Jira Software Reviews

“broadly adopted platform”

Pros

Right away, the interface feels polished and easy to navigate. It's simple to use, highly flexible and gives plenty of customization options to fit different needs. Another big advantage is how widely used it is so when someone new joins, they usually already know their way around it and don't need much training.

Cons

One downside is that maintaining plugins can be pretty time-consuming and there are times when upgrading them ends up breaking things.

“approachable basics”

Pros

Getting comfortable with the core features doesn't take long and the basic functionality is fairly easy to learn.

Cons

While using it on one project, the task workflow was really frustrating. To move a task into the column I actually wanted, I first had to place it in another one and then move it again. I'm not sure whether that came from how the admins set it up or from the software itself but the whole process felt unnecessarily complicated.

“great for work projects”

Pros

Across almost all of my work projects, this has been one of the tools I rely on most. It allows me to set up swim lanes, sprint epics and tasks in practically no time at all. Assigning tasks, tracking follow-up items and closing them out is also very easy.

Cons

There is still a bit of a barrier to entry when it comes to school projects. Most colleagues across different MBA programs tend to prefer other task management software instead. I have seen the same thing in a couple of startups I advise, where teams avoid it because it feels too heavy for their needs. A lighter version built for those two audiences would be fantastic.

“smooth agile transition”

Pros

As our tech shop has gradually shifted toward a more agile way of working, this tool has really helped make that move more manageable. The interface feels polished and simple which makes it much simpler to track issues and give leadership the level of transparency we couldn't really offer before.

Cons

One limitation is that tailoring the interface to fit specific needs can feel restrictive. It would also be worth improving the analytics side especially by making those features more customizable.

“helpful ticket visibility”

Pros

Across our company, multiple teams are able to assign and manage work for the development and testing teams without much trouble. Product owners can quickly check the status of tickets and projects at a glance which helps a lot with visibility. The messaging and tagging features are also very easy to use.

Cons

Getting started can feel a bit confusing when you're new to the platform. Most new employees seem to need a week or two before they feel fully comfortable using it. That said, once the navigation starts to make sense, the features feel simple and fit our business needs really well.

“strong integration support”

Pros

One of the best parts is how well the process flow and workflows can be tailored to support multiple teams working within the same project. It also connects reliably with third-party tools which makes day-to-day work much more convenient. On top of that, the platform is user-friendly so adoption across the team happens quickly and without much resistance.

Cons

A point to watch is the difference between the on-premises version and the cloud version especially when migrating from one to the other. That transition needs careful planning because it can easily go wrong, leading to mixed-up existing assets and broken workflows. My advice would be to bring in an expert to support the migration process.

“activity tracking made easy”

Pros

One thing that works really well is how it tracks all the activities involved in a project. It gives the business a clear view of how the project is progressing and the people handling the tasks can quickly add updates on where things stand.

Cons

The search function still feels like it could use some improvement. There have been a few occasions when I wasn't able to find what I was looking for.

“workflow powerhouse”

Pros

It honestly feels like a love story for me. This is the most complete software I've ever used and getting it set up, using it day to day and deploying it has all been very easy. It fits practically any task that needs to move through a workflow which makes it incredibly versatile. HR, support and project activities can all be managed without trouble. I also really enjoy the graphs and monitoring tools because they provide clear visibility and help steer the work effectively.

Cons

At this point, I haven't come across anything I dislike about the software.

“powerful queries with weak reports”

Pros

After the learning curve, the system feels pretty easy to use. Its query language is especially powerful once you understand how it works, particularly when you need to search for tickets.

Cons

Handling a large number of tickets across several queues can be challenging. There's also a significant lack of native reporting which makes pulling data out much harder.

“Salesforce sync win”

Pros

Working with Salesforce cases is much quicker because it offers a plugin that syncs Salesforce cases with its tasks which cuts down the time we spend on manual updates. The time tracking and progress monitoring features are also very useful and work well for our team.

Cons

The user interface does occasionally freeze when filtering by user which can be frustrating at times.

“easy sprint setup”

Pros

Being able to place tasks into sprints while still keeping a separate backlog works really well and makes organizing work much more practical.

Cons

It would be even better if it also handled time management by using the estimated time entered for tasks and warning users when the total goes beyond the sprint's available time.

“organized project views”

Pros

The amount of flexibility you get for organizing and filtering views is hard to beat.

Cons

At times, having so many options and filters can cause certain tickets to be missed because of specific criteria settings the user may not realize are in place.

“flexible onboarding support”

Pros

Right from the start, this program was simple to manage and use. The out-of-the-box features covered nearly everything our business needed and when we did need customization, it was easy to configure and adjust. It works exactly the way we need it to for collecting, assigning and tracking issues during new customer onboarding projects.

Cons

Honestly, there are hardly any downsides. The large number of options and customization features did feel a bit overwhelming at first but we quickly realized the settings we needed to change could be updated fast, almost on the fly while we were gathering customer issues.

“strong communication tracking”

Pros

It does a thorough job of capturing project communication and keeping accountability clear across the team.

Cons

Finding things through the menus isn't always simple. I usually end up doing a system-wide search and that can get tedious.

“Simple teamwork hub”

Pros

Compared with a lot of other project organization tools, this one feels very simple and easy to use. Even new team members who have never worked with it before are able to get started right away. The checklist feature is really helpful especially with timestamps and notifications that let you see when tasks have been completed. The file storage is also a big plus because it helps keep my team organized in one place.

Cons

It doesn't come with some of the extra features and polished touches that other project management platforms offer. The interface is also pretty basic.

“industry-leading control”

Pros

It's a powerhouse for managing projects end to end. You can track everything in one place, tailor it to fit different workflows, connect it with other tools and stay on top of active tasks without losing visibility. It really feels like the benchmark in this space.

Cons

Getting it up and running takes time and the initial setup isn't something you finish quickly. Customization and integrations can be more involved than they first appear and the user experience can feel a little awkward at times.

“plugin-packed platform”

Pros

There's a full suite of plugins available and it really feels like there's a plugin for just about every use case or requirement. The platform is highly customizable and offers a lot of versatility which makes it work well across different scenarios.

Cons

Sometimes cycles created in Zphyre don't show up in the view which makes the behavior feel inconsistent. It may be related to a customization issue but it still ends up being frustrating for users on a fairly regular basis.

“love it overall”

Pros

Honestly, I really enjoy using it, though to be fair, it's hard to imagine many people wouldn't.

Cons

A few of the workflows could be a little more simple from a UI perspective.

“customizable and easy”

Pros

It's extremely customizable and getting started with it is very easy. Training people to use it is also simple which makes adoption much easier.

Cons

One downside is that it can feel a bit noisy, depending on how the admin configured and set everything up.

“poor scaling experience”

Pros

It seems like it could be useful for agile planning but only if you manage to figure out how to configure it properly.

Cons

Honestly, it's hard to even know where to begin. The platform feels awkward, slow and full of bugs and on top of that it doesn't scale well either way. It's not a good fit for small teams and it also falls short for larger ones.