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Jira vs Jira Align comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 15, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Jira
Ranking in Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
274
Ranking in other categories
Application Requirements Management (2nd), Project Management Software (2nd)
Jira Align
Ranking in Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites
9th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
41
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise Agile Planning Tools (3rd), Value Stream Management Software (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites category, the mindshare of Jira is 21.4%, down from 23.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Jira Align is 1.5%, down from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites
 

Q&A Highlights

Miriam Tover - PeerSpot reviewer
Apr 02, 2019
 

Featured Reviews

Saroj Ekka - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers good repository integration, sprint board and easy to set up
There are some features and reports we need that are not there. For example, if I have to find out the capacity of the current sprint by user and compare it with the previous sprint, that visibility isn't there. We can know the capacity and what happened with the whole sprint, but not for an individual person to see where it's falling and how it's tracking. Report and analytics capabilities are important for a product manager. That visibility is important, so we use Jira. Some of the features are there, and I use my own Excels or other data things to compensate for that.
Tonia Spight-Sokoya - PeerSpot reviewer
User-friendly with good documentation and the ability to integrate with other third arty vendors
I am really focused on identity access management and getting access to the vendors. Right now, I'm setting up vendor access through Azure. You can do that or with the IAM. Sometimes we have to create several different types of access because we have vaulted databases. We have the Unix databases, I have MySQL, and we have Mongo, where I get access to those user classes or to the databases in the host group. Those are all different access scenario forms that I submit after I do the configuration in the form with the security team. I need clarity on the IAM. I'm not clear on PAM eighter. Is there a form that they have to submit to get access to the internal cyber-risk teams to get their access for people to be able to use the tool on the Confluence side? Do they have to send some kind of form to the operation's security or enterprise security? To be able to get the access for privileged access, do they need to be working on projects that have vaulted databases? I still need to figure out how that works. Other companies that are competitors of Jira and Confluence, are able to create their active directories for the vendors that don't come in internally. They only do access through the cloud and through third-party, two-factor identification. That's something I was wondering if that was already implemented in the packages, the package for Confluence. It would be nice to have that right in the solution.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The burndown chart is also helpful when it comes to reporting and allows us to know where we are going, especially during development."
"We have found the structure, functionality, and how Jira handles the tickets most valuable."
"The solution is extremely stable."
"The most valuable features of this solution are workflow and reporting."
"The links between tickets are very valuable and the boards I found to be configurable and usable. The boards allow some level of extended configuration and they can be customized according to our project needs. Additionally, it is easy to use."
"The solution has been very stable overall."
"The task management aspect of Jira is pretty pure. They have a lot of great plugins that really expand your options."
"Issue linking has enabled teams to trace issues."
"The linking of PI Objectives with different features was one of the cool things. It had features, epics, and stories out of the box."
"The most valuable features are the ability to customize the entries and to update them quickly. Since the new version they released, we started utilizing the customization features to create specific codes and symbols for our teams that were not available before. For example, in team A each person had their own symbols and we had our own demarcation. When our project or task was completed, we had a code that we could enter online that let the main project managers know that it was time to remove it."
"Align enables the capture of all capabilities."
"Jira Align's most valuable feature is the view of strategic control reports for high-level directors."
"The tool helps us to stick with the timeline and budget of our projects. It also helps me to identify dependencies and red flags and intervene wherever possible. I have found the key metrics tab also useful."
"The most valuable feature is that engineers can access the Jira database and just search for the tasks that are assigned to them. They can then update the status on their own in those records that are assigned to them."
"Velocity and reporting provide good visibility, burndown charts, and particularly velocity measurement."
"Being able to do PI planning using the program levels is most valuable. I find that the program-level reporting is most useful."
 

Cons

"Something I would like to see improved is the traceability feature. When you have a user story, if you can see all the test cases, it would be an improvement if you could see any design documents or any change management."
"There is always a bit of a performance problem. It's a bit slow to load the whole data."
"In the way it is deployed, I think Jira is too dependent on the third-party applications that are available in its marketplace. If we could get some of the basic functionalities which are offered by these third-party applications, that would be ideal because each time we need a new functionality, we have to purchase a new plugin as an add-on."
"The tool lacks support for testing aspects, which means we often rely on integrations with other tools for testing purposes. If Jira could incorporate testing modules within its platform, it would eliminate the need for external integrations."
"Users can be confused about how to use this tool as it's very complex."
"There should be a way to integrate the mobile application or in some way, make it more clear because at first instance, I didn't understand how to use it."
"The integration of Jira could improve. The solution should be able to integrate easily with other solutions, such as ERPs. There are times the solution can be slow and we have to reset it over and over again."
"End-to-end management from product backlog to test completion could be improved."
"Other companies that are competitors of Jira and Confluence, they are able to create their active directories for the vendors that don't come in internally."
"One feature that needs improvement is the tool's ability to change schedules automatically. Users can't simply drag and drop tasks to reschedule them without notifying the entire team. This lack of functionality can hinder project management control, as changes should be communicated transparently to all team members."
"One area where Jira Align could improve is in its licensing model. There was a significant change in the licensing module about six months ago, which resulted in increased costs for customers like us. This change wasn't communicated clearly, and it made it challenging for companies to adopt Jira Align without facing higher expenses. In terms of features, I would like to see improved workflows in the next release, as that would greatly benefit our organization."
"The synchronization between Jira and Jira Align takes too long."
"Jira Align fails to provide its users with a complete package in terms of portfolio management."
"Jira Align's setup process could be more straightforward, and they could make training and educational documentation more accessible."
"I don't know if Jira provides training for people who want to be certified with the solution, so that is one of the problems."
"There is no linkage between the Jira records and the overarching schedule. We maintain the overarching schedule in Microsoft Project, and there is no linkage back and forth with the Jira tasks. They are independent of each other."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is a monthly license required for this solution and it is expensive."
"The license is yearly. It is a large, long-running program."
"We have a corporate license, and it is probably based on the number of people."
"There is an annual subscription to use Jira."
"I don't deal with licensing in my current consultant position."
"We had a perpetual license but have changed to a subscription."
"Its price is good and similar to other products. It is about five or six dollars per user."
"The price of the solution could be lower."
"Jira Align's pricing is reasonable."
"Jira Align was reasonably priced then, especially for a bundle license that accommodated around 50 monthly users."
"Jira Align is an expensive solution."
"My company pays approximately 399 USD per month for the solution."
"On a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate Jira Align a seven out of ten."
"Jira Align has price packages for different purposes."
"The license for Jira Align is priced fairly."
"Jira Align is an expensive solution."
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Answers from the Community

Miriam Tover - PeerSpot reviewer
Apr 2, 2019
Apr 2, 2019
Some of the fundamental difference between AgileCraft & Jira are 1) Jira was originally a bug tracking tool that has been modified to try and support Agile projects. AgileCraft was developed out of the box with Agile in mind. 2) Jira data structure is flat which means creating a hierarchy for rolled up reporting is problematic even with the 3rd party plugins. 3) AgileCraft was designed...
2 out of 6 answers
MS
Apr 1, 2019
From: Nick Regan from IT Central Station Sent: Monday, April 1, 2019 11:09 AM To: Sternberger, Mark Subject: Seeking expertise in AgileCraft Hi Mark, Can you help out a colleague with the following question about AgileCraft: ----- What Is The Biggest Difference Between AgileCraft And JIRA? One of the most popular comparisons on IT Central Station is AgileCraft vs JIRA. People like you are trying to decide which one is best for their company. Can you help them out? What is the biggest difference between AgileCraft and JIRA? Which of these two solutions would you recommend to a colleague evaluating application lifecycle management suites and why? Thanks for helping your peers make the best decision! ----- Please reply to this email with your response or post your answer here. You've been a member of IT Central Station since March 2019. In a market full of vendor hype, we provide free connections between real users of AgileCraft to share advice and make better buying decisions. Thanks for being part of the community. Nick Regan Community Director, IT Central Station IT Central Station 244 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10001 (646) 328-1944 um-nqn 342024 To change notifications, please visit your subscription page or unsubscribe completely. gitbdelWHFUOFUyYk1sbkN2bzRLUUQyV1pibk1IeHJQRnRwUEFVSm5DYmFvVG0rNTdnQmE0YjY5T1NBS2tlQlNGa3A5SS0tdzNKeGVNUUsxK1JWdVRjblo0b1RQQT09--acfde43e76e9c3b13be36f6090940095bb440d60gitbdel Disclaimer: This email and any attachments are sent in strictest confidence for the sole use of the addressee and may contain legally privileged, confidential, and proprietary data. If you are not the intended recipient, please advise the sender by replying promptly to this email and then delete and destroy this email and any attachments without any further use, copying or forwarding.
KF
Apr 1, 2019
Hi Nick. Considering the two are now the same company, I would defer any answer to the team at Atlassian. https://investors.atlassian.com/financials-and-filings/news/news-details/2019/Atlassian-to-Acquire-AgileCraft-to-Help-Executives-Align-Strategy-to-Execution/default.aspx
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
50%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
23%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Insurance Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Is Jira better or would you go with Micro Focus ALM Octane?
Hi Netanya, Basically , it all depends on the use cases for your environment and the business needs. Hope the below data may be relevant to you for identifying your needs and deciding on the approp...
Which is better - Jira or Microsoft Azure DevOps?
Jira is a great centralized tool for just about everything, from local team management to keeping track of products and work logs. It is easy to implement and navigate, and it is stable and scalabl...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Jira?
We operate under a nonlimited license with Jira, allowing a number of users to access it with a single enterprise license.
What do you like most about Jira Align?
I joined the company because they had a large project, and as a startup company, they needed to scale up efficiently. My task was to review the current baseline, assess the team's capabilities, and...
What needs improvement with Jira Align?
The platform's communication features could be more robust for better team integration.
What is your primary use case for Jira Align?
We use Jira Align for business strategies, collaboration, and reporting. The solution allows us to manage the various products and features delivered on that platform.
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

Jira Software
AgileCraft
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Square, Nasa, eBay, Cisco, SalesForce, Adobe, BNP Paribas, BMW and LinkedIn, Pfizer, Citi.
Anthem, nielsen, Homeland Security, NCR, dimension data
Find out what your peers are saying about Jira vs. Jira Align and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
849,686 professionals have used our research since 2012.