Why people look for a Jira alternative
- Jira is built around issue types, workflows and permissions, which adds configuration work for teams that want a simple task list (vendor-sourced and third-party reported).
- Total cost grows with separately priced Atlassian products such as Confluence and Jira Service Management (third-party reported).
- Third-party reports from April 2026 say Atlassian collects Jira and Confluence data by default to train AI models, and that some data cannot be opted out on some plans (third-party reported).
The 6 best Jira alternatives ranked
1. ClickUp: 7.0/10, best free plan
Compared with Jira, you gain a free plan with unlimited tasks and unlimited users and paid plans from $7 per user per month billed annually (third-party reported), plus a Capterra rating of 4.6 from 4,558 reviews (review platform). You give up a simpler product, because reviewers report a learning curve, and AI costs $9 or $28 per user per month on top of every plan (third-party reported).
2. monday.com: 7.0/10, largest review base
Compared with Jira, you gain configurable boards, automations and dashboards, with 4.7/5 from 15,384 reviews on G2 and 4.6/5 from 5,945 on Capterra (review platform). You give up a low seat minimum, because paid plans start at three seats, Gantt views start at Standard, and SAML single sign-on is limited to the sales-quoted Enterprise tier.
3. Wrike: 6.9/10, best for resource planning
Compared with Jira, you gain workload views, time tracking and capacity forecasting that independent review coverage singles out as strengths, plus a free plan for unlimited users and a Team plan at $10 per user per month (third-party reported). You give up ease of setup, because G2 ease of use scores relayed by one review site place Wrike behind Asana and monday.com, and the price steps from $10 to $25 per seat past 15 users.
4. Asana: 6.5/10, best for timeline and goals
Compared with Jira, you gain list, board, calendar and timeline views, with goals, portfolios and approvals on Advanced and a free plan with unlimited tasks and projects (third-party reported). You give up free-plan room, because new free accounts are limited to 2 users, and the price per seat rises 127% from Starter to Advanced.
5. Trello: 6.5/10, lowest paid entry price
Compared with Jira, you gain a Free plan and paid tiers from $5 per user per month, built around a simple model of cards on boards (third-party reported). You give up breadth, because Trello is built around one model, cards on boards, and SAML single sign-on is documented for Enterprise, listed at $17.50 per user per month (third-party reported).
6. Smartsheet: 6.3/10, best for data-heavy projects
Compared with Jira, you gain a spreadsheet-style grid that independent reviewers say suits data-heavy projects, and public Pro and Business prices of $9 and $19 per member per month on annual billing (third-party reported). You give up a free plan, because Smartsheet has none, and reviewers describe it as complex and less suited to beginners and visual thinkers.
Jira and its alternatives at a glance
| Category | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jira | 7.2/10 | Project management |
| ClickUp | 7.0/10 | Project management |
| monday.com | 7.0/10 | Project management |
| Wrike | 6.9/10 | Project management |
| Asana | 6.5/10 | Project management |
| Trello | 6.5/10 | Project management |
| Smartsheet | 6.3/10 | Project management |
How these alternatives compare with Jira
Jira scores 7.2/10, so 6 score lower. The page orders alternatives by overall score, with equal scores ordered by name. The reviews quote prices in different currencies, billing terms and tiers, so compare the tier that carries the features you need, and read the pricing section of each review for the source type behind every figure.
Which Jira alternative to choose
- You want a free plan for a larger team: ClickUp, for the free plan with unlimited users.
- You want a large independent review base: monday.com, for the 15,384 G2 and 5,945 Capterra reviews (review platform).
- You need workload views and capacity forecasting: Wrike, for the resource planning and time tracking strengths.
- You want list, board, calendar and timeline views with goals and portfolios: Asana, for the views and the Advanced tier features.
- You want the lowest paid price per seat: Trello, for the $5 per user entry tier (third-party reported).
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Jira?
Yes. ClickUp's free plan has unlimited tasks and unlimited users (third-party reported); monday.com's Free plan covers up to 2 seats with 3 boards and 3 Docs (vendor-sourced); Wrike's free plan covers unlimited users, with a reported cap of 200 active tasks (third-party reported); Asana's Personal plan is free and limited to 2 users on new accounts (third-party reported); Trello has a Free plan. Smartsheet has no free plan (third-party reported).
Which Jira alternative scores highest?
ClickUp scores 7.0/10, followed by monday.com at 7.0/10. Jira scores 7.2/10.
Do the Jira alternatives score higher than Jira?
0 of the 6 alternatives score higher than Jira's 7.2/10 and 6 score lower. The scores combine six weighted criteria, so a lower overall score can still lead on one criterion that matters to you, which the reviews show in their score breakdowns.
Read the Jira review for its full score breakdown, or the best project management software roundup for all 7 tools.