Backlog vs GitHub Issues

Backlog

• Software teams that want issues and Git or SVN repositories together
• Growing teams that prefer a flat fee to per-user pricing
• Teams of up to 10 starting with a single project on the free plan

GitHub Issues

• Software teams that already host their code on GitHub
• Open source projects taking bug reports and feature requests in public
• Developers who like to plan from the terminal or the keyboard

Backlog

• The Free plan is limited to 10 users, 1 project and 100 MB of storage, and has no subtasks or documents.
• Gantt and burndown charts need Standard; custom fields, cross-project Gantt charts and the AI Assistant need Premium.
• A paid plan cannot be downgraded to Free, and a switch between paid plans takes effect only when the current billing period ends.
• Self-hosting is offered only on Enterprise, and SAML single sign-on, SCIM and audit logs come through the Nulab Pass security add-on.

GitHub Issues

• Issues is not sold on its own: it is part of every GitHub plan, and paid plans are priced per user for the whole platform.
• Every issue lives in a repository, so planning across repositories and teams runs through GitHub Projects.
• A project is limited to 50 fields, counting built-in metadata and custom fields.
• SAML single sign-on, SCIM provisioning and self-hosted Enterprise Server need the Enterprise plan, from $21 per user / month.

Backlog

Issues and subtasks

Tasks, bugs and requests are logged as issues, which can also be created by email. Subtasks start on Starter, and Premium allows three levels of nesting.

Boards, Gantt and burndown charts

A Kanban-style board is on every plan. Gantt and burndown charts start on Standard, where the Gantt view covers 6 months; Premium removes that limit.

Built-in Git and Subversion

Every plan, including Free, has Git and Subversion repositories, so code, bugs and tasks are tracked in the same tool.

Flat pricing per plan

Each plan has one price regardless of headcount. Starter covers 30 users, and Standard, Premium and Enterprise have no user limit.

Backlog AI Assistant

Premium and Enterprise include an AI assistant that organizes tasks, drafts issues and writes summaries, with 2,000 credits a month. Extra credit packs start at $60 a month.

Documents

From Starter, project documents with to-do lists, tables and charts can be edited by several people in real time.

GitHub Issues

Issues and sub-issues

Issues track bugs, features and ideas. Sub-issues break larger work into a hierarchy with progress indicators, and dependencies mark which issues block others.

Tables, boards and roadmaps

GitHub Projects shows issues and pull requests as a table, a kanban board or a timeline-style roadmap, with saved views that filter, sort, slice and group.

Custom fields and iterations

A project takes up to 50 fields, including date, number, single-select and text fields and an iteration field for planning work week by week.

Built-in automations

Built-in workflows set fields, archive items and add issues from a repository automatically. The GraphQL API and GitHub Actions allow further automation.

Insights and charts

Current and historical charts are built from the items in a project, including a default burn-up chart that shows completed work against what is left.

Mobile, CLI and keyboard access

Issues can be created and managed in the iOS and Android apps and from the GitHub CLI, and every mouse action has a keyboard shortcut or command.

Backlog

• Free$0

  Up to 10 users, 1 project and 100 MB of storage, with issues, a board, and Git and Subversion repositories.

• Starter$30

  per month flat, billed annually ($35 billed monthly)

  Up to 30 users, 5 projects and 1 GB of storage, adding subtasks, documents and custom statuses.

• Standard$84

  per month flat, billed annually ($100 billed monthly)

  Unlimited users, 100 projects and 30 GB of storage, adding Gantt charts with a 6-month view, burndown charts and IP-based access control.

• Premium$146

  per month flat, billed annually ($175 billed monthly)

  Unlimited users and projects, 100 GB, unlimited and cross-project Gantt charts, custom fields and the AI Assistant with 2,000 credits a month.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Everything in Premium plus SAML single sign-on, SCIM provisioning and audit logs, with the option to install Backlog on your own server.

GitHub Issues

• Free$0

  GitHub plan for individuals and organizations. Includes Issues and Projects, unlimited public and private repositories and community support.

• Team$4

  per user / month

  GitHub plan that adds repository rules, required reviewers, code owners, 3,000 CI/CD minutes a month and web-based support. Includes Issues and Projects.

• Enterprise$21

  per user / month, starting price

  Adds SAML single sign-on, SCIM provisioning, enterprise accounts, data residency and the self-hosted Enterprise Server option.

Backlog

• Annual discount

  Save 17% with annual billing

  Billed annually, Starter is $30 a month against $35, Standard $84 against $100 and Premium $146 against $175. Nulab states the saving as 17%.

GitHub Issues

• Nonprofit

  Free Team plan for verified nonprofits

  GitHub for Nonprofits gives verified 501(c)(3) or equivalent organizations a free GitHub Team plan with unlimited users, or 25% off GitHub Enterprise Cloud.

• Startups

  $10,000 in credits for eligible startups

  GitHub for Startups gives partner-affiliated startups with outside funding up to Series B, and new to GitHub Enterprise, $10,000 in credits valid for up to 12 months.

• Education

  Free developer tools for students and teachers

  GitHub's pricing page says students and teachers get free access to developer tools through GitHub Education, for the school year and beyond.