Backlog vs Shortcut

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

Shortcut

• Software teams that plan in stories, epics and sprints
• Teams of up to 10 that can stay on the Free plan
• Early-stage startups and nonprofits that qualify for free access

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.

Shortcut

• The Free plan is capped at 10 users, 1 team, 1 workflow and 5 GB of storage.
• SAML single sign-on and SCIM are paid add-ons on Business and are included only in Enterprise.
• Shortcut's FAQ says it does not offer an on-premises or self-hosted version.
• Shortcut's product and pricing pages list no desktop or mobile app, and the iOS app it announced in 2018 is no longer on the US App Store.

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.

Shortcut

Stories, epics and workflows

Work is tracked as stories grouped into epics. Stories move through workflows a team can customize: 1 on Free, up to 5 on Team and unlimited from Business.

Kanban boards and backlog

Spaces show stories on kanban boards with saved filters, and a backlog is used to sort and prioritize work before it enters a workflow. Work-in-progress limits start on Team.

Iterations

Iterations are time-boxed sprints for a set of stories. On paid plans, automations can create future iterations and move unfinished stories into the next one.

Roadmaps and objectives

Epics are laid out on a roadmap and grouped under objectives. Strategic objectives with key results are part of the Business plan.

Reports

Paid plans open a Reports page with velocity, cycle time and lead time, and cumulative flow charts. Business adds reports that reach back beyond 100 days.

Korey and AI agents

Korey is Shortcut's AI agent for turning rough notes into specs and tickets. An MCP server connects a workspace to coding tools such as Cursor and Claude Code.

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.

Shortcut

• Free$0

  Up to 10 users, 1 team, 1 workflow and 5 GB of storage, with kanban views, a roadmap, iterations, docs and GitHub, Slack and Figma integrations.

• Team$8.50

  per user / month, billed yearly ($10 billed monthly)

  Unlimited users, up to 5 teams and 5 workflows, 250 GB of storage, the full Reports page, work-in-progress limits, automations and all integrations.

• Business$12

  per user / month, billed yearly ($16 billed monthly)

  Unlimited teams, workflows and workspaces, strategic objectives and key results, advanced custom fields and additional charts. SSO is a paid add-on.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Volume discounts, SAML SSO and SCIM included, premier support SLAs, custom terms and onboarding 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%.

Shortcut

• Annual discount

  Save up to 25% with yearly billing

  Team is $8.50 per user / month prepaid yearly against $10 billed monthly, and Business is $12 against $16. The pricing page describes this as saving up to 25%.

• Nonprofit

  Free for qualifying nonprofits

  The Shortcut Nonprofit Plan gives eligible organizations with valid charitable status a full membership at no cost, on application.

• Startups

  12 months of Business free for startups

  The Shortcut Startup Program gives approved startups the Business plan and SAML SSO free for 12 months. Applicants must be new customers with fewer than 50 employees.