Why would you need Jira alternatives anyway? Well, in all honesty, Jira Software is indeed impressive. Atlassian – the company behind it – has not only built a great development and project management tool but also lined up a whole range of other tools that integrate with the main package (handling things like documentation, help desk, etc.).
The first time I wrote this article was in 2016, and at that time Jira’s pricing compared to a lot of the free alternatives out there (like the ones featured on this list) was not competitive. There was no free plan, and the pricing structure was considerably more expensive.
This is why many people were looking for some free Jira alternatives – to make their team more productive without the high costs. These days, if your team has no more than ten people, then Jira also has a free plan for you. However, that doesn’t mean the other alternatives aren’t worth trying out.
Before we take a look at each one closely, let me quickly review Jira’s two main premium plans with you:
There’s the Standard Plan, which runs for $8.15 per user, per month, and comes with up to 250 GB of storage space with customer support during business hours only. Then there’s the Premium Plan, which is priced at $16.00 per user, per month, and offers unlimited storage space, with 24/7 customer support. These prices assume up to 100 users and get incrementally lower as soon as you cross the threshold into 101 users.
There’s also an Enterprise Plan but you have to reach out to them to get pricing on that. All of the premium plans, including the Enterprise Plan, support up to 35,000 users, which is way more than enough for most teams.
There are also several add-ons (like the Confluence collaboration add-on), which also previously did not have a free plan when I originally wrote this article. The pricing for Confluence (for up to 100 users) currently looks like this:
With that said, let me be direct … while Jira has made their pricing structure more competitive, there are still some really good free alternatives on the market.
This is exactly why you’re here today!
So, without further ado, below are my top five picks:
My handpicked list 👌
1. Trello (trello.com)
I’ve been a Trello guy for a while now. I like the design, the simplicity, and the overall freedom that this tool gives me. Under the hood, it’s a rather crude solution, I have to admit. I mean, there isn’t much in terms of helping you manage your projects. But, because of it, Trello is incredibly flexible, and it leaves it up to you to create your own systems in it.
At the same time, it has some great built-in mechanisms that make the Trello model usable. For instance, there’s commenting, file uploading, drag-and-drop organization, and integrations with time-tracking and invoicing apps like Harvest.
Basically, Trello organizes your workspace into separate boards » each board has individual lists » and each list has individual cards. You can take all that, re-align it however you wish, and put whatever info you want in there. This freedom makes it one of the top Jira alternatives available.
Note: Keep in mind that Atlassian bought Trello, so it is owned by the same company as Jira. I haven’t seen any bad changes in terms of the interface, only a push to get users to pay for the premium version of Trello and integrate with Atlassian products.
Pricing 💰
- Free Plan – $0
- Standard Plan – $5 per user, per month
- Premium Plan – $10 per user, per month
- Enterprise Plan – $17.50 per user, per month
The prices above reflect the per month price when purchasing an annual plan. Month-to-month plans are slightly higher, and run for $6 and $12.50 for the Standard and Premium Plans. The Enterprise Plan is only available as an annual purchase.
Main features ⚙️
- Unlimited boards (free plan is limited to ten boards per workspace), lists, cards, members, checklists, attachments, etc.
- “Power-Ups” (add-ons). You get a couple for free, but to integrate Trello with outside tools (MailChimp, SurveyMonkey, Github, Slack, etc.) you need Trello Business Class.
- Basic integrations with Box, Drive, and Dropbox.
- File attachments from your computer or cloud storage services.
- Due dates and checklists.
- A calendar view.
- Email notifications and the ability to reply to a comment through email.
Is Trello right for you? 🤔
If you already have a system/methodology of work established, and you need a tool where you can implement that methodology and execute it effectively, Trello is a good way to go, and a good Jira alternative to consider. It’s incredibly flexible, really intuitive and easy to use. We like it for planning, tracking, and moving projects forward in a simple, effective manner. It’s also great for team collaboration.
2. WeKan (wekan.github.io)
WeKan is a free, self-hosted solution that offers a compelling alternative to Jira. By providing a straightforward Kanban-style interface for managing tasks and projects, it’s suitable for both personal and professional use.
The tool’s simplicity and focus on Kanban methodology make it an excellent choice for teams looking to streamline their workflow without the complexity of more feature-heavy alternatives.
However, WeKan also includes enough features to handle most project management needs effectively. These include customizable boards, lists, and cards, which can serve as an efficient way to manage whole projects. It also supports self-hosting, giving you complete control over their data and privacy.
Pricing 💰
- Free – Open-source and self-hosted
Main features ⚙️
- Boards, Lists, and Cards for flexible task management
- Self-hosted option for complete data control
- Customizable and privacy-focused
- Security features to protect your data
- Trello Attachments Downloader for easy migration
- Mobile-friendly interface REST API for integrations
- Multiple language support
- Keyboard shortcuts for efficient use
- Swimlanes and calendar view
- Checklists and attachments on cards
Is WeKan right for you? 🤔
WeKan is an excellent choice for individuals, small teams, and organizations that prioritize open-source solutions and data privacy. It’s particularly appealing to those who want a straightforward Kanban tool without the overhead of complex features they may not need. If you’re comfortable with self-hosting and value the ability to customize your project management tool, WeKan could be the ideal Jira alternative for you.
Teams that require advanced features like extensive reporting, complex workflow automations, or tight integrations with a wide range of third-party tools might find WeKan’s functionality limiting. However, for many users, its simplicity, customizability, and focus on privacy make it an attractive option in the project management space.
3. OpenProject (openproject.org)
OpenProject stands out as a robust project management tool that blends classic project management features with new-age flexibility, making it a strong alternative to Jira. This software is particularly suited for those who need detailed project planning and comprehensive tracking capabilities across various project types.
What makes OpenProject stand out, is that similar to WeKan, it is dedicated to open source development. This allows teams to modify and tailor the platform to their specific needs. The tool facilitates detailed project planning, including timeline, product roadmap development, and task management, ensuring a comprehensive overview of all project phases.
Moreover, OpenProject excels in team collaboration, offering features such as forums, a wiki for documentation, and integrated project chat, thereby enhancing communication within teams. This is especially useful for geographically dispersed teams who rely on clear and continuous communication.
Pricing 💰
- Community – Free: Access to community features, support, and forums. Suitable for individuals or small teams.
- Basic – $7.25 per user per month: Includes all community features plus basic support and email support. Requires a minimum of 5 users.
- Professional – $13.50 per user per month: Adds professional support, phone support, and training materials. Requires a minimum of 25 users.
- Premium – $19.50 per user per month: Enhanced support options and dedicated onboarding manager. Requires a minimum of 100 users.
- Corporate – Pricing on request: Tailored for large organizations, this plan offers corporate support, custom plugin support, and a dedicated support engineer. Requires a minimum of 250 users.
Main features ⚙️
- Advanced Roadmap Planning: Offers tools to plan and visualize complex project timelines and roadmaps.
- Task and Work Package Management: Manages tasks with configurable views and workflows customized to match team needs.
- Team Collaboration Tools: Includes forums, news, and a wiki, all integrated within the platform to foster communication.
- Security and Compliance: Ensures data protection with regular updates, backups, and compliance with GDPR.
- Integration Capabilities: Supports integration with various SCM tools and offers a powerful REST API for custom integration needs.
Is OpenProject right for you? 🤔
OpenProject is ideal for organizations looking for a comprehensive, highly customizable project management tool that supports both traditional and agile project management methodologies. It is particularly beneficial for enterprises that require stringent data security and extensive collaboration features. The platform’s scalability also makes it suitable for both small teams and large enterprises, offering a range of hosting options to suit different IT infrastructures.
4. Remember The Milk (rememberthemilk.com)
Remember The Milk labels itself the “smart to-do app for busy people.” And that message seems to be very well on point, which makes it a nice free Jira alternative.
Remember The Milk is your friendly to-do list helper, I would say. I mean, it’s well suited to handle any professional matters you might have in your life, but it seems to me that it is more geared at making your everyday, personal life easier … helping you with things like shopping, picking up kids from school, and not missing that concert on Saturday.
After all, the tool is called Remember The Milk, and not “Remember That Big Work Project,” isn’t it? That being said, there’s a lot of professional-level modules in Remember The Milk that make it a viable solution for most project management purposes and a good example of Jira alternatives.
Also, it has some great keyboard shortcuts, which makes working with the tool really quick. There are sub-tasks and lists of tasks, which can very well serve as a nice way to manage whole projects. And, last but not least, there’s drag-and-drop support.
Pricing 💰
- Basic Plan – $0: share your lists with 2 people.
- Pro Plan – $49.99 per year: a lot of cool additional features like unlimited sharing, file attachments, and color tags.
Main features ⚙️
- Web, desktop, and mobile apps
- Seamless sync between your computers and devices
- Integration with Gmail, Google Calendar, and Evernote
- Add tasks with email, Alexa, Siri, and Twitter
- Give tasks to others
- Reminders via email, text, IM, and Twitter
- Share lists: With up to 2 others (Basic plan) or Unlimited (Pro plan)
- Advanced features: Subtasks, advanced sorting and grouping, and customizable tag colors (Pro plan)
- Enhanced customization: Choose from 100+ beautiful themes for web and desktop apps (Pro plan)
- Extended integrations: Sync with Microsoft Outlook, integrate with IFTTT and Zapier (Pro plan)
Is Remember The Milk right for you? 🤔
Remember The Milk is a great Jira alternative for small teams as well as individuals that like for their to-do and project management tool to be able to handle everything, from personal life to professional responsibilities. It’s a great, general to-do list tool. Many small teams might find it attractive, especially after upgrading to the fairly affordable Pro version.
5. Todoist (todoist.com)
Todoist is one of the main tools out there that uses the Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology right from the get-go. Every task in Todoist can be delegated, scheduled, postponed, or moved to a different inbox. Plus, an added benefit is that you can also use it in teams – a feature that’s very handy to have when talking Jira alternatives.
There are apps available for nearly all devices, and they all seem to be very well-designed.
Furthermore, Todoist lets you organize the things you have going on into individual projects, but you also get a range of other useful features, from sub-tasks, sub-projects, recurring tasks, to reminders, comments, task collaboration, or even productivity tracking through nice “karma” scores.
In a sentence, Todoist is a great tool to get your – and your team’s – tasks done, and thus a viable free Jira alternative.
Pricing 💰
- Beginner Plan – $0: 5 personal projects, flexible layouts, and more, allowing up to 5 people per project.
- Pro Plan – $4 per month: 300 personal projects, advanced task reminders, and AI assistance, supporting up to 25 people per project.
- Business Plan – $6 per user, per month: 500 team projects, detailed activity logs, and 1000 team members and guests, for up to 50 people per project.
The prices above reflect the per month cost when billed annually. Month-to-month pricing is available at $5 for Pro and $8 for Business.
Main features ⚙️
- Multiple apps available.
- Collaborate on shared tasks.
- Sub-projects, sub-tasks.
- Notes and file attachments (premium).
- GTD-friendly.
- Task priorities.
- Recurring due dates and task priorities.
- Automatic backups (premium)
- Team billing and member management (business)
Is Todoist right for you? 🤔
If you run your business and your projects in tune with GTD, this tool can be a great solution for you. Todoist gives you excellent task management features, good project management overall, and good teamwork mechanisms. Also, the Pro and Business plan upgrades are cheaper than Jira.
Final thoughts 💭
The five free Jira alternatives listed here all have their pros and cons. But so does Jira itself. Quite frankly, there’s no one best tool out there that everybody should use. Like it usually does, it all comes down to your individual needs and your team’s needs.
At the end of the day, the tools presented here are free, so you have nothing to lose trying them all out, but just to make the choice easier for you, consider this:
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Sorry. But anyone who compares JIRA to Remember The Milk, Todoist or the likes, simply hasn’t understood what JIRA is capable of, or is about. There are definitely alternatives to JIRA, which are equally good, but they’re not the ones in this list.
Thanks for your comment, Jacob.
I’d be interested in hearing about alternatives that have similar pricing to the ones we mentioned. RTM and Todoist are both, very, cheap.
Hi Chris. I believe that is exactly the heart of the problem. The comparison on price. It’s like saying “a bike only costs $100 while this Ford F150 costs $70.000, so choose the bike”. Knowing that the instance you try to load up your complete toolset on the bike, it’ll instantly fall short. RTM and Todoist are fine tools, but they’re just “tasklist tools”, which happen to be able to also compartmentalize things into sort of a folder called projects. You comment, assign all that. It’s fine. They’re great for that. But that’s a very basic need. JIRA is so much more. It has project models, so you can customize which project has which issue types, and what should happen during transitions, which fields should show when. It lets you model a project, so everything happens according to how we’ve agreed a project should be running. It supports both Kanban and Scrum. It has backlogs, estimates, roadmaps, sprints, boards, filters, charts and reporting, you name it. You can of course just use a simple project as is. But you can also design your project from the ground up, to support how your processes work. And, you can integrate it with… Read more »
This is a great list. Would love to see some newly launched tools such as Codegiant (https://codegiant.io) and Scrumpy (https://getscrumpy.io) that are equally good Jira alternatives with a ton of useful features and come with a better price too.
I particularly love Codegiant as it is simple as well as powerful. And, it is very developer friendly.
codegiant? are you kidding? It made me to choose between downloading desktop app, installing chrome or signing out only because I use Firefox as my daily driver.
Thank you for the list. Recently I found about Ubirimi, which is very similar with JIRA, since offers a full software suite, not only one tracking tool. That helps a lot for teams.
I’ve tried to use Jira but it requires constant support and updates and that’s just upsetting. Now we’ve moved to using Deskun, seems quite promising.