Backlog vs Jira

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

Jira

• Software teams tracking bugs and development work
• Teams of up to 10 that can stay on the Free plan
• Organizations that already use other Atlassian tools
• Nonprofits and open source projects that qualify for free licenses

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.

Jira

• New list prices take effect October 13, 2026: Standard rises to $9.70 and Premium to $19.60 per user / month on monthly billing.
• The Free plan stops at 10 users and 2 GB of file storage.
• Annual billing is sold in fixed user tiers such as 10, 15, 25, 50 and 100 users rather than per individual seat.
• Sandbox, release tracks, advanced planning and an uptime SLA are only on Premium and Enterprise.

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.

Jira

Boards, lists, timeline and calendar

Projects are broken down into work items that can be tracked on boards, in lists, on a timeline or on a calendar.

Customizable workflows

Each team can define its own workflow of statuses and steps and connect it to the other tools in its stack.

Bug and issue tracking

Teams log bugs as work items and follow them through to resolution, with connections to code hosts such as Bitbucket and GitHub.

Automation

Rule-based automation is metered in steps: 150 per subscription on Free, 400 per user a month on Standard and 750 on Premium.

Plans and goals

Plans connect work across several teams, and goals tie work items to wider priorities. Advanced planning is part of Premium and Enterprise.

Rovo AI and Marketplace apps

Rovo AI helps with reporting, automations and routine project work. The Atlassian Marketplace lists more than 3,000 integrations.

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.

Jira

• Free$0

  Up to 10 users, 2 GB of file storage, 150 automation steps per subscription and community support.

• Standard$9.05

  per user / month, billed monthly (1 to 100 users)

  250 GB of file storage, 400 automation steps per user a month and support during local business hours.

• Premium$18.30

  per user / month, billed monthly (1 to 100 users)

  Unlimited storage, advanced planning, sandbox and release tracks, 750 automation steps per user a month and a 99.9% uptime SLA.

• Enterprise$166,000

  per year for 1,000 users, annual contract only

  Up to 150 sites, a 99.95% uptime SLA, Atlassian Guard Standard included and 24/7 Enterprise support.

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%.

Jira

• Annual discount

  About 17% less on annual billing

  Standard is listed at $900 a year for 10 users, against $9.05 per user / month on monthly billing. Annual plans are sold in fixed user tiers.

• Nonprofit

  Free Jira for nonprofits with up to 25 users

  Atlassian's nonprofit page offers eligible nonprofits 100% off Jira, Confluence and Loom for up to 25 users, and 50-100% off its apps more broadly.

• Education

  50% off for academic institutions

  Atlassian's licensing page lists academic licenses at 50% off Jira Standard, Premium and Enterprise, and classroom licenses for students and teachers at 75% off Standard and Premium.

• Other savings

  Free Standard plan for open source projects

  Atlassian's licensing page lists Jira Standard at 100% off for qualifying open source projects.