Backlog vs YouTrack

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

YouTrack

• Software teams that want issue tracking linked to their IDE and build server
• Teams of up to 10, who can use the Cloud or Server version free
• Organizations that need to keep project data on their own servers

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.

YouTrack

• From 11 users every user is paid: Cloud starts at $4.50 per user / month billed annually, or $5.40 billed monthly.
• YouTrack Server is sold as an annual subscription in fixed user packs; licenses bought since June 23, 2026 are no longer perpetual.
• With 4 or more helpdesk agents, every agent is charged and each one also needs a user license.
• Cloud storage is tied to seats: 30 GB on the free plan and 3 GB per user on paid plans, with no way to buy more separately.

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.

YouTrack

Agile boards

Boards support Kanban, Scrum and mixed approaches, for planning at any level from an individual backlog to an enterprise portfolio.

Gantt charts and time tracking

An interactive Gantt timeline schedules tasks with estimates and dependencies. Time is tracked automatically or by hand and reviewed on timesheets.

Knowledge base and whiteboards

Articles hold internal notes and plans or a public knowledge base. Whiteboards gather issues, tickets and notes that can be turned into tasks and articles.

Workflows and apps

Workflows are rules that automate the life cycle of tasks, such as deadline reminders, field updates and recurring tasks. Apps add further features and integrations.

Helpdesk

Helpdesk projects give support agents ticket handling with service-level agreements and unlimited reporters. 3 agents are free; on larger teams each costs $5.50 a month, billed annually.

AI Assistant

JetBrains AI summarizes tasks, articles and tickets, suggests replies and turns text into issues. Free credits, refilled weekly, come with Cloud and with paid Server subscriptions.

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.

YouTrack

• Cloud: 1–10 users$0

  Hosted by JetBrains. All features except a custom logo, 30 GB of storage, 3 helpdesk agents and free AI Assistant credits.

• Server: 10 users$0

  Installed on your own server from a Linux or Windows Docker image. Free for up to 10 users and 3 agents, including updates.

• Cloud: 11+ users$4.50

  per user / month, billed annually ($5.40 billed monthly)

  The per-user price falls as the team grows, down to $1.53 at 10,000 users on annual billing. 3 GB of storage per user and a custom logo.

• Server: 15-user pack$900

  per year, annual subscription

  Self-hosted instance with a year of updates and technical support. Larger packs include 25 users for $1,500, 50 for $3,000 and 100 for $6,000.

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%.

YouTrack

• Annual discount

  Two months free on annual Cloud billing

  Annual Cloud subscriptions start at $4.50 per user / month against $5.40 billed monthly, which JetBrains describes as saving 2 months' worth of costs.

• Startups

  50% off for startup companies

  Private software development companies in business for less than five years may qualify for 50% off up to 10 commercial licenses for JetBrains products, including YouTrack.

• Nonprofit

  50% off for non-profit organizations

  Registered non-profit organizations can apply for a 50% discount on commercial pricing, depending on their business model, by requesting a quote from sales.

• Education

  50% off for universities, free for classrooms

  Universities and accredited educational institutions can get 50% off commercial subscriptions for internal projects, and free classroom licenses for teaching.

• Other savings

  Free licenses for open source projects

  Non-commercial open source projects can qualify for free YouTrack licenses if they meet the requirements of JetBrains' support program.

• Other savings

  25% off when migrating from another tool

  Customers who currently hold a commercial license for a competing tool qualify for a 25% discount on commercial YouTrack subscriptions.