PingCode vs Tower (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Tower grades higher than PingCode: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Tower grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
PingCode
R&D management suite for products, projects, tests and wikis
Which one is for you
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
Pick Tower if
- Fits if your team works in WeChat or WeCom
- Works for teams of up to 10 who want a free task board
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need an English site, as pages and prices are in Chinese and yuan
- Tight if you pass 10 people or 5 projects on the free plan
- Watch out: the Gantt view and permission management need Advanced
- Not for you if you want dedicated desktop or phone apps, as none are named
- Too light for larger software teams, which the site sends to ONES
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAPingCodeFair | 2.4GPATowerFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPrices are per module, per user, per year in yuan, from ￥99 for Teams, and the page says they apply to mainland China only. Elsewhere you ask sales. | BAdvanced is ¥21.9 per user a month billed annually, roughly $3, which is inside the cheapest quarter of the category. Prices are in yuan. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree forever for up to 25 users on the cloud, with all modules and usage limits. | BBasic is free for up to 10 people, 5 projects, unlimited tasks and 1 GB of storage. |
| Features | CProduct and idea management, projects, test management, wiki and automation. Each is a separately priced module. | CTask views, Gantt timeline, templates, docs and reports. The Gantt view and permissions are on Advanced, and the site sends larger software teams to ONES. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You pick and configure modules before it is useful. | CNo store rating on record. The site is in Chinese, which makes setup slower for others. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb app, cloud or private deployment, with no integrations listed on the pages read. | CWeb app plus a WeChat mini program and WeCom edition, with no desktop or phone apps named. |
| Best for | R&D teams that want separate product, test and wiki modules | small Chinese-language teams wanting tasks and Gantt |
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: PingCode and Tower. How we grade
Where they differ
- PingCode also covers wiki, issue tracking and workflow automation.
- Tower also covers templates, tasks and reports.
At a glance
| PingCode | Tower | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | ￥99 per user / year for Teams, mainland China price | ¥21.9 per user / month, billed annually |
| Free plan | Free forever for up to 25 users on the cloud: all modules, with usage limits. | Basic plan is free for teams of up to 10 people: up to 5 projects, unlimited tasks, 1 GB storage and 100 knowledge-base articles. |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial of paid plans; length not stated |
| Web | ||
| Made by | PingCode | Tower |
| Price read from | pingcode.com | tower.im |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Tower
- The site and pricing are in Chinese and prices are in yuan (Â¥).
- The free Basic plan stops at 10 people and 5 projects; the page names Gantt timelines and permission management on Advanced.
- The site points larger software teams to ONES, which now owns Tower.
- Only a web app, a WeChat mini program and a WeCom edition are listed; no desktop or mobile apps are named.
Key features
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.
Tower
- Multiple task views
- Tasks can be shown as lists, calendars or Kanban boards, with custom fields, recurring tasks and task dependencies.
- Gantt timeline
- A timeline view (Gantt chart) is used to track progress against delivery dates; the page names it on the Advanced plan.
- Project templates
- Dozens of templates cover scenarios such as software development, product design, HR, marketing, sales and legal work.
- Knowledge base and online docs
- A knowledge base and online documents sit beside tasks; the Basic plan holds up to 100 articles.
- Reports and statistics
- Reporting and statistics on tasks, projects and delay rate are part of the plan comparison table.
- WeChat and WeCom
- A WeChat mini program and a WeCom (Enterprise WeChat) edition let teams follow tasks from chat apps.
Plans
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.
Tower
Basic¥0
Up to 10 people, 5 projects, unlimited tasks, 1 GB storage, 10 MB attachments.
Advanced¥21.9
per user / month, billed annually (Â¥29.9 billed monthly)
Unlimited projects, 100 GB storage, permission management and Gantt timeline view.
Professional¥29.9
per user / month, billed annually (Â¥39.9 billed monthly)
Described as suited to overall project management, with 1 TB storage and 2 GB task attachments.
Ways to pay less
PingCode
No public discounts listed.
Tower
- Annual discount
Annual billing cheaper per month
Advanced costs ¥21.9 per user a month billed annually against ¥29.9 billed monthly; Professional ¥29.9 against ¥39.9.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, PingCode or Tower?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PingCode starts at ￥99 per user / year for Teams, mainland China price, and Tower starts at ¥21.9 per user / month, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, PingCode or Tower?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both PingCode and Tower have a free plan.
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.