GitHub Issues vs Shortcut

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.