Jira vs PingCode (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Jira: it is second in our ranking of project management tools, and it grades higher too, 3.2 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Jira grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Jira
Issue and project tracking for software and business teams
PingCode
R&D management suite for products, projects, tests and wikis
Which one is for you
Pick Jira if
- Fits if you're a software team tracking bugs and development work through set stages
- Works for teams of up to 10 that can stay within 2 GB on the Free plan
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you only want a simple shared list, because Jira is built around workflows you set up
- Tight if your free team grows past 10 users, 2 GB of files or 150 automation steps for the whole subscription
- Pricey if you need sandboxes, release tracks, advanced planning or an uptime SLA, which are Premium at $19.60 a user a month
- Watch out: annual billing is sold in fixed tiers of 10, 15, 25, 50 or 100 users, so you pay for seats you may not fill
- Watch out: there's no desktop app, and Free gets community support only
Pick PingCode if
- Fits if you want separate modules for ideas, projects and testing
- Works for teams of up to 25 who want a free cloud plan
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want one global price, as the yuan prices apply only to mainland China
- Pricey if you need several modules, as each is priced per user per year with a 10-user minimum
- Watch out: prices above 100 users are quoted, and private deployment has no price
- Not for you if you want free self-hosted use, since the free plan is cloud only
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAJiraVery good | 2.2GPAPingCodeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStandard is $9.70 a user a month billed monthly since October 13, 2026, above this category's $8 middle. Annual billing saves about 18% but is sold in fixed tiers of 10, 15, 25 or 50 users, so you pay for seats you may not fill. | CPrices are per module, per user, per year in yuan, from ï¿¥99 for Teams, and the page says they apply to mainland China only. Elsewhere you ask sales. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree for up to 10 users with 2 GB of file storage and community support. The caps are real, though: 2 GB of files, and 150 automation steps for the whole subscription rather than per person. | BFree forever for up to 25 users on the cloud, with all modules and usage limits. |
| Features | ABoards, lists, a timeline and a calendar, workflows each team shapes itself, bug tracking wired to Bitbucket and GitHub, rule-based automation, plans and goals and Rovo AI. The Marketplace lists over 3,000 integrations, the most in this category. Advanced planning needs Premium. | CProduct and idea management, projects, test management, wiki and automation. Each is a separately priced module. |
| Ease of use | A4.7 on the App Store from 40,574 ratings. Someone still has to sit down and decide your team's statuses and steps, because the workflows are yours to define. | CNo store rating on record. You pick and configure modules before it is useful. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, and no desktop app, which is what keeps it off the top mark. It connects to Bitbucket, GitHub, Jenkins and Slack, to Copilot, Claude and Cursor, and there's an API behind the Marketplace. | CWeb app, cloud or private deployment, with no integrations listed on the pages read. |
| Best for | software teams tracking bugs and releases | R&D teams that want separate product, test and wiki modules |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Jira and PingCode. How we grade
Where they differ
- Jira also covers tasks.
- PingCode also covers wiki.
At a glance
| Jira | PingCode | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9.70 per user / month, billed monthly (Standard, 1 to 100 users) | ï¿¥99 per user / year for Teams, mainland China price |
| Free plan | Free plan for up to 10 users: 2 GB of file storage, 150 automation steps per subscription and community support. | Free forever for up to 25 users on the cloud: all modules, with usage limits. |
| Free trial | From the Free plan, Standard can be tried free for 14 days and Premium for 30 days. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Atlassian | PingCode |
| Price read from | atlassian.com | pingcode.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Jira
- List prices rose on October 13, 2026: Standard went 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.
PingCode
- The page says its prices apply only to mainland China; other regions must contact sales, so these yuan figures are not a global list price.
- Business plans are priced per module, per user per year, with a minimum purchase of 10 users; Insight, Flow and Access are further modules at ï¿¥299, ï¿¥299 and ï¿¥99.
- Prices above 100 users are quoted by sales, and Enterprise (private deployment) has no listed price.
- The free plan covers 25 users and is cloud only.
Key features
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.
PingCode
- Product and idea management
- Ship collects customer feedback, ranks and schedules ideas and links them to delivery and release or version management.
- Project management
- Supports Scrum, Kanban, waterfall and hybrid development models, with portfolios, resources and CI/CD integration.
- Test management
- Testhub handles test plans, test cases and bug tracking, linked to ideas and tasks, and generates test reports automatically.
- Wiki
- Docs, whiteboards and tables with multi-person editing, document security control and links into the R&D process.
- Analytics and automation
- Efficiency measurement, team goals and process automation, plus directory services and third-party integrations.
- Cloud or private deployment
- Business plans run on the cloud, while the Enterprise edition is listed as private deployment only.
Plans
Jira
Free$0
Up to 10 users, 2 GB of file storage, 150 automation steps per subscription and community support.
Standard$9.70
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$19.60
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$179,000
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.
PingCode
Freeï¿¥0
Free forever for up to 25 users. Cloud only.
Business: Teamsï¿¥99
per user / year, 10 users minimum
The team collaboration module. Mainland China price; volume steps above 100 users are quoted.
Business: Shipï¿¥299
per user / year, 10 users minimum
Product and idea management with customer feedback, prioritization and release management.
Business: Testhubï¿¥299
per user / year, 10 users minimum
Test plans, test cases, bug management and automatic test reports.
Business: Wikiï¿¥399
per user / year, 10 users minimum
Documents, whiteboards and tables with multi-person editing and document security control.
Business: Projectï¿¥499
per user / year, 10 users minimum
Scrum, Kanban, waterfall and hybrid project management with portfolios and resources.
Ways to pay less
Jira
- Annual discount
About 18% less on annual billing
Standard is listed at $950 a year for 10 users, against $9.70 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.
PingCode
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Jira or PingCode?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Jira starts at $9.70 per user / month, billed monthly (Standard, 1 to 100 users), and PingCode starts at ï¿¥99 per user / year for Teams, mainland China price.
Which has a free plan, Jira or PingCode?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Jira and PingCode have a free plan.
Which platforms do Jira and PingCode run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Jira lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.