Trello vs. Jira: Differences, pros and cons in 2024 (2024)

Project management is the backbone of any good organization. Without a quality project management process, communication, collaboration, workflow and productivity can be all over the place. That’s why a lot of organizations turn to software tools to help their project managers create effective processes.

Two of the project management tools that stand out in today’s market include Trello and Jira. In this review, we’ll combine our own experiences and overall research to compare these two tools in the areas of pricing and value, key features, software integrations, customer support and overall user reviews.

Trello vs. Jira: Quick overview

Pricing and value

Verdict: Tie

Both Trello and Jira offer similar pricing and value to their users, though Jira’s pricing scales with the number of total users, so you may get a better deal depending on the size of your company.

Trello pricing and value

Trello offers four plans focused on individuals and smaller teams all the way up to large organizations and enterprises. The free plan offers unlimited cards, up to 10 collaborators and just enough features for a small startup to figure out if Trello is a good value for them.

The paid plans — Standard, Premium and Enterprise —cost $6.00, $12.50 and $17.50 per user per month (for 50 users), respectively. The Standard plan is ideal for small teams that want to manage their workflow and scale collaboration.

The Premium plan works well for teams who want to use boards, timelines and calendars to track and visualize multiple projects. Trello’s Enterprise plan is designed for large organizations looking to connect workflows across many teams with more control and security options.

Jira pricing and value

Jira’s four plans are similar in value to Trello’s plans, though a bit pricier The free plan includes access for 10 users, making it a good choice for small teams. Jira’s three paid plans are also named Standard, Premium and Enterprise.

For a team of 50, the Standard plan costs $8.15 per user per month and checks the boxes on what a smaller team would be looking for in project management software. Jira’s Premium plan goes for $16.00 per user per month for a team of 50 and is best for mid-sized teams and ups the features to connect and align teams across a company.

The Enterprise plan is billed annually (you’ll need to contact sales to get pricing) and is designed for exactly what it says — large companies and enterprises looking for advanced analytics, scale and security.

Key features

Verdict: Jira

We give Jira the edge here based on its more in-depth features with higher-tier plans, making these options a better value for business owners and larger companies.

Trello features

Trello’s four plans offer a wide range of features, from basic options for smaller teams to more complex plans for large organizations. These features vary based on plan, but Trello’s options include:

• Kanban boards, cards and advanced checklists.
• Custom fields.
• iOS and Android apps.
• Dashboard, calendar and workspace views in higher-tiered plans.
• Advanced admin and security features in higher-tiered plans.

Trello falls a bit short when it comes to built-in tracking and reporting features, though it does offer options through third-party integrations.

Jira features

Jira comes in hot with a solid range of project management features. Here’s what you’ll get from Jira if you choose its services:

• Unlimited goals, tasks, projects and forms with the Free plan.
• Ability to collaborate with external users.
• Thousands of automations per month with higher-tier plans.
• AI-powered summaries and AI editing.
• Customizable approvals.
• Advanced admin and security with higher-tier plans.

If you want a little more detailed reporting and tracking options, as well as AI and cross-team planning, Jira might be your best option — especially if you work with a mid-sized to large team.

Software integrations

Verdict: Jira

Because of its large array of software integrations and apps — with nearly 900 options that are free for up to 10 users — we give Jira the nod in this category.

Trello software integrations

When it comes to integrations, Trello has plenty of third-party apps to help you and your team get work done – more than 200, to be exact. The company’s featured integrations are Slack Power-Up, Jira Cloud and Miro — which allow users to share and connect cards and attach and create new boards.

Trello’s other integrations range from analytics and reporting to developer tools. There are also integrations for marketing, social media, product and design. Keep in mind that while some of Trello’s integrations — similar to its Power-Ups — are free, others may require a subscription fee through the third-party developer.

Jira software integrations

Jira has an impressive amount of software integrations to make project management easier for you and your team. The Jira marketplace includes more than 1,000 integrations and add-ons to help automate tasks, manage workflows and track time.

The company offers nearly 900 of these apps for free for up to 10 users. Your options include tools that range from reporting and administration, CRM, dependency management, time tracking, design and security.

Customer support

Verdict: Tie

Both Trello and Jira are owned by Atlassian, which means the two companies’ approaches to customer support are practically identical. You’ll have a hard time finding any type of phone number on either site unless you choose to purchase the most expensive Enterprise plan with either company.

Trello customer support

Trello seems to go out of its way to provide resources for its customers or potential customers without ever having to talk to an actual person. The company asks customers to create an account for a better response time when it comes to customer support.

You won’t receive 24/7 support unless you purchase the Premium plan, and phone support is only offered on Trello’s Enterprise plan – its most expensive option. That said, Trello does offer a good amount of resources on its help site, as well as a somewhat active community of users who may be able to offer help.

Jira customer support

As mentioned, because Jira is owned by Atlassian — the same company that also owns Trello — it’s no surprise that its customer support options are almost identical. Like Trello, you’ll have a hard time finding a phone number anywhere on Jira’s website.

Phone support is only offered through Jira’s Enterprise plan, and 24/7 support only comes with the Enterprise and Premium plans. Like Trello, Jira also provides plenty of online self-help resources and also outsources support questions to its community of users for customers on the Free and Standard plans.

User reviews

Verdict: Trello

With more than 36,000 mostly positive reviews across the review sites we checked, we give Trello a slight edge in the User Review category. Though it has a lower 3.7-star rating on Trustpilot, that number only represents less than 200 reviews — a small fraction of the overall total.

Trello user reviews

Trello receives highly positive scores on Trustpilot (3.5), G2 (4.4) and Capterra (4.5), with more than 36,000 combined reviews. Many users compliment Trello’s project management features, ease of use and team collaboration options.

On the flip side, some users criticize Trello for both limited and missing features. For example, users flag that Trello’s basic functionality doesn’t have native support for things like task dependencies, which can be a big issue for those hoping to rely on them.

Jira user reviews

Jira also receives a high number of positive reviews. The company doesn’t have any feedback through Trustpilot but it stands out on G2 (4.3) and Capterra (4.4), with more than 20,000 reviews.

Many users praise Jira’s ease of navigation and overall management. Users explain that the comprehensive project management and high level of customization make Jira stand out for them, along with strong issue-tracking features. Some customers do complain that Jira is difficult to use and can be costly.

Final verdict

Winner: Jira

Jira is the winner here in our view. Though both companies offer similar pricing and customer support services – and Trello has a slight edge in user reviews – Jira gets the overall nod because of its overall amount of features and software integrations. That said, both project management services are solid options depending on your specific needs.

Who is Trello best for?

Trello is a great option for solo users and smaller teams because of its lower price point, visual capabilities and ease of use. Based on more than 36,000 positive user reviews, it’s hard to criticize Trello on any count and many customers will likely have a positive experience with the company.

Who is Jira best for?

Jira is an excellent overall project management tool, as we’ve talked about throughout this review. It’s also ideal for software development teams, as well as users who want more overall options when it comes to key features and software integrations.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)