Best Jira alternatives in 2026
The best Jira alternatives in 2026 are Plane, GitHub, GitLab. Plane is the strongest free option. GitHub costs less, from $4/mo versus $9.70/mo for Jira.
Why people look for Jira alternatives
Jira is used by mid-size and enterprise engineering organizations, and it is known for deep workflow customization, custom issue types and a large app marketplace. Paid plans start at $9.70 a user, but cross-team roadmaps need Premium. Atlassian stopped selling Data Center to new customers in March 2026 and plans its end of life in March 2029, which pushes self-hosted teams to choose between cloud and another tool.
Other reasons to leave: complexity grows with every configuration, the interface is slower and denser than modern trackers, and large instances need dedicated admins. When choosing a replacement, weigh speed against configurability, whether non-engineers will use it, self-hosting needs, and how easily issues and workflows migrate.
- Complexity grows with configuration
- Slower and denser than modern trackers
- Admin overhead in large instances
- Premium required for roadmaps across teams
- Jira starts at $9.70/mo (Freemium).
Best Jira alternative by need
| # | Tool | Pricing | Starts at | Best for | Platforms | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plane Open-source project management | Open source | $8/mo | Developers, Small businesses | web | 1 |
| 2 | GitHub Code hosting, CI/CD and AI coding platform owned by Microsoft | Freemium | $4/mo | Developers, Small businesses, Enterprise | web, macos, windows, ios, android | 0 |
| 3 | GitLab DevSecOps platform with Git hosting, CI/CD, security scans and AI | Freemium | $29/mo | Developers, Enterprise, Small businesses | web, linux | 0 |
| 4 | Zoho Projects Low-cost project management with Gantt, timesheets and blueprints | Freemium | $5/mo | Small businesses, Enterprise, Agencies | web, ios, android | 0 |
| 5 | Otobüs Ne Zaman? Canlı Otobüs Takibi ve Güncel Saatler Otobüs şu an nerede? Canlı harita üzerinden anlık konumu görün, güncel otobüs sa | Free | $0/mo | Freelancers, Small businesses, Enterprise | web, android | 2 |
| 6 | Notion All-in-one workspace for notes, docs and projects | Freemium | $12/mo | Small businesses, Freelancers, Enterprise | web, ios, android, macos, windows | 0 |
| 7 | Asana Work management for cross-functional teams | Freemium | $13/mo | Small businesses, Enterprise | web, ios, android, macos, windows | 0 |
| 8 | Linear Issue tracking built for fast software teams | Freemium | $10/mo | Developers, Small businesses | web, macos, windows, ios, android | 0 |
| 9 | monday.com Colorful work OS with many templates | Freemium | $12/mo | Small businesses, Enterprise | web, ios, android | 0 |
| 10 | Wrike Configurable work management for enterprise, agency and PMO teams | Freemium | $10/mo | Enterprise, Agencies, Small businesses | web, macos, windows, ios, android | 0 |
10 Jira alternatives compared
- 1
Plane
Open-source project management
Why pick it over Jira: Plane is open source and can be self-hosted, with cloud plans from $8 a user, under Jira's $9.70. It gives a faster, Linear-style interface to teams tired of Jira's configuration overhead.
- 2
GitHub
Code hosting, CI/CD and AI coding platform owned by Microsoft
Why pick it over Jira: GitHub Issues and Projects sit next to your code and pull requests, and paid plans start at $4 a user versus Jira's $9.70. Teams that want lightweight tracking without a separate tool to administer often find that enough.
- 3
GitLab
DevSecOps platform with Git hosting, CI/CD, security scans and AI
Why pick it over Jira: GitLab costs $29 a user, more than Jira, but bundles issues and boards with Git hosting, CI/CD and security scanning, and it can be self-hosted. It fits teams leaving Jira Data Center that want one self-managed platform.
- 4
Zoho Projects
Low-cost project management with Gantt, timesheets and blueprints
Why pick it over Jira: Zoho Projects starts at $5 a user, about half of Jira, and combines issue tracking with Gantt charts and timesheets. It suits budget-minded SMBs and agencies, especially those on Zoho, that need less agile depth.
- 5
Otobüs Ne Zaman? Canlı Otobüs Takibi ve Güncel Saatler
Otobüs şu an nerede? Canlı harita üzerinden anlık konumu görün, güncel otobüs sa
- 6
Notion
All-in-one workspace for notes, docs and projects
Why pick it over Jira: Notion starts at $12 a user and puts docs, wiki and simple project databases in one place. It fits small teams for whom Jira plus a separate wiki is too much overhead and whose tracking needs are light.
- 7
Asana
Work management for cross-functional teams
Why pick it over Jira: Asana starts at $13.49 a user and is built for cross-functional business teams rather than software sprints. Choose it when marketing, ops and product share one plan and Jira feels too engineering-centric.
- 8
Linear
Issue tracking built for fast software teams
Why pick it over Jira: Linear costs $10 a user, close to Jira's $9.70, and trades configurability for speed with keyboard-driven issues, cycles and projects. It suits product teams that want an opinionated tracker without a Jira admin.
- 9
monday.com
Colorful work OS with many templates
Why pick it over Jira: monday.com starts at $12 a seat and offers colorful, visual boards that business teams can set up without an admin. It suits non-engineering teams for whom Jira's workflows and issue schemes are overkill.
- 10
Wrike
Configurable work management for enterprise, agency and PMO teams
Why pick it over Jira: Wrike starts at $10 a user and focuses on configurable workflows, proofing and resource planning for PMOs and agencies. It suits organizations whose projects go well beyond software development, where Jira is less natural.
Jira alternatives: FAQ
What is the best alternative to Jira?
Based on features, audience and market presence, the strongest Jira alternatives are Plane, GitHub, GitLab. Plane is the closest match for most teams.
Is there a free alternative to Jira?
Yes. Plane can be used for free. Other free or freemium alternatives to Jira include GitHub, GitLab, Zoho Projects.
What is cheaper than Jira?
GitHub starts at $4/mo, while Jira starts at $9.70/mo. Prices are checked on each vendor's own pricing page.
Is there an open-source alternative to Jira?
Yes. Plane is open source, so you can self-host it or inspect the code.