Jira
The default tool for software teams, built around sprints, backlogs and issue tracking at scale.
Jira is where most software teams plan and ship. Scrum and kanban boards, backlogs, sprints, releases and a deep issue model give engineering managers fine grained control, and the free plan covers up to 10 users at no cost. Advanced roadmaps, automation and a vast Atlassian Marketplace extend it almost without limit, and it ties tightly into Confluence and Bitbucket. The cost is fit: outside software delivery the interface and vocabulary feel heavy, configuration can sprawl, and non technical teams often find lighter project tools a better match.
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The system of record for shipping software, if your team speaks in sprints and issues.
In its favour
Held against it
Depth and ecosystem lead, ease is the trade.
Jira scores at the top on features and integrations, with solid value once a team grows. Ease of use is the soft spot: the power that suits engineering makes it awkward for general project management.
Scored against the same five weighted criteria we use across project management. See the rubric →
a software or engineering team that lives in sprints, backlogs and issue tracking and wants the deepest agile tooling.
a marketing, operations or general business team that wants a simple, friendly project tool.
What it costs
Per user / month, list pricePricing as of June 2026. The Free plan covers up to 10 users; list per user prices fall on larger teams and with annual billing; Enterprise is quote based. Check the vendor for current pricing.