Jira vs Trello: Which project management tool is best for your team? From agile-focused features to simple task tracking, find out which software is the right fit for your business goals.
Introduction
Project management tools are used in a workplace to plan, execute, and monitor project performance. They assist in various tasks such as collaboration, risk management, project administration, etc. They are essential to project managers to ensure the project is executed effectively and efficiently.
Thus, a business should employ the best software for agile project management. Jira and Trello are the two most used project management software in the business sphere. But there has always been a comparison, which is better: Jira or Trello? In this article, we will compare Jira vs Trello, look at the key features, pros and cons and understand which one is better for your business.
How are Project Management Tools Vital for Organizations?
Before diving into the comparison and pros and cons, let’s discuss how project management software proves to be efficient in any workplace:
Collaboration
Project management tools comprise several data-sharing tools that work in real-time, as well as interfaces for values such as the project timeline, documents, and frequently updated information.
Communication
Project management software enhances communication on the project with the teams, departments, users and every stakeholder involved in the process.
Budget management
Project management software is used for budget planning and controlling costs and expenses.
Time management
One of the reasons to use such software is that it assists in time management and the creation of schedules.
Organization
The best software for agile project management assists in tracking and ensuring the projects are well managed.
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Jira vs Trello: Overview
Jira and Trello are both owned by Atlassian and are inspired by and designed to enable agile project management. When talking about two equally powerful project management tools created by Atlassian we must understand how they address different needs of a certain project depending on the team’s size, project complexity and scope.
Jira
Jira is designed for software development and for more extensive, complicated project work. It’s powerful features such as sprinting, backlog, and comprehensive reporting features that enhance the Agile framework.
It provides extremely flexible working spaces which address complex types of project organization, from issue tracker to retrospective. This tool is perfect if you are working in a big company, a software development team, or any company that delivers complex projects in several phases.
Trello
Conversely, Trello is a highly simplistic and highly extensible platform. It allows teams to manage tasks and activities using, boards, lists, and cards on the Kanban model. It is easy to work with, and suitable for teams that are limited in numbers or individuals looking for a tool that will help them track tasks without having to train themselves on how to use the new tool.
Trello provides identification of tasks and visualization of the progress which is helpful for P&S marketing teams, freelance workers, or other similar small businesses with more straightforward and narrowed work processes and tasks. The simplicity and non-cluttered design let users concentrate more on what is important by offering them additional components if desired.
Jira vs Trello Features Comparison
Features | Jira | Trello |
Ease of use | Jira is not an intuitive surface for a new user. You have to acquire proper knowledge about the software for its efficient and optimal use. | Trello is one of the easiest project management tools you can use even if you are a beginner. Its simplicity is its strength. |
Task management | It includes a feature called task management that consists of workflows. Using Jira software users can build a team, test software and project releases. | Trello provides a variety of easy platforms to manage all tasks. Users can arrange elements according to their needs and assign them to particular users |
Collaboration | Along with conventional communication tools, Jira also provides team member task assignments, alerts, file sharing, etc on the boards. | Trello allows you to share boards with unlimited users ensuring everyone can see the tasks and status of projects. |
Agile project management | It was specially designed with agile software management teams in mind and provides a wide range of tools for the same. | It is a great platform for flexible visual Kanban task management. |
Platform Access | Jira is available through a web browser. In addition to this, it offers iOS and Android applications for mobile experiences but relies on web browsers for desktop users. | Trello is also available through a web browser. It also offers iOS, Marcos, Windows and Android application |
Integration | Jira has a massive library of native integrations for CRM, time tracking reporting, code review, cloud storage, etc. Through the Atlassian marketplace, users can get access to thousands of third-party apps, plugins and extensions. | Trello does not provide the ability to access third-party apps in the Atlassian marketplace but you can connect your boards with 200+ tools and ups that range from analytics and reporting to sales and support. |
Jira vs Trello Pricing Structure
Pricing | Jira | Trello |
Free | $0, for up to 10 users including features like unlimited project boards, backlog and basic roadmaps, etc | $0, for individuals and teams looking to organize their projects. |
Standard | $7.53, for up to 35,000 users including features like audit logs, data residency, 250 GB storage, etc. | $5, for small teams who need to manage work and scale collaboration. It includes all the features of the free plan. |
Premium | $13.23, including all features of the standard plan and multiple other features like advanced roadmaps, project archiving, unlimited storage, etc. | $10, for bigger teams who need to rack and visualize multiple projects in several ways at a time, including boards, timelines, calendars, etc. It includes all the features of the standard plan. |
Enterprise | It is billed annually. It includes all the features of the premium plan along with upgraded features like advanced admin controls and security, unlimited automation, 24/7 support, etc. | $17.25, for organisations that need to work across teams with more security and control. It includes all the features of the premium plan. |
Jira vs Trello Pro and Cons
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Trello | |
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Which Project Software Should You Choose?
Choosing between Jira and Trello depends upon your business and your needs. You need to comprehend the size of the team, the project requirements, and what features are required.
If you are a huge or complex team with very specific needs, then Jira is the best software for you. For organizations in software development or industries where the use of agile frameworks is mandatory, Jira’s rich features such as flexible reporting tools, sprinting planning, and backlog priority sum up a great tool kit.
For complex projects that span departments, sub-phases, or workflows where you may need more structure than the basic, Jira has the specific fields, issue types, and agile capabilities for such organizations.
Furthermore, the integration of facilities with coding and repository management systems, such as GitHub and Bitbucket, makes it fitting to cooperate with technologically oriented teams and developers.
However, Jira comes with the added requirement of having to learn more about how to use it and a certain level of time input to do so. This is why it is more suited to those teams that not only possess an understanding of agile but also the time and have the capability to set the tools up as such.
Choose Jira if your business requires:
- Data handling and functions as well as a three-tiered description of the workflow.
- Some of the best Agile project management tools.
- Software tools and development integrations.
Whereas, Trello excels when used by a small number of people or a start-up company or business. This does not require highly sophisticated processes in a project management tool. It is easy to navigate, and there is not much setup to do, so teams can start managing their projects effectively from the beginning.
This is especially applicable in the marketing department, where you need to roll out some campaigns, in the HR department where you manage the ATM and the content team, or in any other project where you need to visualize your ideas, make changes frequently, and just be flexible.
Using Trello, the statuses of the cards on boards are easy to move across different lists, so the program shows the total project status and each concrete task. Reporting and agile features are not built-in into Trello but it can be customized with add-ons that support all kinds of processes.
Choose Trello if your business requires:
- The goal is to have a very basic, easily understandable system of managing tasks by organizing them visually.
- Easy to use, not much to set up when using the tool.
- More suited to work done by small groups, or by users who do not have large projects to complete.
About ValueX2
With ValueX2, organizations can unlock the full potential of their sales and marketing with the help of practical and adaptable methods consistent with the current market environment and supporting methodologies utilized by expert consultants. This optimization of business functioning is where the platform aims to assist organizations in process optimization, adaption to industry occurrences and proper allocation of resources.
As an agile-oriented business value company, it offers solutions and recommendations that aim at increasing efficiency and offering the capacity with which your business can shift its direction, grasp opportunities, and outcompete others. By providing tools and services that range from agile coaching to workflow automation, ValueX2 helps businesses at each stage of project cycles improving communication, organization, and strategy. Introducing agile principles simplifies the work of the platform focusing on core project goals and helping a team manage resources.
Conclusion
Jira and Trello are both useful for managing projects, although Jira meets certain requirements more effectively than Trello. Jira is useful in organizations that implement schemas calling for intricate project models, sprint planning and agile organization of development cycles making it the natural choice for development teams and large-scale enterprises.
Trello is an easily navigable tool for individuals or small-scale businesses, freelancers or a company that only needs a simple platform to track a task while on the move or in a flexible environment. Though Jira offers several options to analyze the projects and track the issues, it has a higher level of difficulty for its users. Trello is easy to use and navigate by a wider audience for more basic projects.
Selecting the right tool for your project may be based on factors such as the needs of your team, your project needs and the level of complexity you wish to incorporate into the project management tool.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. What is Jira best for?
Ans. Jira is an important software for various types of projects. However, it is more suitable for handling a large project that includes work from development and IT groups that use the agile methodology.
It also accommodates intricate sprint planning, backlog, and issues, which are some of the best for bigger teams that need complex project structure and analysis. Thanks to its flexibility and compatibility with development tools like GitHub, Jira is best suitable for high-level project management, especially for solutions adopting agile methodologies.
Q. What is the best software for agile project management?
Ans. Jira is one of the most popular pieces of project management software out there. It is explicitly intended for use by the agile teams. It has features for sprint planning, story mapping and agile reporting that can help teams achieve better workflow. Due to all these factors, Jira is appropriate for agile-focused companies and software development projects.
Q. Can we use Trello for bug-tracking?
Ans. Yes, you can use Trello for tracking bugs but it can only be effective for small teams. Introducing boards with lists as bug lists To Do, In Progress, Resolved helps teams to track and manage them easily.
Nonetheless, issue tracker does not offer as many options related to bug tracking and integrating as software of a similar kind. Jira, for instance, provides, which makes an issue tracker more appropriate for basic bug-tracking purposes.
Q. Can I use Jira for free?
Ans. Yes, there is a free plan for Jira and it supports up to 10 users and comes with project board options, reporting tools, and the essentials of agile tools. Despite the comparison with paid plans, Jira provides limited storage, Integersorting, etc.
It is a good choice for small teams to use the Jira free plans as samples, knowing the basic functionalities of this tool without registering for the paid plans.
Q. Who can use Trello?
Ans. Trello may be used by individuals, freelancers, small-scale businesses and even companies. It is easy to use due to its simple graphical user interface and is primarily aimed towards the creation of visual and illustrative Kanban boards for better task and workflow presentation and management. It is also flexible to use by teams in any sector including the marketing and HR teams in order to take care of projects.
Bhavna is an Agile Coach and Consultant with over a decade of experience in advisory, corporate finance, IT assurance, and operations at Big 4 and within the industry in the UK and India. She has recently been the CEO of a start-up where she implemented agile practices within HR, Marketing, and Product teams.
She is also a SAFe® Practice Consultant (SPC) and authorized instructor for ICAgile Agility in HR (ICP-AHR), Agility in Marketing (ICP-MKG), and Business Agility Foundations (ICP – BAF) training courses. She provides training for agile transformation to corporate, public, and private batches, as well as consulting for enterprise agile transformation.