Cancel
You must select at least 2 products to compare!
Atlassian Logo
Read 263 Jira reviews
25,662 views|17,503 comparisons
91% willing to recommend
Siemens Logo
5,210 views|3,463 comparisons
84% willing to recommend
Microsoft Logo
Read 93 TFS reviews
9,851 views|5,739 comparisons
87% willing to recommend
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Jira, Polarion ALM, and TFS based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Atlassian, Microsoft, Nutanix and others in Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites.
To learn more, read our detailed Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites Report (Updated: April 2024).
769,662 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"Its visual display and ease of use are most valuable.""I like it for team collaboration and task management. I also like its analytics and dashboards.""Jira has been a good l tool for collaborating across large groups of people. The JQL feature is powerful and easy to use.""It gave us control over all test artifacts in one place, along with easy traceability, mapping between stories, bugs, test cases, and test cycles.""Issue linking has enabled teams to trace issues.""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 board has been a very valuable feature because it can be very simple for teams that are not technical. It can also be highly technical and have lots of data for teams that are technical. So we use it for both instances.""Perfect for keeping track of large amounts of bugs, tasks queries and releases for fixes."

More Jira Pros →

"It offers good performance.""The technical support is quite good.""It is a very stable solution.""Scalability is good...The integration is quite good.""I am impressed with the solution’s stability.""The initial setup of this solution was straightforward, and there were not too many problems with it.""The solution offers good integration.""It meets with everybody's needs without having to grab plugins."

More Polarion ALM Pros →

"The work item feature is most valuable. It allows us to store all product requirements. We can also link the test cases to those requirements so that we know which feature has already been tested, and which one is waiting for testing. We can also couple the code reviews, unit tests, and automated tests into these requirements. It is reliable. It has all the features and good performance. It also has reporting tools or analysis tools.""Work item management integration with source control.""The most valuable feature of TFS is the central repository, and you can see what changes other developers did from which branch.""I feel that the test plan and test tools are more manageable in TFS.""The initial setup is fairly easy.""TFS's best features include user-friendly test management, bug reporting, and ID assignment.""For what I need TFS for, I have never run into any limitation.""The most valuable feature of TFS is its compatibility with Microsoft Windows systems. We have predominantly Microsoft solutions and TFS work well."

More TFS Pros →

Cons
"I find the dashboard to be Jira's most problematic feature.""it would be helpful to have a better tutorial for learning and to have a better understanding of what the features are and what they do.""The work items structure is not hierarchical and that needs to be changed. It's too flat.""Performance is something that can always be improved upon in a feature release. Additionally, it would be a benefit to add Markdown in Jira because sometimes it might be better to describe everything in Markdown because it is a common language structure.""While it's very powerful, it's very complex sometimes.""I manage the progress of the stories in an Excel chart with dates on work progress or thing to do. I don't like the progress or the stage changing from the stories in Jira.""A more organized hierarchy is important. Reporting and JQL create issues for me. They do not completely cover the reporting part that I need to report in terms of my capacity to plan. In the same token, there is no record at this very moment to provide me with one export with epics story points, tasks, or issues and their sub-tasks at the same time.""We'd like to see more collaboration tools implemented within the product itself."

More Jira Cons →

"Based on my understanding, the tool's integration capabilities with multiple tools is an area of concern that Polarion needs to focus on more.""The solution's editing capabilities need improvement.""As Polarion ALM is a development-oriented tool, easy support or easy access is provided by default, but if I want to use detailed features, I need to write the script, particularly the VM script, and this is its area for improvement. I want Polarion ALM to have a graphical user interface that doesn't need scripting. In the next release of the tool, I'd like for it to not require scripting and programming because needing to run script language is time-consuming.""One of Polarion's shortcomings would be planning. It can handle plans, but the planning feature is very basic.""Test management lacks an automated process.""The solution needs to improve its user experience and graphics.""The user interface is not yet optimized.""The configuration aspect of the solution is not easy. A person needs a lot of programming knowledge in order to successfully handle the job."

More Polarion ALM Cons →

"The overall reports in TFS could improve. Additionally, there should be an easier way to migrate from an older version to a newer one.""I would also like a true command prompt like Git.""The reporting functionality is something that they should work on.""I'm looking for specific options that aren't currently available, such as active status, new status, or what's currently in progress.""Microsoft should discontinue the use of SharePoint as I don’t really see any value add to TFS, document management features can be included in TFS web portal itself, if required!""Currently, we are looking for a solution with which we can incorporate third-party development sites or third-party project teams into the system. Because it is on-premise, it is a bit problematic because we need to have a VPN or something else in the system. A cloud-based solution would be better for us, and that's what we are looking for. Our biggest problem is the external connection, which, of course, is limited by our own IT. It would be good to have some kind of publishing service for this external connection. It might be there, and it might be that our IT is making it impossible for us. Its template editor could be easier to use. Currently, customizing the project templates according to your needs requires some work.""They should have design patterns in TFS for the development team, and design patterns for the QA.""I understand Microsoft is phasing out TFS in favor of Git, so I would steer anyone interested in TFS to look into Git."

More TFS Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "It is very cheap if you forego the local instance and stick to the cloud."
  • "The licensing model is annoying. They nickel and dime you."
  • "It does not cost that much."
  • "Almost everybody uses JIRA nowadays because it is the most cost-effective solution."
  • "I understand JIRA is quite expensive."
  • "We feel that the product is a good value for the cost."
  • "Licensing is on a monthly basis, and it is based on what you use."
  • "To try this solution, use their cloud offering to get familiar. After that, it's in my view worth the money."
  • More Jira Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "The license model is okay for large companies but would be quite expensive for smaller enterprises."
  • "If the pricing would come down and it was more affordable then we wouldn't have to switch."
  • "Our license for Polarion ALM is yearly. And it's not the cheapest tool that we've looked at. So if we had made our decision purely based on the licensing cost, we wouldn't have selected Polarion."
  • "The solution is expensive."
  • "Software for medical devices is always expensive."
  • "You have to pay around 50-60 euros per user."
  • "It is an expensive product."
  • More Polarion ALM Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "It's just as expensive as HPE ALM, without many of the features, best used for development tool only to avoid higher costs."
  • "TFS is on the higher side, but if you intend to use the tool as a complete ALM tool, it will reduce your costs in the long run."
  • "Use the Microsoft recommended “seat-based” licensing model. This allows a single developer with multiple machines to consume only one client license."
  • "If running TFS on-premise is expensive, maybe you could consider moving to the Cloud and use the Visual Studio Team Services."
  • "It is pretty expensive compared to other project management tools."
  • "The pricing is reasonable at this time."
  • "TFS is more competitively priced than some other solutions."
  • "We pay subscription fees on a yearly basis and the price is reasonable."
  • More TFS Pricing and Cost Advice →

    report
    Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites solutions are best for your needs.
    769,662 professionals have used our research since 2012.
    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:Hi Netanya Basically , it all depends on the use cases for your environment and the business needs. Hope the below… more »
    Top Answer:Jira is a great centralized tool for just about everything, from local team management to keeping track of products and… more »
    Top Answer:HP ALM and Jira can be easily integrated with the aid of a third-party Integration Solution To help you select the… more »
    Top Answer:At the moment, I haven't looked in-depth into what needs improvement in the product. Based on my understanding, the… more »
    Top Answer:I work in an industry where I mainly look after the requirements, for which I use Polarion ALM.
    Top Answer:TFS and Azure DevOps are different in many ways. TFS was designed for admins, and only offers incremental improvements… more »
    Top Answer:Microsoft's technical team is supportive.
    Top Answer:There is a yearly licensing fee that needs to be paid.
    Ranking
    Views
    25,662
    Comparisons
    17,503
    Reviews
    25
    Average Words per Review
    511
    Rating
    8.4
    Views
    5,210
    Comparisons
    3,463
    Reviews
    9
    Average Words per Review
    369
    Rating
    7.9
    Views
    9,851
    Comparisons
    5,739
    Reviews
    25
    Average Words per Review
    377
    Rating
    8.0
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Jira Software
    Team Foundation Server
    Learn More
    Overview

    Jira is a powerful cloud- and subscription-based application lifecycle and issue management solution. It is designed to aid users both in project management and in resolving any issues that arise at any point in the software development process. It is especially concerned with easing the ability of developers to collaborate. 

    Jira Benefits

    Some of the ways that organizations can benefit by choosing to deploy Jira include:

    • DevOps lifecycle visibility and planning. Jira provides application developers with tools that enable them to track and visualize where they are in the development process. This means that a DevOps team can measure their progress at all times. Jira’s roadmapping feature also enables a DevOps team to work more efficiently by setting goals for their projects, keeping them on track. Additionally, they are able to track whether they are meeting the goals that they set for their projects.
    • Regular product updates. Atlassian is constantly updating Jira so that it is continuously evolving into an ever more powerful and user-friendly solution. Users can be sure that the product that they are using is always being tweaked so as to provide them with the best possible project management solution. 
    • Flexibility. Jira enables users to customize their workflows and dashboard so that the solution is operating in a way that best matches their needs. Jira can also integrate with more than 3,000 other applications and integrations. Organizations can use it to expand their project management and DevOps capabilities in many different ways. 

    Jira Features

    • Security capabilities. Jira is equipped with a number of useful security features. It gives administrators the ability to restrict access to certain tools so that only users who are authorized to complete certain tasks have access to the tools related to the completion of that task. Users can also set default permissions so that only particular users can work on new projects or particular projects.
    • Real-time notification feature. Users can set Jira so that it offers them notifications that contain critical information in real time. It can send users email notifications when pressing issues have been updated. They can also set it to notify them about tasks that may be due, or other similar events.

    • Activity log. Jira has the ability to track any and all changes that are taking place within the software framework. Users can keep a close eye on everything that is going on. This promotes a high level of visibility and can be leveraged to aid developers in their collaboration efforts. 

    Reviews from Real Users

    Jira is a powerful solution that stands out when compared to many of its competitors. Two major advantages it offers are its workflow engine and its highly customizable dashboard. 

    Bharath R., the tool implementation and project management lead at a financial services firm, writes, “I feel the strongest feature of Jira is its workflow engine. It empowers us to automate our workflows within our organization. It's the one characteristic of Jira which I think can help any organization, be it in any domain.”

    Uday J., a staff engineer at a computer company, says, “Another thing that I like a lot about Jira is that in the dashboard, you can plug the modules that you want. You can enable certain sections. For example, you can show trend history, open Jira tickets, etc. Some of the managers have created a dashboard for each engineer.” 

    The world’s first 100% browser-based ALM enterprise solution, which enables seamless collaboration across disparate teams, multi-directionally linked work items, full traceability, accelerated productivity and automated proof of compliance.

    Visual Studio’s Team Foundation Server (TFS) is a powerful application development lifecycle management solution. It aids developers in managing every aspect of their DevOps and application creation. TFS combines many different types of solutions into a single powerful platform.

    Visual Studio TFS Benefits

    Some of the ways that organizations can benefit by choosing to deploy TFS include:

    • Build automation. TFS enables users to create definitions that can easily automate any and all tasks that are critical to the development of their applications. Businesses can utilize features that are built into TFS to accomplish preset tasks that can help them create the application of their choice. This can include enabling them to run automated tests when the need arises. Additionally, users can create custom tasks that will run automatically and allow users to focus their attention on the areas that most demand their focus.
    • Security. TFS is designed with the security of a user’s DevOps in mind. It enables an organization to restrict user permissions so that only developers that are meant to have access to particular parts of the development process can perform tasks related to those sections. It segments the development process to reduce the possibility of sensitive data being stolen.
    • Enables product rollbacks. TFS keeps copies of past versions of the organization’s application. Users can sift through the different versions that are available and can redeploy the version that best fits their needs should it ever become necessary to do so.

    Visual Studio TFS Features

    • Source code management. TFS comes with all of the tools that developers need to completely manage their source code. They can share their code so that multiple developers can work on the same project. Additionally, TFS enables them to do things like review the history of a particular piece of source code.

    • Project management. Organizations can leverage the wealth of project management features that TFS offers and ensure that their projects run as smoothly as possible. Project managers are able to use TFS to control every aspect of their project, from the planning stage until the application’s development has reached its conclusion.
    • Reporting. TFS enables users to generate reports that leverage critical metrics and provide them with important insights into the applications that they are creating. These comprehensive reports can be secured so that only users with the proper level of clearance can access them.

    Reviews from Real Users

    TFS is a highly effective solution that stands out when compared to many of its competitors. Two major advantages it offers are its source code management capabilities and its powerful integration suite.

    Carl B., the vice president of engineering at Vertex Downhole Ltd, writes, “The most valuable features are related to source code management. Using TFS for source code management and being able to branch and have multiple developers work on the same projects is valuable. We can also branch and merge code back together.”

    Ashish K., the principal consultant at Wipro, says, “I have found almost all of the features valuable because it integrates well with your Microsoft products. If a client is using the entire Microsoft platform, then TFS would be definitely preferable. It integrates with the digital studio development environment as well.”

    Sample Customers
    Square, Nasa, eBay, Cisco, SalesForce, Adobe, BNP Paribas, BMW and LinkedIn, Pfizer, Citi.
    Engineering Ingegneria Informatica, IBS AG, Zumtobel Group
    Vendex KBB IT Services, Info Support, Fujitsu Consulting, TCSC, Airways New Zealand, HP
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company24%
    Financial Services Firm18%
    Manufacturing Company9%
    Insurance Company7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Educational Organization42%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    Financial Services Firm8%
    Computer Software Company7%
    REVIEWERS
    Manufacturing Company31%
    Healthcare Company23%
    Transportation Company15%
    Consumer Goods Company8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Manufacturing Company24%
    Computer Software Company13%
    Healthcare Company9%
    Financial Services Firm4%
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm26%
    Computer Software Company18%
    Manufacturing Company16%
    Energy/Utilities Company11%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Educational Organization52%
    Computer Software Company7%
    Manufacturing Company5%
    Financial Services Firm5%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business32%
    Midsize Enterprise19%
    Large Enterprise49%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business10%
    Midsize Enterprise48%
    Large Enterprise42%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business33%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise50%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business17%
    Midsize Enterprise11%
    Large Enterprise72%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business16%
    Midsize Enterprise25%
    Large Enterprise59%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business9%
    Midsize Enterprise59%
    Large Enterprise33%
    Buyer's Guide
    Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites
    April 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Atlassian, Microsoft, Nutanix and others in Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites. Updated: April 2024.
    769,662 professionals have used our research since 2012.