- **[AdeptDev](https://www.adeptdev.io)** — web developers / founders. GitHub webhooks, Vercel tracking, analytics in one workspace. $10/month flat. - **Linear** — engineering teams that want speed. Free up to 250 issues. - **GitHub Projects** — best free option. No issue cap, no user limit. - **ClickUp** — all-in-one for mixed teams. Most generous free plan. - **Notion** — docs and tasks together. Good if you write more than you sprint. - **Asana** — non-technical teams. Best cross-team adoption. - **Shortcut** — Agile structure without Jira's overhead. Free up to 10 users. - **Plane** — open source, self-hosted, no user limits. - **Monday.com** — cross-functional visibility. Best for multiple departments.

## Why Teams Look for Jira Alternatives in 2026 Jira is not a bad product. It is a product built for a specific team at a specific scale: large engineering organizations with dedicated Scrum Masters, project managers, and Jira admins. For those teams, it still makes sense. For everyone else, the costs are hard to justify. **The pricing problem.** Jira Standard starts at $7.91/user/month. That sounds reasonable until you add what most teams actually need: Confluence for documentation ($6.05/user/month), Atlassian Guard for security compliance, and any Marketplace apps your workflows depend on. The median organization ends up paying $85,618 per year. ([source](https://plane.so/blog/11-jira-alternatives-you-can-self-host-in-2026/)) True total cost of ownership reaches 2 to 3x the base license price. On top of that, Atlassian's Maximum Quantity Billing policy, rolled out between July and October 2025, now charges the peak user count during each billing cycle with no refunds for mid-cycle removals. ([source](https://saascrmreview.com/jira-pricing/)) Add 10 contractors for two weeks? You pay for the entire month at that peak headcount. **The overhead problem.** Jira takes 2 to 3 weeks for a new user to master. Custom fields, workflow states, permission schemes, and board configurations require ongoing maintenance. If nobody owns that maintenance, Jira becomes a graveyard of stale tickets within months. For a small team without a dedicated Jira admin, this overhead is a recurring tax on engineering time. **The Data Center problem.** This one caught many Jira competitors off guard too. Atlassian stopped selling new Data Center licenses to new customers on March 30, 2026. Existing customers can renew until March 30, 2028, after which all DC environments switch to read-only mode on March 28, 2029. ([source](https://devrev.ai/blog/jira-alternatives)) If your team relied on self-hosted Jira, that window is closing. **The developer experience problem.** Jira's GitHub integration requires a third-party app install and manual configuration. The board does not update when you push code unless you configure Smart Commits or additional automation rules. For a modern developer workflow, this means the board always lags behind reality. These are the reasons teams look for Jira alternatives in 2026. Finding the best Jira alternative in 2026 comes down to your team size, technical stack, and which of these problems matters most. If you are a developer, the right project management software for developers looks very different from the generic tools Jira competes with.

## Quick Comparison: Best Jira Alternatives in 2026 | Tool | Best for | Pricing | |---|---|---| | [AdeptDev](https://adeptdev.io) | Web developers / Founders | $10/mo flat | | [Linear](https://linear.app) | Engineering teams wanting speed | Free / $8/user/mo | | [GitHub Projects](https://github.com/features/project-management) | Free, already in GitHub | Free | | [ClickUp](https://clickup.com) | All-in-one for mixed teams | Free / $7/user/mo | | [Notion](https://notion.so) | Docs and tasks in one place | Free / $10/user/mo | | [Asana](https://asana.com) | Non-technical teams | Free / $10.99/user/mo | | [Shortcut](https://shortcut.com) | Agile structure without complexity | Free / $8.50/user/mo | | [Plane](https://plane.so) | Open source and self-hosting | Free / $8/user/mo cloud | | [Monday.com](https://monday.com) | Cross-functional team visibility | From $9/user/mo |

## 1. AdeptDev: Best Jira Alternative for Web Developers ![AdeptDev](https://vyoyxwhjtxsktvvpxdvj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog_images/www.adeptdev.io_.png) **AdeptDev is the only Jira alternative on this list that connects your task board directly to your deployment pipeline.** Everything else here is a task tracker. AdeptDev connects your Kanban board, GitHub repository, Vercel deployment tracking, and analytics into one workspace. Jira knows nothing about your deployment pipeline. AdeptDev is built around it. The core difference: when you push code to GitHub, the task on your Kanban board moves automatically. No manual update. No Smart Commit configuration. No admin setup. The board reflects what is actually happening in the codebase because it is connected via webhooks. **Why it's a good Jira alternative:** Jira requires a third-party GitHub app, manual Smart Commit setup, and additional automation rules before the board updates from code activity. AdeptDev connects via native webhooks on day one. Push code, task moves. No configuration. You get deployment visibility, task automation, and analytics in the same workspace — without Jira's overhead or per-user pricing. **Main features:** - Two Kanban boards per workspace: Roadmap (features) and Bug Tracker (GitHub Issues) - GitHub webhook integration — tasks move automatically on push, PR open, or issue close - Vercel deployment tracking — build status and logs alongside your tasks - PostHog and Google Analytics integration in the same workspace - Organization structure with multiple workspaces per org | | | |---|---| | **Pros** | **Built for** | | $10/month flat regardless of team size | Developer and technical founder teams | | Tasks move automatically from GitHub events | Products built on GitHub and Vercel | | Deployment visibility without switching tabs | Teams who want less overhead, not more features | | Analytics in the same workspace | Solo devs and small teams (1 to 10) | | 7-day free trial, full access | Web product builders, not enterprise PMs | **Pricing:** $10/month flat after a 7-day free trial. Not per user. Try it at [adeptdev.io](https://adeptdev.io).

## 2. Linear: Best for Engineering Teams That Want Speed ![Linear](https://vyoyxwhjtxsktvvpxdvj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog_images/linear.app_.png) **Linear is the fastest Jira alternative available, and the one developers actually want to open.** There is a reason it has become the default migration destination for engineering teams leaving Jira. Sub-100ms load times. Keyboard-first. No configuration before your first ticket. It was built by engineers who were frustrated with Jira's sluggishness, and it shows in every interaction. **Why it's a good Jira alternative (and a Linear alternative worth knowing about):** Linear strips away everything Jira added to serve enterprise PMs and leaves a clean, opinionated tool that developers actually want to open. No dense UI, no permission scheme configuration, no custom field setup before you can create your first ticket. **Main features:** - Sub-100ms UI response times - Native GitHub integration. branches, commits, and PRs link to issues automatically - Cycles (sprints) and initiatives built in - Roadmaps and backlog prioritization - AI-powered issue creation and sprint summaries | | | |---|---| | **Pros** | **Cons** | | Fastest UI of any PM tool | Free tier caps at 250 issues | | Native GitHub integration | No Vercel or deployment tracking | | No configuration required to start | Per-user pricing adds up fast | | Keyboard-first design | No product analytics integration | | Strong roadmapping features | Can feel too opinionated for some teams | **Pricing:** Free (250 issues, 2 teams). Basic $8/user/month. Business $14/user/month.

## 3. GitHub Projects: Best Free Jira Alternative ![GitHub Projects](https://vyoyxwhjtxsktvvpxdvj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog_images/github.com_.png) **GitHub Projects is the best free Jira alternative.** No extra tool. No new login. No credit card. It lives where your code already lives, and it has no issue cap and no user limit. **The case for GitHub Projects:** For developer teams, GitHub Projects eliminates the context switch entirely. Issues, pull requests, and your project board are all in the same place. When you close a PR, the linked issue updates. Custom fields, board view, table view, roadmap view, and workflow automation all work without paying for anything. **Main features:** - Board, table, and roadmap views - Custom fields per project - Workflow automation triggered by GitHub events - No issue cap, no user limit, no paid tier required for core features - Native integration with issues and pull requests | | | |---|---| | **Pros** | **Cons** | | Completely free | No Vercel or deployment tracking | | No setup required if you use GitHub | Less polished UI than Linear | | No issue cap or user limit | No analytics integration | | Native GitHub issue and PR linking | No workspace separation for multiple products | | Automation without third-party apps | Basic compared to dedicated PM tools | **Pricing:** Free with any GitHub account.

## 4. ClickUp: Best All-In-One Jira Alternative ![ClickUp](https://vyoyxwhjtxsktvvpxdvj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog_images/clickup.png) **ClickUp is the best Jira alternative for mixed teams that want one tool for tasks, docs, goals, time tracking, and dashboards.** For anyone looking for a ClickUp alternative to Jira, this is where the comparison ends — ClickUp is the most feature-complete option on this list. Where Jira is a specialized engineering tool, ClickUp is a generalist platform that can handle workflows across product, design, marketing, and engineering in one place. **Why ClickUp wins for mixed teams:** A 25-person SaaS startup paying $500/month for Jira plus Confluence plus Tempo time tracking can consolidate to ClickUp Business at $300/month, covering all three. ([source](https://www.taskrhino.ca/blog/jira-alternatives/)) ClickUp's free plan includes unlimited tasks and unlimited members. more generous than Jira's 10-user free tier. **Main features:** - Tasks, subtasks, docs, goals, time tracking, and dashboards - Sprint management with story points - Kanban, list, Gantt, and calendar views - 1,000+ integrations including GitHub, Slack, and Figma - AI features for task generation and workflow automation | | | |---|---| | **Pros** | **Cons** | | Most feature-generous free plan | Can feel overwhelming to new users | | Replaces multiple tools (tasks, docs, tracking) | GitHub integration is shallow (app install) | | Good for non-technical team members | Core features gated behind paid plans | | Unlimited members on free plan | 2-4 week learning curve for full setup | | Wide integration library | No deployment tracking | **Pricing:** Free. Unlimited $7/user/month. Business $12/user/month.

## 5. Notion: Best Jira Alternative for Docs-First Teams ![Notion](https://vyoyxwhjtxsktvvpxdvj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog_images/www.notion.com_.png) **Notion is the best Jira alternative for teams that write more than they sprint.** If your work centers on specs, meeting notes, and documentation alongside task management, Notion lets tasks and docs live in the same place. Most teams already use Notion for meeting notes and specs. adding a Kanban view means tasks and docs live in the same place. **When Notion makes more sense than Jira:** Jira and Confluence are separate products at separate price points. Notion combines documentation and task management in one workspace, which removes a significant chunk of the Atlassian stack cost. Teams that write more than they sprint tend to find Notion more natural to maintain. **Main features:** - Kanban database views for task management - Linked databases across pages and workspaces - Collaborative documentation and wikis - AI agent on Business plan for multi-step workflows - Template library for common workflows | | | |---|---| | **Pros** | **Cons** | | Tasks and docs in one place | No code-aware GitHub integration | | Flexible database views | Board falls behind without manual updates | | Already in most teams' stacks | No deployment tracking | | Replaces Confluence alongside Jira | No analytics integration | | Free plan is useful for individuals | Not purpose-built for developer workflows | **Pricing:** Free (personal). Plus $10/user/month. Business $15/user/month.

## 6. Asana: Best for Non-Technical Teams ![Asana](https://vyoyxwhjtxsktvvpxdvj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog_images/asana.com_.png) **Asana is the best Jira alternative — and the strongest Asana alternative to Jira — when non-technical team members are part of the equation.** Where Jira assumes developer knowledge, Asana is designed so anyone on day one can figure it out. Where Jira assumes developer knowledge, Asana is designed to be accessible to anyone on day one. **Why non-technical teams choose Asana over Jira:** A 40-person startup with only 8 engineers found that only their engineering team actively used Jira. ([source](https://www.taskrhino.ca/blog/jira-alternatives/)) Marketing, sales, and customer success defaulted to spreadsheets and Slack. Asana's visual approach brings non-technical stakeholders into the same workflow, increasing adoption across the whole team. **Main features:** - List, board, timeline, and calendar views - Workflow automation without code - Reporting dashboards and goal tracking - AI-powered task creation and workflow suggestions - 300+ integrations including GitHub and Slack | | | |---|---| | **Pros** | **Cons** | | Easiest onboarding of any tool here | Not built for developer-specific workflows | | Intuitive for non-technical users | GitHub integration is an app install | | Strong automation without configuration | No deployment tracking | | Good cross-team visibility | Per-user cost adds up at scale | | AI features on all paid plans | Agile features less mature than Jira | **Pricing:** Free (up to 10 users). Starter $10.99/user/month. Advanced $24.99/user/month.

## 7. Shortcut: Best for Agile Teams Without Jira's Complexity ![Shortcut](https://vyoyxwhjtxsktvvpxdvj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog_images/www.shortcut.com_.png) **Shortcut is the best Jira alternative for software teams that need Jira-level Agile structure. stories, epics, sprints, velocity. but without the configuration overhead.** It keeps the hierarchy developers are used to while removing the ceremony. **Why Shortcut lands between Jira and Linear:** Teams that migrated from Jira to Shortcut reported sprint planning time dropping from 2 hours to 45 minutes because the simplified workflow eliminated unnecessary configuration steps. The free plan covers up to 10 users with no issue cap. more generous than Jira's 10-user free tier with its feature limitations. **Main features:** - Epic-story-task hierarchy familiar to Jira users - Sprint planning, backlog management, velocity tracking - Native GitHub integration (commits and PRs link to stories automatically) - Slack integration for cross-team updates - Multiple workflow views: Kanban, backlog, roadmap | | | |---|---| | **Pros** | **Cons** | | Familiar Agile structure without Jira's weight | No Vercel or deployment tracking | | Sprint planning significantly faster than Jira | Not as flexible as ClickUp for mixed teams | | Native GitHub integration | Per-user pricing at scale | | Free plan up to 10 users with no issue cap | Less AI feature investment than competitors | | Much faster adoption curve than Jira | No analytics integration | **Pricing:** Free (up to 10 users). Team $8.50/user/month. Business $12/user/month.

## 8. Plane: Best Open Source Jira Alternative ![Plane](https://vyoyxwhjtxsktvvpxdvj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog_images/plane.so_.png) **Plane is the best Jira alternative for teams that want to self-host, own their data completely, or avoid per-user pricing at scale.** It is the most feature-complete open source project management tool available in 2026. **Why Plane is the only real self-hosted Jira replacement:** For teams on Jira Data Center facing the March 2029 end-of-life deadline, Plane is the only credible self-hosted replacement that matches Jira's feature depth. issues, cycles (sprints), modules (epics), Gantt charts, and roadmaps all work out of the box. The Community Edition is genuinely free with no user limits. **Main features:** - Issues, cycles (sprints), modules (epics), and pages (docs) - Gantt chart with dependencies and milestones - Multiple views: Kanban, list, calendar, spreadsheet - GitHub integration - Self-hosted Community Edition with no user limits | | | |---|---| | **Pros** | **Cons** | | Free self-hosted with no user limits | Self-hosting adds infrastructure responsibility | | Most complete open source Jira replacement | Less polished than Linear or Shortcut | | Over 40,000 GitHub stars, active development | Some enterprise features still maturing | | Cloud Pro at $8/user/month is competitive | No Vercel deployment tracking | | Good for compliance teams needing data ownership | Setup requires more technical knowledge | **Pricing:** Free self-hosted (Community Edition). Pro cloud $8/user/month.

## 9. Monday.com: Best for Cross-Functional Visibility ![Monday.com](https://vyoyxwhjtxsktvvpxdvj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog_images/monday.png) **Monday.com is the best Jira alternative for organizations where multiple departments need visibility into the same work — engineering, product, marketing, and operations in one shared workspace.** **Why Monday.com converts non-technical teams that Jira lost:** Where Jira is built around engineering workflows that non-technical team members struggle to navigate, Monday.com uses a visual, color-coded interface that anyone can understand immediately. A 40-person team that migrated from Jira to Monday.com had 38 of 40 members actively using the platform within two weeks — compared to only 8 engineers who had been actively using Jira. ([source](https://www.taskrhino.ca/blog/jira-alternatives/)) **Main features:** - Visual color-coded boards and status columns - Board, Gantt, timeline, and workload views - AI-powered standups and sprint summaries (monday dev) - 200+ integrations - Automation builder for workflow triggers | | | |---|---| | **Pros** | **Cons** | | Highest cross-team adoption rate | Expensive at scale | | Intuitive for non-technical users | Per-user pricing with no generous free tier | | Strong automation without code | GitHub integration is shallow | | Good workload and resource management | Not purpose-built for developer workflows | | AI features for sprint summaries | No deployment tracking | **Pricing:** From $9/user/month (Basic). Standard $12/user/month. Pro $19/user/month. Free trial available.

## How to Choose the Right Jira Alternative **One question cuts through every Jira alternatives list: why are you leaving Jira?** Whether you need a full Jira replacement or just a simpler alternative, the answer to that question points directly at the right tool. **Jira is too expensive:** AdeptDev at $10/month flat, GitHub Projects for free, or Plane self-hosted at no recurring cost. **You want a simpler alternative to Jira:** Linear. Functional in under an hour, no configuration required. **The board doesn't connect to your code:** AdeptDev. The only tool here that moves tasks automatically from GitHub events and surfaces Vercel deployment status alongside your work. **Non-technical team members won't use Jira:** Monday.com or Asana. Both have adoption rates significantly higher than Jira across mixed teams. **You need the same Agile structure with less overhead:** Shortcut. Epics, stories, sprints, and velocity without Jira's ceremony. **You want open source and data ownership:** Plane. Self-hosted, no user limits, genuinely free. **You're on Jira Data Center and the 2029 deadline is real:** Evaluate Plane first. It is the only self-hosted tool here that matches Jira's feature depth without the Atlassian license cost.

## Wrap Up Jira is not the only option. It never was. But in 2026, the alternatives are better than they have ever been — faster, cheaper, and in many cases more connected to the developer workflow than Jira itself. Start with what bothers you most about Jira. That is the clearest signal toward the right alternative. If you are a web developer or founder building on GitHub and Vercel and want a developer project management tool that actually connects to your workflow, check out [AdeptDev](https://adeptdev.io). Tasks that move automatically when you push code, deployment tracking alongside your Kanban board, and analytics in the same workspace. Free for 7 days.

## What is the best Jira alternative for small teams in 2026? For small web development teams, AdeptDev at $10/month flat is the strongest alternative — cheaper than Jira Standard for any team of two or more, and with native GitHub webhook integration that moves tasks automatically when you push code. For engineering teams wanting speed, Linear is the best pure Jira alternative with a free tier up to 250 issues. For zero cost, GitHub Projects has no issue cap and no user limit. The right choice depends on whether you primarily need GitHub integration, Agile sprint tooling, or cross-team collaboration. ## What is the best free Jira alternative? GitHub Projects is the best free Jira alternative — it's included with any GitHub account, has no issue cap, no user limit, and now includes custom fields, multiple views, and workflow automation. Plane self-hosted is also free with no user limits and no recurring cost. ClickUp's free plan includes unlimited tasks and unlimited members. Linear is free up to 250 issues and 2 teams. Jira itself has a free plan for up to 10 users, but with limited features compared to its paid tiers. ## Why are teams leaving Jira in 2026? The main reasons are the 2 to 3 week learning curve, the admin overhead required to maintain it, and the true cost being significantly higher than the advertised per-user price. The median organization pays $85,618 per year once Confluence, Marketplace apps, and Atlassian Guard are added. Atlassian also stopped selling new Data Center licenses on March 30, 2026, with all DC environments going read-only on March 28, 2029 — forcing many teams to evaluate alternatives for the first time in years. ## What Jira alternative has the best GitHub integration? AdeptDev has the deepest GitHub integration for web developers — it connects via webhooks so tasks move automatically between Kanban columns when you push code, open a PR, or close an issue. Linear has the best native GitHub integration for pure issue tracking, linking branches, commits, and PRs to issues automatically. Shortcut also has a strong native integration. GitHub Projects has native integration by definition. Jira's GitHub integration requires the Atlassian GitHub app and manual Smart Commit configuration before status transitions work automatically. ## How much does Jira cost compared to its alternatives? Jira Standard is $7.91/user/month but Confluence is not included. Most teams need both, making the real base cost around $14/user/month. Add Atlassian's Maximum Quantity Billing (which charges your peak user count each month with no mid-cycle refunds) and any Marketplace add-ons, and the median organization pays $85,618 per year. Alternatives: AdeptDev is $120/year flat for the whole team. Linear Basic is $8/user/month ($480/year for five). GitHub Projects is free. Plane self-hosted is free. Shortcut Team is $8.50/user/month ($510/year for five). ClickUp Unlimited is $7/user/month ($420/year for five). For most small teams, AdeptDev and GitHub Projects offer the best value. ## Is Linear better than Jira? For engineering teams, Linear is better than Jira in almost every dimension that matters for day-to-day work: speed (sub-100ms UI vs Jira's sluggishness), onboarding (minutes vs 2-3 weeks), and developer experience. Where Jira still wins is enterprise compliance features, deep Agile reporting at scale, and the Atlassian ecosystem integrations (Confluence, Jira Service Management). For teams under 50 engineers without a dedicated Jira admin, Linear is the better tool. For large organizations deeply integrated with Atlassian's broader platform, the switching cost may not be worth it. ## What should I use instead of Jira for a startup? For a technical startup building a web product, AdeptDev or Linear are the strongest alternatives. AdeptDev gives you GitHub webhook integration, Vercel deployment tracking, and analytics in one workspace at $10/month flat. Linear gives you a fast, clean issue tracker with native GitHub integration at $8/user/month. For a mixed startup where non-technical team members also need to use the PM tool, ClickUp or Monday.com have significantly higher adoption rates than Jira across non-engineer roles. For zero cost and already in GitHub, GitHub Projects is the obvious starting point.