When it comes to managing tasks professionally, there are many options available to businesses and enterprise-level organizations. Today we’ll take a look at two such project management tools: Jira and Trello. Both are from Atlassian and can handle a variety of project management use cases. We will share how the two compare in pricing and features. In addition, we’ll highlight the pros and cons of each software and share some tips on choosing the more suitable software for your organization.
Jump to:
Jira is a sophisticated project management tool with a variety of tools, including support for agile and scrum processes. It’s commonly used for software development with its outstanding issue-tracking capabilities. However, it can be used for various project management applications.
Check our analysis of Rally vs. Jira to see how two similar software compare.
Trello is an easy-to-use, simple project management solution. It’s great for general-purpose tasks, and it can be set up to support software development or industry-specific tasks with ease. Along with its easy usability, Trello is also known to offer a generous free plan. If you’re looking for other easy-to-use project management solutions, check out the list of best Trello alternatives.
| Features | Trello | Jira |
|---|---|---|
| Automation | Yes | Yes |
| Task management | Yes | Yes |
| Kanban boards | Yes | Yes |
| Native time tracking | No | Yes |
| Multiple project views | Yes | Yes |
| Agile reporting | No | Yes |
| Free plan users | Unlimited | 10 |
| Mobile app | iOS and Android | iOS and Android |
| Free trial | 14 days | 30 days |
| Starting price | $5.00 per user per month | $7.75 per user per month |
Both Trello and Jira offer four pricing plans to meet the needs of different customers. Trello is comparatively less expensive, especially when you choose annual billing.
Trello offers a free version that allows unlimited items across 10 boards in a single workspace, unlimited file storage with a maximum of 10MB per file, and assignees and due dates. You also get 250 workspace command runs per month.
Increasing to the $5 per user per month plan adds advanced checklist options, custom fields, unlimited storage with 250MB per file, 1,000 workspace command runs per month, single board guests and saved searches.
Increasing to the $10 per user per month plan adds a dashboard view, timeline view, table view, calendar view, map view, unlimited workspace command runs per month, admin and security features, collections, observers, priority support, Google apps sign on and simple data export.
Finally, Trello also offers an enterprise offering for $17.50 per user per month that adds unlimited workspaces, organization-level permissions, public board management, multi-board guests, attachment permissions, and free single sign-on and user account provisioning support.
Jira offers a free plan that allows up to 10 users for a single site. The free version offers scrum and kanban boards, a backlog organization feature, agile reporting, customizable workflows, apps and integrations, automation for a single project, basic roadmapping features and a 2GB file storage limit with no support and no service-level agreement uptime guarantee.
Beginning at $7.50 per user per month, Jira can expand to up to 20,000 users for a single site on the standard plan. It adds administrator controls like project roles, audit logs and data compliance processes as well as a 250GB file storage limit and support with no guaranteed SLA uptime.
The $14.50 per user per month premium Jira plan adds global and multi-project automations, advanced roadmapping and dependency management features as well as sandboxing, IP allow listing, unlimited storage, 24/7 support and a 99.9% SLA uptime guarantee.
Additional enterprise accounts are also available for organizations needing global scaling, additional security needs and data governance. Pricing is available by contacting Atlassian directly.
Trello includes rules-based automation through a tool called Butler (Figure A), which lets you stitch together various commands to execute on tasks, boards or a group of tasks. With the easy-to-use editor, you can create things like automated emails based on a task’s progress through the Kanban board or update due dates based on parameters. Trello offers 250 runs per month to unlimited automation runs depending on the plan.
Figure A
Jira includes a rules-based automation tool for automating tasks and boards as well for all Jira cloud users. While it doesn’t have any per-run usage limits on these automations, depending on the plan, you may be limited as far as functionality goes.
While both offer task management features, Trello is easier to use. The kanban board interface helps simplify task management processes. Users can also switch to lists or cards view to manage tasks. The drag-and-drop functionality is useful in quickly updating project status or moving tasks to a different category.
Jira offers more customization for task management, but it has a bit of a learning curve to it. The extra complexity might not be suitable for managing simple tasks. In addition, the task management feature of Jira is geared more toward software development, so it offers less flexibility in use.
Time tracking allows users to keep track of hours spent on tasks and helps with project planning and project costing. Trello doesn’t offer native time tracking capabilities, so if you need that feature, you’ll have to integrate with a third-party application. On the other hand, Jira offers a native time-tracking feature with extensive configuration settings for user permissions. You also get time tracking reports (Figure B) in Jira.
Figure B
Trello offers a simple kanban board view (Figure C) that is completely customizable. You can customize the titles of each column and how many columns there are. By dragging tasks between the columns, it’s easy to track tasks through completion. If a user upgrades to the premium option of Trello, they also get to see tasks laid out based on due dates via access to a timeline view, a calendar view or a map view. Jira also offers comparable kanban functionality to ensure continuous delivery of work and increase efficiency.
Figure C
Trello fits into the agile/scrum flow with its kanban boards, but it doesn’t offer any agile reporting to ensure users are conforming to the methodology. And while it does offer customizable workflows to automate tasks through the process, Trello boards don’t have the ability to track multiple sprints over time, only allowing one Trello board per sprint.
In this feature, Jira holds the edge, as it offers more functionality for its boards and methodologies. Jira has other board types like scrum, agile and kanban boards as well as roadmap boards to help teams plan features and dates for completion. Jira also supports multiple planning methodologies, including scrum, agile and more. Unlike Trello, reports can be generated for the chosen methodology to ensure the team is on the correct track. Moreover, Jira can also create multiple sprints per project and have boards for each of the sprints, allowing for deeper organization and team planning.
The main difference between Trello and Jira is the level of complexity they can handle. For example, Tello only has kanban boards, while Jira has sprint, scrum and kanban boards. However, the great functionality of Jira means it requires more time to learn.
Jira offers better tools for reporting and analytics. While Jira supports Agile reporting, this feature is missing in Trello. Jira also offers feature reporting capabilities for customer satisfaction and help desk ticketing.
Yes, as both products are from Atlassian, Trello and Jira can integrate with each other. The integration allows for enhanced functionality between the two. For example, you can use Jira bug-tracking tools to manage Trello tasks. Any updates made in either software can be automatically synced in real time with other software.
For our review of Trello versus Jira, we did an in-depth analysis of the features, usability and pricing plans of each software. We also looked at what users have to say about the software by checking customer reviews and ratings from reputable websites. In addition, we analyzed product feature specifications from the vendor websites to have a complete understanding of what each software has to offer.
Businesses or users that need a project management solution for general use will appreciate the ease of use of Trello. It’s easy to learn so users can be up and running in no time. The highly visual interface makes for quick and easy navigation. While Trello is lightweight in comparison to Jira, it still offers decent functionality for project management applications.
Jira is a more advanced tool, and it’s not surprising that it requires more time to become proficient. If a business plans to use the software for issue tracking, agile methodologies and other advanced tools, Jira is a better option. Fortunately, you also have the option of integrating both to get the best of both worlds.
Tackle complex projects with Wrike’s award-winning project management software. Break projects into simple steps, assign tasks to team members, and visualize progress with Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and calendars. Manage resource allocation and forecasting with software that’s easy to launch. Automation and AI features strip away time-consuming admin tasks so you can do the best work of your life. Streamline your practices, align your team, and ensure you hit deadlines and stay on budget.
Resource Guru is the fast, flexible way to schedule teams and keep projects on track. Get full visibility of who’s available and who’s overworked, so people and projects succeed in harmony. Assign work, balance workloads, and edit schedules in seconds. Keep your team up-to-date with personal dashboards and daily schedule emails. Analyze utilization rates, clients, and projects for more accurate forecasts and budgets. Trusted by companies including NASA and L’Oreal. Try it free for 30 days!
WorkOtter is the #1 ranked SaaS project, resource, and portfolio management solution. WorkOtter is disrupting PPM with features, world class support, and visual dashboards that make your PMOs look brilliant.
monday.com Work OS is the project management software that helps you and your team plan, execute, and track projects and workflows in one collaborative space. Manage everything from simple to complex projects more efficiently with the help of visual boards, 200+ ready-made templates, clever no-code automations, and easy integrations. In addition, custom dashboards simplify reporting, so you can evaluate your progress and make data-driven decisions.
