit, you'll find project management becomes not only more efficient but more enjoyable for your team.