Jira Software Reviews

“project management suite”

Pros

Managing a project feels much more complete with this tool and all of its components and suites. It lets me handle artists, clients, resources, time tracking, products and even supports Scrum and other methodologies in one place. I can also create project documents and share information with stakeholders which helps keep everyone properly informed throughout the process.

Cons

The only downside might be that each suite has to be purchased separately, instead of getting everything together.

“fantastic integrations”

Pros

It fits really well into our workflow and connects with almost everything we use, local Git, remote GitHub, Gerrit and even the wiki. That level of integration is amazing.

Cons

Getting started was a bit tough because the learning curve is steep at first. The team also gave familiar concepts some very creative new names which can be confusing but it's manageable.

“digital agile transition”

Pros

Beyond its appealing look, this is a great app for teams moving from a manual process to a more digital way of handling Agile.

Cons

I honestly haven't run into any major downsides yet since I mostly use it to monitor progress and review features planned for the sprint. If I had to point out one thing, it's probably not an app I'd recommend to someone who doesn't already understand the basics of Agile development.

“flexible ticket tracking”

Pros

We use it across the company to manage work tasks and it covers all the key functions we need for assigning tasks to team members, tracking task duration, sending notifications and logging comments and hours worked. One of the most useful parts is how flexible it is when creating your own ticket types or categories since you can set up practically any number of input fields. Those fields can be dropdowns, tags, numeric values or free-text entries. It also handles links intelligently by automatically turning typed URLs into hyperlinks and if you enter an IT ID tag, it recognizes that too and links directly to the related entry. The system also works well with Agile workflows and tickets are simple to follow through the dashboard. Filters are user-friendly as well, whether you want to use the standard query tool with basic dropdown options or build more advanced searches with JQL.

Cons

At the user level, it can feel a bit restrictive because you can only enter information into the fields that have already been configured. Any customization, like adding, removing or hiding fields, changing whether a field uses plain text or rich text or adjusting which fields are required versus optional, has to be handled by IT or an administrator. Rich text formatting can also be annoying at times because the text does not always display the way you expect. The workaround is to switch from the Visual tab to the Text tab so you can edit the formatting tags directly.

“versatile ticketing”

Pros

After working with plenty of task and workflow tools in agency settings, I'm always looking for something that actually helps with team communication and keeps projects moving properly. Out of all the platforms I've worked with, this has become one of my favorites. The interface is appealing, the ticketing features are strong and the overall flexibility makes it useful in a lot of different situations.

Cons

My only real complaint is the learning curve that comes with figuring out all the different ways to use it. Like most new software, it takes time inside the platform before you can really get the most out of it. It's a very powerful tool so you do have to invest some time to fully understand its potential.

“workflow and search power”

Pros

One of the best parts is how customizable it is. You can add fields and build fairly advanced workflows to match the way your team works. The search is also very powerful, JQL lets you look up just about anything, including dynamic filters like issues opened in the last X weeks. It's also useful that you can set up emails based on search results, such as sending a list of all open showstoppers assigned to my team.

Cons

From the admin side, the data model is quite complex and not always very simple to understand. From a Product Owner or Dev Manager perspective, entering new tasks can feel a bit tedious and getting a clear overview of project status or remaining work is not as convenient as it could be. The tool tends to offer either a very detailed view or a very high-level report but it lacks a middle-ground option, such as grouping work by epics.

“agile ticketing success”

Pros

One reason this issue-tracking application is so widely used in the IT industry is that it handles ticket visibility really well. It makes assigned and unassigned tickets very clear which helps a lot with daily work. The product is also highly customizable so you can set up the account based on your company's specific requirements. On top of that, it includes all the features needed for working with Agile methodology.

Cons

Getting started can take some time because the tool is a bit complex. You really need to understand its process and be familiar with Agile methodology before you can use it comfortably.

“search and dashboard strength”

Pros

The platform is highly customizable and the search works really well especially for developers who want code-style search operators. Dashboards are also a standout feature and are fairly simple to build.

Cons

Coming from Asana, it didn't feel very simple at first. It seemed more code-heavy until I discovered the simpler search settings which are there. To be fair, I started using it without any training so my first impression was pretty unfiltered.

“effective task assignment”

Pros

Assigning tasks with this software has been excellent for our team. It's simple to use, very manageable and the interface is well designed too. Overall, it has been really helpful for the way our team works.

Cons

Honestly, I haven't run into anything wrong with this software. The way it lets you assign tasks to each team member works very well so at this point I don't really see anything that needs improvement.

“roadmap integration win”

Pros

Building a product roadmap with this has been really easy and keeping track of progress with the team is incredibly helpful. It supports the whole process from A to Z. The API is excellent and it connects well with other widely used apps around the world.

Cons

It does feel a little expensive for our budget but in the end it helps us save much more.

“clear layout”

Pros

Everything is laid out in a very clear way which makes organizing and filtering content simple. It's also convenient to review items without any hassle.

Cons

The tool can feel a bit complicated at first for people who are just starting out.

“organized boards and tracking”

Pros

One of the best things about this software is how clearly everything is structured and organized. When I set up a new board and start adding tasks, I can assign different priority levels, mark exactly which stage each task is in, like pending, in progress, ready for upload or ready for verification and once everything is completed, there's a reliable history available if we ever need to go back and check what was done.

Cons

My biggest frustration with it is the email notification setup. It can't send a single email covering multiple events so instead of getting one combined update, I sometimes receive 15 separate emails at once. It would be much better if it grouped completed or updated tasks into one summary email and sent that out hourly.

“issue tracking and code links”

Pros

After using it for the past year, I can say this is a powerful project management system. It works really well for issue tracking, linking issues to the related code is very convenient and keeping an eye on activity is quite helpful.

Cons

Once the data volume gets a bit higher, exports and reports start causing problems. It also comes with a lot of options so it may feel overwhelming and not very beginner-friendly for new users.

“helpful sprint tracking”

Pros

It works really well for tracking development sprints. It's simple to see who's assigned to a ticket, how much time has gone into it and what stage the ticket is currently in.

Cons

I'd appreciate having more flexibility in the different ways development sprints can be viewed.

“workflow-friendly platform”

Pros

Packed with a lot of features, this tool is clearly built with software development and design teams in mind. It can genuinely improve the way you work and help make your workflow more efficient.

Cons

A few features that feel pretty basic or necessary are still missing which is honestly surprising. One clear example is the lack of control over how many emails get triggered by different actions so the system can end up spamming your inbox.

“complex but usable”

Pros

I appreciate the integration with Zendesk for providing tagged issue data, find it highly effective for development teams to track projects, value its extensive integrations with other software and like the broad customization options available for project management.

Cons

Getting around the software is quite difficult because it feels overly complex. The interface also doesn't look very polished and it tends to load slowly pretty often.

“simple project dashboard”

Pros

Getting around the system is very easy, project tracking is simple to manage and the dashboard is clean and easy to follow.

Cons

It could be a bit more mobile-friendly although it's not a major issue for me.

“plugin-powered platform”

Pros

It comes with a wide range of built-in features and the large selection of custom plugins adds even more flexibility.

Cons

The interface feels complicated and a few features are tucked away enough that they can be hard to find.

“fast and familiar”

Pros

Getting a team up and running is easy and the out-of-the-box configuration works well without much effort. It's also a widely known tool so most engineers already have at least some familiarity with how it works.

Cons

It isn't cheap for mid-sized to large teams. On top of that, the SSO approach, which is a must-have for many enterprise teams, is pretty unconventional and comes at a very high cost.

“excellent reporting tools”

Pros

Keeping track of issues is one of the best parts of this tool. I can see the status of a project without having to check in with each engineer individually which saves a lot of time. The reporting features are also really strong and useful.

Cons

A few of the text formatting behaviors can be a little quirky but it's a pretty minor complaint since it hasn't had any real effect on my productivity. I've used this alongside Pivotal Tracker and this one is far ahead by comparison.